I went here on Father's Day. I didn't intend on going to this location, but when the Gardenia location ignored me for 15 minutes after seating me, I took hangry self here, instead. So glad that I did! Seated quickly, received the soup, bread, and green sauce very quickly. Received the entrees super quick, and the food was impeccable. Guess I ate too many rolls & green sauce, because (oh darn) I could only eat half, so leftovers tonight, baby!! read more

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So many things change over time. This used to be our go-to place for feasting on Peruvian cuisine. My Dad enjoys what we order from here so we decided to order for our Father's Day dinner. Such a letdown. The order was delayed 45 min and no one even felt bad about it. Get our order and the two whole chickens look suspiciously like one chicken. And they gave us the wrong order and when I called, the guy on the phone says it's basically the same thing. Nope. Chicken is not beef. And when I mentioned the major delay (which delayed our dinner) and the wrong item, no apology. I guess years of loving the place, I approached our disappointment with a light touch but maybe that gave them the impression I was okay with their delay, and their oversight of actually messing up our order. The prices have gone up and the quality and portion size has decreased and while I am slow to share reviews where I express my disappointment, it was such a bummer from a long beloved restaurant that I felt the need to update my 8 year old 4 star review. read more

I'm disappointed by my recent experience with El Pollo Inka on Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance. I placed a large catering order to pick up for my family, and while I understand that restaurants can get busy, the lack of communication and hospitality was frustrating. When I arrived, there was no one attending the pickup register, and only after looking down the hallway by the kitchen to get someone's attention was I informed that the order would be significantly delayed. Had we been notified ahead of time, we could have adjusted our plans accordingly. What made the situation more disappointing was the complete lack of customer service during the wait. There was no apology for the 30-45 minute delay, no effort to acknowledge the inconvenience, and no gesture of goodwill such as a discount or complimentary item. After finally receiving a large catering order, no one offered assistance carrying it out despite seeing the size of the order. Delays happen, and most customers are understanding when restaurants are busy. What matters is how businesses communicate and care for customers when things don't go as planned. Unfortunately, this experience felt like our time and inconvenience were simply ignored. The food may be good, but customer service and hospitality matter too, especially when customers are spending a significant amount of money on a large order. read more

El Pollo Inka - No one present to help with pickup - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

Service needs improvement. Every time I come here it's always just a mess. To start, trying to order on the site. For some reason the site said it just did not exist. So I go to order in person. Nobody staffing the to go order station. Waiting around I try the site again on a lark and suddenly it's working now. Put my order in and wait the 20 minutes the order said. Got told it'd be a longer wait when I went to pick up my order. Was told 15 minutes, 45 minutes later still no food. Still waiting.. It took over an hour for my "20 minute wait". Apparently they said they had no chicken. You know... like half their menu. read more

El Pollo Inka - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

I have alway known El Pollo Inka to be a staple for some Peruvian food, but I was pretty disappointed by my visit here. I've been here plenty and can tell some things have changed. The day that I came it was not too busy, maybe 6 other tables. Service was friendly by our waiter, but definitely was slow. I am going to assume that they were short staffed this night just based on the response times. I mean there were other parties waiting in front to be seated for awhile and they were lucky to catch someone that let them know someone will be right with them to be seated. They have complimentary bread and chicken soup. The bread is like a 6.5/10 and the soup is a 7.5/10 for me. Really nice of them to do and they gave me 2 good piece of chicken in the soup. I ordered the Lomo Combinado because I did not want any french fries. The beans were all over the plate and had no flavor to them. The meat was actually seasoned very well and was packed with flavor so I did appreciate that for sure. There was a silver lining. Their green sauce... def not as spicy as I remember it to be. I would be so hooked on it but I was saddened by the mellowed out sauce. she aint a spicy girl no mo. also I never seen a roy rogers as a drink option on a menu and u bet I googled and ordered it... I drank 2. I never finish my drinks at restaurants and I managed to drink 2 of those things. totally my fault but all that carbonation upset my tummy so I would proceed with caution cause its good... like really good. shirley temple can wait on the sidelines for now. They have their own parking lot with plenty of spaces. I just dont know if I want to come back after seeing how this last visit went. read more

