My wife and I have been here twice, and were very impressed both times. Great menu, great flavors, and great service. So far we have stuck with chicken centric dishes like the Pollo Loco bowl, but I'm going to try the stuffed potato (Papa Rellano De Lomo Saltado) on our next visit. I can't recall the name of the appetizer, but it was the best fried cauliflower we've ever had. read more

Cute peruvian restaurant in thai area. Staff was very friendly, wait was not long, and not overly crowded! Menu was very diverse and had many different options that were not just seafood. I got a shrimp soup dish, not exactly sure what the name was! The food was delicious! Seasoned very well and cooked perfectly. Typical price is around $20/plate, which I think is pretty high for this area. The downside of the yummy food is the portions. The plates are pretty small for how much you pay. Doesn't seem worth that high of a price. Other than that, the restaurant was cute and quick on waiting times! read more

El Batan - Shrimp Soup - Latin American Near Me - Newton, North Carolina

El Batan has quickly become my favorite restaurant in NC. Awesome atmosphere with a Peruvian flare. We were seated immediately out on the patio and waiting on quickly, i cant say enough about the staff. We had Conchitas a la Parmesana, scallops with a crusty parmesan topping, Tacu Marisquero, crispy rice and bean and seafood and Aji Amarillo Risotto.. everything was so delicious, highly recommended. read more

El Batan - Latin American Near Me - Newton, North Carolina

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Food and service and ambiance were wonderful. Great staff , great experience. Absolutely coming back soon.

Really great food. Congenial Staff. Clean surroundings. Full bar and Peruvian drinks. We enjoyed our meals immensely. I had one of the short rib options and it was fantastic. A real comfort food experience. My wife's shrimp dish was great as well. The menu provides many options and the staff if most helpful to navigate. Go Getcha Sum. read more

Everything from the appetizer (Crispy Cauliflower) to the main dishes (Saltado Oriental and one of the Tacu Tacu) to desserts ( Tres Leches cake and Alfajor) were delicious. Service was very quick and attentive. We will be returning and bringing family when they are in town. read more

I stopped by this past Saturday at 'EL BATAN' for a friend's birthday gathering. It was a group of 4 couples, and we all asked for separate checks. I'm just going to talk about my unpleasant experience. My wife and the other couples had their own experiences, but didn't want to say anything (too shy, I guess). I started by asking for water with lime. Water came, no lime, and I wasn't even asked if I wanted a straw (which I did). I was wearing a pair of brand new shorts. Soon after sitting down, I noticed a dirty-looking stain across my left upper shorts. Which turned out to be from under the table, where something sticky, gooey, and smelling had come from. I quickly got the waitress's attention and asked for the table to be cleaned again. She didn't really seem to care and took a little while to get back to me, and that's because I had to get her attention, because in the span of 2 minutes, she had already forgotten to clean the table. Nothing was offered for the care of my new shorts, such as "take it to the dry cleaners, and bring us back a bill, etc." When the other couples ordered soda and juices, they each were given a straw. I now had to mention to 'Nuts-Nuts', our space-out waitress, that just because my wife and I ordered water with lime. Did not mean that we shouldn't get straws as well. They also then brought us the lime we had ordered in the first place, like 10 minutes before. I ordered the Arroz Chaufa, which was $14.00. If you add chicken, it's $5.00 more. Meat, $6.00 more. And with seafood, it's like $6-7 more. Supposed to be this exquisite mixture of rice with exotic ingredients. "FAULTH, NOT TRUTH!" I ordered the chicken. What did I get? Like 3 pounds of Chinese rice with a few pieces of chicken. Where were the Chinese chopsticks?? Food was boring! The restaurant itself is big. But for reasons that are now known. It was only like 20-25% full. The lighting was dark. The place is big enough that you can have a certain part of the interior dark for those who want it like that, and another area that is a little brighter. Might even help when they're cleaning the tables and chairs to catch and wipe those dirty, filthy spills, sticky foods, gum, etc. As I said before, the place was so dark that I kept waiting for popcorn to arrive and the movie to begin! The kitchen did have a huge TV right above the cooking stove, but I guess they had it on a food channel, learning the recipes as they went along. The kitchen was a two-part scenario. One part: Pre-School Cooking Class. Two parts: Keep Your Fingers Crossed / Do the Best You Can. Nuts-Nuts rarely ever checked on us to ask how we were doing or if we needed anything. I had to hunt her down as if I were in a far-out wilderness adventure trip, like in a safari hunting big game. The staff is young and always talking among themselves or on their cell phones. Either have them put their phones in a locker, their cars, or in a garbage disposal! And to top it off, with awful food service, poor portions, 3 kilos of rice on my plate, nothing great about the taste, and overpriced. EL BATAN, Gets Half a Star Out of TEN!! And with darkness all around us, and leaving with dirty shorts. They had the guts to add on a 20% gratitude tip for what? Poor service? What a joke. I did mention it to a male waiter/hostess, what was on my mind. And the experience I had just lived through. He said he'll say something to the owner. Who knows if he did? I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. I haven't felt the same since leaving there Saturday evening. I think I left there with a case of Complex PTSD. I wish them the best. But to survive in this tough market. EL BATAN IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME BIG CHANGES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. read more

