This is a must try place!!! Food is amazing!! The empanadas are so flavorful and the pastry is perfect. The natural drinks are a perfect add to any meal!! read more

A nice little Peruvian restaurant in Encinitas. They try to keep things as authentic as possible. We were seated outside with heaters, which was good but still cold. The servers were sort of friendly but not too friendly. We ordered a bunch of different appetizers to share and then the main entrees. Our absolute favorites were the yucca fritters, the ceviche and the maduros. The crispy plantains were good, but not as good as the maduros. Among the empanadas, we ordered the veggie, chicken and beef ones. The veggie ones were a hit among the vegetarians in our group. Between the beef and chicken, the beef empanadas won hands down. These empanadas are gigantic and definitely meant to be shared. My friend enjoyed her lam shank a lot but again, it was too big. The lomo Saltado was good but I would've liked the meat to be more well-done than it was. I also ordered a tres leches to go and it was fantastic. I got a pisco Sour to drink and it was excellent! All in all, this was a great culinary experience and definitely similar to another great Peruvian restaurant I like. I would recommend giving this a try! P.S. parking is a problem so start hunting for one as soon as you are about half a mile away! read more

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My most favorite Peruvian food restaurant in Southern Cali. Their Papa Rellena is delicious and you can purchase a bottle of the Peruvian (hot) sauce that's made in-house!! read more

I met some co-workers here for lunch, it's located downtown and parking can be a challenge but there is a paid garage just up the street. They have great outdoor seating and a small interior restaurant as well. I can't remember the name of the dish that I ordered, our server recommended it and I'm glad I ordered it... It was delicious. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - This is delicious! - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Had a wonderful girls night with some drinks and great food here. We had so many good items like the ceviches, empanadas, beet salad with flank steak, aji de gallina...but my favorite was the Calamari a la Diablada (calamari, mushrooms, chilis and green onions) paired with the Maduros (carmelized plaintains topped with sour cream & onions). That pairing blew my mind! Thanks to the owner for that suggestion. Overall, had a great experience here will definitely be back for some more. read more

Found this restaurant while visiting Encinitas. Said Peruvian food and so I had to try it of course. Ambiance was okay. You know that is something very important for me. Food was good. I had Lomo Saltado and here, they make it their way. The food was good although it could have been better. In lomo saltado every ingredient is equally in quantity so that is important to keep in mind. Amount of lomo (meat), was good amount of potatoes and onions not good. You guys need to put more. Always consider that if you are charging $$ you got to offer quality and amount. I hope that if you (reader), are in Encinitas, you consider to stop by and try the food at Q'ero. Happy meals! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Lomo saltado. Where are the potatoes? - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

The staff is very friendly and knows their food options. We went the Monday after Valentine's Day and were provided a special menu as the Restuarant was opening. The food came quickly and was vey tasty with a genuine "Home made" flair. read more

It was pre-COVID the last time we ate at Q'ero. We returned today for a Peruvian lunch. Indoors the restaurant has four tables, but the expanded outdoor seating (where we sat) adds another eight. For lunch we had: * Empanadas -- I ordered three Empanadas (beef, chicken, and frijoles) which were very good overall, although I prefer a thinner crust -- the chicken empanada was best (4/5) * Sudado De Pescado -- Peruvian steamed fish stew made today with salmon that was overcooked and dry (2/5) Service was good. Parking in Encinitas at lunchtime is a challenge at best. After almost 10 minutes of looking, I finally found a space on E Street a block away from Q'ero. Food . . . . .  3/5 Service . . .  4/5 Ambiance . 3/5 Wine List . . 2/5 read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Empanadas -- Beef, Chicken, Frioles - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I walked in alone and requested to get seated and busboy had to check first before letting me sit at an empty table. I was dressed in the comfortable clothes and a backpack that I've used to walk some trails/beaches. So I can understand the slight hesitation. Then it seemed as though I was almost forgotten about before they finally took my order. Perhaps I'm overthinking it so I'm not going to deduct my one-off experience a star. The food was delicious! The decor was beautiful. I had ordered chicha morada to drink, yucca frita as an appetizer and a plate of lomo saltado. The guy brought me their homemade panqa sauce to go with the lomo saltado. The flavor was there with and without the extra sauce. I did enjoy the sauce so much that I even bought a bottle to take home for my wife to try. read more

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

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My wife and I were looking for a different type of place to eat in Encinitas and found Q'ero...and, we're glad we did! Here is what we liked: - Great outdoor seating...although it looks like the city of Encinitas may again limit restaurants from taking up parking spots - Amazing food! We decided to sample several items and really liked them all. The Queso Empanada was probably our favorite...great sauce too. The Calamari Diablada was a pretty good sized portion (even though it looked like a small bowl) and was so tasty. The Arepas were delicious, as was the special Ceviche. - Very attentive service too! Bottom line: We'll be going back to Q'ero again...great food, great service, great new option! read more

