Costa Verde is a Peruvian restaurant located on Buford Highway OTP (outside the perimeter) in the Norcross Village shopping center. This is the same shopping center as Argentinian restaurant Sabores del Plata. Costa Verde is legit. Don't believe me? Ask Pheeby B. (http://peab.yelp.com/), Latin American food connoisseur.
I don't believe there are many Peruvian restaurants in metro Atlanta. Of the ones I've tried, Costa Verde is undoubtedly the best. I recommend anyone into Peruvian or South American cuisine to try it. It is truly authentic.
Like other Hispanic restaurants up and down Buford Highway, Costa Verde is located in a strip mall. It's a casual restaurant with not much to speak of decor or ambiance-wise. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, though it closes early on weekdays. Check the restaurant's web site (http://www.costaverdeatlanta.com/) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/COSTA-VERDE-PERUVIAN-RESTAURANT/194962111357?id=194962111357&sk=info) for hours.
The menu is fairly robust with a multitude of appetizers, sopas (soups), and beef, seafood, and chicken entrees, along with traditional beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, Peruvian and Colombian) and desserts. There's even a kids menu. Appetizers are about $5 each and most entrees are about $11-13 each. Pictures of some of the foods are on the menu, which is helpful.
I've tried several items and enjoyed everything. These include:
Appetizers:
Canchita - Peruvian unpopped popcorn
Causa Rellena - mashed potatoes with tuna (or chicken)
Papa a la Huancaina - boiled potatoes in spicy sauce
Choclo Peruano con Queso - Peruvian white corn on the cob with cheese
Anticuchos - cow heart kabob (or chicken)
Entrees:
Ceviche Mixto - mixed seafood marinated in lemon juice and onions
Lomo Saltado a lo Pobre - stir-fried beef, sauteed onions, tomatoes, bananas, fried eggs, rice, plantains
Desserts:
Crema Volteada - flan
Picarones - doughnuts
Alfajores - Peruvian style shortbread + dulce de leche
The Canchita is a complimentary appetizer. It's essentially unpopped popcorn. The kernels are roasted and salted. It's an addictive snack, sort of like nuts. Another complimentary table appetizer are dinner rolls and bread.
The Causa Rellena is a Peruvian potato that is mashed and inserted with various fillings. At Costa Verde, you can choose to have chicken or tuna filling. It's kind of like Peru's version of a tuna or chicken potato salad. The potato is light orange-yellow in color. I had the tuna version and the tuna was mixed in well, with some mayonnaise too. The app was topped off with half a hard boiled egg.
The Papa a la Huancaina reminds me of American scalloped potatoes, except without the crust and with a spicier sauce. The potatoes are boiled then sliced and placed atop a thin bed of iceberg lettuce. The potato slices are then topped with a smooth, creamy, and mildly spicy sauce, along with half a hard boiled egg.
As my friend Melissa M. pointed out to me, the Choclo Peruano con Queso is like corn on the cob on steroids. Just take a look at this thing (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/costa-verde-norcross?select=LWzZpDliQwRajg-tUng2WA#LWzZpDliQwRajg-tUng2WA)! The corn kernels are massive and starchy. The corn comes with cheese and a green spicy sauce on the side, which you can eat together with the corn to give it additional flavor. This is an eye-opening dish to those who've never seen it before.
The Anticuchos (cow heart kabobs) are absolutely delicious. Some folks are squeamish at the thought of eating organs like heart, but if you didn't know it was heart, you'd think it to be a delicious, well-seasoned meat. It's tender, savory, and easy to eat. Chicken hearts are available too, though I suggest cow. Order it. You'll be surprised how good it tastes!
Several different Ceviche dishes are available. The Ceviche Mixto comes with fish, shrimp, and squid. One thing the Ceviche comes with here that you won't find anywhere else are those gigantic Peruvian corn kernels.
The Lomo Saltado is excellent. I recommend ordering the more expensive "a lo Pobre" version (+$1.50) because it comes with plantains and fried eggs. The steak is fresh, juicy, and full of flavor. It's stir-fried and cooked well with onions and other veggies. The plantains are delectable and the rice and eggs aren't bad either. Needless to say, it's a filling plate.
You can't go wrong with any of the desserts. The Crema Volteada flan is rich and decadent. The Picarones doughnuts are light and crispy, served soaked in a pool of sweet syrup. The Picarones remind me of Chinese crullers - very similar flavor and texture. Alfajores is a type of cookie and the Peruvian style is very unique. It's a powdery biscotti with dulce de leche filling. So good.
Order an Inca Kola or Postobon to drink. Diet Inca Kola is available too.
Eileen was our server and she did a magnificent job. I look forward to returning. read more