Great food, great time, plenty of vegetarian options, quick service and very cool restaurant

The staff was very accommodating. Very knowledgeable about food recommendations. Good and drink were insanely delicious. I will absolutely be returning for another delicious date night dinner read more

Amazing food and service. (Patrick) .... I suggest sharing entrees and ordering several appetizer small bites. Relaxed and casual. Our meal was really incredible. Wish I had found this place sooner. read more

Friendly staff, but food was ok. I ordered a ceviche and 70% of my dish was covered in onions. Looked on the table next to me and they had corn on their ceviche, so it looks like they forgot to add it on my plate. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We were really disappointed as a large number of items on the menu were unavailable on a Sunday night at 5pm. The Lomo Saltado was tough and very salty. The Antojitos were swimming in oil. This was once our favorite dining spot on the 101 but we will definitely not be going back. read more

Q'ero is a lovely place to dine at for Peruvian food in Encinitas. A quaint and intimate dining space, certainly consider calling in to make reservations ahead of time. During your visit, try the national non-alcoholic drink of Peru, Chicha Morada. The base ingredient of the drink is corn culli (ckolli) with finely diced fruits, cinnamon, cloves and sugar. It is stated that consumption for chicha morada in Peru have even reached that of Coca-Cola! For appetizers, we recommend the Ceviche Don Cucho and Antojitos, which are thinly-sliced fried yuca and plantain chips, drizzled with garlic oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and herbs. The entrees are meat-heavy, especially the Saltena Beef, and overly salty for my liking. But the presentation is delightful and true to the Peruvian culture. Since the restaurant is small, expect the service to be a bit quick to get patrons moving along. While you dine here, absorb and admire the unique Peruvian artwork and wall tapestry, table decor, paintings, Andean place mats and atmosphere. read more

Look no further for authentic Peruvian cuisine in Encinitas. Five stars are not enough. It will keep me from learning about other restaurants in Encinitas. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Q'ero sidewalk seating area - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Best Tres leche in town! We go here every year for my wife's birthday cake. Hands down best tres leches cake in the county. It's home made and tastes delicious! read more

I love this place for a number of reason. The food is tasty. The ambient is amazing. I felt like I was at the right place at the right time. The restaurant is small, colorful, vibrant. It does have a South American flare to it. The place and people have a very cheerful attitude. It's right downtown Encinitas. White Sangria is the best one I ever tried. I recommend this pace for any occasion. Romantic date or a friends' gathering, the good time is guaranteed. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - The White Sangria - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

My husband is Peruvian and picky about his favorite dishes from home. We mistakenly thought it would be over priced and not authentic as it is in downtown Encinitas! What a pleasant surprise. The Lomo Saltado (sautéed beef loin with red onions, tomatoes, and fries) was excellent. And the Aji de Gallina (a creamy sauce mixed with shredded chicken and walnuts) was superb. Even though it was a carry on order, the customer service was fantastic "Ron". What a treat in the middle of Encinitas downtown! And the prices were the same as so many Peruvian restaurants located in strip malls. Give this family restaurant a try! You won't regret it. #peruvianfood read more

I have always loved the food at Q'ero, my family and friend love it as well. But this post is about something different it's about how wonderful Panca golden chili sauce help me lose over 50 pounds! I lost all my parents and my dog in the very short time. In the last 18 months I got very sad, and fed my sadness and in so doing put on over 50 pounds. I needed to get that weight off I needed a cleaner but the problem is how do you make all that clean healthy food taste good without adding bad calories? My answer was the Panca sauce I put it on everything from eggs to fish to vegetables and it was definitely part and help me lose that way thank you to my Q'ero family read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Before and after, and ongoing - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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The food was amazing and the empanadas were super good. Service was great and a really kind waiter. Supper cute set up and has outdoor seating as well! read more

Absolutely amazing! The food was delish, Sangria is a must, the service and ambiance was great. Thank you to the entire staff and our server, Patrick (you made my mom's day) who was amazing! read more

I had high hopes for this place. Our family was on the hunt for some good Peruvian food and landed at this spot in Encinitas. When we got there we were asked to seat ourselves for which we did outside. After some time, the waiter came to our table and got our order. My mother's order of a lomo saltado was never placed, leaving my husband and I to wait until hers arrived. Although apologies were said, she ended up waiting again since the meat wasn't thoroughly cooked. There also wasn't enough silverware. After a 45 min wait, we left taking her meal to go and got charged double the amount we originally owed-getting charged two credit cards with no explanation nor an apology. Management needs to do better. Overworking servers isn't the answer. This place needs more help. read more

After looking at many restaurants for dinner I was happy to land on this one! It was super yummy! We really enjoy the atmosphere and quality of food! read more

The food here is amazing! It's family owned and run, and they really provide great service. 100% recommend to anyone looking for great Peruvian food! read more

