Had to stop in for scans and imaging at the nearby UCLA medical center in Torrance. In…read morepreparation for today, I didn't eat anything for the previous 24 hours. Everything went great, and I came out into the hot sun around 1pm. I was STARVING. Ended up having a craving for Lomo Saltado. I've been to other Inka locations around L.A. County. But this one in Carson was closest to UCLA. 7 minute drive. I LOVED EVERYTHING about this place! The Lomo Saltado was amazing and plentiful. Served fast, hot and so fresh. The chicken soup and bread came out beforehand. Also so good. I want to also HIGHLIGHT the SERVICE! If you're dining in, please know that you can just sit down at a table, and you'll get service. It wasn't totally clear to me, because when you walk in, there's the cash register and counter, with lots of people picking up orders. Come try!

This location is 10xs better then the Gardena location. Food just taste way more fresh and cook to…read moreordered compared to the other location. Will definitely come back and refer people to this spot. The shrimp soup and chicken and steak Saltado is straight fire. Got my order quick just make sure you call ahead cause it can take about 20min-30min sometimes to get your food.

We ordered ahead for pickup, and when I arrived, the service was quick and the hostess was nice and…read moreattentive. The food was delicious; fresh, comforting, and with that homemade sabor you can't fake. We tried a bevy of pupusas: revueltas, frijoles con queso, and queso con calabacita. The masa was perfectly cooked--crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy inside--and each filling was generous and satisfying. The curtido and salsa were good, though me hubiera gustado un poquito más de sabor y picante to really make them pop. Overall, an excelente spot for some bomb Salvadoran food. If you're craving pupusas, este lugar no falla.

The food was too greasy and overpowering of cheese, wanted to like it but it made me feel sickread more

Still delicious after all these year! We stopped by the bakery on Easter Morning. Got a selection…read moreof baked goods and tamales. Employees are helpful. When I was lost and confused since a lot of tags were missing and I didnt recognize all the pastries they helped us identify a bunch of them. Lol, I realized later their website also lists a lot of them. The slice of cheese cake was delicious, great texture and flavor. I also love the mexican biscuits, Bought one to make breakfast sandwiches. It's savory and delicious (also huge). We got mexican tamales but next time I must get the guatemalan ones! Definitely Will be going back for more. Highly recommend La Esperanza.

Sunday morning I picked up a few assorted conchas for breakfast, and this place definitely…read moredelivered. The bakery is tucked into a small strip mall, and while it was buzzing with people inside, I'll admit I felt a bit intimidated approaching--there were two men outside staring, and I wasn't sure if they were customers or just loitering. Once inside though, it was a completely different vibe. The place was busy, with lots of people grabbing pastries, and the energy felt lively and welcoming. The conchas were fresh, soft, and had just the right amount of sweetness--you can tell they're made with care. Prices were very affordable, which made it even better. Even with the crowd, the service moved pretty efficiently. Overall, great pastries and worth the stop--just wish the outside experience felt a bit more comfortable. Next time I'll come earlier to hopefully grab conchas fresh out of the oven, and maybe give the tamales or chilaquiles a try.

My son and I drove 30 miles to try this place. We go there and it was packed, so that was a great…read moresign. My Seco de Carne was incredible, but my son's Chaufa de Mariscos was a bit of a letdown. I think they made a mistake and brought us Arroz con Mariscos instead. Service and atmosphere are great. We will definitely be back to make sure the chaufa is as good as everything else!

After having a bad experience at another Peruvian restaurant near by. I really enjoyed my food…read morequality, ambiance and customer service. The food was served super quick and no long wait times. Will definitely be back!

I was overdue for another visit at Madre. I kept thinking about mole three times during the week…read morethat's when I know. Seating: usually like to decide beforehand if I want to sit on the patio or inside. Most of the time, I prefer the patio, and that's what we ended up with. Service: Staff immediately offered the heater, which I readily agreed to. Two people spoke and helped us out outside of the waitress, meaning they were constantly checking in on us. This checks out similar to the service I received last time I was here. Food: We had nachos. I had mole and the chido way cocktail. My boyfriend had dark Mexican lager and cochinitta pork dish. I was really happy with our The food was excellent, and my cocktail was truly exceptional. It was on par with some of the best fancy cocktail bars I've visited, yet prices were more reasonable, typical of a restaurant. The mezcal was smoky and delicious. I also noticed that most of their cocktails are tequila and mezcal based. You should get a cocktail if it's your first visit. Vibes: It's always loud, especially at its peak on a Saturday evening. I can overhear bits and pieces of conversations from three tables next to me, but somehow it all fits perfectly. Suddenly, a live mariachi band started playing an emotional Ballad. It's always cool when I run into live music when I'm here. I like it here! Wanted to let you know that they seem to have slightly increased the prices vs the menu? It wasn't updated on the menu, but for example my Mole Negro was $1.50 higher at checkout mentioning so others are aware.

