Very good. I got the Aji Gallena and it was great, next time I'll try the Lomo Saltado. The only complaint (a very minor one) is that I asked for tap water and they brought me a bottled water (for which I was charged). The chicha morada is good, too. Will try again and if the experience is the same or better I'll bump up to 5 stars. read more

Preface: The bad I experienced is avoidable and will not stop me from going back to this establishment. The Bad: Peruvian Pipe Flute music plays constantly, at a fast pace, and is loud. The front row of tables are lit by red overhead lights, makes it difficult to see the food, and may irritate some people. The fix: Simply have them seat your party at a table not near the red lights and ask them to turn the music down. The GOOD: This food was fresh, homemade, and some of the best comfort food I've ever had. Myself and my date decided to just choose things on the menu that looked good and interesting at random. The appetizers didn't disappoint even a little we had a Yuca stuffed with mozzarella and a light white colored sauce to dip it in. The other were perfectly seasoned pieces of thin beef, thick grilled potato slices, and some fresh vegetables that really balanced it all out. Both of our entrees were delicious as well. I highly recommend this place if you're in the area. I've had people tell me they thought Peruvian/South American cuisine would be hot and full of unpalatable spices. Not the case! Everything is seasoned quite well, it's more like comfort food you want your mom to learn how to cook. The prices are very fair so you don't have to worry about gambling on your tastebuds if you try something new and different. read more

The Aji de Gallina is amazing, the service was friendly, and the decor is nice. I cannot wait to go back!

I was there in the middle of the afternoon. Food was bland and boring. I just don't see any reason to go out of my way.

We walked around Lancaster looking for a Latin American eatery when we came across La Costena. It was a quaint place, not fancy at all, but cute enough. There was onyl one other couple in the restaurant during lunchtime on a Sunday, so the waitress was very attentive at first. We ordered the tamal which was very falvorful and spicy. The waitress started getting very inpatient with our questions, and became very defensive when we noticed a to-go menu up front with cheaper prices for the same meals. She told us that menu was very outdated. Huh? Why keep an old menu with lower prices up front? i had ordered the Aji de Gallina, as did my brother. The meal was ok, the thick sauce pretty much disguised any flavors, so you got tired of the taste real fast. The meal needed some other flavor to balance out the heavy yellow sauce flavor. My mother ordered the churrazco which was huge! I've had much more flavored Churrazco before. When we were done with the food, it took forever for the server to bring our check. We went up to the register to get the check, and asked for the check to be split. The waitress looked at us like it was impossible and had a hard time dividing our three meals. We offered to help her with her math! It just seemed like a frenzied ordeal...probably wouldn't go back. The bottom line...place was quaint and cute, prices were too high for the flavor of the food, food was just ok...I've had WAY better Latin American cuisine... Was just eh. read more

I really want this place to survive because the building is beautiful and the people are very nice. The portions are HUGE!! I had to get a take home box which is very rare for me. The food was good and fresh, I like more spicy flavor but thats just me. read more

Fourteen of us came for lunch on Thursday March 6, 2019. We had a reservation but the place was closed.

Great food, reasonable prices. The atmosphere is simple, but its 'lean and authentic. The ceviche Is amazing and the seafood soup is great. Big portions. Byob. read more

This Peruvian restaurant is a wonderful place to eat at. I am not one that likes Mexican, Spanish, Cuban, Puerto Rican, or other North and Central American, Hispanic flavors; but I love the spices from this South American restaurant. The portions are hearty and the flavors are wonderful. The staff is pleasant and kind. The ambiance is much more appreciated at night. It was almost unexpected as I had first eaten here for lunch. The only reason La Costena does not receive 5 stars is because of a little inconsistency. Sometimes they do not have the corn kernels on the table as a pre-meal snack. Other times, they close slightly earlier than advertised. These minor issues are very few and far between though. Unfortunately, I can not give 4.5 stars. I would recommend this place for anyone and everyone. read more

Their parahuella (seafood soup) is well worth it! It's a monster bowl, and still has the shells so the flavor is strong.

