We're happy to have this place in our back yard (figuratively). Years ago we had a Peruvian friend stay with us and it was so disappointing that there was nowhere we could go to get his comfort food. Now there is a great restaurant with perfectly seasoned foods. We love to get their whole chicken to go. There is rarely more than a couple of minutes wait. It's a comfortable casual place with counter ordering for table Service. Order at the counter go to treat dreams to pick up A pint and your dinner will be ready to go. read more

I wasn't feeling cooking so I decided to get Culantro and it was the best decision of the night! I have a peanut allergy and they were very accommodating (empanadas not fried in peanut oil) and the person who took my order over the phone provided great recommendations. The empanada were delicious and fried to a perfect crisp. Finally the Culantro bowl had just the right amount of spicy and sweet! It was the perfect combination! read more

Culantro - Beef Empanadas and the Culantro Bowl - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

This is one of my favorite places in metro Detroit to bring friends because not too many people have tried Peruvian food and ever since I visited Peru, I always find myself craving it. The prices here are very reasonable and the portions are generous. My favorite options are the Aji de Gallina or the Lomo Saltado, although they give a little too much rice with the Aji de Gallina. I tried the fried rice before but didn't think they had as much flavor as some of the other menu options. The chicha morada and desserts here are great, as well! You're usually safe to just walk in, but can sometimes get busy so be sure to call ahead just in case! read more

Culantro - Aji de Gallina and Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

One of my favorite restaurants. Every single dish here is amazing. Service is exceptional, everyone is very friendly. Great spot!!!

This was my first experience with Peruvian food. Delicious but a little spicy if you have a bland palate. Order at the counter, enjoy the atmosphere while you wait read more

Came back here for one of my favorite restaurant in Ferndale. We got in kind of late so maybe that's why the quality of food was not on par. My beef stew ( seco a la nortena) was very salty. But everything else was good and filling. Can't complain much with the price and portion. read more

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Ran in for a quick lunch and a quick lunch it was. Delicious and fresh. There is street parking and parking in the rear. Service was super fast, everything was fresh. Super cute little eatery. We tried the culantro bowl and some fries. It will definitely be some place I check out again when I do t have much time. read more

Culantro - Carnipapas - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Ordered half chicken and beef empanadas to go. Chicken was delicious but beef empanadas were inedible as it tasted like stale grease for both pieces so we ended up throwing them out. I wonder if they were fried multiple times and it's been sitting for days. read more

I waited a while to try this place out and it was definitely worth the wait! The only other place I've had Peruvian food was at Garrido's, in Grosse Pointe Woods. I ordered the Lomo Saltado here so that I could compare the two, as well as a Tres Leches cake for dessert, although really I wanted to order their entire dessert menu ... everything looked tasty. So I came here with a group of friends tonight for our International Dinner Club - last month we went to Blue Nile (also Ferndale) for Ethiopian food. I called ahead to see if they take reservations, they said normally no but for a large group (we had 9 people) they would. I was very surprised, then, to show up today and see it's more of an "order at the counter" type of place ... however, they still serve you the food and bring water refills and whatnot too. More on that later... Everyone enjoyed their food, I believe; another friend ordered some of the plantains and shared them, and those were very good too. I really liked my Lomo Saltado ($12) and the portion was also large. My only complaint is that they put the fries under the meat, so they get kind of soggy. Another friend got the Peruvian fried rice and enjoyed that too. They don't serve alcohol but they do have a variety of interesting non-alcoholic drinks - one friend got their "cinnamon sangria," for lack of a better term, and I had a sip and it was very good. Desserts include caramel cookies, Tres Leches cake, and a few other options. Normally you order at the counter and then they bring you your food. A few of us wanted water refills and one of the counter men just ended up bringing us a carafe. That's my only picky thing about this place - I'm not sure whether they normally would wait on us or not, but it did take a while to get takeout boxes, etc. Again, just me being picky. 5 stars for Culantro and I will definitely come back again at some point to try the rest of their menu. Prices are reasonable too - entrees are $10+ and they also have sandwiches that were a little more inexpensive. read more