I really enjoyed my experience. I had the Mahi mahi and my husband had steak and risotto. I loved the sauce. The risotto was good too but the steak was very fatty. Our server was Wendy and she was adorable. She was so patient as she answered all of my questions. We finished the night with the chocolate cake which was to die for!! I've been on this building before and it was always loud. Tonight it wasn't loud at all. There were a lot of people there but it was very tranquil. read more

Was excited to try this place. What a disappointment. Waited 2 hours for food, no refills on water, no checking on us or letting us know why our food was delayed, staff stood around the hostess station and chatted with each other and on their phones instead of tending to customers, people who arrived after us were served their meal before us, orders were mixed up when they did arrive and one person didn't even get served their meal. Instead was asked if they wanted dessert - while the others in our party (8) were finishing up their meal. Rib eye was thin and tough. No manager came over to apologize or offer anything. Looked like the restaurant was being run by a bunch of 20 year olds who have no customer service skills or restaurant savvy. Definitively not worth the price or time wasted. read more

The food was delicious. Great flavor and mrlt in your mouth filet mignon. The atmosphere was nice and the service was very good.

We went to the restaurant today super excited since we are from Peru and we were all so disappointed!! the pesto spaghetti was so bad didn't even taste like Peruvian food, same with the "potato a la huancaina" and the "spaghetti a la huancaina" no idea how they make that! Was definitely not Peruvian, also the ceviche de pescado (fish ceviche) was NOT fresh, it was done hours before it suppose to be fresh and crispy and done immediately after ordering, the fish sat too much on the juices and was mushy, it was just terrible for a Peruvian restaurant, the only thing that was ok was the asado with mush potatoes and rice, the Peruvian "beer Callao" and the pasión fruit juice. , i hope the cook check his recipes and sticks to Peruvian traditions and get better soon because he's giving the wrong impression of what Peruvian food really is which is fantastic!. NOT here is not. read more

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Food was amazing , service was a little slow since Mother's Day but overall definitely recommend!

We are so excited that such a wonderful, unique restaurant has chosen Newton. The server was very kind and attentive. She explained the various dishes and sauces. My husband and I both chose seafood dishes but there are also chicken or beef entrees. wine and beer and a full bar (perfect Cosmo) We will definitely be back. read more

I had seen posts on the local hickory FB page of a Peruvian restaurant about 10 minutes away from me and decided to give it a try. Pros: very delicious entrees, kind and sweet servers Cons: ambiance was a little unexpected for the quality of food, wait time was 3/5 The food was great, simply put. We came in hungry and open minded. Did not realize that the restaurant was in the golf course community. First entering the restaurant it was very quiet and room was simple layout. Menu offered plenty of food and drink options however I wish menu had pictures of the food. We ordered garlic chicken wings which took about 20 minutes to get. For the entrees we had Amarillo Risotto (steak risotto), Pescado a lo Macho (mahi mahi) and Arroz con Mariscos (fried rice). We had all agreed the steak risotto was best. Our entrees took a little longer than we expected as there were only 2 servers and 2 other groups seated in total we were there for 1.25 hours mainly waiting to eat. Overall if you are looking to try Peruvian food or support local spot I'd highly suggest giving this place a try. If you're short on time or looking for a more date night romantic spot may be best to save this for another night out. read more

