Chef Waldo is an engaging and genuinely welcoming host who clearly takes pride in both his food and his customers. Meeting him was a significant part of what made this restaurant such a memorable experience. I had the buffet, and the food was fresh, delicious, and plentiful. Chef Waldo was incredibly generous, attentive, and made sure everyone felt welcome. It's rare to meet someone so passionate about both great food and outstanding customer service. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend El Ceviche De Waldito to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience. This version flows a bit better, highlights both the food and the service, and ends with a strong recommendation. read more

My husband and I have been here before but we can't remember if it was owned by the same person. I'm sure I would have remembered Chef Waldito! Upon arriving, we were welcomed by the Chef Waldito with open arms, amazing energy and you can tell he absolutely LOVES what he does! The restaurant is small but cozy with accolades all over the wall. He explained the menu, the buffet and said he would make anything to order but recommended the buffet. How could you not have a smile on your face when someone talks straight from the heart about making food for his customers?!? We opted for the buffet which was all you can eat and his homemade tea for only $12!! He says he only makes enough money to cover the rent because feeding people was his love language. This touched us! You can get either one or both soups. He served a seafood soup and a chicken noodle soup. The soups was very flavorful and warm. He also serves bread with it as well. The chicken noodle soup was on point! It was flavorful, the noodles were cooked well and wasnt mushy. He will serve you the buffet. It had roasted chicken, then a chicken stew with Caribbean vegetables (plantains, yucca, etc), yucca, black or red beans and either white or rice with gandules. Being that my husband is from the islands, we know flavor! Unfortunately, the beans and the stew had little to no flavor, not even salt. Additionally, the beans were burnt. The arroz con gandules was odd. It lacked flavor and I'm not sure how you can get mushy but underdone rice. The stew tasted like it was just watered down. He graciously made fresh fried Maduros which were great and fried pork as well. The tea that came with it was very good! I'd definitely order a pitcher of it! It had a lot of fruit and floral notes for a tea! Unfortunately, the food missed the mark for us. We couldn't even finish it, let alone even eat half. We were so disappointed because you can tell he absolutely loves and lives off of his love for cooking. I don't know if my husband and I were off on our taste buds that day. I gave this a three star because Chef Waldito was such a pleasure to be around. He made it worth while and I don't want his restaurant to fail. If it were solely on the food, I truly hate to say it but I would have given it a one star. If there's a next time, we might just order off the menu! We do wish him luck and if he or someone that knows him reads this, we hope it will be more helpful than hurtful. read more

To call this restaurant a hole in the wall would be a disservice. The food is always on point, very attentive service and the ambience is incredible. It's akin to having a party in your own dining room. Dollar for dollar it's the beat deal in town. Naturally, your taste buds must be familiar with flavors from the Caribbean: Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba, etc. but if you feel adventurous suggest stop on by and give it a chance. Regularly scores high from the food inspectors. Chef Waldito's the best! Always welcomes his customers with the highest respect. Highly recommend. read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - Chef Waldo Castro - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Let me tell you! Before I even GET to the food!This man is the sweetest giving human. To top it off, he's a distinguished chef. He is apart of an awesome foundation supporting women and children, Make A Wish Foundation, and does so much in his community including free vendor events. I would have never thought to come in without a friend's recommendation when I asked for Peruvian food. It's in a run down shopping center. But when we walked in, we were welcomed with a smile, convo, and a great buffet. I had a taste for Saltado de Pollo and he made it to order. All tasted fresh and like some good ol home cooking! Tender, tasty, and the sauces were delicious. He treated us to the iced tea. It was just sweet enough and refreshing. We had plenty of food leftover. He treated us to a lot, but I don't want anyone to expect the same treatment, but I wouldn't be surprised. This place isn't for the non-hungry introvert, but for everyone else that love diamonds in the rough and really supporting local. The man has stories for days! We heard he may ask what you like and create some thing, but I just had to be firm with my saltado pollo. He got us to add a buffet and we didn't regret it. This is a solid restaurant for a home cooked meal the entire family will love. He'll take card, cash, cashapp, venmo and you'll most likely leave with more food than you planned. I JUST finished my last leg today and the rice with the delicious sauces yesterday and this is day 3 of leftovers. All I ask is that you tip him well and fairly. I'm posting a pic of his work at his foundation. Lmk if you go!!! And be prepared for a little chat :-) read more

See all

we went in for a late lunch and were greeted by Waldito we left it up to him to decide what we should have for lunch and he brought us a multicourse lunch. That was absolutely delicious. He topped it off with a scrumptious dessert, and it was all very affordable. Interim the mailman came in and he greeted him with a kiss on the head and gave him free tea. will definitely be back! read more

