Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Llama Sam

    4.8 (25 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Llama Sam Takeout or Delivery

    Llama Sam Peruvian Restaurant Photos

    LLAMA SAM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Llama Sam

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Seafood rice divine!
    Virginia T.

    Cute, small Peruvian spot tucked on a side street off Main Street in Hackensack. It has a cozy vibe with a few tables inside and charming decor. Service was warm and attentive. The owner/chef even came out to greet guests, which was a really nice touch. Food highlights: the chicha morada was refreshing, the lomo de pollo was flavorful, and the seafood rice was absolutely divine--similar to paella and packed with flavor. The lucuma cheesecake was a standout dessert, and the croquettes were fantastic. It's a bit pricier than you might expect for the size of the place, but the quality, presentation, and service make it worth it. BYOB!

    Tiffany S.

    Llama Sam in Hackensack did not disappoint The food was SO good--full of flavor, fresh, and honestly hit the spot. Everything tasted like it was made with care and the vibe was super chill. What really stood out though--the owner came over to greet us, was so nice, and made sure to ask how everything was. That kind of service just makes the whole experience even better Definitely one of those places you go once and already know you're coming back. 10/10 recommend if you're in the area

    Pesto Tallarines Verdes With Lomo Saltado
    Mel T.

    Was running some errands in the area when I remembered I had this place bookmarked, so I ordered online for pickup. We ordered a few items to share: -Tallarines Verdes (fettucine, Peruvian-style pesto sauce, parmesan cheese, marinated skirt steak, and potato huancaina sauce) - this was the best dish. It was nice and flavorful and the pasta was cooked perfectly. I did ask for medium rare on the steak though, and it was more of a medium -Chaufa de Mariscos (sautéed seafood mix, scrambled eggs, soy sauce, chopped scallions, dash of ginger and a touch of sesame oil) - pretty salty but at least they don't skimp on the seafood -Jalea (breaded seafood dish of calamari, shrimp, mussels, crab leg, fish and yuca lightly battered and fried served with sarza criolla) - I really only like the calamari, fish, and yuca. There was very little shrimp, only one mussel, which I ate and it did not taste fresh. The hot sauce was really good though There are some other dishes I'd like to try, like the ceviche so I might be back for that. I also saw they have a good lunch special deal Mondays through Fridays, so maybe I'll pick one of those days. Next time, I'd ask for less salt on the food. Note - there's a service fee if you order online but then there's also a 5% discount for first time orders, so it cancels out.

    8 oz. Lomo Saltado With Skirt Steak
    Laura D.

    I went to Llama Sam with my husband and his family. It is a small, unassuming restaurant from the outside. However, once you walk in you see a super cute restaurant, nothing too fancy but with lots of beautiful little details. The staff were very accommodating of our 6 person table and they were super helpful and welcoming. The food is excellent! We had some chicken croquettes which we were so excited about I forgot to take a picture and then we each got an entree. I had the tallarines saltados which were delicious. I love Peruvian food and I was not disappointed with the food at Llama Sam.

    Cheesecake
    Monika K.

    We checked out Llama Sam in Hackensack and had such a great experience. The restaurant is new, inviting, and easy to access with street parking available. The food was fresh and absolutely delicious. The yellow sauce is unreal. It is rich, creamy, and the kind of sauce you want to put on everything. Every dish we tried tasted thoughtfully made and full of flavor. The service truly made the night special. Nikki was warm, attentive, and brought such a positive energy to the table. The chef even came out to greet us and talk about the restaurant, which made the experience feel personal and welcoming. It felt less like dining out and more like being hosted by someone who genuinely cares. Amazing food, kind people, and a great atmosphere. I will definitely be returning. Highly recommend

    Sopa de trigo
    David O.

    Checked out Llama Sam for lunch and really enjoyed it. It's a smaller spot but they had available seating when I went. They offer rotating lunch specials, which is a nice touch. I had the sopa de trigo with salchipapas, followed by the beef ribs with rice and salad. The lunch special also comes with a drink. Overall, the food was great, and the waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Definitely planning to come back have lots of other options on the menu I want to try.

    Kids Salchipapa
    Nari L.

    Excellent Peruvian food! Today I had the Chaufa de mariscos, Jalea, and Maduros. The fried rice was loaded with seafood, and the crispy topping was excellent. The red onion salad paired with the Jalea was a perfect match. The maduros had perfect caramelization--I hadn't had one this good in a long time. The service was great and very attentive. Definitely worth a visit.

    Ravioli and risotto
    Jack N.

    If I was able to give Llama Sam 1000 stars, I would. Each dish from the Valentine's Day special menu was made with such thought and care - beautiful and delicious! The service was wonderful as well - my girlfriend and I felt like family pretty instantly! The chef, Moises, came over to introduce himself and ensure we had a great experience. Highly highly recommend!! We'll bring the husbands with us next time! :)

    Lomo Saltado
    Sophia R.

    We had an amazing dinner at Llama Sam. The ambience of the restaurant is very welcoming and our waitress, Nicky, was super attentive and friendly. I upgraded my classic ceviche to the house recipe (Ceviche Llama Sam), per her recommendation and I'm so glad I did. As an avid ceviche lover, this is one of the best I've had. We also ordered the lomo saltado, which was super delicious. And for dessert the arroz con leche which was the sweetest way to finish the meal. For drinks, of course we ordered Peruvian classics Chicha morada and passion fruit juices, which paired nicely with our meals. Bergen county has been lacking with Peruvian restaurants, and Llama Sam is an excellent addition.