El Pollo Inka - Lomo Combinado - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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We have always enjoyed this Peruvian spot over the years. Have been coming here for at least 25 years and the food has always been great. The rotisserie chicken is outstanding and the other dishes are great as well. We really love the Peruvian fried rice with chicken. The plantains is a side dish is always a nice touch. The service is always very great and attentive. The ambience is nice. It's a very large place that sees a couple hundred people and it hasn't changed in 25 years which I also enjoy. This is a great place. We will continue to frequent. read more

El Pollo Inka - The steak with egg on top and rice and french fries is an excellent dish. - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

Best Purvian Spot in the South Bay Area! Plenty of parking and is an isolated location from other restaurant establishments for convenience. Greeted and seated. Ordered a Michelada beer , wine and bloody mary to start off our post work relaxation wine down period. Ordered the Veneta di Pollo plate entree. Received our food in a timely manner. The chicken with rice was excellent!! Ohh and that special green sauce .. out of this world! Put that green sauce on everything! Lol. Delicious Nice Ambiance, clean restaurant, clean restrooms and friendly workers. No complaints. I would come here anytime for Purvian food! Big shout out and Kudos to our waitress Maria! She was very nice and funny. She kept asking us if we were good. She is like a professional part time comedian, she has jokes lol. Good spot to take the family if you are in the mood for Purvian food. Price is righteous and fair too. read more

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Plenty of parking, no need for reservation. Service is great. Waiter was very attentive. Place is clean. They had a musician playing. Food was good but I think the Ají de Gallina needs extra flavor. Found a chicken bone and showed to waiter just to be careful about choking episodes. Next time I will try another dish. The lamb was really good. read more

El Pollo Inka - Seco de Cordero - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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We ordered the pollo saltado and the lomo saltado, and for me this is straight comfort food. Nothing fancy - just satisfying and consistently flavorful. The saltado was well-seasoned with tender meat and generous portions, and it always hits the spot. What really stands out, though, is the aji verde - their green sauce. It's bright, slightly spicy, and adds so much flavor to everything. I put it on the saltado, on the rice, and even on the bread. One small note - the soup felt watered down, which was a bit of a let down. Not a dealbreaker, but it used to be better. Service was friendly and attentive as well. Still, when I'm craving Peruvian comfort food in Torrance, El Pollo Inka is a good choice. read more

El Pollo Inka - Pollo saltado -- tender chicken, good portion size, and exactly what I was craving. - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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I'm really sad by the bad reviews. The food has always been good for us. Today I had the Pescado frito (delish) & my hubby had the Ají de Gallina with quinoa. He also ordered a specialty Peruvian drink (I'm sorry I don't know the name.) He really enjoyed it. Our server was pleasant, prompt, (didn't even write down our order, I guess he memorizes everything). We were also seated right away. This is our go-to spot for sit-down or take-home Peruvian food. read more

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The good: They had a live flute player which was super cool. He played popular current songs and wore native Peruvian clothing (I think). I got the seafood noodles and my husband got the half chicken. I like the cilantro chicken soup that accompanies all of the meals for free. I also tried their chicha morada and thought it was sweet and tasty. I liked the interior decor and decorative leather and carved wooden chairs. We got seated after about a 10 minute wait without reservations. The interior has larger tables that are good for large groups as well. I thought the prices were fair and the portions sizes were good. There were lots of menu options. The bad: The booths have really low walls so you're in close view of your neighboring diners. I generally don't mind this but my toddlers loved throwing stuff over the border and standing up to greet the neighbors in their personal space. There's no outdoor dining space. The interesting: I've been to their other location up the hill and would say the other one has a slightly fancier feel with a slightly larger space (because it has vaulted ceilings and both and indoor and outdoor eating area). The front lobby area has a lit up wall menu that looks like it could be for takeout orders. read more

El Pollo Inka - Inside - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

The food was amazing as always and at the restaurants vs the express locations you get the bread to eat along with your food which always is a huge bonus. Love those place the service was great as well the servers were very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend this restaurant. The smells of all the food keeps you hungry for the whole visit. ‍ read more