I had always heard of this place but just tried it earlier this week and I'm upset at myself for waiting so long to come through! We went around 2:30 on a weekday so the lunch rush had died down and it was pretty much empty at that point. Waldito greeted us warmly and made us feel like family. He was basically our personal chef for the hour or so we were there. We weren't familiar with too many of the traditional dishes but he explained everything and we took his recommendations. There's nothing boojay about the place and they weren't playing music at the time but the love that this man put into his food was breathtaking. Couldn't recommend it enough for people looking to avoid touristy spots and just looking to eat some authentic cuisine made with tons of TLC. We plan on coming by at least once a month to support! read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

See all

food 5 Service 5 Really good food ,small place but attention is perfect i'll come back again for sure read more

i'm from la and this place beats every mexican and texmex food in san antonio! this is a must go to!! food is made from the heart and you rarely this now in chiefs! read more

Great Service and lot's of Great Food... Chef Waldo is a charismatic and energetic person that makes you feel more than welcome to his space.... Loved the Lunch read more

This is probably the best meal I've had in years! Flavors are perfectly melded together. You won't find a better Peruvian, Cuban and Puerto Rica restaurant even if you go to Miami! But no need to anywhere but this quaint and delicious restaurant in SA! Chef Waldito is an absolute delight. He was attentive and a joy to be around. Especially loved the mussel soup. At the end he made for us, from scratch, dessert. You will feel like you have been welcomed into Chef Waldo's home for a meal. read more

See all

Food is wonderful presentation taste and price. The ceviche is the best we had in San Antonio.

My husband and I went to Peru several years ago and loved the food. Since then we have tried many Peruvian restaurants in San Antonio. None of them compared to the El Cerviche De Waldito at 5526 Evers Road. The food was outstanding and the owner, Chef Waldito, welcomed us warmly and brought us a number of our favorite Peruvian dishes such as Lomo Saltado and Papa A La Huancaina. You won't be disappointed and we look forward to returning ourselves many times. read more

I have been delivered. The food is out of this world. Chef Waldo is an amazing chef. His food was prepared with love and tasted to perfection. I was transported to different parts of the Americas and the Caribbean with each dish. Chef Waldo is also an amazing person. He was so friendly, and he made sure my sons were fed first. I have never seen better customer service. The restaurant was clean and welcoming. The music had me dancing in my seat. Don't let the location fool you. This restaurant is very worth your time! read more

Took my dad for the ceviche. It was very good, and we tried the buffet which was a mixture of different Latin dishes. Great experience and service. read more

My husband and I went and were greeted by Waldo. While I'm sure he is a nice man, his buffet work area is cluttered, and he serves without a hair net. At the time we went, he's hair was overgrown and unkept. He guided us toward the buffet, which was so disorganized. I tried it it since I wanted to share Waldo's feeling, and quickly regretted it. He was also constantly in our conversation. If you want good food, a nice ambiance, and a place for a nice conversation, do not go here. read more

The food was fantastic! We did the $12 buffet and ate chicken quarters and pork with rice, lentils, plantains, tomatoes and more. The iced tea was amazing, and the chef was possibly the friendliest I've ever met. He made us welcome and shared his story with us in a way that was incredibly heartwarming. This was an experience I'll never forget, and we will be returning. read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - Buffet - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Food was amazing great service by chef Waldo will come back with my family excellent atmosphere

The owner is so welcoming, good customer service. The food was just ok, I came during lunch time, buffet, chicken, rice and soup. read more

See all

Waldo is one of a kind, the food is amazing and he makes you feel at home. I cannot recommend this place enough.

Ordered through yelp and restaurant never got my order at all but yelp sure made sure to charge me for it. Will be the last time I use them to order food for sure read more

Very good food and caring owner. Also very cheap for a $12 all you can eat buffet. I would recommend highly

Best ever tasting paella in San Antonio Texas, my friends and I were in awe as we enjoyed this wonderful meal!

