I wanted to love this place, but there were several issues. For the record, I am Peruvian and familiar with the cuisine (after all, it is my favorite). 1. Waiters are nice but overworked and stretched thin. -When my group arrived, a waitress greeted us and said she'd seat us in a bit but then she got busy attending other tables. No big deal, it happens. So we went inside and saw the owner. She told us to write down our names in a book. This was confusing. So do we wait for a waiter/waitress to seat us or do we write our name down in the book? And how will they reach us? do We just wait inside? Outside? Will they call or text? No explanation from the owner. When we did get seated, we noticed that the waiters seemed flustered, zipping from one place to the next. They were still nice though, which was good. However, our waiter wasn't just responsible for the food. He also had to sweep the floors and do other things around the restaurant, and that's the next thing. 2. The owner -When we walked inside the restaurant, the owner came off as standoffish. One of my friends asked questions and she did not seem patient and at one point just ignored him. Not even, "I'll get back to you in a bit" or "I'll get you seated soon." We had to ask her about us getting seated even though she noticed us waking in, and that's when she mentioned the book. But she was not cordial about it. At the end of our visit, she was, to her credit, in a better mood, asked us how the food was, and greeted us farewell. Still, she did not show good customer service throughout most of our time there, especially in the beginning. 3. Flow of service -This is issues 1 and 2 combined. The staff was overworked and they kept asking the owner everything. i think that with all due respect, there needs to be a better organization in the restaurant. For instance, hire a host/hostess to sit people. My group waited for about 15-20 minutes to get seated even though there was not a line to get in. Or have a floor manager to staff in front of house. 4. The Food -When my group got seated, it took over 20 minutes (closer to 30) for all of us to get bread with the aJi verde. That is not the standard time it should take. I ordered the sopa criolla with beef, but I got it with no beef. To top it off, there was barely any seasoning. thankfully, i told the waiter and he gave me another soup, which did have the beef and was delicious, so that is a bright spot. 5. The Drinks -I got a chicha morada. It was watered down, was tangier than I expected, and didn't have the purple maize essence I expected. My friend tried it too and had the same opinion. overall, I would not recommend coming here. The organizational and manager-related issues piled up, and the food and drinks had redeeming qualities, but not enough to make up for the other problems. read more

David was such a great server ! Aside from the food being amazing he made sure to constantly check in on us despite him being the only server and during dinner rush! Will definitely come come back for more. read more

Inkas Irvine - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

The food is very flavorful. I like that they have vegetarian options and their menu is divided based on chicken beef vegetarian and other stuff. It's not the fanciest place and it is hard to find because it is in a business area. The outdoor furniture is miss matched but don't be fooled by that the food is really good and taste authentic and there is a good selection. The staff is very kind and friendly. I highly recommend the beef Saltado, Shrimp saltado and talle verde chicken. read more

My friend owns the Quickly tea and food spot nearby and suggested this restaurant. The server recommended the mixed ceviche which was good. Also they recommended the lamb stew and another dish. I got the lamb stew. It was tender and tasty. Next time, I would love to order one of my favorite Peruvian dishes, seafood saltado. read more

Inkas Irvine - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

Tried Inkas for the first time. Wow! Great food and service. Will definitely be back!

I just wanna say that I almost NEVER leave a review, but this place is just soooooo good. I think I've tried almost the whole menu and NOTHING disappoints. Everything here is made fresh to order. It's full of flavor and has large portions. One thing I do love about this place is that the staff is super friendly and helpful when it comes to choosing a dish. Don't sleep on this place. Truly a hidden gem. Don't forget to get their fresh sangria!! read more

Our company has ordered their food through DoorDash several times. Only once have they labeled the food for 25-30 employees. Every time I leave special instructions to label the food--they don't do it. How am I supposed to differentiate? Customer service AND great food is what keeps customers coming back. We were missing FOUR main dishes today. Where's the customer service? Really bummed that we (25-30 employees) had a horrible experience with them today. They even cancelled three orders I had to make to correct the mistakes they made and eventually used GrubHub to make the order. Not a good day with Inkas. read more

Worse service. Waited almost 30min and I was alone and ordered as soon as I walked in. Disappointed because I wanted to enjoy the dining experience read more

Lomo Saltado w/ cilantro rice and mixed ceviche is the best. We come here for lunch a lot, people are great.

