Teresa made sure our table was very well taken care of! Every little thing we asked for, she delivered quickly and made sure our cups were never empty. We accidentally ordered the wrong thing but she quickly got that taken care of! Great quality food and nice ambiance! read more

Today was second time we ate there in 2 months. The service is excellent. The food tastes great. The menu is very large and affordable. I recommend everyone to try this food. read more

Amazing to the second power, came here for dinner with wife and daughter. Daughter had the Chupe de Camarones the wife had the Loma Salado and I had Cabrito Norteño. Every dish was incredible. Will definitely be coming back and recommending. read more

Inka Grill - This is the Lumos Salado also incredible and did I mention my wife is very picky about her Lomas Salado - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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GREAT service and their food was excellent. the waitress is so sweet and has a good sense of humor! Was easily able to explain items and menu options. it's so cute inside and warm and cozy! best date night. read more

Been coming here since the 90's. Food Quality is and has been Excellent. The steak Milansa with rice topped with an egg is most delicious. The Serv staff are very attentive. Ana the owner is very much involved in her Restaurant and is super cute (Guapasota). I so recommend this place. read more

Today I came to eat with my family and our server Estefani was amazing she recommended some very great dishes . Her customer Service was on point , she is very knowledgeable. The restaurant was very beautiful really recommended to come eat here, you will enjoy the food and the customer service. read more

The food was good, I had the 1/4 rotisserie chicken. The beans and rice were good maybe a tad too salty. We were a large party (8), and the service was excellent. We stayed past their closing time (sorry) and they were accommodating and pleasant. I do like this place and I will be back but I save my 5 stars for truly remarkable experiences. read more

This place is so good. I've been coming here for years and I never get sick of it. I highly recommend it.

Super bummed I have to leave 2 stars. We have tried so many of the locations and always been a fan but today we were really disappointed. The green sauce was so watered down it literally had zero flavor. My lomo saltado had no flavor and the sangria also was watered down. If I'm paying $38 for sangria I would really like it to not be watered down. What is going on with this place. I will say the server was very nice. Sad to say we won't be back. read more

Came in for lunch and was greeted immediately. Really nice servers and I like the vibe of the place. I had the arroz con pollo lunch special. Loved it. Flavors were a great balance, and the chicken was cooked perfectly. I'll be back. read more

Over the years I have been going to several locations of Inka Grill...They have closed a few of them and only one remains in my area...but the food is still excellent. I try to go there as often as I can. I have tried other Peruvian restaurants and the Lomo Saltado here and their green sauce in my opinion is by far the best. read more

Delicious food and good service. I almost want to keep this one a secret because I love their food so much and I haven't had a problem with getting a table. It feels like a cozy restaurant with Peruvian country decor, but surprising it fits many tables. read more

Every single item on this menu is delicious. I've never had peruvian but their picture menu putside the door caught my eye. Ive been going back constantly for 2 years! I have my favorites but also love trying anything on the menu cause it is guaranteed to be good. I haveyetto try something i dont like. My favorites are chicken saltado, chimbotano and the huancaina pasta! Don't miss out and try Inka Grill asap! read more

My husbands been coming to the costa mesa location for over 10 years , they closed that location and now have only lake forest . Not far, but even if it was i'd drive for the food! read more

Inka Grill - mmm so so delish! - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Yum! Came in and a great experience! We had a waitress bus every table in the restaurant, waitress, service, and provide 5star customer service to the entire restaurant by herself PLUS process pickup orders with a smile and passion! Every table she handled alone and everyone was so impressed great job! Excellent service, we tried the stews, rotisserie chicken, chicken and steak Saltado and the pork dishes with mixed empanadas with lime sincludes complimentary bread and spicy green sauce, thanks for always providing great experience food and service everyone was so impressed! We'll be back thank you! read more

Inka Grill - Beef Saltado $15 - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is terrible. I was there at 7:30pm on 7/30/22 Sunday after calling in the order. Not only was Ana absolutely rude, she was hostile. The restaurant was short staffed and every table was filled with dishes. She even yelled at a customer for simply asking on his status of his order. Then she overcharged me only to tell me that there is an egg on your order. After waiting for another 15 min, came home with a wrong order AND it was filled with onions. My husband is allergic to onions. I called to ask for a manager and Ana simply said "what did you order??!!! We are closing in 5 min. You come back tomorrow and ask for Ana, the manager" and hung up on me. We absolutely love their food but their customer service, unacceptable. No one should have to go to a dining venue feeling anxious that this place will treat you like crap. What is this world coming to? Is this what we should be experiencing especially at a dining joint? Wow....so sad. read more

