Q'ero Restaurant in Encinitas - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

The water did not taste good . The food portions were small. We ordered a side of yucca fries and it was tiny portion for $9. The tables were small and uncomfortable. Service was bad- ignored us for most part and it took forever to get a table though had plenty open. The waitress took the time to talk to us only when we were paying. Wouldn’t go back.

This used to be a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ restaurant in my book. This incident happened over the summer, a Sunday in July. It was a forever favorite until my last trip. I flew in from Orlando, Florida with my boyfriend to visit my parents. Had reservations for weeks. Talked it my poor boyfriend was starving and craving the food he never tried. We get there, sit down, and were told they were literally out of almost everything on the menu. No sangria (ordered a pitcher) only 1 glass left that we could have. No Aji de gallina (my absolute favorite), no q’ero salad, no lomos saltido… everything we were going to order was named. I’m surprised weren’t called prior to showing up, called day before to confirm. Anyway, it was a favorite but will never go back after that. How do you not make sure to have enough food to last the entire weekend. Heard rumors it was going downhill and I believe them. Sorry Q’ero, I used to absolutely love your restaurant, parents gave you a ton of business (Rick Cohen is my father), and would request to go every time I flew in 2,400+ miles. The kicker, we were offered a play of 4 empanadas to go to make up for them not having anything. No offense I was hungry and needed a meal. We declined and had a good meal at another local establishment. Glad they could squeeze us in on a busy Sunday night

The Carne Empanada was really good, and the staff handled the to-go order wonderfully. I haven't eaten at the restaurant yet, but there is SO much on the menu that I want to try!

Coming from a Peruvian you know a red flag for a restaurant is when it says “Peruvian” and not “Peruano” the portion sizes are tiny and smaller than what you would find at a typical restaurant. There were barely any fries in the lomo. They also were out of Inca kola. No flavor in any of the meals, we left disappointed.

Patrick was an amazing host, he explained everything on the menu. He gave suggestions and checked on us the whole time. The food was so good and delicious. We even took empanadas to go.

love this place. pisco sours, food, service, a+.

Lousy service. No one acknowledges you. Made us wait almost 30 mins only to tell us that almost half the menu is not available (chicken)

Delicious gem of my heart, this restaurant always delights and surprises me with its mouthwatering delights. I came with a friend and we shared about six different plates. Each was a transcendent experience - I'm not kidding! The wait staff was attentive and helpful. You must come here and I guarantee anything you order will be the right thing for you and you will love it!

The food is terrible I’m Peruvian I’ve never such a bad peruvian food like this restaurant. Anticuchos were fried when they’re supposed to be grilled. The ceviche looked and tasted like a fish salad and the lomo saltado doesn’t have the smoky flavor that is supposed to have. The only good thing is that at least the lomo saltados sauce was good but other than that everything was soooo bad. Chicha morada with no flavor of chicha and barely sugar on it. I paid like 94 dollars to eat “authentic and classic Peruvian food” which I never got the chance to tried at this restaurant. THIS IS AN INSULT TO THE PERUVIAN CUISINE AT LEAST DONT SAY THAT U GUYS SERVE AUTHENTIC AND CLASSIC PERUVIAN FOOD say that is Peruvian food inspired.

Q’ero’s take on Aji Amarillo is so bomb it’s worth checking a bag just to bring home a bottle or six. You can’t go wrong with the empanadas! And our server Patrick, made the dining experience exceptional

The beef empanada can't be missed. Ceviche was fantastic. Great Peruvian food. A little pricey, but it's to be expected for the location.

This beautiful little Peruvian / South American restaurant has been one of our favorites since it opened years ago. The flavors and spices and authenticity of the food is amazing, and we're happy to see they've kept some old favorites but also introduce new dishes which become favorites too. We love Q'ero!

Got four empanadas for takeout, two steak and two chicken, both were unreal. Pro tip - if you’re planning on visiting the dispensary across the street, do that first and show them your receipt and you will get a discount on the food!

Amazing food! We tried a variety of food options. The chicken empanada was big and had a good flavor but was even better with the pickled onions and sauce on top. The papa rellena had a similar taste to the empanada since it was the same toppings, just potato rather than fried dough, I still enjoyed it. The maduros (fried plantains) were my favorite, they were cooked amazingly and packed a lot of flavor! The Lomo Saltado was cooked to perfection, the meat was very tender and flavorful and it paired so well with the rice. The pollo saltado was also good, the chicken was very moist and had a lot of flavor, just the meal was a bit too salty. Service was great, it did take a while to come take our order initially, but afterwards the waiter was very attentive and overall a nice person. The other staff who cleaned the tables, collected the plates and brought water were also very nice. My only true negative about this restaurant is that the cups of water were very distasteful. It was water with no ice, which I know is a common thing in Europe and South America, but the water itself overall tasted like unfiltered tap water, and who knows, maybe it was, but it just was very nasty unfortunately even after adding ice. I like to drink water as it’s something that won’t interfere with the flavors of the foods I eat. Since I didn’t see water bottles on the menu, I ordered an iced tea to quench my thirst which was great! Overall I liked this restaurant and would definitely recommend it to friends and family to check out.