We went to Madre on a Sunday. It wasn't really planned, but we were walking in Old Torrance, saw…read morethe place and decided to go in and try it out. We weren't really starving, just wanted to check the vibes, try the food and see how it was. Unfortunately, things just weren't how we were expecting. We love mexican food and we are used to the food trucks that we can find everywhere in LA. I used to have tacos from the taco truck across the street from me when I lived in San Pedro and they were just perfect, simple and on point. I think I had that idea when I ordered the taco, but it wasn't really what I expected. It was bigger and looked beautiful, but the amount of spice was extremely high, which didn't even let me taste the flavor. And on top of it, the salt felt off too. Too much spice, not enough salt. My fiance ordered tamales, and the mole was more on the chocolate side than anything. The flavors just didn't match. Service wise we have nothing to complain about. They were nice and helpful! It's just the food that wasn't good for us.

Right across the street from UCLA Harbor Medical Center. First time eating there, staff is super…read morefriendly, prices are affordable. Ordered the desayunos (breakfast plates), they were super delicious! Tortillas are excellent! The horchata was okay, a little too sweet for my taste. I personally like the taste of all the spices in the Salvadorian Horchata, the sugar was over powering. We also ordered some pupusas revueltas to go. Those were okay, not bad, but not the best. The curtido was more like a coleslaw. It needed more time to pickle and much more spices. I didn't taste the oregano at all or pepper. The red sauce that typically comes with the pupusas tastes like canned tomato sauce. Very vinegar-y.

La peor experiencia hoy en este lugar. No puedo opinar sobre la comida, pero el servicio me dejó…read moremuy insatisfecha, por decir lo menos. He ido a este lugar muchas veces y en varias ocasiones he tenido malas experiencias, pero hoy se superaron a sí mismos. ¡Incluso mi iglesia celebró allí la fiesta de Navidad de los líderes durante dos años seguidos! ¡Nunca más! Llamé a las 11 de la mañana para pedir yuca sancochada con salsa y curtido para recoger a las 11:30. Pregunté el precio y aclaré que solo quería salsa y curtido, sin chicharrón. Llegué al restaurante a las 11:45 y todavía me hicieron esperar 30 minutos. ¡Ni una disculpa por las molestias! La mesera dijo que el pedido no estaba listo y mintió diciendo que ella no había tomado mi pedido, que la chica que lo tomó ya se había ido. ¡Qué descarada! Si vas a mentir, hazlo bien y deja de llamar a la gente "linda", "mi amor", "corazón". Era la misma chica mintiéndome descaradamente. Finalmente me entregó la comida y era solo yuca sancochada. Quería cobrarme un dólar extra por el curtido y la salsa diciendo que la yuca se sirve asi. ¿Cuántos salvadoreños conoces que coman yuca sola? Le dije que habían perdido una clienta, a lo que respondió: "Haz lo que quieras, no voy a discutir contigo". ¡Qué asco! ¡Me da mucha rabia la falta de profesionalismo de esa mujer! ¡Nunca más mientras ella esté allí! The worst experience today at this place. I cant talk about their food, but their service leaves me dissatisfied to say the least. I have been to this place many times and many times I have had a bad experience but they outdid themselves today. My church even celebrated our leadership christmas party there two years in a row $$$!. No more! I called to place my order for yuca sancochada con salsa y curtido at 11am for pick up at 11:30am . I asked for the price and clarified i only wanted salsa y curtido, no chicharron. I got to the restaurant to pick up my order at 11:45am and they still had me wait 30 min. No apology or anything for the inconvenience! The server said the order wasn't in and lied saying she didnt take my order, the girl who took the order left already. Girl! You want to play that game, play it right and stop calling people linda, mi amor, corazón no! It was the same girl lying straight to my face. She finally gives me my food and it is plain yuca sancochada. She wanted to charge me an extra dollar for curtido y salsa. How many salvadoreans do you know eat plain yuca?? I let her know they had lost a customer to which she answer do as you wish, Im not going to argue with you. Ugh! Im discussed by that women's lack of professionalism! Never again while she's there!