El Pollo Inka - Lomo Saltado and Chaufa de Camaron with Aji Verde 3oz - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

El pollo inka is an old reliable restaurant. My family & friends have gone to these restaurants for decades. I went a couple of weeks ago on a solo date. I got my usual pollo saltado and a Inca cola. It was very tasty. It could've used a little more chicken though. Their free bread & butter & sopa was delicious. The soup came in handy that rainy afternoon. read more

El Pollo Inka - Saltado de Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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The Good: Service and price. Huge servings I really wanted to like this restaurant as the service was good and the prices were very affordable ($14 for a plate of 1/2 a chicken with soup, salad and rice ( or fries if you want) but the food was ok at best. The Chicken had a nice crisp skin but the flavors are lacking. We also had the Lomo Saltado and the meat was hard and overcooked and again lacked flavor. It looked delicious and the servings are huge read more

El Pollo Inka - Lomo Saltado - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

Always excellent! Been going for years, love their food. Ordered catering for 30 dudes and they loved it. Ordering and pickup were easy. Staff very helpful. Reasonable price for catering. read more

Food was mediocre, beef was tough, rice was undercook. Service was acceptable. Used to be one of our favorite locations but now there are better choices. read more

El Pollo Inka - Chicken, rice and cilantro soup - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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This location is the worst! I don't like to write a bad review, but this has to be addressed. I was not too far from this establishment and decided I wanted something quick and easy and a pick up on my way home. I usually go to my PV's location because it's closer to my home. But figured since it's the same restaurant, this must be the same type of service and food since it's the same name. Was I wrong! I ordered a family whole chicken meal that comes with two sides and a soup. I get home and I get two tiny pieces of chicken instead of a whole chicken, packaged like it was somebody's leftover. I called to speak to a manager on a Saturday night. I cannot believe they have no manager on staff during weekend?!?! I speak to a guy named Rony, and he could careless that I have received the wrong order and tells me that I need to drive back there and show him my food and they will replaced it with the correct whole chicken. (It's a 20 minute drive to the Restaurant and another 20 minutes back). I asked nicely to have it delivered since it was there mistakes, ( It was late about eight so I did not have the time or the energy to drive back) and nope he says, they don't do delivery, so he gives me an email. So now I was given not even a half a meal for a full price dinner that I paid for to feed my family. This establishment really needs training and needs to have a manager on a weekends, they need a manger at all times. This cannot be their protocol of fixing their mistakes. I will never go to this location Ever again. The manager needs to contact me. I want a full refund. I received soggy fresh fries that was packaged in a plastic to go container, 2 tiny pieces of chicken, a salad, and 2 tiny cups of soup. Nothing like the way PV's location always packages. read more

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This place used to be good. Prices are too high now! What is hung on with kitchen? Too much read more

It was ok. Food tasted ok for me. But my husband loves that place. I love their soup but when i had it, it tasted different. Tasted like i was just water and some rice and veggies. read more

Ok, I ate inside soup a little cold, but the rest was delicious, the chicken was white, and my salad on the side with the house dressing

There are a number of things to love about this location: -Ample parking -Excellent and attentive service -A nice, welcoming atmosphere -Plenty of seating, especially for large groups -Good music on rotation that's not too loud -A well thought out menu with options for individual meals or family style sharing But, goodness. The food is so bland. This was my first time dining at any El Pollo Inka location. It's a local chain and popular with the family. Apparently, the restaurant has been around since I was in elementary school growing up in Los Angeles, but I had never heard of it. It's a Peruvian restaurant with an origin story about a family that immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Sounds like the family has poured everything -- their hearts and love -- into the restaurant. The most popular dish, from what I have heard is the Pollo a la Brasa, the Peruvian rotisserie chicken, which I very happily ordered. The dish was quite fresh, but the chicken had no noticeable flavor. I was shocked, because I hear that nearly 10 different herbs and spices are used to make this signature chicken. We also went with the calamari. Which was actually more flavorful and more interesting overall. It came with boiled potatoes, which were so bland and did not add anything at all, and marinated onions -- and a ton of them. The canario beans and rice, however, were absolutely delicious. I could have had a bowl of that and nothing else. And if I ever return, that may be all that I order -- though I am interested in a number of seafood dishes they offer. And I really enjoyed the bowl of soup provided at the start of (most) meals. So, not a good impression. And not eager to return. But I say give them at least once chance to interest you. read more