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We heard about this place from a good friend and decided to give it a try. We ordered the fried rice with beef and chicken. The rice was seasoned to perfection. For dessert we tried the house special and were very happy with that suggestion from the staff. read more

Culantro - Chicken and meet combo - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

I just got the chicharron sandwich and plantains, but damn was that meat incredibly tasty. The plantains were a little cold and I've had better, but they were still decent enough. The sandwich is enough that'll be exploring further. read more

The food is great and staff is wonderful! Get the rice and yucca fries. The chicken is special too! read more

Culantro - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Amazing Peruvian food!! My husband has been dying for some good Lomo Saltado and Culantro did not disappoint! I had the Culantro Bowl and it was fantastic. I asked for the spicy sauce on the side just in case and I'm glad I did. The garlic sauce was incredible. Maduros 10/10 and oh my goodness the empanadas! I don't know what kind of magic they did to them but the little crispy sugar on the outside to balance the savory inside was mind blowing. I wish I got pictures of everything but we devoured every bite instantly. read more

Good food, courteous service. This has to be about my fifth visit to Culantro. As an LA-native who is quite familiar with Peruvian food, this place gets a solid average ranking for me. It's a quick, fresh, healthy, flavorful option. The cilantro bowl is usually somewhere in my order. I even suggested this option for dinner one night with a friend- so i deem it invite-a-friend worthy. Only issue I've found is that my bowl changes each time I order it, sometimes it comes out piping hot which I LOVE, and sometimes not so temperature consistency is something I definitely recommend they work on. I do have to mention that in a recent order, they got the saucing wrong on my cilantro bowl. though the owner was kind enough to replace it, it was clear that the same care, flavor, and warmth of the food was not put into corrected bowl- I'm talking poorly cooked gains of rice (some crunchy ), the scrappy parts of onions that nobody wants included in my new plate, and minimal sauce. They were visibly upset when I got a replacement plate, I wish they would have just said they couldn't make it so I could get a refund as opposed to a meal I couldn't even finish. read more

First time here. Ordered the chicken dinner with salad and rice. Very good portions at a very reasonable price. Chicken was moist and flavorful, rice was good as well. Quick friendly service. We will return read more

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS FOOD! I'm extremely picky, and my order (which I had never had before, nor have I EVER been to Culantro before!!, was great!) I grew up in SE Florida/PBG/Miami-Dade border, so I definitely know a thing or two about Spanish/Cuban/Puerto Rican/Peruvian fare! We came in last minute- no referrals here! I was unsure at first, but the reviews and recommendations intrigued me. I ended up ordering Lomo Saltado ...$13, and Seco a la Nortena... $11.95. Both were fabulous and came highly recommended. I refuse to pick between the 2!! It just depends if you want a meaty/chunky-but-tender stew meat (think juicy corned beef on rice, or a more stew-like entree on rice. You can't go wrong with either!! The decor is very modern, clean lines, and friendly/open. I pre-ordered a pickup of 2 dinners, and had no problem with parking in front in the early evening. (5pm) I suggest getting here early if you want an easy parking space with minimal exposure to the snow or rain. Next time I will check out dine- in. Please tip WELL, as COVID has adversely affected all of our servers income detrimentally. We must always help EACHOTHER! My service was exceptional!!!! read more

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I ordered the tallarines verde. It's not traditional. I should have read that first as it's clearly stated on the menu. This was my fault. The alfajores were lacking. The cookie crumbles more than it should and there's very little caramel and it's dry. Everything else ordered was delicious. Lomo and another dish. read more

Culantro - Alfajores - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Amazing food! First time trying Peruvian food and was blown away. The staff was also very helpful and gave great suggestions. Will be coming back read more