Came in with my Dad , amazing and authentic experience. Waldito is a super cool dude, hopefully you see him when you go! The food was also very delicious. read more

BEST CUBAN CUISINE IN SAN ANTONIO!!!!! Chef Waldo is one of the most talented and hardworking chefs I've ever meet. That means a lot coming from someone who has been in the food industry for many years. His restaurant is truly a hidden gem in the north San Antonio area!! Come visit chef today where the food and experience are truly unforgettable! read more

We had been looking for a Peruvian restaurant and Waldo did no disappoint. Seems like a one man show. He took care of table service, was in the back cooking, and was a fabulous host. Be ready for a very outgoing personality and a delicious meal. Waldo mentioned he does a buffet during lunch with Puerto Rican and Cuban food, only $9! read more

Chef Waldito was amazing. His presence was felt instantly from walking in. He had some fun with my daughter and really allowed us to be comfortable bringing her in to what I felt was a quiet place. He made us feel at home. If you don't know, this guys has traveled the world cooking and does catering work for all the top Latin celebrities that perform in SA! This guy is SUPER LEGIT! And the food being spot on, that helped. Puerto Rico has been on my mind for sometime now and this was absolutely what I needed: COMIDA CRIOLLO! From the arroz con gandules to the Tostones (friend plaintains) it was perfect. He makes it with love and serves it with passion, love it. Lunch Buffet is only $7 per person. Has a Groupon right now to try. GET HERE SOON! read more

See all

No. No. No. No. No. Walked in to pick up my order and the "owner" was on the phone, no big deal. After about 3 minutes he looks up and says "you walk in and don't say anything. Why do you have to be so rude?" Of course I'm thinking WTF! So I told him I was actually the guest and he should have acknowledged ME. I said I could have been rude and interrupted his phone call but I thought I'd be nice, since I am not princess and he was on the phone before I walked in. He continued ranting about a few things and never said a kind word. I WILL NEVER EVER GIVE THIS PLACE MY BUSINESS. This was by far the worst experience I've had in a long time. So just NO... read more

The food and service were great! We sat in the back patio and the weather was great for it, we will definitely be back! read more

See all

This weekend, 11/9&20 Chef Waldo is featuring his Lomo Saltado! $15.99 including fruit infused tea!! read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - Lomos Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I originally found this place yesterday, scanning through Google maps for a place to have dinner. I called, was told that the place is quite full, and essentially cannot accommodate us. The reviews piqued my interest so after church, we headed over to try their lunch buffet. El Ceviche is a very intimate place. It's a seriously delicious home-cooked and authentic meal. The Peruvian chicken was seasoned very well. There were several sauces but the chicken didn't need any at all. Loved the chicken with the tasty yellow rice. I had the seafood soup, not knowing that it was spicy. It was some serious heat! The fruit-infused iced tea was free-flowing. Truly a hidden gem! Chef Waldo's cooking has been recognized with many articles and awards, which covers one of the walls of the restaurant. He's quite friendly and made us feel welcomed. read more

See all

The best peruvian food in san antonio plus Waldo is best! Food and fun. Grab his lunch buffet and ask for a hug

Great food, great Tea! And awesome service by Waldito. A must try. I will be backsoon! read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - WALDITO! - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I not only enjoyed lovely food, delicious soup with the buffet lunch, but the owner and chef welcomes you home for a meal. It's an intimate space where diners actually talk with each other. At different tables. And were regulars. I'm from out of town. It was a traditional and delicious meal. More than hearty. Generous. I loved the marisco soup! Do enjoy this authentic fresh home style Cuban cuisine. Lol gracias. read more

The food and service was on point. We met the owner and he was very kind. We tried a variety of plates.

Came in on a Sunday afternoon, and we have no regrets!! Every food item on the buffet was so flavorful!!! This was our first but certainly NOT our last time here. The Yuca, tostones and salsas were perfect and the soups (seafood, pork and chicken) were each so full of flavor!!! My wife ordered from the menu...chupa de mar...it was delicious, flavorful and addicting! Chef Waldo will welcome you with love and humor. Come in with a smile and you'll leave with a full and content pallet and stomach!!! read more

El Ceviche De Waldito - Chupa Del Mar - Peruvian Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Not sure if this was dishonesty or a mistake. The sign out front says buffet is 12 dollars but we were charged 15 dollars per buffet. Also the Cubano was 15 dollars which seems high but did not get a menu to see what the actual charges were. read more

My family and I have been coming here for over 10 years. Wonderful food! We love Chef Waldo!

Es el mejor la comida estupenda y el servicio amable y eficaz le doy un diez de diez volveré pronto

The food is fresh like home made. Chef Waldo has years of experience in the Latin kitchen. I know him for many years, he continues be one of my favorite chefs. His devotion, hard work, and perseverance has won him many recognitions through the Latin and American community. He loves to come out of the kitchen to dinner room to interact with the customers, to make them feel at home. Chef Waldo is also an amazing person, he finds time to give back to the community, his second passion. KUDOS to my friend, Chef Waldo. read more

Great chef that is on our preferred list of wedding caterers at West River House. His restaurant in San Antonio promises just great food. His catering support was outstanding with his crew. Check out the table settings for our venue. read more

See all