You know, it's funny, as I read some of the entries here on Yelp I have to take everything with a grain of salt...as should you. Everyone who comments about El Serrano wants to be taken seriously as a food critic, an expert in authentic Mexican food, or as someone who is an expert in restaurant spacial design and use. Interestingly, El Serrano is not an authentic Mexican restaurant, as their heritage is one of Peruvian decent. So, accordingly, El Serrano is a great representation of the Peruvian food culture and that is hard to find in these parts. It is possible to stretch and say that they also touch on the Tex-Mex food culture as well. Perhaps the misleading information is in the title of the restaurant here on Yelp. But, as far as authentic Peruvian food...you will find none better in this neck of the woods. So, El Serrano (York and Lancaster) serves authentic Peruvian cuisine and they do it with perfection and honor as they continue to use family recipes that have been proven over time. From their early beginnings at the York Fairgrounds, El Serrano continues to provide terrific Peruvian flavors at reasonable prices both in York and Lancaster. I, for one, am a huge Fan of El Serrano. But, I guess that's because I love their authentic Peruvian dishes. read more

Diamond in the rough!! I love the cultural decor combined with great food! It's a must have experience!! Home made chips were great too!!!

Don't let the strip mall location fool you, the food was great. They have the normal Mexican fare but also have Peruvian food as well. The server was overly excited about the Peruvian food but provided samples of some ingredients when questioned on their spicy level. We sat about 20 feet from the front door. I quickly felt like I was in Quickie Mart with the bell on the front door. So about every 2 minutes, "ding". read more

Excellent food and fast, friendly service. Great social distancing during Covid. Highly recommended!

Seemingly small and tucked away, the restaurant opens into a space that is at once bright, welcoming and - in various nooks and crannies - intimate. The abundance of thick hide (chair and menus) tells you this is a place for meat-lovers, but unlike most places were carnivourous mastication is du jour, here there is also a tempting selection for vegetable enthusiasts. The ingredients are fresh and flavours intense, but not so over-laden with cheese and garnishes that in lesser eateries might be used to hide bland flavours. Staff are friendly, desserts are tempting and the food is good value. All that's missing is a beer menu and the option to enjoy margherita with the complimentary chips and salsa. read more

Used to love this place but now I would say it is just ok. The chips and salsa were delicious. We order pinchos as an appetizer and we were very disappointed. There was no green sauce and the meat was tough and cool. When we got pinchos in the past, the meat was hot and melted in your mouth. We also ordered shrimp fajitas and chicken fajitas. They tasted good but there were less peppers than usual. We also ordered the lomo saltado. It was not as flavorful as it was in the past and had much less french fries and tomatoes. The service was only ok. More refills more quickly were needed. read more

I had been to El Serrano several times years ago and always enjoyed it. The food was always great and the fried ice cream was excellent. I returned for the first time in a few years while visiting the other week and had a less enjoyable experience. We went during an off time, so maybe that had something to do with it, but either way it wasn't as great as I remembered it being. The food was tasty, but seemed a little off. The real bummer was the fried ice cream. There was no warmth to it at all, it was like it was just pulled from a refrigerator. Not as good as it used to be. read more

As a big city guy I would put this restaurant up against any of the best places in DC Portland Pittsburgh or Baltimore, where I have lived. You walk into a comfortable an innovative decor that brings you to a 18th century Hacienda in what might have been Spanish California. The staff are friendly and work very hard to take your order and keep things moving in a timely fashion. A single seats are uniquely made from a cured leather and monogrammed to show the owners dedication to their restaurant in to the experience. The menu is diverse with excellent choices, meat, chicken, seafood, and wonderful variety of vegetarian items. Its not your standard Tex-Mex. This menu has dishes that are indigenous to Peru and particular specialties of the house. They take unique flavors and blend them with high quality ingredients to produce a true culinary experience and not just a meal. My wife had their chicken and said it was excellently prepared wonderfully moist and truly flavorful. I as a vegetarian had a rice and beans based dish that was out of this world. The portion sizes left more than enough for another meal and we were glad to take it home. The dessert was phenomenal. Their cakes are soft and moist & the flavors are excellent. Their fried ice cream uses a quality vanilla base and is served hot & crunchy. We had a wonderful experience and would recommend this place to any of our friends. read more

First off, let me say that we just moved here from Southern California where they have the most amazing Mexican food. With that said, I still think that the food here is just average. When I go to a Mexican restaurant and pay $15 for my meal, I would not expect to get ground beef in my taco or enchilada. The service, I will say, was outstanding. Our waitress was very friendly. I miss good Mexican food!! read more

Hands-down one of my top picks for places to dine, every single dish there is absolutely delicious from what I have experienced. Not to mention the warm chips with homemade salsa you get in the beginning are the best. My favorite dishes are the chicken fajitas and the Lomo saltado. The way they cook their chicken and beef is the best ever. So juicy and tender. I have been there tons of times and satisfied every.single.time! Definitely go!!! read more

