The first time we came here, a few months ago, the place was so empty I thought maybe it was closed. We both ordered the rotisserie chicken, and were told they were out of it. This was at 7:00 on a Saturday, weird, I thought, but I guess it happens. Ever since then I've joked about the "Peruvian chicken place with no chicken." We ordered something else and I thought the rice and yucca were good. Last night we tried again, this time 7:30 on a Wednesday, the place again completely empty, but my boyfriend had his heart set on the chicken. Guess what? They were out of chicken again. We paid for our drinks and left . . . pretty disappointing. I don't think we'll go for a third. Incidentally, they have the TV on so loud in there it's hard to read the menu. read more

The roasted (Peruvian) chicken is okay when they have it. Speak Spanish if you call to order or guaranteed they will be out of chicken, even at noon. read more

This is by far the best, most true Peruvian food I have tried. :D I went here with my dad and brother before going to the Dulles Town Center Mall and enjoyed every bit of it. I got the arroz con pollo which is basically cilantro green rice with yellow cheese sauce, chicken (you have the choice of wing or leg, but I got wing for more meat) and sliced yellow potatoes. The food was cooked excellently. My rice was especially flavorful and not dry at all. My dad, coming from Peru, said it tasted just like home which made the experience all that more satisfying. Would definitely recommend to anyone and especially those who are craving this food in particular. read more

El Estribo - Arroz con pollo, about $12-$13. Food is great price for a big portion! - Peruvian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

This isnt a 3 star place as yelp has it. I have been 5 times and the food is actually really good. The lomo, seco, anticuchos, papa rellena, and ceviche are very good. Will come back soon read more

Attention is outstanding, and the food is too....keep in mind this is truly authentic Peruvian food, not adapted to US taste, so is really original......I just get the lunch special of the day, which is always fresh and delicius, and for $9,50, you get a LOT of food, including a drink, not soda, but a real fruit peruvian drink. I go there every Friday for lunch. read more

Fast food prices but no fast food and friendly full service. We had the some of the tasty Peruvian chicken and ejoyed it. Nice and clean interior. read more

El Estribo - Peruvian Near Me - Sterling, Virginia

Do you want good food fast, fast food good, or just a good meal? This is a lunch review. There is *nothing* fast about this place, but the wait is worth it. The requirement is to not expect a quick in/out. For a place that never seems to be busy, the kitchen doesn't seem to be motivated to turn plates over quickly. Get there at 11:30? Rotisserie chicken dishes won't be ready until close to noon, and they'll tell you that up front when you order, assuming you can get through the language barrier if you are like most Americans and only speak English (and poorly :) ). The small bowl of poofed corn kernel things are amazing. Multiple bowls of them disappear. The 1/4 or 1/2 Chicken w/ Yucca fries is tough to beat. The rest of the menu is extensive, but I've yet to stray from one of the above. read more

2nd time here and were lovin it. Although it can get pretty crowded service is at it's best when it's slow. Food was hot and fresh and service was friendly. We ordered seafood, jalea, aka fried shrimp squid and fish. The dipping sauces are the bombbbbbb. This time around we also ordered the chicharrones and the pollo broster. Not the best we've ever had but none the less still delicious and hot and fresh. Now we don't have to go all the way into DC to get some good seafood. read more

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I used to always go to this place when I worked in the area. I moved away about 2 years ago but recently bought a townhouse in the area again and I've been coming back in the neighborhood to do work on the house. I stopped by this place after several years and the chicken was just gross. The flavor was gross and worse of all there was blood in the meat. When I cut the DARK MEAT blood leaked onto my plate. It was gross. When I called the restaurant to tell them they asked me to bring it back to the restaurant. No way - I through it away and took my kids to McDonalds instead. I was so mad they asked me to bring it back to the restaurant instead of giving me a refund I had to write this review. So gross. read more

It's actually been over a year since I've been here, so I don't remember it super well, but I remember it being good. I thought the ambiance, the service, and the food were all good. The corn thingies you get at the beginning as a snack are really tasty. I wouldn't mind having a little bowl of those at my desk at work at all times. The entrees were good as well. I should probably go back sometime soon..... read more

