I have not been here in a couple years but returned today for lunch. The lunch menu slightly changed and the full menu now includes some tapas. I ordered their new burger served with Rocoto mayo and fajita fries (a french fry tossed in fajita marinade). The burger was tender, juicy and flavorful. The Rocoto mayo added some zing to the burger. The fajita fries were tasty however I'd probably go for regular fries if I ordered again for the crispiness that these lacked. The food was good though. El Serrano's decor is nice. Although dimmer than I'd like inside, the restaurant has a true Spanish feel throughout from the furniture to lighting fixtures and architecture. The owners are Peruvian and thete menu does include a list of Peruvian classics available for order. Food was prepared quickly and service was decent. The server corrected an error on the check that was made. read more

el serrano is great. i love how beautiful it is inside. the chimichanga is always my go to but all the food is always great. staff has always been nice. overall great place to go! read more

The atmosphere is unique to the area and lavish. There is a lot of cool architectural features and artistic pieces around the dining room. I would say out of a $10-25 entree restaurants in the area this is one of the most interesting. They are known for their fresh food, great margaritas and sangria and lively atmosphere. We celebrated my mother's 60th birthday here, because we invited many friends from out of the area. We wanted to have the surprise party somewhere that was inviting and had great ambiance. We enjoy that the menu is both Peruvian and Mexican. We ordered the Lomito, Lomo Saltado, Fajita Salads, a fish special, fajitas, and the Bandito (spicy). Overall everyone enjoyed their food and had a wonderful time. Their courtyard is beautiful and is perfect for a small get together. I wish I would have requested our party of 10 sat outside. It is so perfect out there. They have tastings out there and events. I would love to attend. We took some photos in their beautiful courtyard and our visitors from out of town were impressed with the care given to the details in this restaurant. Come here for a lovely meal. Their chips and salsa are fresh and delicious and their service is always friendly. The only reason I can't give 5 stars is because the heavy wooden chairs are so uncomfortable and every surface in the building echos, so when it gets busy it is really loud. The tiles and hard surfaces make it hard to have a conversation or romantic date. appearance: 5/5 service: 5/5 food: 4/5 cleanliness: 5/5 chair comfort: 2/5 noise levels: 2/5 read more

El Serrano - Lomito-steak - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

My wife and I have been here several times in the past, however after today's lunch there I feel as if I should write a review. Our waitress, although polite, failed to visit our table to make sure our drinks were fine. We ended up visiting the bar together so my wife could refill her Diet Coke. She also failed to bring certain condiments to the table, which therefore made our appetizer go cold while waiting for her to return. I have a pollen and dust allergy. Unfortunately for me, I began sneezing because there was dust all over the booth, the lamp above us, and the photographs on the walls. It was, sadly, a disgusting environment. The food finally came, and I shortly found out that when ordering the chicken fajitas, the topple the skillet with onions rather than chicken. I had enough chicken to make only two fajitas. Overall, I give this place two stars. We've had positive experiences here, but after today's visit I'm not sure we will be returning. If management ends up reading this, please feel free to respond. I took three pictures of the dust to show management that my complaints merit themselves. read more

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Come here for a bachelorette dinner and everyone had a blast! Drinks were delicious and strong! Food was out of this world! By the end of the night we were well fed, satisfied and entertained by the live music. The food is authentic Latin American, not your typical over priced burritos or tacos in restaurants. - Complementary chip and salsa for the table woohoo!! Good, but nothing amazing. - I got the highly reviewed Chicken Lomo Saltado. Its a Peruvian grilled chicken with vegetables and french fries mixed in!! The french fries was a weird combo, but it works! This dish has a vinegary taste, which I thought balanced well with the savoriness. Good portions too, two of my friends had to take some leftovers home. - The drinks are great! Pomegranate margarita was strong! I barely taste the pomegranate. Sangarita was delicious, can barley taste the alcohol. - High recommend the ceviche!! Taste very similar to the ones I had in Peru, except not as spicy. - Dessert rum cake was better than I expected! Served warm! Great for sharing! Dislikes - - Fried ice cream was not fried, more like covered in crumble and topped with whipped cream. Would not get it again! - When brought the check, waitress insisted that I got the sangarita, when I know I ordered a margarita. It was fine because its the same price. The restaurant's architecture is gorgeous inside and out! Would definitely come back again for date night or girl's night or birthday! Be sure to sign up for their loyalty club on the website and receive $10 off coupon!!! read more