Why is it so hard to find a quality Peruvian restaurant in OC?! And with that, I came here last week to celebrate a coworker's bday. Thankfully, they take reservations since it was packed to the nines around noon on a Friday. Most of us ordered the Lomo Saltado since that's a signature Peruvian dish. The plate came out piping hot with a generous serving of rice, sauteed beef strips, onions and fries. I thought it was decent overall but way too over seasoned - it tasted like 8 packets of salt was doused on the food. I wish it was less salty and more savory! read more

This place is the best! The food is delicious and the server Cesar was funny and welcoming. Made my friend's birthday celebration a day to remember! ...will definitely come back! read more

Good to have this around. Lots choices and quite authentic. Had Ceviche and seafood soup. Love the flavor. Music is a big loud outside. Service is excellent. read more

Ordered loma saltado and empanadas for delivery. Food was good but we only received one tiny little green sauce and one tiny piece of bread. Green sauce was barely enough (barely one tablespoon) to add to the loma saltado. I'm used to receiving at least 2 green sauces per order from other Peruvian restaurants. read more

Food was amazing! For sure the best Peruvian food in the area. Not open on Sunday. Service is great.

I ordered a lomos saltado with potatoes and drink to go from Uber eats. Very delicious food and a great price, my first time I had Peruvian food. Great first impression! read more

Inkas Irvine - Great fries! - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

Met two friends for lunch and had delicious lomo saltado. Loved the food and can't wait to try other dishes next time!

Great food, atmosphere, and customer service! Will definitely be back and recommend to friends.

Came in on a Tuesday night , had the Lomo Saltado to go. Wow it was amazing and delecious, ill be back again. I liked the Peruvian decor on the i side too. read more

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I've been coming to Inka's for around 10 years now. I live in Newport Beach but will happily make the drive. The ambiance is quaint and warm. The staff is pleasant and attentive. Especially the owner, Ingrid, who is about as sweet as they come. But the food is great. Tastes like it's made with love because it is. I highly recommend trying this place. Try the tallarin verde with a breaded steak. So very delicious read more

This restaurant has been here for over 18 years and is a hidden gem. After reading the reviews I had to get their popular chicken with pasta in green sauce which was so delicious. The pasta was perfectly aldente and savory while the chicken was crispy and had a great seasoning. My wife got the seafood soup which was spicy with fresh ingredients. We also had the rich beefy empenadas and a yummy fish ceviche. No reservations needed. Wonderful experience overall. read more

Inkas Irvine - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

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This really is the best Peruvian place in Irvine. It's a great atmosphere. The food is delicious, the service is attentive and the prices are decent. What more could you ask for? This restaurant is hidden inside an office complex so it's definitely catered to the working crowd. During the day, the restaurant can get a little chaotic and the parking can get packed (if you're not walking) but if you get in just before the lunch rush, you should have no problem getting a table. And they're also open for dinner every night, including weekends, so come by if you're working late or just want to pick up some dinner to-go on your way home. My go-to plate is the lomo saltado (steak and fries) but if they can also make it with chicken or just vegetables if you're not a red meat eater. Enjoy! read more

My new favorite restaurant!!! food is amazing, comes out fast, and the service was great. I got the tallarin verde with steak and it was delicious! will definitely be back soon read more

Great food and fast service. Only, they did not give me tortilla that go with the ceviche. Otherwise, excellent service and food! read more

I had only ever seen this place from the outside when picking up treats and challah from the bakery in the same building complex. We finally came here for lunch on my son's third birthday (a convenient ten-minutes drive from the adventure playground) and loved it! Super friendly service, delicious food (including vegetarian and vegan options), and the big tree in the middle of the patio really gives the outdoor seating character. read more

It was really good! Service was on point and atmosphere very tranquil. I will defiantly recommend someone to come eat here

Visited Inka`s on a Thursday afternoon. The server was Ingrid and was very polite and well groomed and attentive. They had a lot parking and very happy with what I ordered. I had the Lomo Saltado plate and was very worth the price. read more