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Delicious food, delicious sangrias, and pleasant service! Martin was very nice and made us feel welcomed! read more

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

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First, this used to be one of our favorite restaurants, but the last few experiences have been sub par to say the least. For our last experience we were sat and didn't see a waiter for at least 10 minutes. We ordered appetizers which then came out with the main dishes and we had to remind that we were missing one of the appetizers. The main dishes were cold. To come full circle, I had to go find our waiter to pay. You may want to take note of the small font on the menu that notifies guests of the automatic 5% surcharge that, "goes directly to kitchen staff." It's important to consider when they hand you the card reader which defaults tips to options of 20% to 25%. We don't mind TIPS (To Insure Proper Service), but don't expect 20% in addition to another 5% that is forced on you. read more

Amazing find! We have lived here for 5 years but for some reason only recently found our way here! We have been missing out. Great server, family owners, amazing food and it makes you feel like you are in a different country. We tried a little of everything and EVERYTHING was amazing! read more

I've been coming here for many years and have never been disappointed. The food here is incredibly delicious and perfectly prepared. They have plenty of outdoor seating. I always order the aji de gallina with a side of panca sauce. This dish is so yummy. IRS like the perfect chicken stew. I get it with white rice. Their panca sauce is yummy on everything. You could put this sauce on dirt and it would taste great. Hubby got the pan seared fish which was salmon. He almost licked the plate . The fish was perfectly cooked and the sauce was to die for. We also enjoyed the amici salad though I could do without the candied pepitas. Qero is not cheap but given how fantastic the food tastes it is worth every penny. By the way they do sell their aji panca sauce to go. Get it!!! read more

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Such good food! Stopped by here on a Tuesday evening about 5. We were seated right away and Patrick was amazing. Very friendly and knew so much. I felt like he was the owner, I need to research that. LOL Anyways, parking wasn't great but that's normal. The menu is nice and small and you can tell they make each dish perfectly. I had the special of mixed Ceviche with Octopus, shrimp and fish. It was so good! Not too limey or salty and the seafood was so fresh. I also ordered the pollo empanada. The empanada was huge and stuffed with chicken and came with an amazing sauce! I forgot the name but I was told it is their signature sauce, get extra. Overall a great place. Customer service, price and taste made it a very wonderful dinner. read more

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One of my two favorite Peruvian food spots! The majority of what I've had there has been delicious. The fried yukas are so good with the sauce!! The chicken empanadas were filled to the brim and so flavorful! The tress leches french toast is so unique! The ceviche is a good portion. And while the aji de gallina tastes good, I don't love the texture of the shredded chicken, personally. For drinks, absolutely get the Pisco Sour and the Chicha Morada, both Peruvian classics and so so good! Or get their sangrias which are homemade! The service is super friendly but a bit kinda slow sometimes, they're super apologetic for the delays though I know it's not their fault. The ambiance is rustic and feels like an authentic family owned restaurant. I recommend it! read more

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Great ambiance, very hearty food, not my first time trying Peruvian so I know how Lomo should taste and this was just right. Very nice staff read more

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

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Q'ero is a family owned Peruvian Restaurant that has been proudly serving the Encinitas area and beyond since 2000. The food is so authentic and even has its sauce recipe made from their great grandmother and passed on through the generations! It was delicious, and good on everything we tried! I Could really tell that everything was made with love. We ordered: *Chicha Morada drink * vegetarian empanada *carne empanada *Maduros *Arepas *Papa Rellena *Ail de Gallina *Nana's Tres Leches *apple empanada We had an amazing server and he was very attentive. We sat outside but the inside is very cute and decorated in Peruvian paintings. They also have blankets and things for sale inside read more

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What a fantastic restaurant. Very authentic vibe and the food is consistently amazing. Waiters Patrick and Marcus are outstanding. Highly recommend. read more

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

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Simply delicious. Their special (non alcoholic drink): 10/10 The Yuka Fries: 10/10 Salmon: 10/10 Ceviche: 9/10 Will definitely come back and try more dishes! read more

Food was amazing! So yummy empanadas were fire!!! Great service wonderful experience will definitely be back

I enjoy Peruvian cuisine especially after having been to Peru. For the appetizer, I ordered the pollo empanada and for my entree, sudado de pescado. The orange sauce from the panqa bottle had a nice tang which paired well with the empanada. The pollo filling was flavorful. The pescado dish came after and I liked the salmon and broth with white rice. The salmon was not overcooked. The inside is cozy and there were many outdoor seating as well. Overall, I'd come back and would like to try their ceviche which is what they are known for. read more

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Ordered a salmon plate and only got a real small piece of salmon, 1 ounce. What kind of crap is that. That was not a salmon dinner.