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After riding the back roads of Lancaster buying everything from fresh eggs to jam to corn on the cob, to just-picked watermelon, it was time for a complete change of pace - so why not go to a Peruvian Restaurant for lunch ! As noted by other reviewers, the place is both gigantic and beautiful. It was a Saturday afternoon and they only serve the dinner menu on weekends. We were not familiar with Peruvian food and asked our very helpful and fun sever what her recommendations would be from that side of the menu. (The other/bigger portion of the menu is on the Mexican side.) She picked 2 entrees for us. The first was Lomo Saltado, which were strips of beef tenderloin grilled Peruvian style with red onions, french fries and tomatoes, served with white rice. This had a very good flavor but was a little odd with the soggy French fries that were cooked/served with the beef. The 2nd entrée (Tacu Tacu) was very very good and consisted of grilled rice and beans, mixed with egg and Pico de Gallo. I had it topped with grilled, marinated chicken breast. So if you're looking for a change of scenery, give it a try. I know we'll be back. With the above, 2 beers, tax and tip, the bill came to around $55.00 read more

Amazing food but even better service. Sooooo accommodating and just great people.we got there 15 min before closing and they made it all work! read more

Food and drinks are mediocre, flavorless, and overpriced. Don't be fooled by the reviews - obviously not written by anyone who dined here.

This is definitely one of my go to's! I have never had a bad thing to eat or drink from here. The Ambiance gives you an ole world Spanish feel, if you havent been here, definitely worth checking out!! read more

The best Mexican restaurant in all Lancaster. I would even say that this is definately one of the top 10 restaurants in Lancaster! Great food, friendly prompt service, lovely atmousphere. Nice bar & drinks too. We always hit this place at least once per visit to Lancaster. read more

El Serrano - outside nighttime pic - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I have been coming here for over 10 years i worked here for about 6 months in my early 20s and still i can say it such a clean place, very family oriented , family atmosphere, the owner and the daughter are usually there making sure the place is ran very well. They come to your table to make sure you're okay. The desserts are to die for specially the fried ice cream that is done there fresh every day. Chips and salsa freshly made there and i promise you will never have nothing better than it. Pollo a la parrilla is so good! Over all an amazing place to come check out! read more

El Serrano - Tacu Tacu - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Absolutely excellent atmosphere and food. Will be back again and again. Dining room is loud but still private at tables. read more

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Was recommended this place by a friend, and was not disappointed! I love the authenticity of the food, true to the culture.

Excellent food and ambiance. Had a birthday celebration with 12 people and they did a great job with service and the food was superb.

It is said that you can predict the quality of a restaurants food by the quality of the bread that they first bring to your table. In this case, it was tortilla chips and they were shockingly mediocre. This was a bad sign, but considering the impressive ambience of the place, I was hoping it was just a misguided cost-cutting measure. Unfortunately, the food that followed was equally disappointing. I ordered the shredded chicken quesadillas of which there were four of them with a smattering of salad but no sauce to dip them in., no guacamole, no sour cream. They were no better than Taco Bell's and at twice the price! My wife had a similar experience with her order of shrimp quesadillas. We each ate two quesadillas and requested two boxes for the remaining four. While driving home, we decided to stop at a gas station to discard them as they were stinking up the car's interior. As I jammed the boxes into a trash receptacle, I felt eminently satisfied that they had found their rightful place. read more

Called for take out on a Thursday evening and as told 30 minutes. My husband got there at 30 minutes and was told the food was not ready, he had to wait another 30 minutes. This is unexceptable - the girl basically told him in house dining is priority over take out. If this is the case you should not offer take out. I gave a 2 because the food was good. I realize it's tough times but never should you have to wait an additional 30 minutes for take out. read more

I would give the food a 3.0-3.5, but the actual restaurant has a spacious, great feel that i'd give the overall experience a 4. We were there for lunch. They start you off with complimentary chips and salsa, which is a nice touch. I got the chimichanga (w/ ground beef) and my date ordered the Lomo Saltado (beef tenderloin tips). The food was pretty good, especially for not being in a major city (I'm use to the great restaurants of Philadelphia). We had the flan, which is homemade and I'd recommend getting if you like flan (has a light caramel taste). I would definitely come back again when back in Lancaster county. Very close to the Tanger Outlets and movie theatre :) read more

This was my second time and it was just as good as the last time! My friends and I listed to the live performer in the lounge until our table was ready. We enjoyed sangaritas and a strawberry daiquiri. When we got to our table our server brought us chips and salsa which we asked for some queso, which was very mild. We were pleasantly surprised when out good came out quickly. Definitely returning! read more

El Serrano - Los Burros with chicken - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

So I would like to say the food was good but I was denied carry out service. Yes they have carry out but not on holidays. They do NOT advise of this issue on their website nor do they answer the phone, they are too busy serving their in house customers??. And parking is always a mess. WILL NOT go back, too many other nice restaurants in Lancaster with better service and good food read more