Inka Grill - Filled with onions when it was specifically asked for none due to severe allergies. - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I have tried a wide array of items, but for this review, I will be commenting on my most recent visit, today. We went in with a party of 10 (Yelp says there are no reservations, but we were told when exiting that we could call ahead if we have a large party). Their green sauce is AMAZING! I have not been able to stop myself from eating this with the bread. We have tried numerous times trying to figure out the exact ingredients, but we haven't been able to nail it down. I honestly keep coming back just for this sauce. One of my all time favorites. This is actually available to buy in a bottle all on its' own. I ordered the Picante w/ Shrimp. I asked them to make this a little extra spicy. This dish was definitely on point. The flavoring of everything combined is perfect. The reason why I am docking them one star is because of the payment debacle. Looks like you are only allowed to use 2 credit cards total. I wish we had known that before we started, but the sign is located near the back of the restaurant and so we only found out after we received our bill. Another reason why the 4 star is because gratuity was included (15% showed on receipt but actually charged amount was 17%) for our party of 10. Other than that, this place has always been on point when it comes to food. read more

Inka Grill - Picante shrimp - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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The food is ok but very overpriced, the service was slow and inattentive, and the owner, Anna, was entirely unapologetic (read her response to our review). read more

Excellent peruvian dinner. Seafood saltado had a nice spicy kick to it and was really delicious. Wiil be back when in town again.

It's so hard to find good food in the south OC. I'm an expat from NYC and everything out here is so bland. This place was authentic, great tasting and made me feel that home feeling with the first taste of their Juanita stew. Looking forward to going again with my family. Please do not confuse with Inka mama. No comparison to that chain food place. read more

Hole in the wall, but the food is authentic and amazing! The green aioli sauce to dip the bread is the heart of Peruvian food. Goes on everything like salsa goes on everything! And everything is delicious from the soup to the empanadas, from the fish to the lamb! This won't be that restaurant where you always order the same favorite thing and nothing else, it will be a place where anything will satisfy. read more

Really yummy food, good service, no complaints from us! We recommend this place for anyone craving Peruvian food. I had the Jalea, which is like a calamari plate with fish and shrimp. Very well seasoned and good taste. Ny husband had a rice and plate dish. Very delicious too. It had more of an Asian taste to it, but tbh it was good and both are recommended. read more

Inka Grill - Jalea - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Their arroz con pollo is made with white meat chicken breast which ends up too dry. The empanadas have a good texture to them and are pretty tasty. The picante is good. The spinach basil pasta is a little bland but their fish has a good flavor. read more

Ordered the usual Pollo Saltado with white rice. As I was only the second customer I believed the repast would shortly. Opposite happened, customers who arrived following were servers earlier. I patiently waited and finally received my order. No soup was served and I needs to and has to ask for bread. The entree was visually disappointing.whiled and tepid Fries. The fries even had an aftertaste that one would blame on old oil. The chicken pieces were lacking and chewy along with me of tepid in warmth. Saving grace was the green sauce and made the meal palatable. Not once after the food dropped on my table did I see a food server. After flagging on down I explained my experience after inky rate two fork full. Server response was a platitude of "good good" he smiled and walked away. Portions, salad and tomatoes were minimal and very disappointing. Go at your own risk as I nor my family would return. read more

Inka Grill - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I've been coming to the Inka Grill over 20 years plus and it's still the nest comfort food around. The chicken aguadito soup is the best cure for whatever is ailing you or just to make your day better. The paella is always tasty and the empanadas are really good as well. Anna and her staff are always a pleasure to be around and they truly aim to please. If you haven't tried Inka before, I'd suggest trying that chicken soup and you'll be hooked for life!!! read more

Anna we need you back in the restaurant! Lomo Saltado with almost no meat, crunchy rice, Aguadito de Pollo with not a piece of chicken, and a kids meal of chicken strips with reheated stale french fries for $80 is not the restaurant that Anna created and kept in both the former Costa Mesa location or the current Lake Forest location. Looks like its San Clemente or bust from now on. I can't recommend poor quality food. read more

I've never eaten at the restaurant but DoorDash their food a thousand times. Chimbotano with chicken, broccoli string beans is my favorite. Always fresh, delicious and satisfying. Love the spicy. read more

Inka Grill - Chimbotano - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Ate here earlier today with my family. I have been here multiple times in the past, today was my last - i will NOT return. Waitress had her mask hanging from her ear! Not even wearing it. The food portions were half the size as normal and the food was no where near tasting like it used to. This inka grill needs a reality check. I would stay far away from this location. read more

