I go every Sunday and their food taste so GOOD I consider them a 5 star meal and also the workers are so nice their menu for the soup is so GOOD and the medio pollo con arroz is also very Good and it reminds me of my mom's chicken and rice I never get tired of this food read more

Not sure what happened but the last few times the shrimps were lacking in my rice and shrimp dish. I decided to try it one more time and noticed the price increased and not only did my dish lack shrimp but it got smaller. See my pic Oh well it was good while it lasted I doubt I'll come back read more

See all

Just picked up food to go from here and seriously stay away. The papa a la huancaína was the most watery mess I have ever ate from any Peruvian restaurant. 5 half potatoes and a quarter egg with a big piece of old lettuce to cover this disgrace of a classic dish. They didn't even seal the container well enough to not have the watery cheese sauce spill in the bag. Save your money and hit up el Gordo or another Peruvian spot. read more

El Chevere - a plate of food with a plastic fork - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

Great Peruvian chicken great service , Large portion and half a chicken is large The yuka is perfectly fried Parking meters are in the front The place is more of a mom and pop place however very clean and great food with out the Bells and whistles Prices are great No liquor license , but byob - read more

El Chevere - Half chicken and fried yuka - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

The best consistent Peruvian food I have ever had. I've been eating here for over 10 years and it's always great good and service. A bit of a "hole in the wall" vibe but don't let that fool you because the foods incredible. I'm a big fan of the Jallea, Arroz Chowfa, and Pollo a la brasa! The green sauce is a MUST! As far as authentic Peruvian food goes, this is your only destination! I love coming here, it's always quick service and food comes out in record speeds. Great for groups and family gatherings, they tend to get busy on weekends but the wait is worth it! 5 stars all around! read more

El Chevere - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

See all

"El Chevere" used to be a staple of the "pollo a la brasa" and known for their rachi and pancita. This was one of the worst experiences I have had. Being Peruvian I appreciate authenticity. This place lacked flavor and freshness. The chicken was dry and the only ok part was the skin. The Chaufa was edible and shared by my part of 4. The lomo salt as was dry, flavorless, and chewy (old). My mother got the "pescado encebollado" which had a thick sauce overloaded with flour. The fish was breaded and bland, no idea what they were thinking. Chevere please FIRE your cook. What a disgrace to the brand smh!!! read more

El Chevere - Nasty thick sauce that tastes horrible - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

See all

Best Peruvian food in the area!!!! They have very generous portions of the most delicious home cooked food. They have great service and are open for take out currently. The Jalea is unmatched, always fresh and crispy. The arroz chaufa is perfect. The bbq chicken is always cooked well and always juicy. The green sauce I use on everything, i know it's time to order when I run out of sauce at home. Delicious sides as well the Juancana is crispy and the sauce is extra creamy and the plantains are ripe and sweet. read more

Today I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't recognize myself. I've turned into a real pig now! Arrrrgh!!! It was like a Kafka-esque nightmare turned reality....and I wish it was a dream! Mamma mia!!! While in Thailand last week I gained 3kg just in 1 week, and I still haven't lost a single kg from my 3 week trip in Europe last summer in which I gained 4kg doing lots of pastry shop-hopping. In Vienna alone, I had 9 different cakes in 1 day from my hotel cake buffet, Cafe Sacher and Demel just to give you an idea of how out of control I can get. I was blessed with a fast metabolism in my youth that I thought I can stay skinny eating whatever I want as much as I want. In 10 years I've gained 15kg!! I'm really feeling my age now!!! Yikes!!! This is supposed to be a food review and why am I writing all this? Because, guess what? I finally decided to go on a diet! That's right, for real this time!! Sooo, what does any Yelper do before they go on a diet?? PIG OUT!!! Hehehe!!!! So when my friends invited me for lunch at El Chevere today, my immediate reply was "HELL YES!" LOL! Until I reach my goal weight I will disappear from Yelp for a while. So this is going to be a very special Yelp review......siiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!! EL CHEVERE IS THE PLACE for really heavy rich Peruvian food with OUTRAGEOUS portion size. The portion size is ridiculous for the price, and that's what I love about this place. Que chevereeeee!!! I've uploaded the picture of my Bistec a lo Pobre(big FRIED steak (not grilled, but FRIED) with 2 fried eggs on top of rice, french fries, and maduros) so that you can see how big it is. It can feed 2 people! And can you believe this is only $14 and it's one of the most expensive meat dishes in El Chevere?? Make sure you eat it with "aji", the green garlicky sauce on the table!! Que rico!!! If you want something cheaper and filling, you can order their pollo a la brasa(rotisserie chicken), which only costs around $7 and super delish! And let me repeat again, make sure you eat this also with "aji", it makes it even tastier!! My friend's Lomo Saltado was huge and yummy, I loved the savory slices of onion, peppers, and tomatoes in it! And what's Peruvian food without our favorite potato salad with rich creamy Huancayna sauce?? Sometimes we crave for unsophisticated but undeniably delicious unhealthy food, and this is one of them. Que rico!! Mmmmm! And although I was soooo stuffed, I couldn't resist the dessert because I know I'm gonna be starving myself starting tomorrow. It's amazing that I always manage to find a room for dessert no matter how much I eat, it never ceases to amaze my friends. I don't even know what this dessert is called, but basically it's a fried spring roll with sweet creamy cheese inside served with whipped cream and strawberry sauce. That alone probably must have been at least 500kcal. I was like, "Hey you guys, feel free to try some of my dessert because I don't think I can finish it" but no one had any room in their stomachs to try it. So guess what? I finished it all!! I can't believe it!! And now I'm feeling guilty for even ordering it! Arrrrgh!!! This is why I'm getting fat!!! I hate you El Chevere!!! But I still love youuuuu!!! Eres chévere que chévere que chévere guau guau! I don't know how, but I'm gonna try to seriously eat healthy from tomorrow. I'm famous for my "mañana diet", I guess I don't have to explain because it speaks for itself. Although none of my friends take me seriously anymore, I hope some of you will support me!! Cheers!! read more