I have been to the El Serrano in Lancaster. The food does not disappoint. We went on Thursday night and this place was packed! It is considerably much much smaller than the Lancaster one...so that is probably why. There was a singer there, singing melo tunes during the dinner. He was actually great. It was like great background music, that didn't distract, rather added to the experience. Had the los burros (same as I did at the Lancaster location) with ground beef. Pretty good. My fiance got the Los Rancheros option (with three different "tacos/burritos". He enjoyed. The food is solid. Wish they had some "kick" to it, e.g. spice. read more

We've been longtime fans of the food here, following growth from West York to this location and on to Lancaster. Glad to return and see expansion and new bar area. Food still delicious read more

El Serrano Mexican Restaurant - Salmon Serrano and El Gordo combo Food still delicious - Mexican Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

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We have enjoyed delicious food at El Serrano for 30 years. I am very disappointed that I can't eat lunch there during the week since they're not open since the pandemic. Food is good and service is great as well. read more

I have been eating at El Serrano since I was a little girl. This is one of my "must have" stops every time I go home for a visit. Try the Lomo Saltado and save room for the fried ice cream read more

We came here for the first time tonight for dinner and the food was AMAZING!!! I am a huge guacamole lover and they by far have the best. We had the fajitas for our meal and the chicken was so tender and tasty my husband had to steal one of mine. Great service and great food. We will definitely be back read more

Honestly I am surprised by the positive reviews of this place. I guess I am just spoiled by the AUTHENTIC Mexican food you get in CA. I will start off on a positive note and say that this place indeed does have a very quaint Spanish charm to it, but that's about all I can say positively. I ordered my drink, which was just an iced tea, but I specified no lemon. It came with lemon. Not a huge deal to me because this happens a lot. We were brought the chips and salsa. Stale chips and the salsa was quite salty. I wanted a Burrito. One that you pick up with your hand and scarf down on. No where on the menu does it actually SAY Burrito. So I asked the waitress if they make Carnitas Burritos (pork). She looked at me strangely so I told her it was a Pork burrito. This pretty much told me that this isn't a REAL Mexican restaurant. She pointed to the menu and told me what they consider to be their burritos which was Los Burros-Two flour tortillas stuffed with beans, choice of one meat, topped with sauce and cheese....I got the shredded beef option and I must say that this was a total disappointment. Not very flavorful what so ever. The side of rice and beans were basically just OK. My friend got a margarita and commented that she makes better ones at home. She ordered the chicken fajita and commented that it was pretty good as well. I guess my hunt for a decent burrito in York is still on. This bums be out. I miss Mexican food! This may end up just being a treat for me when I go back to CA for my annual visits. Sorry El Serrano...No Bueno read more

Their civeche is fantastic, I love when it's extra tart. And def recommend the chimichanga.

Meh. I think the food was mediocre in flavor, the service was sub par and the portions are minimal. I mean, when I am craving chips and salsa... I expect a basket of chips. NOT 10-12 chips in a small boat basket with a very small share of salsa. The chips to salsa ratio was way off, thus I ran out of salsa on my 4th chip. The food came out quickly, as I'm sure they had their food just sitting in warmers in the back kitchen. Let's just say that the food wasn't any better or equal to that of other Mexican establishments I've been to... but then again, I'm a fiesta food snob. Because Mexican food is my favorite and I have been to my fair share of them all over the world, there needs to be something impressive and I just didn't find that "wow" factor at El Serrano. read more

After three visits I'm ready to say that El Serrano is not just the best Mexican restaurant in the York area, but one of the best restaurants, period. My two dinner companions and I enjoyed fried avocado, ceviche, and drinks; including a delicious margarita, a Peruvian cocktail and what my wife said was an unusually good glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The entrees were just as good. This is the second time I've had the Peruvian version of pork chops, served with grilled fresh pineapple. Yum! A great meal, attentive service and good value. read more

The food is great but the seating here is horrible and very uncomfortable. There is another location in Lancaster that is much larger and has better chairs. We would have stayed longer and had drinks if we could have tolerated the chairs. read more

I loved the atmosphere and decor. The waitress was really good and friendly and was some of the best service I have received in a long time. The food was tasteless and actually the oil they used to cook my meal in had gone rancid. It was horrible. If the food was edible I would have given 5 stars but unfortunately that is the reason someone goes out to eat. read more

El Serrano Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

This is supposed to be a chicken quesadilla. This is a hockey rink chicken quesadilla, at best. Maybe microwaved? Regardless. Very disappointing. An individual judge would have given this a 1.2 on the figure skating scale. This chicken quesadilla was worse than when U.S. women's figure skater Bradie Tennell fell in her Olympic debut in South Korea. That's a review. read more

El Serrano Mexican Restaurant - Roller rink chicken quesadilla. Microwaved. Disappointing. 1.2 on the figure skating scale. That's a review. - Mexican Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