Came in today for lunch and the food was amazing, I tried the lamb stew and it's now one of my favorite dishes. The service was exceptional and will definitely be coming back and letting my family and friends know about this gem. read more

Wow, every dish we ordered was AMAZING! Was introduced to Inka Kola, a beverage that smells like bubble gum and looks like Mountain Dew, and I'm in love. Definitely will be back! read more

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Ordered Lomo Saltado ( good, just wish there was more meat( rotisserie chicken ( 1/2 order - good but wish it was bigger, calamari- ( SO good). Extra bread and sauce on the side. Definitely yummy. Wish portions were bigger, but I get it in this economy). If you are near and craving Peruvian - it's pretty good. read more

Avoid this place !!!!!! Server/Cashier lady wasn't even wearing a mask. They had two customer inside dinning with no mask and no gloves. I'm abosultely gross out. Because I was starving I took my food anyways. (Cross fingers I dont get sick) The most expensive food I ever purchased and it was so bad. 4 pk empanadas they were so small bite size almost 10 dollars. I order a cesar salad no meat almost 10 the continater was half empty and the bread was hard. 1 drink 2.50 and she gave a small cup.... Worst place ever.... I'm so disappointed dont ever go there read more

This is a tale of two sisters.... Inka Grill Costa Mesa and Inka Grill Lake Forest. The only difference is that Costa Mesa is the cheery, bubbly sister, while Lake Forest is the whiny, bitchy, rather unpleasant sister. We decided to eat Peruvian tonight. I had no idea that the CM location is sister restaurant to this one. We have eaten at the CM location before and really loved it. We settled into a booth and menus were brought out to us. A basket with 4 slices of bread was brought to the table too with half a bottle of the green sauce. Lil guy immediately dug into it. One of the servers came over and asked us what we wanted to drink and here's how the conversation went: Server: What you want to drink? Me: Water for now thanks. Server looks towards hubby: What you want to drink? Hubby: Uh water is fine. She then points to lil guy and says: him? Lil guy answers: Water She then turns around and says to the other server: tres aguas and walks off. Her extremely sour face put me off immediately. Was it us? I don't know. She then returns to take our order. We ordered the chowder with chicken (lil guy doesn't eat seafood) and at first I ordered the Paella, but then she told me it was seafood paella. I asked her if there were any other meats in there beside seafood and her response? FISH she says. I paused a moment and stared at her. Then I asked if there was chicken. She stared back without responding. HELLO!! Did we come to the Peruvian restaurant for dummies? I finally just ordered the beef saltado instead. The bread was gone quickly. It was the same type one would find at a Mexican panaderia. Hubby noticed a sign which said that extra basket of bread costs $1. WTF?????????? Are they serious?????? I guess so! Bread at a panaderia costs about 50 cents max and it would've been twice the size of the one we got. The one we got can be readily bought for 25 cents each. What a rip off. Plus it wasn't really fresh either. I mean if you're giving me Cream Pan bread, I'll be happy to pay a buck for, but this dried out stuff? Our food arrived and *heavy sigh* the portions were a lot smaller than I remembered from the CM location. I would've ordered more had I known that it would be smaller about 1/3 in size. Our chowder came in one big bowl and although she brought out extra bowls for us to share she didn't bring extra spoons. I asked for extra spoons and she gave me that blank stare once again. Is it so hard to be just a tad pleasant? You don't have to smile but a word of acknowledgment maybe? Hell I am not asking for much here. I felt so uncomfortable the whole time this person was helping us. I just felt we were an inconvenience to her somehow. The chowder was okay. It had potatoes and large chunks of chicken in it and some rice. The green sauce helped tremendously. It would also have been nice if the soup was scorchingly hot when it arrived because it cooled down quickly. Hubby enjoyed it though. The saltado was flavorful and lil guy liked the French fries in it. Seriously though, a lot of French fries and not enough beef in my opinion. It was cooked with red onions and a few slices of tomato and served with white rice. As we ate, another family came in and while they were ordering, I guess the same server must've pissed them off because I could hear the frustration in the wife's voice trying to ask about the dishes and then ending with the husband butting in and saying "THAT'S why she's asking you these questions and you're not listening to her". OOPS! Certainly NOT a good day for you robotic server! There are so many Peruvian restaurants in the area from Costa Mesa, Irvine, Lake Forest to Aliso Viejo. I'll have to say that this is the most disappointing one of all. Food was okay but I've had better, however what totally pissed me off was the SHIT service. The same stone faced server brought our check out to us as soon as hubby put his spoon down and walked away again. I put my credit card down and she came back to take it away. When she returned with our check, that was the first time I heard her say anything which remotely resembled that of a server and it was 'thank you'. I'm ordinarily a generous tipper but tonight I gave them exactly 15%. NO MORE! Food was 2 and a half stars. Lomo saltado was good but I didn't like the chowder too much. Every other deduction was for the baaaaaaad service. read more

