Overall prices were a little on the steeper end but great flavors! Qero is at their own pace. A quaint little restaurant in Encinitas with a few tables inside and some placed on the sidewalk outside. A sandwichboard advertising for pitchers of sangria caught our eye and we took a seat. For shareable, we ordered some yuca fries. I had the stewed fish and my husband the lomo saltado. For him he said the flavors of the steak were authentic. My stewed fish was a filet of salmon and the tomatoe-y onion stew was great. Our food came out a long while after ordering but we were fine enjoying our sangria. A great spot for lunch on a nice day read more

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Amazing food!! This has been a special spot for us for the past 15 years. Highly recommend it.

A total overpriced ripoff ! Tiny, tasteless bland food portions. Terrible, very slow service. Sneaky, hidden 5% surcharge added to your bill with no advance disclosure. They also charge you $100 to make a reservation. Complete waste of your time and money ! read more

I've been meaning to dine here for a while now, but haven't had the chance to. It was my friend's birthday last month and she ordered a cake from here. There was some misunderstanding, but she was still able to get two smaller tres leches cakes from here. The cakes looked homemade, so I was surprised when she told me that she ordered it from this restaurant. Tres leches is one of my favorite cakes and this one was very moist and flavorful. I liked that it wasn't too sweet either. Will need to come to the actual restaurant to try their Peruvian fare soon! read more

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

This place was the best. Great food, great vibes, great service. The ceviche was amazing

Came with my daughter super hungry & ready to eat. They took our order & then we sat for about an hour, waiting for our food. It never came so I asked if maybe the order hadn't been put through. One of servers told me their kitchen was swamped & it was on its way then another cake & said it was never put through. We didn't have more time to wait & my daughter was really hungry so we paid for our drink & left. I was hoping to try the food. Not too impressed by their service though unfortunately. read more

Our friend introduced this flavorful restaurant to us yesterday. We were ending our little day trip of sports murals in Encinitas. We parked half a mile a way and walked. We had outdoor seating because it was slightly muggy hot. The maduras and arepas were good--I'm partial to plantains. You can tell the chef takes great care to present yummy cuisine in digestible portions. That said, I still took some sea bass ceviche home because I wanted to taste some tres leches cake and apple empanada. Because I love lemon flavors, the sour marination of the ceviche shined and the little accoutrements were darling large dried corn, a few slices of boiled sweet potato, and hominy. I had to order some rice to enjoy the flavor a little bit more. My husband and friend had the beef entree that was spicy and had onion, potatoes (think home fries=pappas); delicious! Our other friend had the chicken dish - he couldn't finish because of the arepas. Overall, very satisfying. read more

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I decided to try this restaurant in Encinitas. It was a beautiful day and they had nice outdoor seating. I ordered the Aji de Gallina, which is shredded chicken in a creamy Aji Amarillo walnut sauce with parmesan cheese. It was served with rice. I'm a huge fan of Peruvian food and this was a really delicious and filling dish. I also tried their panqa sauce which gave the dish a little bit of a kick. So why 4 vs. 5 stars? The service was efficient at times, although it took awhile before I got a menu and I had to ask for silverware after my food was served. When I was given the bill, the usual tip prompts were there on the handheld Toast device. Only after I paid and looked at my receipt did I discover that the restaurant slipped in a 5% service charge --- which meant that whatever my tip was they added an additional 5% without me knowing about it. Given how outstanding the food was it would have been better if they increased the menu prices rather than a sneak in a charge on an unsuspecting diner. Even though the dish I had was great that less than transparent way of pricing would make me think twice before returning. I hope they change their policy. read more

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

Started out great but ended up being a disappointment. We wanted to order a couple of small plates and decide after if we wanted anything else. Waiter told us it was not convenient for the kitchen and we needed to order everything immediately. So we ordered another larger plate as well and he casually asked us if we wanted that with rice, quinoa or potato, as if it was a side that came with the meal. We said potato. The small plates were excellent. The larger plate we felt pushed into ordering wasn't great. We left 90% of it. Imagine my surprise when we were charged an extra $5 dollars for the small side of potatoes along with an additional 5% service charge for who knows what. We were still expected to leave a tip. read more