The place is clean, confortable and looks like a family business, I really enjoy the food and the service was great. I'm going to be a regular customer and for sure I'm going to recommend to my friends to come over... read more

After waiting 40 minutes for our food we complained and out came our appetizer about 8 minutes later: papas rellenas. The meat in the center was ice cold and we sent it back. Ultimately the rest of the food came and was acceptable but not worth the wait. Never going back. read more

I always went to this restaurant as an alternative for peruvian food, not the best but ok. But in my last visit we call ahead 20 min to order 4 plates before arrival, we still must to wait 15 min and plates for our kids was returned because somebody in his staff get wrong the order, not only that they try to force to get the wrong plates to our kids, when the food came after 15 min more the steak was overcooked, too dry. Also prices looks to ramp very fast here, we end paying for ceviche $16 and tallarines verdes $18, with forced included tip total $87. And lady on the telephone was offering a ceviche mix for $26 (for real). Again this is the ok place (not close one the best for us) for us, for many years but my own kids said this is the last time that we come here :( read more

We've been wanting to eat at this place for years and we were pleasantly surprised at how much we enjoyed it. Granted it was my husband and my first Peruvian dinner, but we loved it nonetheless. He had steak that came with a side of (amazing) fried rice and red onions drenched in lime and cilantro -- which I could not stop eating off his plate. I had chicken - not the rotisserie which I plan to order next time, but chicken breast with a side of salad and yucca. All of which was really good and the salad was really fresh. My favorite part of the meal was the sauces. The green sauce is divine, I'm not a fan of the white as I don't really like mayo and that's what it's based-on, but my husband liked it a lot. But the red sauce is so good. It's hot, but very flavorful which I think a lot of hot sauces lack. Our server was so nice and we had a great meal and can't wait to go back. read more

This is a Type of place you wish never step in. I was craving for authentic Peruvian food and my husband desides to take me and the family to this restaurant. It was Saturday at 7:00 pm and at first we have to wait 7 minutes to be seat, then we ordered the kids meal and they have nothing we want from the menu. Finally we deside to go white rice and rosterie chicken for the child and they were out of white rice unbelievableeee, we order lomo saltado and they pretend to serve it with green rice on the side as well as green rice for the kids. Of course we did paid for drinks and left I don't think I'll go back to this place ever. The service it's the worse I have ever had. Nothing to say about food because I was not able to taste it! read more

By far the best! Greatest Peruvian food out there. The food does take a while to be served but it's fresh. The purple corn drink is my favorite. Greatest Peruvian restaurant in steeling Virginia read more

Even though I really like their food, the experience was probably one of the worst that I had for my mom on Mother's Day. I had 45 - 65 minutes for us to get appetizers and I over an hour and half to get three entree out. I understand it's a holiday but the management has to be prepared for this. I don't blame this on the servers or even cooks but mostly on the management of this place. I hope this doesn't happen again because you will lose my business and everyone I know. read more

THE BEST PERUVIAN RESTAURANT IN THE AREA. I'm Peruvian an yes is difficult to find a nice Peruvian restaurant that give you flavor and portions like in Peru but El Estribo does. The owner comes to your table and makes sure you are doing well, food is find and if you need anything else. The décor is nice and like I say the food is delicious. I recommend getting your CEVICHE my favorite, but I also get the 'Papa Rellena" El Lomo Saltado" and the Sopas. read more

Food was absolutely amazing! Was craving authentic Peruvian food and that's exactly what I got. I got ceviche and lomo saltado, amazing choices. My friend got pollo a la brass with a side of fries and she loved it. Definitely recommend coming here! read more

I am rating this place only because of the tamale's! They are some of the most moist and flavorful that I have ever eaten. The chicken is a hit or miss, because it is either delicious and moist, or dry and cold. I have eaten at many peruvian restaurants and love the flavors of the food. This one is original with the tamales. They have chicken, olives, hard boiled eggs and great spices in them. They are huge, so I would either order it as a meal or to share. If you are a bit adventurous and enjoy unique flavors, give this place a try. It is always full of native speaking peruvians, and in my experience, that is always a good sign of authenticity. Look at what they are ordering, and if it looks good, simpy point to it and ask your server to bring you some! FYI-I never see the locals eating the rotisserie chicken. read more