Very cute restaurant, with amazing food . We ordered the lamb shank Seco de Cordero and it was super delicious, very soft and nicely spiced. Patrick was great and very hospitable.

Great Peruvian food. We had the Seco de Cordero, which is a very moist, slow-cooked lamb shank with fries and canary beans. Very very tasty. Our server Patrick was very friendly and knowledgeable of all of the food items.

This family restaurant is an example of family together forever! My brother Miguel Cantero had told me about this restaurant where he worked and he was welcome with open heart and the owner Monica gave him even a place to stay in her house Niko and Monica became his family having a table and dishes to share..I passed in my truck and I had lomo saltado and the plantain chips very fresh and Tasty..all from scratch.

This a regular go to spot for us rain or shine. With the sun out there few places with as good of a combination of good food, drinks, service, and vibes. Try any of their ceviches, or pollo dishes a it’s best hand torn chicken in town. Patrick always takes care of us!

Food and service was excellent. Very helpful staff

We came hear many years ago with our then-small kids and they were somehow not impressed with a lack of familiar options on the menu. But back in town this week and returned, just the parents this time, and food was outstanding. I meant to take better pics, but forgot in my haste to consume everything. It does feel like you're sitting in a Peruvian tourist shop, but somehow that is an ok tradeoff for the excellent ceviche and roasted lamb special.

A wonderful Peruvian restaurant right on 101. Fantastic ceviche - truly Peruvian style, hot calamari, and wonderful Anicucho. Pisco sours are good, too - but, as in many places, the second is a lot better than the first.

There's a reason this restaurant has been in business for 24 years!!!! Absolutely one of the best. The atmosphere, food and service are excellent 😋🥟 we will def be back and try all the empanadas.

Patrick was our server and he was so sweet and on top of everything. He was great at recommending things to try and the red sauce if phenomenal! We are visiting for a work trip and stumbled upon this place last minute and I’m glad we did!

wonderfully flavorful peruvian canary beans. ordered with rice and maduros for a craving turned design-my-own lunch plate.

Such a delicious dinner! We stumbled upon this little gem in Encinitas. Authentic Peruvian food and cozy atmosphere. Niko was an awesome server and we were tempted to try all the specials, but ended up sharing some empanadas and small plates. The veggie empanada was our favorite. 10/10 would recommend!

Marcus did a great job as our server. We really enjoyed the chicken empanada and beef empeñada and the ceviche! Cozy little restaurant with nice ambiance.

All the food is delicious! We ordered anticucho, salmon, ceviche... I can't choose my favorite! They were all incredible!! Darwin treated us very well and recommended his favorite dishes. Incredible! We will be back!!

Excellent food, the salmon was delicious and the ceviche too! Darwin treated us and was very friendly and attentive! We will be back!

Absolutely amazing cuisine, Eric & I had the Sudado de Pescado, pan roasted filet of salmon in a delicate chicha de Jora broth with sauteed onions and tomatoes, served with rice or quinoa, it was the most delicious ever! In a sauce that had a touch of heat and amazingly complex. We also had an carne empanada, ceviche mixto (poached shrimp and octopus, Peruvianchoco corn, cucumber & onions in a cuke leche de tigre with aji amarillo and rocoto for spice) Lane said it was "fantastico"! Lynn had Qero Salad roasted sweet potatoes caramelized in Sage butter, topped withsauteed chard, mushrooms & crispy quinoa. She loved it. We were threatening to disgust other guests by licking our plates, but resisted the intense urge. We highly recommend this amazing restaurant. I have photos but there was no way to post them.

Always a great meal at Q'ero. Amazing flavor in the empanadas and loved the arepas and yucca.

Visited over15 years ago. They had just opened. Was expensive then and still is. A friend came from out of town and wanted Peruvian food. So here we are eating outside since there was no seating inside, even though there were two empty tables that were eventually taken by the time we and others finished. That was okay. We understand reserved table etiquette. We ordered. The empamada was big, but dry. Food was small portion for cost. Drink portions were small, but atleast we had a pitcher of water. Over $115 for two of us: 2 empanadas, 3 pistas drinks(?). 1 beet salad, 1 lomo saltado. I wanted to really like this place, but again it was just a pricey average meal.