Good tres leches cake. Bad presentation for the price compared to other bakeries but super moist and fresh

The ambiance was so cute and very authentic. The service was fast and friendly. We had the sangria without the alcohol and it was refreshing flavour. Also got a fijoles empanada..Yucca fritas..and chicken and quinoa. I loved it. It was also authentic and.so good. The food was not oily at all. Plenty od food. read more

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We went here after a day at the beach just to try something new and it was pretty good. The Ceviche was good and it was interesting to have the plantain chips to eat it with. There was a lot of new stuff to me in all the food that I'm not sure what it was but it was all good. I had the Seco de Cordero which was a big lamb chop with some rice and beans and it was sooo good. The meat just fell off the bone. My friends had empanadas that they really liked and one of my friends got the Papa Rellena which was meat surround with potato which was just kind of alright. Their signature Aji Amarillo sauce is really tasty and not too spicy at all. We sat out on the street which was really nice and our server did an excellent job of introducing us all to Peruvian food. read more

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All three courses were excellent. So tasty. Really cool space, staff were so friendly. And the water was delicious! Might need to come back tomorrow it was so good. Thanks for an amazing meal. read more

Food is delicious, service was fast and thoughtful. We sat outside because the weather was lovely but we didn't get the cool ambience of the indoor seated area. I had the veggie empanada and yucca fries. My friends shared the ceviche and special and they raved about it. We picked it because they have clearly marked vegan as well as gluten free choices and so it meant there was something for everyone. read more

Definitely need to make a reservation as it definitely gets busy during Saturday evenings. I was so glad I called in a week prior to make the reservation, there was a family of 5 waiting when I got there. We were 2 minutes late, but I made sure to call in during the time we weren't able to find parking so they knew we were in the area. This place is a hole in the wall for sure, as the restaurant wasn't that big. I was very surprised at how much tinier it was than I thought. Our server that night was Patrick. This was a restaurant that I had picked to check our Yelp friends Soo and Maggie (of course with L too). This restaurant is a Peruvian & South American cuisine. Date of Visit - January 11, 2020 ::DRINKS:: L got the Xingu - black beer - looks like a Guiness I got recommended the Chismosa - and will definitely recommend anyone else to get a side of cinnamon. It reminded me of a churro but a drink churro with the cinnamon on the side. ::APPETIZERS:: The group shared the Don Cucho Ceviche. It was good. For some odd reason, I keep thinking ceviche comes with chips as a couple of friends that made it served it that way. But after researching a bit online, there is a option to eat ceviche with some cancitas (banana chips) . [Source: https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/peru/articles/a-guide-to-eating-ceviche-like-a-local/] We ordered the saltena beef empanadas, and they were tasty! There was a slight sweetness and spiciness mixed together. (A salteña is a type of baked empanada from Bolivia. Salteñas are savory pastries filled with beef, pork or chicken mixed in a sweet, slightly spicy sauce containing olives, raisins and potatoes) ::ENTREE:: Pernil de Chancho - one of the specials for that night. It is a pork leg, marinated in a sauce made with beer, onion, garlic, and other spices while being slow cooked in a oven. We ordered two orders, in which we split among each couple. It was huge! Thankfully it was paired with some greens and mashed potatoes. ::Surprise Dessert:: We were surprised with some chocolate at the end, as they took a few minutes longer with our entrees - since their kitchen got slammed with orders (more people showed up during the time we just started to order). It was a pricier restaurant that we had chosen, but it was enjoyable. Would come again if in the area, but definitely with small company. read more

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Amazing homemade empanadas! All your Thanksgiving favorites in one empanada: Turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberries. SO GOOD!!!! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Nana's Thanksgiving empanadas are SO GOOD. A holiday must to share with your family :) - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We ordered vegetarian option and so amazed on the flavors all dishes, highly recommend to visit this restaurant. Of course it's very cute culturally decorated place read more

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

OMG, what a gem of a place. Quality, colorful, intimate, just right. The lamb plate was sooooo good. The chicken empanada was just as delicious. I'm coming back. read more