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This restaurant is authentic Peruvian food! There isn't a lot options for international food in Hickory so this place is like a hidden gem. Great food, and service. I recommend this place to everyone wanting to try something new. read more

As a someone is born and rise in Peru this food was amazing and remained me been back with my family in Peru. If you want true Peruvian flavors you should visit El batan. I'll be back soon ! read more

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My wife and I went up to see what it was all about... and OMG were we impressed! I spent a month in Peru backpacking a while back- and have missed Peruvian REAL Peruvian food! We shared the ceviche, she had the short ribs, I had the pork belly- WOW!!! There was next to nothing left over! Great, friendly service. Awesome Pisco Sours!! Overall- can't wait to come back with friends!! The GIANT photos of Peru and Macchu Picchu brought back great memories! We'll be back! read more

Just had lunch at El Batan. Food was delicious. The portions were generous and the staff was very friendly. My girlfriend, who is Peruvian gives it 5 stars. I recommend the Arroz con Pato. But everything my party ordered was just as good. The atmosphere was very welcoming and a great selection of Latin Musica was played in the background. read more

We just went to El Batan tonight for the first time and were delighted with it. The food was delicious and our waitress Maria was great. We will be back for sure! read more

Stopped over to El Batan for my second visit. As before, the service was warm and welcoming and the food was delicious! On my first visit, I enjoyed Seco de Carne. It came out with fall off the bone beef short ribs with white rice and a delicious sauce. My husband enjoyed Chanchito 'El Batan'. It was delicious fried pork belly with a stir fried rice and sauce. Fantastic. Today I stopped in for lunch and had Pappa Rellena de Camerone - Stir fried shrimp stuffed into a fried potato jacket with sauces on the side. The potato was creamy, but with a crunchy skin/exterior. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and seasoned to perfection. I feel fortunate to live in the Oliver's Landing development where El Batan sits in the Players Ridge clubhouse. Can't wait to go back and try more of their exceptional food! The warm and welcoming staff make this a lovely stop for lunch or dinner. read more

Next to the golf course, and this place is as good as hitting a hole-in-one. Pleasant ambiance, attentive, well-trained staff, and food that is unique, with subtle but complex spicing. Open for lunch and dinner, perfect for both, appropriate pricing. Well worth the trip to its easily accessible location on the northern edge of town. Definitely to tier of local fine dining. A magnificent addition to cuisine scene in Hickory and western North Carolina. read more

Well, we were super excited to try this place and left disappointed. We went for dinner and there was one other table when we got there that was already done so the poor service can't be blamed on being busy. We were quickly sat, our order taken and initial drinks brought. I ordered a mixed drink, Pisco sour and it was light and refreshing. This is where the service ended. My husband and I each ordered meals that were okay, nothing exciting. I had the steak that comes with chimichurri and had ordered medium rare. It came more of a medium well. It was still tender but quite fatty and flavorless. I thought to myself okay, I'll just ask for more chimichurri sauce for the steak when the waitress comes around.... But she didn't. Nope her and two other female employees sat at the bar talking for more than 30min not even looking our direction. At this point we are the only people in the restaurant. When we finally got her attention and she came over my steak was cold and all drinks empty. We then just asked for the check which was brought quickly. Then we waited another 10 min or so for the check to be picked up. If the service had been better we might have given it a try again to see if other dishes were better. read more

This is an authentic Peruvian restaurant. We visited with friends who have been to Peru many times. The food is excellent. The restaurant is in a golf clubhouse and the atmosphere is very nice. The service is also excellent. Maria Jose, our server, is from Columbia and was attentive and pleasant. My pork dish, Chanchito, was to die for. This is absolutely one of the best restaurants in the Hickory area. It is out of the way and would be difficult to find without a GPS but it is very worthwhile. read more