El Estribo, Spanish for "the stirrup", as translated by our waitress is THE BEST Peruvian restaurant in the area. After traveling to Lima and Huaraz in Peru last summer, I have been searching for authentic Lomo Saltado - El Estribo is where I found it. The fried yucca was new to me and delicious, as were the corn kernels served as soon as you are seated. My family ordered pollo brasa and also gave good reviews. The Lomo Saltado tasted like it was straight from Peru and was good enough to have a clean plate at the end. For dessert we ordered one of everything and delighted in all of it! An amazing new find was helado de lucuma, which is apparently a native fruit to Peru and South American. The ice cream (helado) tastes very similar to caramel and is made locally by Aunt Sylvia's Homemade Ice Cream Factory, also in Sterling. It comes in a container, so if you don't finish it all, you can take it home! We had an order of Picarones as well, similar to fried dough, but tasted like it had plantains in it. Overall, this place is a winner and I can't wait to go back already! The staff was friendly and patient with our translation questions. We went on a Saturday night and there was a live singer. The music added to the authentic cuisine, although it was loud enough that you had to shout to people sitting right next to you. I highly recommend El Estribo to anyone who desires REAL Peruvian food, or people willing to branch out and try new things! read more

They gave my husband a wrong order and he didn't noticed till he got home so he was about to go back to return it and the lady who gave him the wrong order called me because I order through my phone . She called me saying that my husband took an extra plate without paying and that her boss told her she needed to pay for it and that we had to pay her back . I could hear someone in the back saying tell him he better come back with that extra plate and a bunch of BS pretty much treating my husband as a thief and making me feel so uncomfortable when I was pregnant . My husband got upset and talked to her and she said her boss was the one telling her to call and pressuring her . I honestly don't know how restaurants with such a horrible customer service can exist , the worse part was that my husband and family has been going there for years so they know him . How can they treat him that way , it's just so unacceptable !! read more

Love this place! The staff is awesome and the food is wonderful! The chicharrones with a little of that amazing hot sauce...one of my favorite ways to start a meal. The seafood soup with the shrimp broth is officially on my top five things I want to eat list. We will be back - often. read more

Delicious! First timers: lomo saltado, arroz chaufa, sopa criolla, tamal peruano. ASK FOR THE GREEN SAUCE! Fantastic, but only on request. The odd non popped corn appetizer is unusual and for that reason exciting... My fellow diners couldn't stop eating them. read more

I'm surprised to see the good reviews for this restaurant. I've been in twice for carry out and both times the place was EMPTY. The chicken was dry and the skin was wrinkly and not crisp at all... I have a feeling it was leftover from lunch. The fries and yucca were dried up and soggy. I won't be returning. read more

I loved the food here always but since about a year ago or so I never get any food of my choosing . The prices are outrageous and you can literally order anything in the menu and they do not have it... They only will hold selective plates and will not prepare anything for anyone or for any reason. read more

Great food I love this place it's a hole in the wall but defiantly a gem. Try it out you won't regret it :)

Food was delicious! Lomo saltado, ají de gallina, seco, all delicious! Good choice to come here! Service was great... we were the only family at the restaurant since they were about to close and everyone was very nice. Would definitely go back... my favorite desserts are only served on weekends ... read more

I love food and I think I know a thing or two about it. A while back I came and we left before we could place an order because of their service. Then again I go back with my husband and someone came to us ask what we want to drink and guess what...other people came in to the restaurant got their drinks before we did. Then it took for ever for this person to come back to ask if we were ready to place an order. We finally got the orders in...again we waited for EVER to get the food and did not gave us the food together. Food was okay...for the prices we were charged I am pretty sure I could get a lot better somewhere else. Overall, poor service...bad food!!! read more

So this was my 2nd time coming and I'll be honest the 1st time was great! Great food great service butttttttt this time was different. I arrived around 6:15pm and was waiting for 5 others to join me after about 10 mins I was told they close at 7 and wanted to know much longer it would be until the rest of my family arrived. I showed them how on google and on yelp it shows they are opened until 9pm, I was told to check their Facebook page for proper hours next time. Seriously???? read more