See all

Authentic Peruvian food. My judgement is set when I have the aji peruvian green sauce. Does it have all the flavors - yes! Does it have a nice spicy kick to it - YES (could be more but it's there!). The chicken was delicious. The plantains were okay not great. Little difficulty with communication, the lady kept speaking to me in Spanish when I clearly kept giving her answers in English or saying what? I mean, I don't mean short words, full sentences so fast that I cannot even pick up any words. I felt like an idiot ok! Anyways, regardless of that, she was sweet and made me a killer latte! 2 meals to go + latte = $12 and change.. I mean... amazingggggg..Go here go here! Oh and we took the food to go, but could definitely sit here, so clean ....cute set up- plenty of seats! read more

El Chevere - Side salad - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

See all

I was very disappointed with the rotisserie chicken I bought yesterday. I ordered 2 chickens with fries, when I got home and was ready to eat I noticed the chicken was very dry, It also smelled weird like it wasn't made that day. I called the restaurant and told them this and all they said was "sorry" not come back and we'll give you 2 fresh chickens or we'll refund your money. By the way I spent $35 dollars for inedible chicken. I'm not exaggerating it was dry with a smell. I bought this meal for my mother, wife, my children. We were all disappointed . I don't like to write bad reviews but I couldn't let this one slide,especially when I called the restaurant and all I got was a sorry. That's not the way to run a business. read more

The Wife is a big fan of Peruvian food, ceviche is her weakness, she also loves the Arroz Chaufa w/ seafood (basically seafood fried rice). We were disappointed when we came to El Chevere for lunch and they did not have ceviche. My Wife ordered her usual, Chaufa, i ordered a fried fish platter which was huge and full of various seafood and fried Yuca. Overall we enjoyed everything, bathroom was pretty nasty, place could have been a little cleaner. read more

Delicious food! I always order the half roasted chicken with white rice and fried plantains. Sounds so simple but SO DELICIOUS and with lots of flavor. Can feed up to two people in my experience and sometimes I even have leftovers. I've rarely had to wait for my food when ordering for pick up from them. Only thing I wish they had was delivery but tbh I don't mind cause I like it that much. read more

Was not good. The soup was not the same like the famous Peruvian "sopa a la minuta". I don't even know what I got.

I don't know if they are under new management or if it was an "off" day. I've been going to this place for years until I moved to Florida. There is not a lot of good Peruvian food in Florida so I was excited to try it again since I've missed so much and was sooo disappointing. The lomo Saltado was bland and the tallarin verde was off taste. Sooo annoyed. I did enjoy the Inca soda. I won't be going back read more

Go to Peruvian spot. Great food quick service and affordable prices. Typical take it go and enjoy this at home.