Culantro - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Went to Culantro (new Peruvian restaurant) for lunch today. It was amazing! My coworker went previously and highly recommended it. She wasn't wrong -everything was great! Very delicious and unique flavors. We tried three different entrees and shared them. My favorite was the pollo a la brasa - it had a crispy skin, moist chicken, and great flavor - a little salty, a little spicy, and overall delicious. We also tried the aji de gallina - shredded chicken and potatoes in a bright yellow cream sauce with white rice. The sauce was mild but tasty and plentiful enough to eat with the rice. The third entree was the lomo saltado - a traditional Peruvian beef dish. The beef was nicely marinated and flavorful. As a side, we ordered the maduros fritos (fried plantains), which were very tasty and a bit fruitier, less bland than fried plantains I've had in the past. We also ordered the three specialty drinks on the menu and sampled each. All are unique and interesting and it would be hard to pick between them. The chicha morada tasted like fruity Christmas in a glass to me, given the cinnamon and spices in it. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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I'll always only order one thing: the culantro bowl. Ladies, theydies, and gentlemen.... the culantro bowl.

When I first visited, their website stated they opened at 11 am on Saturdays. Not true. Had to walk around Ferndale for forty minutes until the doors opened. Okay. It was a nice day. The real problem was the person they had taking orders. He made the process as slow and as painful as possible. He has the wrong personality to be working the register. Don't get me wrong. He is a nice gentleman; he simply shouldn't be taking orders and ringing people up. Fifty minutes after opening, plates started coming out to tables. That's quite the wait but they are a new business. This will be worked out in the days ahead. Good news! The rotisserie chicken is great. Yuca fries, black beans and rice, and pork sandwich were all good too. We ordered a salad that oddly came out well after my entree. It was definitely Peruvian with hard boiled egg and quinoa; however, it didn't excite me much. The dressing was nothing special. Having been to Peru, I can say the food is authentic and worth a try. There are some new restaurant issues that they need to work out. That's to be expected. read more

Culantro - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Ok, so I went here w/ coworkers for lunch, and all their food was fabulous, but mine wasn't. I got the Ceviche, and I was very unimpressed with it. It was just just a whitefish in lime juice, vinegar, red onions, and cilantro - no other seafood. The fish was sliced thin, but it was served in large pieces, and my butter knife wouldn't cut thru them. There were too many onions, and the lime/vinegar juice was too acrid for me almost disgusting. I did finish off my meal with the Tres Leche cake, which was very good. So good, I finished my coworkers half uneaten piece as well. The others in my party got the chicken in yellow gravy, which was very good, but the cream of the crop was the Chicharone (pork w/ pork skin) sandwich. That sandwich is finger licking good. If I were to go back, I would get that minus the bun, plus chimchurri sauce on the side. read more

Culantro - Ceviche - I wouldn't bother. - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Food is incredible. We went to Peru last year and as far as I can tell this place is legit. We tried the Lomo Saltado and the half chicken and they were both fantastic -- really flavorful. Great sauces too. We'll definitely be coming back here. read more

I've ordered take out here on multiple occasions, and each time, they delivered. Their yucca is great! Some of their dishes do have a little bit of a kick to them, so beware. Once covid-19 clears up, I'll definitely come back and dine in and try more things on their menu, but so far, everything I've tried has been great! read more

I came here with friends for dinner last night. I've never had Peruvian food before so I can't talk about the authenticity of the food. The location is relatively small and a bit awkward when you first get in. Everyone no matter if they are dining in or carrying out all get grouped at the door. If you are dining in, you only get to order once there's a table available. You order your whole meal, dessert included before you sit down. It's kind of a mishmash of dinner and a cafeteria setup like Moe's Southwest Grill. They take both cash and credit; note they are using square d at the moment so if you have an account, your receipt will be emailed to you. I had the quarter chicken with a side salad and a minor upgrade sweet potatoes. I also ordered one of the specialty drinks but I can't remember the name just the number, #17 on their menu. I also ordered flan. It was nice that the one waitress brought some of each of their sauces. The specialty drink was good yet a bit small so I was glad that I had water as well. The chicken was good. I liked the medium and hot sauces. The side salad was just basic and I will probably not order it again. The flan was meh. It was the right texture but seemed to be very bland and missing something. The downgrade is over the lack of attention from the waitress. But in her defense, she was all by herself. Another reason was for the amount of time it took to get 2 more sets of silverware. The final reason is because they forgot about our desserts until we reminded them. I will probably be back sometime in the future. read more