We ordered the pollo saltado and the lomo saltado, and for me this is straight comfort food…read more 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.

The food was amazing as always and at the restaurants vs the express locations you get the bread to…read moreeat 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. ‍

I ordered the chicken arepa, but it honestly felt more like a chicken burrito and I'm not…read morecomplaining! It was so delicious that I ended up finishing the whole thing. The owner was very nice and took the time to tell me about the menu and his Colombian background. I came on a quiet weekday, and if no one is at the counter, make sure to ring the bell next to the cash register. I'm looking forward to coming back to try the smoothies and some empanadas. It seems like a small husband-and-wife operation, and everything is made to order. There's also plenty of seating available in the food court.

My husband and I were excited to try a local place for Arepas. We arrived at 6:30 pm on a Tuesday…read moreand it looked closed. There was another couple looking at the menu. Yelp states they close at 7pm

Stopped at this location after our concert. No wait time to get seated. Sat down and ordered some…read morefood and beverages. Received our food in a timely manner. Food and Service was good. We really wanted to hear some latin music while we eat. We were dissapointed since the dj or live band was set to start late. It was already 1030pm, no music to vibe too. Just to give you a heads up, there are two locations. Long Beach and Costa Mesa. The one in Costa Mesa displays shows like Flocorica dancing and live latin bands. Long Beach, not so much Overall, the food, service and latin ambience was great. I would comeback and try again.

If you want good paella, do not come here…read more This was honestly the worst paella I've ever had, which was really disappointing because the restaurant itself had a nice atmosphere and live music. We ordered a half seafood and half meat paella, with added lobster and pork belly. Unfortunately, the actual food was terrible. Main issues: * The bottom of the seafood side was completely black and burnt instead of having a crispy socarrat. There's a huge difference between crispy rice and burnt rice. * The lobster was severely overcooked, burnt, and tasted terrible. * The pork belly was an extra charge, but there was barely any visible pork belly in the dish. It honestly just looked like tiny bacon pieces. * All of the meat throughout the paella was severely overcooked. Positives: * Our waiter was very nice. * The ambiance was good. * The live music added a fun vibe. * It was my birthday, so they gave me a complimentary ice cream dessert at the end, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, none of that made up for how bad the paella itself was.

I met my son for drinks and appetizers here, and let me tell you--the service was amazing. The…read moreambiance was nice, the drinks were great... but the appetizers just didn't quite hit the mark. One of those places where everything starts off strong--you just wish the food matched the rest of the experience.

I visited Frida at Del Amo Mall for a birthday celebration. We were seated at a round table with…read moreplenty of space between us, which made for a comfortable setup. I've been to other Frida locations, such as the one in Glendale, and the food here is decent. Think of it as a slightly pricier, upscale El Torito. The guac is served in a clay pot, though they don't make it tableside like El Torito does. Overall, the food is okay, though not particularly memorable - I probably wouldn't come this location again, given the many Mexican restaurants nearby. That said, it's a fun place for celebrations (beside some safety concerns, keep reading); they do offer a free slice of cake with a candle that shoots fireworks, which is a nice touch for birthdays. The main issue for me, and the reason I cannot give a higher rating, was the customer service and safety. While we were comfortably seated, a server accidentally burned my fingers while carrying a hot plate of sizzling fajitas. I understand serving hot dishes can be challenging, but he was carrying one plate in each hand, and one of them was a cast-iron sizzling plate with hot oil. The oil splashed on my hand, causing a burn that immediately turned my skin pink. What concerned me most was how the situation was handled. I had to track down the floor manager to report the incident, and the response was not proactive or apologetic. The manager even made a sarcastic comment about whether he should call an ambulance. This left me feeling that proper training on handling hot plates and customer service may be lacking. As I mentioned, it is a competitive market and neighborhood for good Mexican restaurants, and given their poor quality in service and safety, you can be sure I will never return to eat here. I share this not to be harsh, but as constructive feedback. The food itself is fine, and the setting works for celebrations, but safety and respectful, professional service should come first, especially in a busy restaurant environment.