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

I have two regrets after leaving this restaurant: 1. Not ordering more food and 2. Not dining at a Peruvian restaurant sooner! I was completely surprised at how delicious everything tasted! I loved the flavors that everything I tried had. We stopped here because they have a great lunch special for students which was an empanada, side salad, and a drink for around $10-11 dollars. We ordered the beef empanada which was packed with filling and had a very rich flavor. The sauce that it came with was delicious and made in house. The drink was unlike anything I had ever had before and both rich and sweet. The side salad was bigger than we expected and had a very refreshing citrus flavor. We also ordered the Don Cucho ceviche. I loved that it was fish instead of shrimp. The fish was extremely tender and we loved the seeds that it came with! I will definitely be exploring more Peruvian spots throughout San Diego after this delicious meal! read more

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Well... you secure an amazing location, and then blow it. Service and ambiance good. Food.. bland.. and weird. I've never been to Peru but now I don't want to go. The food in Ecuador is great and this should not be too different. read more

The food was extremely flavourful and felt authentic. The indoor space is relatively small, but they have an expansive outdoor space. If the weather is nice, it is a lovely date spot. They had a handful of vegetarian options as well as empanadas. I opted to start with a salad, ordered two empanadas, and left satisfied. Service was slow, and we had to ask for water refills a few times but overall a great experience. I will be back for the food! read more

This place has really excellent food! It's crazy to think my office is literally half a block away (for the last 12 years), and only ate there for the first time somewhat recently. I ordered the lamb, which was tender, juicy, rich, and unparalleled. Beef empanada was another memorable treat. We also ordered for an appetizer the papa rellena - lots of meat and potato, not my usual fare, but really enjoyed it nonetheless. Lomo saltado flank steak was great but not as good as the lamb. Good wine selection - paired perfectly with our food. The unique, local atmosphere is perfect for a date. read more

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

I had the worst experience at this sidewalk restaurant when I went there last Saturday with a friend visiting me from New York for happy hour. According to the restaurant's sign prominently displayed on the outside wall of the restaurant Happy Hour was from 2pm to 5pm and included a glass of sangria and an empanada of your choice for $10. We sat down at a table outside and the waiter/assistant manager, Patrick came out with the menus. When we told him we wanted the happy hour special of sangria and empanada as stated on their sign, he told us emphatically that the owner , Monica, who was not present to speak to, had changed the menu and the Happy Hour was not on Saturday or Sunday. I pointed out to him that the sign did not say Happy Hour only M-F. His response was, "It doesn't say Saturday and Sunday." With that he abruptly snatched the menus from the table and waving his hand at us said, "You can leave now". His actions attracted the attention of some bystanders. As my friend and I left, one of the bystanders, who saw and heard everything, commented to us how rudely we were treated by the waiter. We called the restaurant later that evening and asked to speak to the owner, Monica, and were told she had gone home but he would give her my number and ask her to call me. She never did. As a result of this experience I will not return to this restaurant ever again! Janice P. 4/26/2025 read more

Just ate here tonight and the service was absolutely terrible! I was treated as a 2nd class citizen and I literally made a reservation for this place, on my freaking birthday!! Our appetizers took forever to come to the table, the waiters seemed more attentive to everyone else. Guess what?! Everyone else got their order before we did!! Even though we made a reservation and were literally there before everyone! Not only that, but the food portion was tiny and expensive!! I expressed my frustration about the wait and the server told me, "I know nothing about the restaurant industry", as if i'm I was just stupid for complaining. On the way out he told me not to comeback, he said "this isn't McDonald's, Don't come back", we payed for our order that never even came to our table. $150 down the drain and on top of that, the server talked a bunch smack with the other staff right in front of us. This place is trash & classist, and maybe even racist. read more

By far one of the BEST restaurants in Encinitas. If you are going to take your hard earned money and spend it on dining, try this place! The flavors are amazing and the quality is exceptional. The service was great, the hot sauce is out of this world delicious and each plate will leave you wanting more! Perfect restaurant for a date night, foodies, or with the family! read more

Let's start with the food. Beyond amazing. So fresh, the flavors, the smells, just so satisfying. I have Peruvian food as my top 3 foods in South America (Venezuelan 2, Argentina 1) and in my top 10 overall in the world. This place exceeded & satisfied my taste buds more than any other Peruvian place in California. We had the lomo saltado which was divine!!! the chicarrones and arguably the best dish was the ceviche mixto. Plantain & Yuca chips are so addicting that accompany the dish. The decor is very cute. Place is small but cozy with vibrant colors, art and several different items to shop that your eyes are constantly looking at something. Service was great, we dined for lunch on Sunday, 7/9, and I cannot recall his name, maybe Roland, but he was very good. He was the lone server working the 6 tables inside and the patio area outside as well. Everything we ordered came out to perfection & he was on us with water & drinks. Great experience overall, will come back for sure read more