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

I WASN'T WOW'ed Came here and ordered, then realized this wasn't the Peruvian restaurant I initially wanted to go to. My bad. - Food, meh. Menu, selective. - Price, meh. Little pricier. - Service, meh. Not as attentive. Typically, I'd order a Saltado to judge a place but the pictures posted didn't captivate me to order it. Instead I went for a second dish, Aji De Gallina, that I typically like to eat and judge a place by preparation and the pictures posted made it look delicious. Well, lets be real, looks are deceiving. I felt catfished! AJI DE GALLINA - Hand corn chicken in a walnut and Aji Amarillo sauce with rice. When the plate was delivered to the table it was picture friendly but what first came to mind was "why is it so small?" for $18 I'd expect more. The shredded chicken was tender and plentiful but the sauce was kind of bland and the walnut taste shined through the dish more than I'd like. I do appreciate texture, small pieces of walnut in the sauce, but it was too walnut-ish. I wasn't too thrilled with my consumption and packed up the rest for left overs in which I ate some but wasted the rest. I don't like being wasteful but if I've wasted food its because it wasn't that great to finish. CHICHA MORADA - i love that purple drink! HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Until the next review... read more

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We love this small welcoming restaurant. We love the food and the staff! We would recommend it to anyone

Tonight, my husband, son and I ate at your restaurant. We found the interior of every cozy. We ordered three appetizers and two entrées. By far, the best appetizer was the sweet potato with quinoa. Even though the calamari entrée was named Diablo, it did not come close to describing the heat in the dish. And we all love spicy food. They need to make the hot peppers, more discernible and not put in small pieces. The chicken empanada was very plain, and the Arrepa was just too salty. The only thing I can highly recommend other than the sweet potato appetizer was the tres Leche cake. It was delicious. The service was much too casual. We were left with dirty dishes in front of us when they brought the dessert. My biggest annoyance though was when the waiter came over and told us the total of our bill without giving us our bill. We have never had that happen, and we're so startled that we did not ask to see the bill. Our bad. There was a 5% service charge added to the bill. Very bad form. read more

Beware of their reservation system. $10 per person in case of not making it for lunch. This place is so booked and no people waiting for seating that the place loses money automatically for a no show? I prefer services where there is a trust between the customer and the business. Reservations at this place is not for me. Will go there without reservations, and if they are booked, I will gladly go to a nearby restaurant. Glad it is so popular that they feel they can scam their potential customers with a $10 charge per person with no good reason. Good for them and good luck! read more

We got lucky with parking and was seated without a reservation. I'd definitely recommend making a reservation if you want to dine here. Our waiter was the bomb and the food was delicious! read more

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The beef in the lomo saltado was very tough and chewy. Service was a bit off too. I did enjoy the sangria though.

Came here for a nice weeknight dinner with a friend. We ordered the plantains as an appetizer and shared some empanadas. The veggie empanada was my favorite item of the night and the queso empanada what so-so. I also had the quinoa which was great too. The service was awesome, Our server was able to give us a ton of information and recommend things on the menu too. We were recommended the house sangria and were even given the chance to taste it before ordering it. It was amazing and I would highly recommend giving it a try. The food came out fast as well. Fun little restaurant and a great place to eat out in Encinitas. read more

Food tasted good and was fresh. We enjoyed the unusual dishes, especially the ceviche. Servers were nice. The biggest problems were the very small portions (we left feeling hungry after appetizers and mains for lunch) and dishonest pricing. They add a service charge of 5% *before* calculating the tip, which isn't right, and, unlike other restaurants with a surcharge, this fee wasn't visible on the credit card computer when you paid. Tips ranged from 18%-23%, so the minimum you're paying for service if you don't do a custom amount is 23% which is too much given that the food is already super overpriced. They need to be more transparent about what they're charging. If left a bad taste in our mouths. There are better options in Encinitas and we won't be back. read more