Inkas Irvine - Authenic peruvian looking place - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is soooooo good. I've been here once in the restaurant, and work has had their food catered for lunch a couple of times. If you dine in, the portion sizes are ENORMOUS. Enough to fill me up for two meals. And everything is taasty! And don't you forget their green sauce. It is incredible. I want to put it on everything. And I don't even like spicy food all that much. When they cater, it comes in biiiig aluminum tins, and everything's still really fresh! I'm not entirely certain what is ordered during these events, so I can't really comment on specific dishes, but they do give a generous portion of green sauce. If, by chance, there's leftovers, I always make sure to bring the rest home with me. The only thing to watch out for is coming here on a weekday for lunch. It's right across the street from the Blizzard campus as well as a few other office buildings, so the wait can be annoying. But they take reservations, so if you really want to come here on a weekday for lunch, be sure to do that! read more

Food was a bit overpriced. Chicken and rice plate was all rice and no chicken. They gave us the wrong order three times. Service was so slow. Drinks are weak. The coffee has no free refills and the cups are small. The coffee creamer tasted funky and they had no milk for the coffee. Chicken soup had no meat. They charge extra for green rice and don't tell you. The flan and pollo Salgado was good. Ambiance was nice. We should have been credited for the wrong plate being served. Poor management! read more

Loved the food. The soup tasted like home. The ceviche was fresh and a good size. Its a nice little restaurant. I will be coming back for sure read more

This is a hidden Peruvian gem in Irvine. I initially came here with a group and then a few times after with friends. You only need to really know a few things about this place. The food is good in every aspect, and it is on the pricey side. The restaurant is a neat little place, with the emphasis on little. It gets packed so beware. I recommend the empanadas (they're really stuffed well!), mixed seafood ceviche (pretty fresh), yucca huancaina (fried with cheese!), and maracuya (passionfruit drink) or chicha morada (basically some darker fruit punch). They have a good amount of desserts also, but I always get the flan. read more

Today was a great day. I had an opportunity to tour Blizzard and had lunch at my first Peruvian reataurant. Inkas has a modern warm look with quaint outside dining. It was a beautiful sunny California day, so we ate outside. I ordered up a cold beer, and a beef combinado. The meal arrived on a large oval plate. It was a delicious combination of steak strips, onions, and tomatoes with a huge scoop of rice. The course was flavorful with tastes of exotic seasonings. All delicious and definately worth repeating the experience. read more

I would really give Inka's Restaurant 2.5 stars if I could, but since I actually liked the food there, despite the service, they get a 3. Inka's is located in the Executive Park off Alton and Laguna Canyon. There's an entrance off Alton, and you can see the restaurant from there, whereas if you're coming from Laguna off Barranca/133, you can't see squat at night. On a Friday night, there weren't too many tables filled, so you would think that service would be better. The older woman who helped us just had a sour look on her face the whole time (maybe that was just her face) and was not very customer-friendly. She did her job, but then again, she didn't even do that very well because I asked for a place setting and she never brought. The salvation for the place was the younger waitress, who brought the place setting and water, as soon as I asked for it. And she was nice about it, too. I had the Arrozo con Pollo for $11 (most plates ranged from about $10-$13, which I thought was on the higher side for Peruvian food. My chicken with the cilantro vegetable rice was really tasty, and there was a good portion for me. I think for a guy, it could've been a bigger portion, but I guess it's good if you want to be full, but not stuffed. A lot of people got the Lomo Saltado, beef and veggies, and that was tasyty, too, since I got to pick off of AK's plate. We shared a couple of pitchers of sangria, and they bring you a small side of chopped fruit for you to put in your drink. Never seen that before. The sangria was a little watered down, which was fine for me, but not for people who truly want alcohol. The food came out fairly quickly, and for a party of 8, everything came out at once, so no one had to wait. Check your check. They charged us for 3 sangrias when we only ordered two. I don't not like enough to not go back (too many negatives?), but probably not on my own. read more

Pretty tasty stuff! I tried the "Saltado Vainas Pollo - Fresh cut beans and chicken strips sauteed with onions, cilantro and tomatoes. Served with steamed rice." My guy had the "Pasta Blanca Mariscos - A delicious blend of calamari shrimp and fish strips smothered in a creamy alfredo sauce served on al dente pasta, Peruvian style." Both were flavorful and delicious. My chicken tasted as if it had been marinated for quite a while and my guy's pasta seemed to soak in the seafood flavors. There was a subtle creaminess that made you just want to keep on munching. We sampled the Empanadas (2 beef / 1 chicken) and both were very good too. I really liked the sweet tangy dipping sauce. There was a Yelp special offer for 50% off desert so we tried the "Banana's Fantastico" which was fried plantains, ice cream (we are still trying to figure out the flavor but I'm guessing Marizpan), whipped cream and caramel. The host / server was likely the restaurant owner. She was very sweet and asked us if we had ever tried Peruvian food. She made suggestions and all of them were great! The place has a nice atmosphere, and she's got 2 large plasma TV's mounted on the walls. It's hidden in an industrial park and not visible from street view. Totally worth the search though. read more