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We dined in and ordered two #15- vegan lomo saltado. The main part of the dish is portobello mushrooms. We were served our entrees with NO mushrooms. We were told they realized they were out of mushrooms when they started to cook the entrees. Well, they should have told us! It's an open kitchen and we were sitting a few feet away. The entrees were not the same without the main ingredient. But by then they were paid for with a tip included (you order and pay at a counter). To compensate, they did bring out the other vegan entree, #14, to the table. Still, it was a disappointing experience. read more

The food was delicious with decent portions. It came within a reasonable time. The atmosphere was subdued and nice, nothing wild. My friend also enjoyed the food very much and wanted to visit again to try a different dish. read more

Nice atmosphere, friendly waitress. I was laid it on ordering arroz Marisoos. I was told it was Peruvian Paia. I've paella before and enjoyed it. This was seafood.. My recommendation to the to the chef is that you get a scale and measure the protein protein, rice was delicious. The little vegetables in it were fresh and crunchy. There were so few pieces of seafood and no natural Fish like headache or Palak. There were wings of squid, and some very small scallops. I took a table near the window because it was bright and sunny out when I sat down I noticed a very large artificial plant that had been squished into the corner covered with dirt. the menu as well down very precise and you can order off by scanning on all damage and they'll have it ready for you. You can sit at your table in order without seeing the waitress. Anyhow, I don't give them a lot. I will go back eventually with someone else because the pay was enough for three people added as a side order for one person as a meal I don't think so.! read more

I want to amend my review because it's been a while. I haven't gone back to Culantro. But regarding my initial review, I definitely felt sick HOURS after eating. This was just one experience where I normally would get the Verde Pasta which is a dish I really liked getting. But on that particular day, out of all the times I ordered, I did get sick after eating. I'm only rating that one experience. But overall, excluding that ONE time, my experience with Culantro has been pretty good. read more

Normally I wouldn't go out of my way to write a bad review about a place, especially in the middle of a pandemic when many of my favorite spots are struggling to stay in business, but I was incredibly disappointed in Culantro tonight. It was my first time trying this restaurant but not my first time eating Peruvian food. We ordered 4 dishes to get a sampling of the menu offerings, consisting of: 1. Empanada (because you have to! And the combination of olive and egg sounded awesome) 2. Sandwich de chicharrón 3. Arroz Chaufa 4. Salchipapas 1- the empanadas were soaked in oil. I'm not talking just being oily, I mean literally the dough was saturated in oil, and the most prominent flavor was black pepper and onion in the little filling there was in this huge two-hander empanada. 2-sandwich de chicharrón- the most flavorful dish due to the sauces, but as soon as you pick up the sandwich you know the bread is not right for this sandwich, the pork was crunchier than the bread. 3-Arroz Chaufa- um literally like Chinese fried rice with steak pieces. Not entirely sure what made it Peruvian. I mean the type of Chinese fried rice you get with frozen peas and carrots...and you're charging $16.00?!?! 4-Salchipapas - this was the MOST upsetting. $9.00 for fries and sliced hot dog with NO sauce?!? Are you kidding me? The picture looked so appetizing and appealing and what we got in reality was a cruel joke. Out of your mind, Culantro! Patrons- if you're considering supporting your favorite small businesses and restaurants during this time, think twice about this one. read more

Culantro - Salchipapas... really? - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Very very good. I had the Lomo Saltado . The steak was top quality and practically melted in my mouth. The flavors were new and wonderful in the marinade. It was a large portion and I was able to bring some home. We also got a side of the Empanada's. They are like a deep fried fritter that had beef or choice of chicken and olives. Trust me, I'm not big on olives, but the spices, beef and olives were a delightfully new taste for me. I liked them so much that I took two orders to go home with. I knew they would be great heated up in my air frier. My daughter got the Polo A La Brasa, a rotisserie blackened chicken. The inside of the chicken was juicy as ever with a superb taste. It's not a fancy place but you certainly get what you pay for in quality and taste. read more