Best empanadas I've ever had! My favorite is the chicken, but the carne & vegetarian ones are delicious as well! Service was excellent -- Roland was very friendly & helped us pick out the best hot sauces for our dishes. One of my favorite places to stop in Encinitas :]

Best tres leches cake I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot). More highlights: calamari, yucca fries, any meat dish. 100/10 YUM!

Loved everything I ate at Q’ero - but favorites include the Calamari a La Diablada (tantalizingly delicious spices - WOW!) and the Maduros (caramalized plantains). We could have sat inside but chose outside amongst the lively hustle & bustle of Encinitas’s main retail strip (HWY101). Roland served our table of 7 - he was knowledgeable, attentive and didn’t skip a beat. We look forward to returning!

Roland (Rawlan? Not sure of spelling) was our server and he was fantastic. This restaurant is the cutest. Really cozy, artistic, and warm. We had ceviche mixto with plantain chips, pollo ahijado, and the Peruvian duo with papas a la huancaina and chicha morada. Everything was peak tasty and service impeccable. Will recommend and be back!

Always an awesome experience and consistently delicious food. Roland took care of us!

My wife and I had a wonderful lunch today at Q'ero! The food was delicious and the service perfect. Just an enjoyable experience all around. The calamari was perfectly cooked and seasoned deliciously--and the Q'ero spice sauce is the perfect compliment with the dish. We also had two of their empanadas, the chicken and vegetable, and they were also a delight. Thank you Q'ero and to Roland our waiter for allowing us to have a wonderful afternoon at your restaurant!

Our server Roland reccomended the calimari a la diablada and it was the perfect choice!

This is an awesome place in downtown Encinitas. Forget tacos, burgers, diners, or pasta & try a new taste from Peru. A delicious & nutritious spinach, beets & walnut salad, a chicken & quinoa dish & a braised salmon w buttered potatoes. We also split a tasty drink similar to a sangria. Everything was very tasty & healthy, excellent staff & service.

Delicious ceviche mixto! Order Antojitos too These are plantain chips.

Roland did a great job, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Discreet and quick service. The empanadas were fabulous. Qero salad, superb. Don’t miss the Panqa sauce on the empanadas.

This is the most beautiful family-owned restaurant from the food to the staff! I'm a vegetarian and find completely satisfying choices like their empanadas, quinoa, beans, and salad. They have amazing food and gifts to go like their bottled Panqa sauce and desert cookies. You have to try this restaurant!!

As a Peruvian, the food was very disappointing. Atmosphere was cute, service was decent, but food was no good If you’re not familiar with quality Peruvian food, you may not mind, but if you are, I wouldn’t recommend Ceviche was terrible. Fish tasted old and not fresh at all. No leche de Tigre Lomo saltado was basic, rice was under cooked Pisco was way too sweet Seco de Cordero - mote was good, cordero lacked any flavor Best things weee the yucca fritta, papa rellena, and the cusqeña

I made a reservation on OpenTable on Valentine’s Day for me and my partner. I then receive a call from the manager, Patrick, asking for my credit card information since they’re running a “special” on V-Day. The “special” is $75 a person which would have cost $150 total (not including tax and tip and the secret 5% service charge that another reviewer pointed out). Since it was outside of my budget I called Patrick and he said it was required to order the $150+ meal so I needed to cancel my reservation. I’m very disappointed in how they operate their business to milk more money out of people.

Food was excellent, pricing was fair, service was great

Hidden 5% service charge, not mentioned anywhere and you wont see it because they quickly get you to the payment screen. Really scummy. And the service was actually non-existent. I personally wasn't a fan of the food, but my wife liked it. It's expensive. The empanadas are decent. I'd find other restaurants personally.

Had lunch here with hubby and was very disappointed. On top of the food being overpriced, there is a hidden 5% service charge. We ordered lomo saltado — the meat was hard and the rice was underdone. We also ordered maduros which was covered with caramel sauce. The caramel sauce tasted like meat. Service was good. We got the food quickly. Server was nice at first but he gave us an attitude afterwards maybe he overheard my husband talking about the service charge. We tipped generously anyways. Tbh, for the amount money spent, you’re better off going somewhere else.

Great service, great food! Don't forget to take home a bottle of Aji. 😋 The dressing on the beet salad was amazing 👏

One of our favorite restaurants of all-time, anywhere! It was great to enjoy dinner there again after moving out of the area…it had been too long! The decor and ambiance make you feel like you’re in Peru, but what makes this place special is the food. Everything is so flavorful and authentic! We loved the arepas and empanadas, salad, and the fried yuca frita and plantains appetizer in particular. Be sure to add the spicy sauce! I recommend the chicha morada as a non alcoholic drink too. The chocolate cake and alfajores are delicious desserts.