Inka Grill - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The food was excellent. From the soup to the main and then dessert were Extremely tasty! We were very impressed with the quality of the dishes. From the chowder and then the lamb stew .... so AMAZINGLY tender and so DELICIOUS! Worthwhile. The couple were very attentive to all of our questions and wishes. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT. If we are in the area again - WE WILL BE BACK! read more

Great food great service this place is a hidden gem. Give it a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I'm pretty convinced that I have new food phobia. I am adventurous though. Give me any uncharted trail, a mountain to scale, a rock to climb, and I'm so there but new food? Yeah, that's where this girl shies away and scours the menu for anything that looks vaguely familiar. So when my good friend, a local wine distributor, mentioned Inka Grill for lunch and tempted me with a new option to Yelp I almost balked in fear but I'm trying to be adventurous - food adventurous therefore I agreed to meet her here. We met for an early lunch and I looked around trying to find something on everyone elses plates that I might like and at first glance of the menu (which isn't very helpful with describing what the entrees are and the pictures are limited), I settled for some Alfredo Spaghetti Pasta while my friend decided on the Aji De Gallina. We got some bread as an appetizer followed by two orders of a green soup. We didn't remember ordering soup and thought it was part of our meal so we proceeded to blow on it and take a sip but a waitress quickly came out to stop us and serve it to the table next to us. I'm pretty sure she broke some OSHA laws there. We had already blown on it and technically that's a health hazard. She should have either left it with us or taken it back and served the table next to us new bowls of soup. That made me a little conscious about the food I was about to be served. You would think that coming to a Peruvian restaurant, I'd actually order something Peruvian but my adventurous side failed me and I got left with a plate of alfredo over spaghetti. When I think of spaghetti, I usually think of marinara sauce and meatballs. Where are the flat wide noodles? And is this really Peruvian food? I didn't think so. My friend's dish was an amazing curry with shredded chicken. It looked way better than my alfredo spaghetti that was probably reheated because the noodles were a little burnt and crispy and the sauce was thin and the broccoli was mushy. It also left me with some mean gastro problems later. Yeah, no spaghetti for me..ever. The iced tea that I got with my drink was pretty strong. I'm guessing it was either brewed over night and left to sit out or it was a day old. Our glasses were packed to the brim with the ice I hate that resembles pebbles. Either way, it wasn't any good. My water tasted better and I'm glad I got that as well. Overall, I'm pretty sure this place is known for its food and not its service or non-peruvian food. When our check came, we sat and chatted for a while and the waitress had to come by twice to make sure we had paid. I guess you're only allowed to eat here and once you're done they want you out. I'll have to come back again and see what all the peruvian fuss is about. read more

Inka Grill - Nicole's Alfredo Pasta - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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We met my brother and his girlfriend here for dinner last night. They said they have been trying many different Peruvian places and so far this is their favorite. The restaurant is pretty small and the booths are tiny. We opted to sit at a table, also pretty cramped. The tables were really sticky, which I think had to do more with the old lacquer on them than the level of cleanliness. Time for some new tables! As soon as we were seated we were given bread and butter. The bread tasted really fresh, and I skipped the butter and opted to dip it in Aji sauce. Soooo good. The Aji was spicy, but super flavorful. I really liked that sauce! My brother and I both ordered a Peruvian Margarita, which was MASSIVE! One drink is good for your whole meal. It was made with Peruvian tequila, Pisco, which the waitress said is made from grapes instead of agave. It was very tasty, sweet and sour, and very frothy. For dinner I had the Spaghetti Saltado with beef. BF got the Lomo Saltado with beef. I liked my spaghetti, but thought his Lomo had more flavor. I ended up putting Aji all over my food. It was good, but I would probably get the Lomo over the Spaghetti if I came back. My brother's girlfriend had their Picantes with chicken, which was like a chicken stew, served with rice. I really enjoyed her dish. She said it is her favorite and it's all she ever orders there. My brother had some sort of chicken and carrot dish, which I didn't try, but he liked, as did his girlfriend. Service was good, our main waitress was really sweet and friendly, the other waitress there seemed sort of rude, but luckily we didn't deal with her much. I ended up taking about half of my food home. Late last night I got hungry so I ate the remainder of my Spaghetti Saltado cold, and I actually thought it was better cold than it was when it was served hot to me hours before. Maybe the flavors develop the longer they sit. So, I liked this place, and I would definitely meet my brother here again if he ever wants to go out to dinner near his house again. read more