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we love this place!! this is our number carry out place. Highly recommended. The Lomo Staltada is my go to but everything we have tried has been excellent. read more

Awesome food, great & friendly service, first time eating Peruvian food, it was flavorful, delicious and in large portions, (I have leftovers for 2 more meals) We had the fried rice with chicken and beef it was very tasty especially the beef, we also shared the beef empanada appetizer those were very, very delicious!! The atmosphere is nice and they even have phone chargers on the table, overall great experience will be back again, soon I hope :) read more

Culantro - Fried rice with beef and chicken, delicious! - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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We went to Culantro for the first time yesterday and it was really good! We wanted to try a little bit of everything so we got empenadas, ceviche, sweet plantains and the culantro bowl. The bowl was for sure my favorite and the plantains were perfect. We got chicken empanadas and they were a bit dry and a little bland, but of course we still ate it all! Would recommend trying for sure and I'm sure we'll be back! read more

Culantro - Empanadas - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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First time at a Peruvian restaurant and loved seeing all the choices they had (with pictures so you could see what the dishes were if you were unfamiliar). We got the Aji Chicken that comes with rice, some fried plantains and the braised chicken on the bone with some spicy aji verde sauce. Everything was good, but wish the Aji Chicken had a bit more flavor, it was pretty mild. For dessert we got the tres leches cake which was huge and delicious- perfect for sharing. You order at the counter and then they bring food to your table- casual but still elevated enough to not feel like fast food. Decor is colorful and festive and service is friendly. read more

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Love this place!! Been there a few times now and will keep returning. Got the lomo saltado this time and a side of yuca fries. The sauce that comes with the fries is sooo good. The lomo saltado is great with perfectly cooked beef and large portions. Everyone there is very friendly and has a cute atmosphere! read more

Culantro - Lomo Saltado Yucas Fritas - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

Very good takeout experience at Culantro. Easy and quick to order through their website. I showed up a couple minutes before the stated time and they had my order all packed to go. One of the menu items had been discontinued but remained on their order form so they let me know and then refunded the amount to my card. Empanadas (beef and chicken versions) had a delicious crust and tasty filling but I was surprised that the exterior had been sanded with sugar. 1/2 Peruvian chicken was excellent and exactly what I expected. The thick cut fries were not very good by the time I drove them 20 minutes to my destination. Puzzlingly, the black beans contained some stringy/noodly looking things so I just tossed them. On an up note, all the sauces we ordered were awesome accompaniments to the meal. read more

Went to lunch here based upon a friend's recommendation. Took my cousin who had lived in Peru for four years. Food was great, and my cousin said very authentic. Had Carne la Plancha which was excellent and a piece of Tres Leches cake. read more

Culantro - Tres Leches (Three Milk Cake) - Peruvian Near Me - Ferndale, Michigan

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Overall score 3.5 I was really excited about this place I grew up in South Florida with Latin restaurants all over the place. To a sense to me this is considered comfort food. We found this place by accident while looking for Latin but most places were closed during Labor Day. We decided to give it a shot since the reviews and pictures looked great. I love the decor and the size of the restaurant. The cashier/waitress was super nice, the owner/cook was great. The food smelled and looked awesome! Now for me...since I grew up on Latin food, I'm used to how it's supposed to taste. The food here was okay, could use a little more flavor but I think the chef is trying to let the natural flavors of the dish come out. I would have rather have it a bit more flavorful. The sweet plantains though were ON POINT! The size of the dishes were big and so was the empanada. Would I come back? Maybe but it wouldn't be on top of my list until I tried the rest of the Latin places around here. Don't get me wrong, try it, I would say definitely try it. Food score -lomo saltado -3/5 - carne al a plancha - 3/5 - empanada - 3/5 (outside was sweet with powdered sugar) - sweet plantain - 5/5 (great crust) read more

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Great food. Highly recommend it even if you're unsure of what Peruvian food is! You honestly can't t go wrong with anything on the menu.