We unwittingly arrived for lunch while a five block street fair was going on so be aware of Encinitas activities as parking was non-existent. I had seen a lot of glowing reviews on yelp but I think that was from another time. Menu has been greatly reduced so not a lot of choices. I went with the Lomo Saltado that was quite disappointing; meat was actually chewy tough, french fries were limp and soggy under that and the rice was cold. Dining partners had ceviche which was "ok" and the lamb that was good. I asked for some salt and pepper that arrived in an unusual fashion (see picture). read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Interesting serving method. - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Homemade empanadas are incredible. Lomo Saltado is my favorite entree. Staff are friendly and the ambience is great as a local/family owned restaurant. Not to mention their signature homemade sauce is like nothing else! read more

1. One of the best places in all Of San Diego. 2. Staff went above and beyond 3. It's hard finding a place like this 4. Some will say a little high on price but worth it, 5. Thank you so much read more

This is a very small, homey and cozy Peruvian restaurant in downtown Encinitas. Apparently, they have been here for 19 years. I've only driven by them about 150,000 times and never noticed they were here. My loss. MAKE RESERVATIONS. We saw at least 10 walk-ins get turned away because they had no reservations. Peruvian food is interesting--it's not completely exotic but there are unique twists to nearly every dish. We tried the chicken in walnut sauce (aji de gallina) and it was absolutely delicious. The braised short rib was so tender you could have cut it with a spork. The vegetable empanada appetizers were also excellent. Like everyone else, we had to get the tres leches cake. It was, by far, the best tres leches I've ever had. It was a huge slab and was incredibly moist throughout. No question it was homemade. Our drinks, a sangria and a pisco sour, were both good (and strong). Service was friendly and attentive. If you have questions about the menu, ask. The servers know the menu well. Parking can be tough in the area but it's free and you'll find something but likely off the main drag. You might have to hoof it a couple blocks. This is a charming restaurant that serves fresh, delicious, interesting food. We'll be back. read more

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Amazing peruvian cuisine. Lamb shank and peruvian canary beans are to die for. Make sure to sit outside for ambience and get reservations as they will fill up. read more

Had a great evening and dinner here! Marcus was our server and was wonderful. We got our favorite appetizers and tried the special of the night. They even provided water for our puppies. Highly recommend for a nice evening in Encinitas. read more

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What am amazing place, amazing atmosphere, amazing food, amazing people. It's just fantastic!!!

Makes you feel like you are eating in someone's house - in the best way possible. Highly recommend the chicha morada and tres leches cake.

$20 for a fistful of rice and a takeout container of aji de gallina that was between 1/2 and 2/3 full. Wasn't even good, the lemon was overpowering. Just tasted like sour chicken. The texture also wasn't great, needed to be creamier in my opinion. If you look at the menu, they also want to charge **$8*** for a SMALL chicha morada. Delusional pricing. 2 stars instead of 1 because the person that helped me was nice. read more

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We do Restaurant Reviews with Chef Marian Foodies and here's our comments.... what we recommend and our experience at Q'ero. Tabernero Cabernet Savignon from Ica, Peru - This is a recommendation from many people at the table. El Q'ero Salad - Quinoa, Sweet potatoes, Spinach. Diane says: "the quinoa is done really well" and Susan says: "it has a lot of flavor". Empanadas - We all had the same take away: You cannot go wrong with any of their empanadas. Aji De Gallina - torn chicken in a creamy walnut-aji Amarillo sauce with Parmesan Cheese - Janice says: "this was a unique tasting dish". And Bridget says: so creamy and the sauce so sweet but not too sweet I just kind of perfect ....  it lingers there in your mouth and it's just yummy. Sudado de Pescado is gluten free, pan roasted fish in a broth with vegetables. Very good. Salmon - Roger says: "You can't go wrong with their salmon Filet". Maduros - caramelized plantains, sour cream and green onions - This dish is the hit of our table. Everyone enjoyed. It's something I will go back for! Yuca Friti - Crispy Yuca spears with Aji Tari Sauce - Janice says: I especially liked the Yuca Spears". I second that. I thought they were really good! And that sauce was delish! Ceviche - Recommended by all. Momo Saltado - flank steak - Tiffany enjoys her steak and was glad this dish landed at her end of the table! Arepas - cornmeal cakes filled with cheese - A very nice addition. Yellow Rice - with Turmeric and Dried Fruit. Suggested to order. I overheard Rima and Andrew talking about how they were enjoying all these dishes, like many of us were. All of their 'classics' at Q'ero come with rice. I must say that our waitress came up with answers about the spices in the rice and Bridget says it's her favorite rice ever! "The rice is very flavorful ... it doesn't stick, it's flaky and very sweet. Wonderful"! And that's how I will close this Restaurant Review: Wonderful. This restaurant is a winner!  Just call ahead to get a seat! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Restaurant Reviews with Chef Marian Foodies - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Amazing delicious food and always exceptional service! They make us feel like royalty