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Disappointing. Menu provided was not as represented. Has fewer choices now. I had tilapia ceviche which was served in simple bowl and spoon. It was unappetizing at best. The paquettes which were instead of lightly fried were very over-fried and dry. They were served 3 on a plate with one tortilla chip with a blob of guacamole. They reminded me of frozen pizza snacks. I ate them with the salsa served on the table. Our group was quite annoyed by the music which too loud echoed causing an unpleasant situation for conversation. read more

Nothing about my visit was good. The service was slow, and neither bartender was personable. The food was not worth the cost. Shrimp was over cooked and chewy, chile relleno was bland and had too much batter. Asked about cinco de mayo specials and was told they didn't start until 5, but then she allowed the couple beside me to order them. Had to ask for the check to be cashed out after it sat on the bar for almost 10 minutes. Very disappointed. read more

El Serrano is a small Peruvian / Mexican restaurant on Market Street in East York. Be sure to try the "mixto limeno" which is pan seared tilapia w/ crabmeat on top Around 15.00. Prices area reasonable, and the food is very satisfying. Service was OK, it was a little chilly inside the restaurant. read more

Very tasty Mexican food. We didn't get the tapas, although they looked good. The restaurant doesn't have a printed kids menu, but there are choices for kids if you ask for them. The food came really quickly. read more

Very good Mexican and Peruvian restaurant - if you're only used to Taco Bell, give this place a shot. A little pricey, but they serve a fantastic margarita. Try the enchiladas! read more

When this restaurant opened in York about 20 years ago, it was much better, lately it's always disappointing. The service last time was very lackluster, the server didn't bring drink refills until the entrees were finished and mixed them up as well refilling my drink in my codiner's glass and vice versa. The food has also been waning in its quality, barely any sauce on the enchiladas I ordered and the rice was overcooked as well. It is a shame that this establishment seems to be coasting by on its reputation and not trying to better its product. There are newer and better establishments nearby which will get my dollar until they do improve. read more

This place was an incredible find. Very rustic atmosphere, which really set the mood for a good meal. I was served chips and salsa to start and then I ordered Gambas al ajillo as my appetizer. The shrimps were served in a broth with a side of toasted bread. It was not the usual way to serve this dish but regardless, it was a well-seasoned dish. For my main course, I ordered lomo saltado: beef with onions, tomato, potato, and white rice. Again, the flavors were all there and the meat was tender. Service was friendly and attentive. I will be coming back to this place when I am in the area again. read more

Great Peruvian dishes and Mexican. I have only ordered from the Peruvian selections and everything has been delicious. They cooked my fish to perfection. Very flavorful. The ambience is great too. The last time I was there they had live music. read more

Very good food. I actually really like their rice and beans, better than anything I have had before.

Great food. Highly recommend "lomo saltado". Have gone there twice and have not been disappointed either time. We also tried the Mexican menu but I prefer the Peruvian menu. read more

Elllll Banditoooo! Best sauce in town. Liked it better as an old school BYOB but a full service bar is fine. Never had a poor meal here. Recommend read more

My husband and I tried El Serrano for dinner on Saturday night. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the ambience is lovely and upbeat. The live music was great as well. For dinner, we each had the El Serrano combo which was outstanding. Our waiter Dennis was very pleasant and attentive. After dinner, we were given a tour of the entire facility where we visited the courtyard, bar areas, and wine cellar. Additionally, this facility has two additional restaurants upstairs as well. The hostess who gave us a tour indicated that they have several events there. Cannot wait to go back! read more

Horrible!! Lived in Texas & this is Not authentic Mexican food!! Don't waste your time nor money! No music.. And waiters seemed mad or upset at something.. Always rushing!! Ugh never again! read more

El Serrano has always been a big hit for me. The original location is in Lancaster the town over, but they stay true to the heritage at both restaurants. Even the furniture and artwork in there has been shipped up from Peru to give you that authentic feeling. The food is fantastic and I love the El Serrano combo to let you try all the classics. If you just try the in-house tortilla chips and salsa alone you will fall in love. The ambiance is great and the food is fantastic. El Serrano will always be that hole in the wall near my house that I can't get enough of when I want my Mexican/Peruvian mix. read more

This place is probably one of the only places in York to be consistent ALL The time. Food awesome! Service awesome! Great prices! Highly recommend the Lomo Saltado! read more

Went last night, a busy night, after not going for a long while. And we won't be back. Food was okay, not exceptional. Service was brutal, waitress disappeared often and never checked on us after serving main course. Hostess was borderline rude to us and other customers. read more

Excellent food with great decor and atmosphere. The new addition of the tapas menu makes it a fun place to experiment with new dishes each time. Highly recommended. read more

Love coming here!!! The food is amazing and the atmosphere is beautiful. It's not as nice as their location in Lancaster, but still beautiful! read more