Ridiculously overpriced for underwhelming food !! Moved here from Miami and was expecting something awesome for the price !! The Maduros were a joke ! They sliced them to look like you actually got an order of them ! So disappointed ! Ugh Don't waste your money ! read more

While I wanted to love Qero, everything was just a little bit overhyped. The flavors lacked depth, there weren't enough spices, and the food seemed over priced for what I got however, the sangria that I enjoyed was good and the service was impeccable. Those two factors were the saving grace at this establishment. read more

Every single thing I ate here was incredible! I started with the chichi Marada mimosa - chichamarada (blue corn) juice and champagne. It was delicious and went down way too easy for a $8 drink! For an appetizer, three of us shared the Pappas Rellenos. I was a little nervous about trying something with raisins but I am so happy I did. It was a potato coating stuffed with perfectly spiced meat. For the main, I had the Peruvian favorite, Lomo Saltado. I never want fries any other way than nestled on top of rice and tender morsels of filet and the most delectable tomato based sauce. And everything is gluten free! Amen! We were so stuffed we didn't have room for dessert but I would love to try their version of flan! The restaurant is tiny but the service is excellent and would make a sweet romantic first date! read more

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I ordered their signature dish, Aji de gallena. Was fairly bland. Needed a good amount of salt. After finishing my plate, waitress brought an Aji sauce. Would have been great on the chicken . Unfortunately, a little too late. Didn't do enough to salvage it. CJ ordered the Fish. It was under seasoned and bland. Service was slow. Wasn't clear to us who the waitress was. There seemed to be a waitress and an owner. They would take turns doing tasks. One would serve our meal while the table next to us was served by the other. The two ladies seemed to argue a lot. Service was confusing. I've had better. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Pescado - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Highway robbery. Their flank steak dish has maybe 5-6 pieces of meat for $24. Tony ceviche for the same price. Everything is sooo expensive. We are all so stupid to pay so much for such little food at a casual establishment. All these places will charge as much as they want as long as we keep paying it. It's all our fault. Will NEVER EVER go back. read more

Incredibly tasty! We ordered empanadas, arepas, and the 3 specials offered tonight and everything was amazing. Patrick, our server, was equally awesome! read more

One of the best in Encinitas. It's run by a very kind family who is always generous with extra bonuses and always expressive in their gratitude for your business. Along with the delicious food, it's a classic model for success in the difficult business of running a restaurant. I would not be surprised if this was many people's favorite restaurant. This place is how it's done. read more

Q'ero.... Sí yo quiero siempre. This is one of the highest quality restaurants you can dine at. I have been here probably 5-6 times or so and everything has been wonderful. Recently I got the ceviche, Camerones, and of course finished with the Tres Leches cake. All of the food here is outstanding quality and fantastic tasting. I would recommend this place to anyone and often do. :-) Pros- Location Food Menu Ambiance Service Drinks Desserts Portions Cons- Reservations often limited Small read more

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All the food were delicious however prices are on the high end! Great service though. If $$ were no object, go for it!! If you're a big eater, beware!! Portions are small. read more

The plantains are a MUST. We ordered a second one of those. Also the beef was great. Lots of potatoes though but we finished everything in these pics! (Plus the extra plantain;)) read more

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I highly recommend eating here. I ordered Saveche spécial of the day. The salmon tastes seared, but the whole dish including the salmon is cold and tasty. A common mistake when it comes to raw fish is that the fish is cold, but not cold enough. This issue was not present, so it was refreshing. The Chichamorada was warm and sweet in a way anyone can enjoy. My mum, who does not like very sweet food, was the one who drank it and enjoyed. I forgot the name of the appetizer, but it's plantain and yucca chips. They are much better than what you get at the store. They have a crunchy and softer oiled texture. They add parmesan cheese, garlic, and cilantro. Another dish, which I also missed the name of consists of fish, shrimp, mashed potatoes, and a tomato based sauce. That too was well flavored and flaky. Another dish that was flank steak was well seasoned. It was chewy, melted in the mouth a wee bit, and had beautiful color. I would also like to mention that is such a great experience coming here to sit down. The inside is small but cozy, and it feels like quite the cultural experience. read more

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I just came from an absolutely scrumptious meal at Q'ero. I had eaten there for lunch probably 4 1/2 years ago and was utterly disappointed. My friend persuaded me to return tonight and the food was incredible. The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because #1, the owner ignored me and only spoke to my friend the whole night. She took my friend's drink order and didn't even look at me. She then started to walk away and looked over her shoulder at me and said, "do you want anything?". Also, the bathroom was not particularly clean. Otherwise, the food was a joy. We had the ceviche mixto which was out of this world delicious. Then we had arepas (hot and gooey and yummy). We had the salad and they kindly gave me blue cheese and my friend goat cheese even though we only ordered one salad and were splitting it. And to top it all off when we asked to have the ribeye entree substituted with Flank steak they did it with no problem. The meat was done perfectly and the veggies melted in our mouths. The greens were a tiny bit to salty but all in all everything was delicious. I already told my friend we need to go back again. I will return soon. There are so many other things on the menu that I now want to try. read more