The service the day I went was top tier and the lighting is better then most el pollo Incas. The lomo saltado was great and the green soup was amazing.'n read more

El Pollo Inka - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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We arrived for a graduation dinner. We did not get any bread and the server did not bring the orders in a timely manner. She kept saying they're coming but in the end 2 orders came when everyone else finished eating . The last order never came so it was packaged to go. When we asked for the bread, she replied with it's normally served in the beginning. She then said she could bring it now, when everyone was done eating. The level of disrespect with her responses is just irresponsible .This place has definitely changed. I've been coming here as a kid with my parents. What a disgrace . The manager should be held accountable for such bad service. read more

Had a terrible experience at Pollo Inka. Our server didn't write anything down and still messed up simple instructions. We specifically asked for the salad on the side, and it still came out wrong. Parts of our order were incorrect, and we ended up fixing it ourselves because he didn't bother to help. What made it worse is he didn't say anything, no communication, no checking in. He just disappeared and basically hid the whole time came back like once for a water refill, thankfully. For a restaurant that wasn't even busy, everything was extremely delayed. We had to ask for basic things like to-go plates and asked another waiter for a bag because nothing was offered. The service came off as careless and unprofessional. Also never made a yelp or had one before, made one just because of that horrible experience lol. We still tipped, even though it definitely wasn't earned. Happy holidays. read more

The main reason I'm writing this review is because of service! Absolutely amazing, Maria was so kind to us and very accommodating with our 4 little ones. I had the shrimp saltado while my husband and brother ordered the lomo saltado and kiddos had the tallarin verde. Everything was good but service was excellent! read more

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The food was amazing, the service was excellent and the the atmosphere was very embracing read more

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We came here for my mother's birthday. Food was excellent, the music and ambience were amazing. What truly made our night memorable was our server Jerald. He and his Peruvian Twin brother provided the best service anyone could ask for. He was knowledgeable, attentive, funny and paid attention to detail. Thank you for such a great night out. read more

The food is ok but keep in mind, this is the express drive through so some items tend to get soggy. Service and price point is good for a quick lunch. Salad is precut and stored so the lettuce is brown by lunch time sometimes. Probably should inspect more frequently and toss those out. Photo here doesn't show the brown lettuce as well as my phone. read more

El Pollo Inka - Lettuce can be a lot fresher - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

Ordered delivery through DoorDash - food arrived promptly and was still warm. The ceviche pescado definitely needed to marinated in lemon or lime juice for another couple of hours - it smelled very fishy and the texture was very, very raw so we ended up adding more lemon juice and putting it back in the fridge for the next day. Aji salsa was delicious and had a kick to it, but it was the most flavorful item we received. The beef in the lomo saltado was on the tougher side, but still able to be chewed without hurting your jaw. I did ask for a medium rare cook but it was definitely well done LOL. Overall, the beef needed more soy sauce, tomato flavor, salt and pepper. Curious to try out their other dishes but this wasn't the best experience! Can't say much about ambience since I ordered for take out. read more

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4.8 star restroom Cleanliness: No stinky smell was present. Nice floral air freshener. No noticeable filth or trash on the floor. Above average restroom compared to others I've rated. Pretty clean overall. Privacy/Space: The room was spacious enough to fit a urinal and large stall for a toilet. The stall had a small enough gap between the door and wall so that someone cannot see in. Amenities: All essentials of a bathroom were provided(toilet, soap, and sink). In addition to those, the bathroom contained an ear deafening Xlerator hand dryer that ensured your hands were drier than the Sahara Desert and also a urinal. Unfortunately, the paper towel dispenser was empty but the seat coverings weren't. Extra comments: The sink spewed out scorching water straight from the depths of hell. The bathroom had two different light tones: white light in main area, warm light in stall. Overall: Very satisfied with the quality and vibe of the bathroom. Of course the food is legendary as always so it steals the show every visit. read more