Inka Grill - Peruvian Margarita - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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When I eat with the team for a work luncheon, this is usually the first and only recommendation. As soon as someone mentions Inka Grill, there are no other choices haha. We rolled deep with nine team members, but they were able to happily accommodate. As we got to our seats and settled in, bread and sauce were already set on the table. Awesome! The green sauce is absolutely addicting. Since most of the guys on my team love the lomo saltado, that's what most of our table got. Some got beef while others got chicken or with an egg added on top. Either way, the lomo saltado has been the introductory course for anyone we've brought here. Almost like an initiation or rite of passage, lol. I decided to venture into new territory and got the Spinach Basil Spaghetti with chicken milanesa. The pan-seared milanesa sits atop the vibrant green sauced spaghetti, but it was far from bland or ordinary. The chicken milanesa was a massive piece across the plate. Although thin, it was nicely seasoned and flavorful. Same with the sauce! I ate all of the chicken and left about half the pasta, even though I really wanted to eat it all but there was so much food. Definitely worth it! With each visit, which I'm sure there will be plenty, I try to get something new. So far, each random venture or selection has been fantastic! read more

Inka Grill - Chicken Milanesa - Peruvian Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This place is not as good as it used to be. The flavor is there but the portions are now a joke. As other reviewers have mentioned, you get hardly any meat or chicken and a plate full of drenched vegetables, rice and fries. This is not worth the money! read more

Not much experience with Peruvian food, but my friend described this place as a fusion of Spanish, South American and even Asian influence. Located in a Strip Mall the parking lot was so crazy packed on the Saturday night we went and had to park closer to Panera Bread. Once inside the decor was "folksey" with the walls painted to give the illusion of stone bricks showing through stucco. Decently priced and filling, all of us couldn't finish our plates and needed a small box to carry the extras home. The following dishes was ordered by our party of five. Purchases $62.70 plus food tax $6.11 totaling to $68.80. Please note the price of your dish will vary with your selection of meat/seafood. Yucca Huancain- $5.95. The only appetizer ordered, it is yucca root sliced and, looking very similar to french fries smothered in a pale yellow cheese sauce. There were mixed feelings about the cheese sauce, but I liked it. Yucca served this way enables you to taste more of the fresh potato like flavor, enhanced with cheese. Aji De Gallina- $10.95. Served with a side of white rice, it was slices of chicken with curry with some Parmesan cheese on top. It tasted better than the Picante with Beef. The curry was mild and not spicy at all, you could definitely tell coconut milk was used. Chimbo Beef- $10.95. This dish was the best in my opinion out of all those ordered that night. It wasn't swimming with sauce and was very appetizing to eat. It had life compared to the other dishes. Chowder (Clam)- $10.95. Giant portions of soup here! The chowders are not the types you would expect from other restaurants, though it had plenty of smooth creamy flavor it wasn't as chunky as other chowders. My friend Beth was was surprised to find the egg in her soup poached, instead of mixed in like an egg drop soup, another surprise to her was finding the clams she ordered for her chowder still had their shells... =D Picante Beef- $10.95. This dish was a disappointment. When ordering this dish from the menu I expected it to have more life, there was even a picture of a chili pepper next to it! But even the "Gringo Killer" green sauce was spicier than this dish! I got tired of eating it half-way though. They should give you spoons and put everything in bowl to eat because of all the sauce! Raul's Macho Fish- $12.95. I didn't get to try this dish, but it looked good! Covered with calamari and a couple slices of potatoes and stuff... this dish is a favorite to the local who suggested this place to us. The green sauce is like crack! When asked what was it in it was just lettuce, chillies, salt and pepper... the right level of spiciness to me. Amazing how creamy, cool it is unlike tobacco sauce which is spicy, vinegary. Love it! I made note of sign on the wall that said a maximum of two credit cards for a split check, and then of a chalkboard sign in the hallway to the restroom so I know they promote daily specials. Strange event when checking out... the waitress mentioned that the establishment had no cash register?!? But that they had to bring their own cash in, after asking our group for change for a dollar. read more

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