The only decent thing about this restaurant is the music and the ambiance Food is really mediocre not authentic My lomo salado was 3 out of 10 fries were undercooked.... Water tasted nasty Ohhh my gosh people are paying to eat there just because the location Service was ok read more

Great service. We were seated immediately. The chicha morada is delicious. The hot sauce was delicious. We ordered the empanada, lomo saltado and ají de gallina. I'm half Peruvian and grew up eating a lot of Peruvian food, as well as having traveled to Peru. While the dishes were tasty, they seemed to be their take on the dishes instead of traditional recipes. It was all very delicious but they were not the flavors I expected. I'd still go again but if you're Peruvian, know that it's a bit different than you'd expect. read more

I've struggled to find good Peruvian food in San Diego and so when I saw this restaurant while walking in Encinitas I had to try it out. We were immediately greeted with friendly staff after walking up and we sat at one of the tables set up outside on the sidewalk. We ordered ceviche, a pollo empanada, a carne empanada and the lomo saltado with a side of quinoa. Everything we ordered to eat was amazing! The ceviche was so flavorful and fresh. The empanadas definitely tasted as if they were made with lots of love. And the lomo saltado was also very rich in flavor. The fact that this is a family owned restaurant makes it even better! I will definitely be back to enjoy some more of the menu! read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for 18 years but until recently I had not been to Peru in order to truly appreciate how authentic food is here. One of the things that I learned how to make while in Peru was ceviche with aji Amarillo. The ceviche Don Chucho is exactly like the ceviche that I had in Lima Peru. The corn and the fish in aji sauce took me back to some wonderful memories of eating at the restaurant located in the center of Lima inside of the museum Larco. I like the Decour of the restaurant also where they use many traditional patterns for their table cloths and the paintings are beautiful. The empanadas are very good also but not as good as some that I've had in Argentina, the best one being the beef one. I stopped coming for a while because Carmen and Micheal had left and I noticed a difference in the quality of the food and the lack of "love" placed on each dish. Well!!! I am so happy the family is back together again. Monica and her mama Carmen and her brother Michael!! I notice such a difference. That are back!!! And my favorite waiter is back also, Patrick! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Ceviche yum yum - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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The best Peruvian cuisine! Definitely must try the lamb shanks. Delicious Empanadas with house specials hot sauce!

Amazing. Got for takeout and it was still hot when I got home. They load you up the amount of food too. Worth every penny

I had the ceviche and empanadas. Both were spectacular. They service was also great. I am looking forward to going back.

We had such a good experience here. Great food and even better customer service. We can't wait for our next visit! Everything we ate was delicious! read more

Trust those who Yelp regularly... Thank you Nicole (waitress) 1st Timers and it was fantastic. Food, drinks, ambiance, and service were all perfect. Highly recommend the empanadas and house-made drinks. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Date night with husband and Q'ero came as an option. We haven't been there since COVID, but I am glad we chose to go there. Food was amazing...I am not a big fan of chicken, but the Aji di gallina is to die for! Please you guys need to do a Empanada with that chicken inside! Service was great but I am going to say that the 5 goes to the Tres Leche Cake...shared one with husband and had to get one to go! We will be back soon read more

Have been going to Q'ero for many years. Love the food, love the Sangria. But today, something unbelievable happened. Placed an online pickup order for one gallon of Sangria and two slices of their delicious tres leches cake. My father went to pick up the order and returns with one glass bottle of Sangria and the tres leches. In the past, we received one bottle of Sangria when we ordered half gallon. So, I call, surely they must have forgotten to give him the second bottle. Then, on the phone, I'm told the bottle we were given contains a gallon of Sangria. I weighed the (heavy) glass bottle of Sangria: 6.145 lbs. Keep in mind, 1 gallon of water equates to 8.35 lbs. So, unless the bottle has a negative weight, there is no way it contains a gallon of Sangria. Not even close to it. Well, I tell them I weighed it, and I'm reassured the bottle contains a gallon. Half gallons come in plastic containers. Well, check the picture and form your own opinion. Sad. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - A "1 gallon" bottle of Sangria - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Found this place on yelp on our way back from San Diego and had amazing reviews. Place is small and a bit clutter and dusty. We sat down and older lady was rude and wasn't very helpful. A bit later a younger lady was serving tables and also extremely rude. For a moment I thought I was imagining it but the table next to us asked for her drink with no ice and she told her next time tell before so I don't waste my time ‍ Then same lady approaches our table and I asked for a drink and loudly says with ice or no ice with such a snug look in her face. Food wasn't the best nor the worst but differently Not a place I would go or recommend. Im really shocked at the reviews because she he table behind us and next to us complained about service. read more