My friend just took me here for my birthday dinner. The food was amazing! So flavorful and unique. Patrick, our server was fun and helpful too and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about this quaint and colorful restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

This place is a gem! Menu is always interesting I'm always torn between getting what I know I love vs something that's on special. Mom & pop vibe. Unique. Friendly service always :-) read more

An unexpected culinary surprise!! My wife and I found ourselves with an empty house on a Friday night. We wanted to take full advantage and have ourselves a date night. We wanted to try something different and not ordinary. Q'ero checked both boxes, we were excited to try it and I'm soooooo glad we did. I love when a meal or restaurant is more of an experience than just food. I felt the Peruvian flavors exploding from each entree. It started with a warm beverage that was infused with fruit, cinnamon, and other delicious spices. It was so flavorful, imagine if you could capture the essence of a florist shop and turn it into a drink. The yellow rice was like nothing I have ever tasted. So so flavorful with a nutty and sweet taste. I'm not a raisin fan but somehow the way they balanced the nutty flavor of the rice was masterful and again, delicious. The meat empanadas were also very flavorful and hearty but I'd definitely recommend the Papa Rellena (reminded me of shepherd's pie inside of a croissant). If we didn't order enough, we tried the Tres Leches cake (Grandmas recipe) for dessert, which was Absolutely Delicious. Q'ero managed to transport us to Peru and back for a culinary experience that was unexpected and fun. Thank you Q'ero for a fantastic night!! read more

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Nice find while in Encinitas!!! We were in the mode for sangria, so only a few Spanish options. We parked close to Q'ero by chance so figured there must be a reason! Extremely friendly staff that seated us right away. Ordered two sangrias that arrived in a chilled goblet with a nice amount of diced fruit. Authentic as there was a very slight hint of cinnamon. People next to us ordered empanada and the other side of us, a salad. Both said the food was excellent. Next time, we will try the food as we already had reservations for dinner at another restaurant read more

Always love this Peruvian spot! Get a bottle of their hot sauce to take home, it's become a staple in our kitchen now. We've had the same server each time and he's always been great and attentive. Indoor and outdoor dining available. read more

Tasty restaurant! Great empanadas and ceviche :) it was sea bass! However if you don't like the fishy taste might want to skip that. The chicken dish with quinoa was very good. I love the Amici Green salad very good. The only thing I don't like it's the hidden surge charge. This needs to be stated on menu. read more

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Came here for the first time on a Friday night. I arrived at 5pm without a reservation. Had I arrived after 6pm, I definitely would have needed a reservation. The restaurant was empty when I arrived with one party in front of me. They were sat indoors. A woman walked past me and cut in front and the owner helped her first. She was a party of 5 and was seated outside. She apologized for cutting in front of me and said she didn't realize I was waiting to be helped. I was seated after her outside. I was disappointed as the only reason we came to this restaurant was for the pisco sours and they were sold out. Apparently they only get a shipment once a week and it was delayed. Thankfully, the food was really good. The empanadas were absolutely delicious! What we got: Sangria (since we couldn't have piscos) - it was very good! Vegetarian Empanada - delicious! The crust was especially crispy and yummy -- would try the queso, pollo or carne next time. Each order comes with one large empanada that's easy to cut in half and share. Arepas - loved them! 2 came in an order. read more

The food is always fantastic. Creative colorful decor in a cozy setting. Try the bottled Panqa sauce too!

Great food, unusual dishes, love the chicha drink based on fermented corn, fantastic alfajores cookies and tres leches cake! Now with a nice expanded outdoor seating area. read more

The food is amazing. The space is beautiful, and the staff treats you like family. I bring everyone I love to eat here! read more

Delicious and authentic Peruvian food! Great customer service as well. They also have some Peruvian items for sale.

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