They're only getting one star because that's the only way I'll be able to post a comment. Visited their Washington Ave location in Passaic and what a terrible experience ! I first tried calling for over 15 mins trying to place a pick up order but the phone was busy or just kept ringing. So I decided to just take a drive there and order, I advised the waiter their phones weren't working totally ignored my comment. So I proceed to place my order "pollo saltado" no onions and pescado a Lo macho and specifically point at the one I wanted costing $18. 15 mins later My order is now complete and I go to pay and was charged $52 ! So of course I was shocked and asked why and he explained in a VERY rude tone of voice it's because I had ordered an entire fish instead of fillet fish. I tried to explain To him this was incorrect I had ordered the $18 meal not $27 meal and he was so rude and unprofessional and basically told me that was my order and there was nothing they could do. I paid and walked out. What I should had done was just walk out and not pay and order else where. Worse customer service ever... everyone makes mistakes ! Will not return read more

Some people eat pizza every Friday, I eat El Chevere every Friday instead. The rotisserie chicken is the best. My usual is a whole chicken with french fries. I must add the "aji" (green hot sauce) is the best. Your nose might water a bit but you won't be able to stop dipping it in the aji. The other great sauce they have is the "dressing." But you gotta give it the Spanish accent when you ask for it. They use it for the salads but it taste just as good with the chicken. If the aji is too hot mix it in w/ the dressing and it will be just as tasty too. The papa rellena (stuffed potato) is the bom! Unfortunately, they only make them on the weekend. Papa a la Huyacaina is delicious! I always order two. The Jalea is huge! Very tasty. The Ceviche Mixto has gotten better. Portions are immense and you will always end up taking the left over food home. Prices aren't too bad either. Service is decent, but you do have to be careful when you go with five people or more. They automatically charge you gratuity but they won't tell you that. One waiter thought he could be slick and folded the credit card slip to cover up the 15% gratuity with the hopes he could get another tip. Not cool. Yes, the neighborhood is a bit urban and there are panhandlers but the black guy who holds the door is kinda of nice. Agreed, parking does suck. Do take out. I have them on speed dial. My food is usually ready by the time I get there. Oh and I think any authentic Peruvian restaurant should always have homemade chicha. They have the bottled kind and it taste horrible. read more

Terrible found hair in my food. I am all for a hole in the wall places but this place is a dump! Never again ...

Love this place, for the food. Do not come here for location or ambience. I love, love, love the Chaufa. The rotisserie chicken is juicy and flavorful and when I am in the mood for a cup of Peruvian chicken soup, this is one of the places I love to come to. read more

When I'm on the road and get the hungry feelings, I try to frequent ethnic restaurants. I really despise the chain garbage like Applebee's, TGI Friday's, Olive Garden - you get the idea. So when I saw a lot of Spanish signs on the stores and lots of Latinos walking the streets, I figured I'd hit pay dirt with good local ethnic food. Problem is how do you know which place to go? The place looked clean from the outside and had a parking spot out front by a meter so I nabbed the spot and entered. The employees were very friendly and spoke perfect English (good for us Gringos). I ordered the especialidad de casa which is pollo a la Brasa (marinated rotisserie chicken). I've had this type of meal at many other Latino restaurants and Peruvian joints before. The meal came with a salad and I chose cassava as my side order. I really wanted to like this place but the chicken was totally dried out, even the dark meat portions. The cassava was like cardboard. While the salad was just passable, the aji sauce helped to at least moisten the meat. If you're looking for good pollo a la brasa, there's plenty of other choices within a 15 minute drive of here (Newark, Hackensack, Rt 17) so vote with your feet and hard earned dollars and drive on by El Chevere. read more

Best prices for lunch! They have set menus everyday of the week from 12-3pm that is $7.50 for a soup or salad, an entree and a drink. How can you go wrong with the deal! I have come here a million times especially for the chicken it is the best! Oh and the Lomo Saltado too definitely can't forget about that. Will continue to come back for a long time! read more

Got takeout from here last week! A friend recommended the place so I thought I'd try it out.. I got pasta & steak // my other half got chicken & rice.. He loved the chicken it's a week later & he's still talking about it.. My steak wasn't seasoned & the pasta tasted better when I put the green sauce on it ( I loved that green sauce!!) read more

AUTHENTIC and GENEROUS! I brought my dad, mom and family to this place since they were visiting from Oklahoma. They were in the mood for authentic spanish food, so since they can't really find Peruvian cuisine down South... I figured this was perfect! We ordered to stay in and the goodies started hitting the table. Chicken, mixed rice, papa a la huancaina, beans, salad, etc. My little brothers played a disappearing act with my beans, before i knew it they were gone! Nonetheless, we ordered some more. My family ate the food with delight and talked about it for days. My dad wanted to eat at Chevere's again before departing back home, unfortunately we could not make it back in time. I owe him a stop here next time he comes up north! Area is urban, but sometimes the little whole in the walls have the best food. Restaurant is usually packed on weekends, but quickly come in/out as the service is good. I recommend going intra day. Would be great if they had fresh chicha drink. Price for the amount of food they give is good. My husband and I go often to order out and take home. Recommended, cheers! read more