    Ceviche Llama Sam
    Kimberli M.

    We happened up Llama Sam for a late lunch while in Hackensack. Delicious!! Great service and wonderful food! We will be back.

    Betty S.

    I decided to bring my sis and my granddaughter here for dinner after seeing TikTok video Food is Pricey so I expect Amazing food but my pasta was cold and everything was just ok !! I rather go to my Peruvian spots in the hood half the price double the portions and seasoned !! My sister food came out like 15 mins after mine why I don't know cause we were the only table what made me say im never coming back here is the fact that they added $21.32 gratuity tip on 2 adults and 1 child but then at bottom of receipt made a suggestion how much more I should tip and then when the waitress who was very nice brings me the tablet for my payment she had it pulled up to the tip portion and was asking for a tip !! I said didn't you add it already and you could feel the energy instantly!! Man times are hard out here I tried to represent the place but too sneaky and greedy !!! I will not go back!!! She would have got a bigger tip than $21.32 but yall wanna try to be slick

    Chicharron

    New spot in Hackensack with very high quality Peruvian food. I was on my own so I only got to sample two items, but they were both very good to great. Chicharron are Peruvian style (no breading), but very well seasoned and so tasty. The sweet potato chips and classic Peruvian onion and tomato salad on that plate were also both excellent. Lomo Saltado was delicious - some of the best I've had in NJ. Meat was cooked to temperature (medium rare), sauce was spot on and the rice came topped with a yummy handful of choclo (Peruvian giant corn). Nice space, very good food and prompt, friendly service. Will definitely be back here to sample more menu items.

    Jalea

    Nice vibes. Cute space! Thorough customer service. Our questions about the menu were answered. Food was good

    Tallarines verdes with skirt steak

    See all

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 3
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    24 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jack N.
    50
    12
    3

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 3
    Photo of Brad Q.
    63
    109
    16

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of N K.
    1
    52
    0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sandra R.
    23
    31
    16

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Llama Sam

    You might also consider

    Pisco De Mar

    Pisco De Mar

    4.4(37 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    9/22/25 We've driven…read moreby many times and kept saying we had to try, and finally made it in. 1st thing you see upon entering is the sign telling you to "Start with ceviche" Don't mind if I do Tasty little shot of soup? Cerviche Duo - Basa cerviche and Chicharron de Pescado, both are delicious Maracuya was a medium sized carafe Chicken Skewers were delicious Causa with Octopus was very good Seafood Aeropuerto Chaufa is delicious! I'll be back for more. We had no idea these plates were so big, we ordered for a whole family lol. I honestly thought the ceviche would be a small cup hehehe

    This upscale Peruvian restaurant is very easy to find in the heart of Garfield. The ambience was…read morevery Latin centric with upscale field and Instagram worthy decor. The salsa music in the background gave it a nice touch as we enjoy a great appetizers and plentiful meals with phenomenal flavor. Highly suggested to try any of their wide range of plates, including the soups, ceviche, and fish dishes, and classic lomo and steak plates. The salad, including the mango and avocado salad was a hit, especially with the red onion. The only downside is we came on a Tuesday afternoon and the kitchen was understaffed so the food came out a little bit slow. However, everything was hot and still tasted amazing so we really didn't mind waiting for a little bit while catching up. The space is a small restaurant in a shopping plaza and will not easily accommodate parties larger than six. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area and are looking for an upscale twist to classic Peruvian cuisine.

    Photos
    Pisco De Mar - Interior

    Interior

    Pisco De Mar
    Pisco De Mar

    See all

    Jarana - El Poderoso ($38)

    Jarana

    4.0(219 reviews)
    5.2 mi

    Finally I could come to try this restaurant and I was gladly surprised, the hype is not fake…read more From the beginning, the attention from the personnel was super polite and respectful. I made a reservation and they've respected my request to be seated inside. The atmosphere inside is very vivid, like the name of the restaurant... it feels like you are in a party. My only wish is that they would play Peruvian music so the experience would be more immersive with the food. The menu is big and one of the things that I've liked was to see a lot of dishes that are not common in a Peruvian Restaurant outside Perú... like Aji de Gallina, Anticuchos and Picarones. Now the most important, the food... the quality was very good, since the plates arrived to our table, the smell and the presentation was a temptation to go all the way in. The ingredients used felt fresh and made to order. Every plate had its own characteristic and flavour... good size too. The "choco lucuma" cake for dessert was a great finish... moisty and the intensity of the chocolate and lucuma flavor to a good ratio. If you have the chance to try it... go for it, you'll not regret.

    lets start with the good.. service good taste of the food…read moreexcellent really tasty and authentic vibe, enjoyed most of it as far as flavor the taste was there i enjoyed but for $38 dollars plus on the lomo salteado and i get literally 5/6 small pieces of meat? i failed to see the value here, i mean for a one and done experience i could give it 4 stars, but as a return customer i failed or felt unsatisfied. prob wont try anything else on the menu at this place, really wanted to love it.

    Photos
    Jarana - Interior

    Interior

    Jarana - Jarana Chicken

    Jarana Chicken

    Jarana - Pisco Punch

    See all

    Pisco Punch

    Llama Sam - peruvian - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...