We love the veggie empanadas. They have a take and bake for the empanadas too!!

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!

Always delivers spectacular fine dining experience

Best Peruvian restaurant in Encinitas

Peruvian restaurant, so new flavors, new tastes. A Sat night on the sidewalk (with heaters), 4 of us sharing different dishes. Delightful !! Moderately priced wines to accompany.

The lomo saltado is awesome, with garlic, tangy tomatoes, big chunks of perfectly cooked steak. Q'ero salad is a mix of textures and flavors that pair surprisingly perfectly--sweet potato, quinoa, mild mushrooms cooked in butter, and wilted chard. Loved this food, the relaxed vibe, and friendly service. ... Lots of gf options marked on menu

I wish I had pictures! What a cute place with awesome food and service! I had ceviche, beef empanada and salmon! Patrick made you feel at home in a Peruvian cafe. Plan on spending a bit but it is worth every dollar!

This restaurant does not serve authentic peruvian food!!! The lomo saltado was horrible !!! This place deceives its customers!!! Idk where the cooks are from but they do not know peruvian cuisine!!!

Rude hostess, food & drinks not great. Server was nice but he couldn’t fix how rude the hostess was!!! Overall, disappointing food & drinks, do not recommend this restaurant!!

We walked in, they stared at us like we did something wrong. My Wife broke the awkward silence by saying, "hi." He said, "for two?" We were seated. He poured us water. There was nobody else in the place (with the exception of employees.) We sat for ten minutes watching these employees walk back and forth, ignoring us, talking amongst each other, particularly about selling t-shirts. We eventually got up and left, and they didnt try to stop us. It's a shame we didn't get to try the menu- shame on you, that is.

Tried to eat here for lunch and we were made to feel like an inconvenience, once we were seated we were ignored. We ended up leaving to another restaurant. Do not recommend! I will add that we were the only guests inside the restaurant, the staff and manager were more concerned on their t-shirt placement against the wall.

This is a really nice place to enjoy the taste of Peru. Mario is my favorite chef ever.

Late night meals after the restaurant is closed! Super friendly staff and extremely quick service. Why wouldn’t you want a hotdog when your having a good time!

Excellent food, great service. If you had Lamb Shank, Seco de Cordero will be my best recomendation

10/10 best Peruvian we had. The ceviche and empanadas are amazing. Make sure to get the queso empanada.

We had the Aji de gallina, sudado de pescado and the plantains to start. The food is always amazing here and it's our favorite place for a date night. The Tres leches cake is my absolute favorite thing on the menu and I get it for every special occasion. Highly recommend

Such a quaint, cute spot, very authentic, looking and tasting. We had a wonderful meal. Tried beef and chicken empanadas Also had the lamb dish and reyeno de papa. Service was great 😊

Amazing ceviche, and great service. Tasty cozy place to visit in Encinitas

Love this classic Encinitas spot. Ají de gallina never disappoints, and if you ever find their pork shank on the specials menu, I recommend you seize the opportunity!

Wow! We had the Lomo Saltado and it was incredible! I love good meat and this meat was cooked amazingly! Loved their homemade drink as well.

We loved the Pisco sour and the lomo saltado! Great experience! Highly recommend!

I had calamari diabla, or it's called something like that, as well as a paloma. Both were excellent, and soooo much calamari! It's not fried and doesn't come with any rice so I'd recommend getting a side, though my partner was willing to share some of his with me. Soooo good, new favorite place in Encinitas.

Q'ero was wonderful! Our waiter was so kind and set a great atmosphere. We had the Lomo Saltado and the seco de cordero...both were fantastic. Definitely recommend the white sangria for a summery refresher. Amazing, will be coming back.

We had the ceviche and empanadas to start. Que rico!! Los disfrutamos muchísimo. We shared the cordero and it was perfect. Meat fell off the bone. The place feels authentic. We’ll be back.

De verdad que lastima que no sepa elegir trabajadores. Mi familia y yo acabamos de ser maltratados y humillados por su trabajador irrespetuoso, arrogante y totalmente sin ética para trabajar en un restaurante; no se sí es colombiano o venezolano; afortunadamente no es peruano. De verdad que lastima por su negocio; pero meseros como ese tipejo no habla bien de su negocio😡 No tuvo ni una sola pizca de amabilidad para tomar ordenes correctamente; carece de total empatía hacia los peruanos. Q' lamentable😤

Wow! What an amazing restaurant! We loved the ceviche mixto, the frijole empanada (we want to come back and have an all-empanada meal!), the salmon sudado de pescado, & the steak lomo saltado. Not to mention the pisco sour and red sangria with chicha morada! All delicious, highly recommend

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in north county.