The food here is great! It's Peruvian food and it's absolutely the best I've had. Stop by for an affordable meal. You won't regret it at all! read more

El Chevere - like I said, amazing food. - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

I only get the rotisserie chicken here for lunch. It's usually cooked very nice, but sometimesit can be a bit dry. Overall the chicken is very flavorful. I usually get the chicken with a side of tostones or maduros, both are delicious. The thing that sets this place apart are the baked empanadas. Every time I go, I make sure to get an empanada and some green sauce that usually comes with it. They're fantastic. Great spot for lunch! read more

Came here on a Friday for dinner. Their green sauce is soo good, I'm still trying to figure out what they put in there. There's about 3 or 4 chevere's in Passaic and they're all good. Every meal they serve comes with a mini salad. I got the quarter chicken with tostones & yuca... Sooooo good. Can't go wrong with fresh & decently priced Peruvian food. read more

Although they have many locations in Passaic, El Chevere is a very good restaurant to eat at if you want to taste the authentic Peruvian cuisine. I like coming here when Im in the mood of rice. Try Arroz Chaufa read more

This is real peruvian food.. Al the dishes are great....I am a regular in this place! Chicken , steak , seafood, you cant go wrong with anything!!! Coco Roco ...WHO????? this is real peruvian food! :) read more

Me and my boyfriend always get the "chaufa" it's like fried rice w chicken and steak mixed in together! It's really good when your add some green spicy sauce! Their staff is very warm welcoming they always have such good spirits! read more

Very disappointed. Used to go to the Lexington Ave location where the pollo a la brasa was delicious. This place doesn't come close. The chicken was dry and didn't taste like anything. I noticed the floor was absolutely filthy. Makes me wonder what's going on in the kitchen. Not going back. Considering calling the health department. read more

I wish i could give this place more then 1 star but unfortunately i cant. This place has fallen out in recent years. Stopped by recently to grab some pollo a la brasa, the chicken was bland and dry. The green sauce was watery and also bland. The table we were placed in was clean but the wall next to it was dirty and brown. The service was mediocre at best. Come here if absolutely have to. read more

even if you buy a chicken they expect you to pay a dollar for greeeb sauce i might as well just go to boston market for a chicken....

Great place to eat Peruvian food.. El Chevere has 4 locations in Passaic with each varying a little from each other. The food comes in good portions so you better be hungry when you stop by. The only thing that sucks is that they close on 9pm even on Saturday and the parking is horrible. read more

I love to come here and gorge on the chaufa de pollo and fill my belly with inca kola!

Can't complain about the food. All dishes are delicious and you get a bang for your buck. Portions are good and at affordable prices. I'm giving 4 stars because they charge additional for extra green sauce (ají). I am literally a customer for decades and they can't spare additional sauces for free after I spend my hard earned money on their food. Small things like these are an annoyance and will cost them business. read more

Definitely one of the best in Passaic ... Never dissapointed by their lomo ... Service is a hit or miss sometimes ..

Rotisserie chicken without salt no flavor at all, Salad without any type of dressing they only give you hot sauce no mayonnaise or ketchup never again read more

On my way to visit family, my fiance and I stopped to eat here. We went inside and the place looked open from the outside, but when we went inside we were told to go into the dining room only to sit and be told to hurry up in Spanish because they were about to close. Well we had just come from NYC, and we were tired this really wasn't the way we wanted to be greeted. We ordered quickly, picking the simplest thing we could find. Then I asked the bus boy/server for hot sauce and I received a face of unhappiness that made me feel uncomfortable. Do I really need to be made to feel as if I'm bothering when I'm spending "my money"? I don't think so. The last thing was that they put all the chairs up while we were eating, well I was done. Never going back. Food was also not that great, presentation was horrible. If you run a restaurant, you should care about your customer and how they feel at your location because they do have a choice. read more

El Chevere - Latin American Near Me - Passaic, New Jersey

The best food and deals you would ever have in passaic . The best Mexican food and roast meats and I love the pork chops here . Dessert are awesome and the meal deal can feed like 4 people for 20 dollars or less . Great food read more

Omg, omg, omg!!! Everything is great and they give you so much food for your money. You have to try this place!!! You will leave happy and full!! read more