It seems like most people were happy. Unfortunately to me the rice and beans were bland. I also got one chicken and one beef botolea (sp) and they were bland and i neither tasted or saw cheese. read more

Went here tonight based on a past, positive experience. Unfortunately, we will never go back to La Costena. Upon finding a staple in a bite of our food, we informed the waitress of our discovery. Instead of saying sorry, she proceeded to claim that it was an "outside staple". After leaving her a modest, but still normal tip because of the discovery, she proceeded to call us out in front of the entire restaurant. As if this wasn't enough, she yelled at us and forced us to follow her back to the kitchen in order to see that there was no source of staples. We reminded her that, regardless of the source of the staple, it still wound up in our food. After this point, we left with her talking loudly about the lack of staples in the restaurant's kitchen while all the customers became silent and stared at us. Not once did she apologize for the incident. While the food is solid, the staff lacked professionalism, and the safety hazards may not be worth the unique dining experience. Needless to say, girlfriend and I will never go back. read more

La Costena,is an authentic and casual Peruvian restaurant. I heard about this place from my favorite food blogger Lina Bieker(Do check out her very informative review at http://linainlancaster.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-12-11T21%3A09%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7) My husband and I went here ,with our toddler son,last week for dinner. The food here is really delicious! As soon as we were seated,the waitress got us a small bowl of roasted corn kernels.It was just enough to whet our appetite. We shared an appetizer plate of skewered beef- which was thinly sliced and very flavorful.My husband had Parihuela- which is a seafood stew,of calamari,shrimp,crab,scallops in tomato broth.It was huge and we could have probably shared it. I had the "Lomo Saltado"- which was thinly sliced beef stir fried with tomatoes,onions,peppers and french fries.It was served with white rice.I had requested some hot sauce- and was expecting something out of a bottle.Much to my delight,the waitress got me 2 sauces,one a fiery red sauce made out red chiles and garlic and the other was like a mayonaisse,both were very good but I prefered the red sauce. For dessert there was flan and a layered cake.As we were too full,we passed on it. This is a place I would definitely be going back.The service was friendly,food really good ,portions generous and prices very reasonable.The location is also very convenient,although there is no parking lot,one could easily park in one the many parking lots nearby or on the street read more

While this restaurant is only open Wed-Sun, and looks like the stereotypical "hole in the wall," do not let that deter you from dining here during the later portion of the week or over the weekend! Speaking of portions, they were ample, and while I shouldn't have finished my entire plate, I did, because I couldn't get enough of the delicious food. I selected the Bisteca de la Pobra, and my dining partner had a chicken stew dish. We were both thoroughly satisfied with the flavors of our respective dishes. The ambiance was romantic, with dim lighting and red accent lights. While the dining area is not large, it was comfortable and easily accommodated smaller parties of two, such as ours, as well as larger gatherings. The menus are bound in seemingly carved or etched leather, and the music was perfect for the venue. The only downside was that there was only one waitress working, which resulted in a bit of a wait time from the time we were seated to our order being taken. The food, however, came out quickly, and the waitress did a phenomenal job attending to our drink refill needs and assuring we were satisfied. read more

This is the second time we have gone there and found hair in not one but TWO PLATES OF FOOD. It's disgusting and the waitress didn't even apologize. Never coming back. read more

Food was good but I wish it had a little bit more spice to it. The server was very friendly and prompt. It didn't WOW me but I will be going back to try more items on the menu. read more

I tried La Costena last night for the first time, it was about 6 o'clock on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was deserted, we were the only customers up until we paid the bill. The coolness of the restaurant was refreshing after the heat of the day, as was the warm greeting from our server after passing some questionable characters on our way in. The restaurant is spacious and comfortable, though the humongous tv playing Spanish soap operas in the corner was a bit distracting. I enjoyed my giant box of mango nectar and the complimentary fried plantain that began our meal. I was a bit disappointed that they were out of the spicy mashed potato and chicken dish we were hoping to have as an appetizer. But in hindsight, I'm glad we didn't get the appetizer as the entree portions were very generous. My companion and I shared our dinners, so we split a potato/chicken entree served in a "thick gravy" with rice, garnished with hard boiled egg. This dish was reminiscent of a pot pie or chicken and gravy, just extra starchtastic with both potato and rice. It was mildly seasoned, read bland, but comfort foodie. We also shared batter dipped seafood medley, served on yucca, topped with a raw onion salad and accompanied by mayo for dipping. This was a guilty pleasure, the very opposite of fast food greasy deep fry. The batter was light and completely dry, zesty with lemon and covering some excellent octopus, clam, mussel, shrimp and bay scallop. Our server was attentive but not intrusive, the bill was quite reasonable, so we'll definitely be back to try the ceviche! read more

We have been here several times. The service is always excellent, the menu has great variety, the food is delicious, and the price is reasonable. The people are very friendly- including staff and other patrons. Both my husband and I are looking forward to our next visit! read more

Low prices and huge portions. Fantastic! I'm a foodie and La Costena blew me away. I had the Parihuela and it was amazing. Super hot and fresh. I will definitely be going back next time I'm in Lancaster. read more