The food is outstanding! Service is good, but confusing. Atmosphere mixed. Baffled why Q'ero accepts the Synergy discount dining card. First time eating there a few weeks ago. Change was given in the form of a Q'reo giftcard. Went back today to use the giftcard and another smaller Synergy card. Got the okay upfront to use both. Seems only the giftcard was actually applied to the bill. After too much back and forth and having to use credit card for excess amount, ended up not leaving a tip. Felt bad about that. Owner needs to drop use of Synergy.

Bland food, according to what you will expect from the environment, the meat mushy, the fish, slimy, the ceviche's juice was bitter and not zesty, i doubt that it was fresh at all, the rice was terrible, bad experience.

It is any type of food, except Peruvian

Really nice food with very consistent quality, Marcus who waited our table is fantastic and very friendly. We go back here all the time and every time enjoy the food and cute outdoor sitting

Lomo saltado was amazing and friendly staff Mexico 🇲🇽 🌎

It was amazing! The whole experience was fun and delicious! The staff was great and thoughtful when bringing out each dish explaining the background and what was inside!! Love it so much and can’t wait to go back

The ceviche options are great. Fantastic Peruvian food.

Food is just delicious.... excellent service/friendly environment. Highly recommended

Tastes authentic and the portions are generous. The empanadas are a must try! I had the Aji de gallina and and my boyfriend had the Lomo saltado. Both plates were very flavorful !

Oh my god!! This place is amazing! I went with my brother and mom just as a last minute dinner. Our waiter Patrick was so lovely and knew so much about the menu and I just overall suggest this place. Worth every penny!

First time dining here. the food is awesome !

Busy. Nice portions. I had the empanadas and they were spectacular!!!

I had the Lomo Saltado. Correct, but not at all Peruvian taste. Quite disappointed, I was not feeling to be in a Peruvian restaurant. On bill, supplement not justified for cost increase, having the feeling to be ripped off.

First time in San Diego besides sight seeing places of course i had to find good South American food. Q'ero has a nice relaxing atmosphere, the peruvian food they have is served with care and passion. We had some delicious meals and the best part was the tres leches cake, which was the owners grandmother recipe. I could have gone for another piece but i also ordered some alfajores (not pictured) so i had to save space for a later treat. Thank you for everything!

Wow this place is amazing. Very thoughtful and flavorful food

Although small, the restaurant has a cute Peruvian decor. However, my most favorite Peruvian dish is the aji de gallina and I was so disappointed that this dish was not at all what I expected. The aji de gallina I have had in the past is made with aji, the yellow Peruvian pepper that bleeds yellow when cooked, so the sauce is a smooth, creamy yellow sauce with a distinct, delicious flavor that flows over the chicken. The aji de gallina I had here did not have a sauce. It was just moist, shredded chicken that was unseasoned. The beef empanada was fine, meaty and very full, good dough, although it definitely was under seasoned--not much flavor. The alfajores, although a little smaller than I'm used to, were very good. 2 stars for the decor, the full empanadas, and the alfajores.

Friendly staff. Yummy empanadas. Wish it was open more.

Excellent! The food was fantastic; the service was very good. The quaint, cozy atmosphere was lovely. Will definitely go again.

Deliciosa comida . Los plátanos maduros en una salsa deliciosa la comida en su punto 😍 el ceviche delicioso la ATENCION muy buena hablan inglés español el sitio pequeño pero súper bonito acogedor ♥️

Wonderful food! Really friendly staff, comfortable street side patio with patio heaters. Interior restaurant is warm and inviting with a nice market of Peruvian items for sale. The meal brought me right back to a past trip to Peru! The chichamorada was delicious. We shared the arepas and the Q'Ero salad as appetitzers. The Q'Ero salad was a phenomenal combination of flavors and textures. I had the Lomo Saltado, which was fantastic, delicious, savory, great sauce. The others at the table enjoyed the Aji Gallina, the seafood special, and a combination of empanadas. Nana's Tres Leches cake was a fantastic finish to a lovely meal!

The staff are rude and the food was mediocre.

Amazing food. Flavorful items throughout the menu. Loved the plantain and yucca appetizer and fish entree. Good empanada portion. A+++ service and ambience

Todo muy rico, el lugar acogedor y la atención esmerada, pero... no pidan ceviche!!!

Very delicious. We had Lomo Saltado and Aji de galling.