Worst experience ever. Two times I took my husband here and they didn't have the roasted chicken. Each time they got our order wrong and overcharged us. Since we are both low carb eaters we asked for salad instead of rice. They brought us both a huge salad and charged us $5.99 for each salad. When my daughter ordered the chicken tenders, we asked for Mac and Cheese instead of fries and they charged us for another kids meal. The waitress didn't understand our order, so she had to call someone and ask the person on the phone to take our order. We will never go back. read more

This place deserves zero stars, or even negative stars. i am outraged thinking about my experience with this place. I live in Countryside and my wife is spanish, mother in law is from Nicaragua. We are not strangers to Peruvian cuisine. We tried this place on Good Friday because my Christian mother in law wanted fish for dinner in observation of lint. We have called to order here before, and been told they were out of chicken....which was probably a good thing. Lets take a look at what this place did wrong: 1. Didn't answer the phone so we had to go there to place the order 2. They didn't know their own menu. We had to argue with them about whether the whole chicken comes with 4 sides or 2. http://elestriborestaurant.com/el-estribo-restaurant-menu.htm we argued with 3 different people before showing them their own menu. It clearly states: 1 POLLO A LA BRASA $14.99 With 4 sides Eventually, they agreed it comes with 4 sides, but not the sides listed under "sides" it comes with 4 sides not listed on the menu at all. We had to pay extra for rice, black beans, fries and fried plantains. Whatever 3. They got the order wrong. They gave us some make shift pinto beans instead of black beans. Note: we had to pay extra because they dont know thier menu, then they got it wrong. 4. they gave us 3 legs and thighs and one breast....not even a whole chicken. 5. one leg/thigh was not done. I had to cook it in my oven at home. 6. chicken was very mediocre. Rotisserie chicken at Walmart is better. Our experience with this place was rock bottom. Dining in might be better, but they don't know their menu, serve raw chicken, and get your order wrong. And it is over priced. This place sucks. read more

I have been sitting here for 15 minutes and nobody have come to our table. There is no one at the front to greet customers and guide them to a table. So as most reviews, I have to agree that the service in this restaurant is no bueno. Food wasn't that great. I ordered an appetizer and an entree amd I was completely disappointed by the flavor and presentation. To make things worse, the causa that I ordered got delivered to my table after I have finished the escabeche de pollo. If you want to try Peruvian food I would suggest to go to other places. read more

The food it pretty good. But the issue I have is the charging- even if you are alone and you reach over the 50$ mark they automatically charge you tip!!! And they even tax the tip. The owner sims like he does not care- I think if u know somebody from the IRS they would b In trouble- taxing the tip. read more

We went for the first time and the waitress came and said you need to order now we are going to closed at 5:46pm and we don't have enough food so we ask for two Coranas and he brought it hot and we decide to left and he charges us for two hot coronas $12.00 not even saying sorry or having a good customer services.. NOT GOOD SERVICES AT ALL ‼ ‼ read more

I love me some good Peruvian food to remind me of when I was a little girl. I'm disappointed this place has gone down. Every single time I've gone(6-7) there's a tremendous wait time. There were two incidents we waited over an hour and just left. Service is not good and forget about their customers. If there's any great suggestions for Ceviche in the area please let me know! read more

The worst experience I had in a restaurant.... the customer service or the servers took for ever to come the food took for ever to be served and plus the food was horrible we returned the food because it didn't taste good and we still paid 50 dollars for not eating it!!! De verdad fue la peor experiencia en un restaurante el servicio pésimo la comida horrible no comimos nada por que no sabia bien y ni se disculparon solo nos cobraron normal y ya que horror!!! read more

Ceviche was salty. Arroz con mariscos lot of rice and nothing of mariscos. They offer picarones and when you ask they told me the kitchen is busy and cant prepare for you. What !!! The only good was the pisco sour. Be aware that they add in your bill the tip. My husband didnt check the bill and left extra tip for mistake Prices are too high for the poor service in this restaurant read more

Great food!! But not for ceviche for amazing authentic ceviche to to la limeña. But great chicken !!! And lomo saltado too! Wish they had fresh chicha. read more

I've only had the rotisserie chicken; but it is hands down the best in NOVA. The chicken is juicy and seasoned well. Got the half with two sides; rice and fried yuca. The rice was flavorful and cooked perfectly. read more