Inkas Irvine - Saltado Vainas Pollo - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

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A hidden gem. The staff is extremely friendly, making you feel like you're coming over as a guest to their house for a meal. The food is so good - tastes like a grandmother is making you your favorite meals. read more

Extremely tasty. Fairly cheap. Great flavors. Friendly servers. If my waistline could handle all the rice/potatoes, I'd eat here once a week! I always get the Chaufa (fried rice) or the Pollo (or Shrimp) Picante. So good! read more

One of the lovely owners of Inkas is a regular patron at the restaurant I work at. At our bar the other night she mentioned Inkas and the food. After a quick look at their website, I knew this was going to be my dinner spot the next day. I basically told my server that I trust him and to pick out the "must have" experience and to make it spicy. What I got, I believe, was the Lomo Sataldo and it was full of flavor. I am also obsessed with this spicy green purée in a bottle that was brought to my table and I look forward to further visits and education on this amazing cuisine. The restaurant is charming and well decorated, tucked in a business complex near Blizzard Headquarters in Irvine. I don't normally write reviews, but I just wanted to make my appreciation known. This place is delicious. read more

Inkas Irvine - Peruvian Near Me - Irvine, California

First came to Inkas 14 years ago when I travelled from Singapore to Irvine regularly for work. My then colleagues brought me to try Peruvian cuisine, and since then, I've never been able to find Peruvian food that is just as good. Beyond happy to return today, with my family now, to introduce Peruvian cuisine to them. The food is as good as I remember them; and the warm vibes of the restaurant just as prevalent. So glad to be able to return here after a global pandemic that has caused more casualties than we could have imagined. Kudos to Inkas! read more

I came here for a work lunch. It has a great ambiance and nice atmosphere, but would not be good for large groups. The service is friendly. The bread they bring out is good too. I had the lomo saltado as my dish and had it with cilantro rice. It was good, but I found myself itching for something a bit more. I did have to add some salt to my food. The portion size was pretty large as well. I was able to take some leftovers. Although it was a nice spot, it didn't make a lasting impression on me. Not sure if I didn't order the right menu item. read more

This place is fire!! The smells alone coming from the restaurant lets you know you are in for an awesome eating experience.

My hubby recommended this place, so we came here with a group of 14 (counting us) for dinner on a Saturday. It's nestled in a business complex off of Alton Parkway, so the surrounding area is pretty quiet during off-work hours (it's actually rare to find eateries within a business complex to be open on weekends). The restaurant has a nice clean and warm feel to it. Our server, who is the daughter of the owner, was very helpful with our orders. We started out with some empanadas - we tried both the beef and chicken, and the beef empanadas were tastier just like our server said. My friend also ordered the Yuca Huancayina, which tasted like a thicker richer version of fried potatoes (the creamy cheese sauce that came with it had a kick to it, but good nonetheless). I ordered the Chaufa Combinado, which is pretty similar to Asian fried rice (I thought that maybe it'll taste slightly different for some reason, but no, it's Asian fried rice). I ordered the mild version, thinking that it'll just have a hint of spiciness like at other places, but nooo. It was HAWWWT (I'm sensitive to spicy food so if you're not, don't worry). Our server did ask twice if I was sure I wanted the mild so when I told her I couldn't eat it, she laughed and said "I told you so!" and kindly replaced my dish with a wimpy (no spice whatsoever) version. Note: There is only one menu item for kids, and that is the chicken fingers with fries (and listed under the chicken selection so it's easy to miss). As a finishing touch, I tried the flan. Yes, Fran likes Flan (I get that all the time). We also shared the Banana Fantasy, which our server explained that the ice cream is made from Lucuma fruit that is only found in South America. Initially, it just tasted sweet, but then I got a creaminess and tartness that was similar to cheese. The cheese part may sound weird, but it was actually pretty good (especially with the whipped cream and caramelized plantains). read more

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