Never did I think the best fried rice I'd ever have come out of a South Bay Peruvian chain. If I had to recommend anything out of their vast menu, it is HANDS DOWN the Chaufa de Pollo. It has gloriousssss amounts of chicken and somehow the fried rice as a whole is so so juicy. Don't ask me how. Just order it. Right now! read more

El Pollo Inka - Soup - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Tasty delicious and fresh. Service was good we got lucky and they had a live musician on a Friday evening. It was pleasant and enjoyable to hear and watch him play his flute and other instruments. Price was a little bit on the higher end but at least the taste of the food was scrumptious. Would go back for seconds. read more

The food here is delicious and very close to authentic meal. Relaxing music playing in the background and live music that you can listen to. All the workers there are very nice and attentive. Would recommend to try it out at least once. read more

It had been a hot minute since I'd been to El Pollo Inka. We used to go regularly but the quality started to go downhill, then the pandemic hit, and when we tried it again it was this weird "order at a counter" and then the service was non-existent, the live music disappeared, and the food became mediocre (chicken was dry, beef became chewy). Why did we decide to go back? I guess it was driving by the new El Pollo Inka Express that took over the KFC/Pizza Hut location made me think about the aji amarillo sauce (a little too much). I also missed a good rotisserie chicken and I used to enjoy the lomo saltado. I guess I figured if they were expanding, maybe they regrouped and figured it all out again. So, we went. They are back. Friendly service. Aji amarillo sauce in the squirt bottles. Juicy chicken at a reasonable price. Tender beef in the lomo saltado. They brought back the music. The musician was playing Christmas jingles on the pan flute. Campy but festive. Bottom line: I'll be back even if the music isn't. The tasty food was back. read more

Good prices and food portions. I really like their 2x1 Salchipapas that they have in Uber eats

Damm!!! The chicken is so good, but the service sucks. All the locations need help on this. I asked for a whole chicken and only gave me half a chicken. The restaurant was empty and not busy at all. How can you mess this up? I want my money back. You can always tell how a restaurant is ran by how clean the restrooms are. read more

Used to come here all the time when I was younger with my parents who loved their lomo saltado. Moved to riverside lately so haven't had chance to go often. I recommended this place to friends and we all went last week. THEY LOVED THE LOMO SALTADO, and the bread is still as good as I remember. Their chicken is freshly made and cooked in house and service is always great! read more

I usually get the saltado de pollo but I had a coupon for their col saltado de pollo which has cabbage instead of fries ( Sautéed onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage, served with garlic rice). The garlic rice tastes like just regular white rice. I also got a side of fries to add to the dish. The side of fries is huge and good for 2 people! But it was almost unedible as I got it to go, it was dried up and semi cold (maybe they prepared it before the dish because the dish itself was hot). I loved the con saltado de pollo. The crunch of the cabbage was a wonderful edition (not raw and not overly cooked, it was PERFECT). The legendary spicy aji green sauce was great as always, chicken I got well done which was great, cumin flavor, sauteeed tomatoes and onions were wonderful. Just a fantastic dish I will keep coming back for. Next time I will just opt to add the fries into the dish unless I'm eating there or picking up myself to make sure the fries are fresh. read more

El Pollo Inka - Side of fries. HUGE! But they were dry and cold so make sure its fresh before you leave to go. - Latin American Near Me - Torrance, California

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Every time I come to eat my favorite food I have to be sat with my go to server karina, she is always so sweet and makes my day every time !

Called in a catering order on Dec 10 for Lomo saltado for a party 2 days later and pre-paid. At pick up, I was told that they didn't have any record of my order. Had to show them my bank transaction that I had paid for an order. My order was finally was found - evidently it was my fault because I didn't say the magic word, "catering." The final insult was that they prepared tallarin saltado instead. Found after I got to the party. Called the restaurant and was told, 'nothing I can do for you." Just bad experience at every step- unhelpful, unreliable, underwhelming. Stay away! read more