Ambiance, cocktails and service is great. Food is not authentic or fresh. It's extremely bland and nothing appears to be made from scratch. The price of the meals is not worth the freezer bag vegetables you are served. Add some fresher ingredients and some spice please! read more

Ok now we are officially done with this place. Back when I was a young rumspringa this place had it going on. Great food,drinks, and service. Now this place is horrible. The chips are stale so is the other food. There is no consistency to anything. It's a total waste of hard earned money,also they have a broke down car in the parking lot beside the dumpster. Gone are the days when this place was glorious, I can't see it making it to long producing a shit product like this. read more

Very nice Latin find in Lancaster, PA. The salsa that came with our meal was very fresh, and very flavorful. I ordered the Lomo Saltado with beef. It was quite frankly the best meal that I have had in weeks. The seasoning brought this dish so much life (I definitely detected some cumin). I was so excited for every bite. The next time I come to Lancaster, I will return for this dish. My wife had the Pollo Fundido. It was good, not great. I had to try and conceal my enjoyment while eating my ridiculously awesome plato de comida. The service was great, everyone was very friendly. The restaurant itself was gorgeous both inside and out. There was also some live music which was nice. When they went to the canned music, it was too loud. That was my only real complaint. Come to El Serrano, and have a nice night out! read more

El Serrano - Music was a little loud...only complaint. - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I am on a business trip to Lancaster, PA. My coworker and I stopped here for lunch. Overall, the food was decent. I found it odd that the guacamole was priced at "market price" and the market price for avocado, onion, tomato and some spices can't vary all that much. I enjoyed my Minichanga. My coworker ordered a side of beans and received a huge bowl. That was a little excessive. He also requested sour cream that was never brought out to him. I wish they hadn't set us at the first table you saw after you walked in the restaurant. Every time anyone entered or exited, we "enjoyed" an extended rush of freezing air from outside. I would not recommend this restaurant to any friends visiting Lancaster. But it wasn't so bad that I would actively avoid it, either. read more

El Serrano - Latin American Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

My wife and I have been fans of El Serrano for over 10 years, and have never had a poor meal there. There's everyone else...El Rodeo,Carlos and Charlies, LaBorimex...and then there's El Serrano. The gold standard of Mexican in Lancaster. FWIW, La Borimex is great, in its own way. But, El Serrano is the one that keeps the bar raised high. Reasons? 1. Atmosphere: Great. Live music on weekends, authentic feeling villa-esque building, beautiful atmosphere. The real deal...not just some building gussied up to look Mexican. 2.Chips and Salsa: Salsa defies all categorization. It's amazing. Bummer is that they now charge $2 for refills. I'd love to get a copy of the recipe! 3. Comidas: The food is exceptional. Favorites include El Ranchero combo($15), El Gordo ($18), and Lomo Saltado (although my wife got a headache afterwards...too much on the saltado, perhaps). Everything is flavorful, outstanding. Menu has a wonderful variety. 4.Service: Waiters and waitresses are usually attentive, pleasant, observant. Never hadaproblem with mixed-up orders,long waits for food, or hostile service staff.Very good! Lunch is also a great time to come, especially as many nights (Friday and Saturday) are guaranteed to be packed with long waits. They are now shutting down between 2 PM-5PM many afternoons,so call before going between those hours. On this Tuesday night, we were seated immediately (for 2), but business was steady. El Serrano will, for us, be the special night out for Mexican. Sure, we will hit the other places, but it will take a whole new contender to somehow dethrone the champ! read more

My food was good and the ambiance is really nice. However my girlfriend got sick from her meal and is still currently throwing up the following day. Service was okay. Overall would say the prices are a little high for the portion size you get. Probably will be awhile till I return. read more

After our bad experience trying to get El Serrano takeout on 1/8/22 we had decided to never eat there again. But the next day the owner's daughter reached out to me through private message to apologize to me and to offer an explanation for what went wrong. She took full responsibility for the issues and offered me a gift card comparable to the cost of a full meal for our family. In this day and age when most companies don't care about one customer's bad experience I was very impressed that El Serrano reached out to me personally. I will be going back and will continue to drive from Maryland not only for the great food but also to support a company that cares about each of their customers. read more

Romantic atmosphere. Great food. Yummy margaritas. Serrano has been my favorite Mexican restaurant for longer than I care to admit. The food is always delicious and the service is great, too. I always go for a margarita to drink. I've tried almost all of them and can safely say that the original is the best...the fresh and dirty is pretty good, too. The best meal there is the pollo fundido...chicken and cheese in a flour tortilla - deep fried then covered in cheese sauce - OMG! read more

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I was told about El Serrano by a co-worker. I am originally from NY and love me some Spanish cuisine Colombian, Peruvian, México etc.. This place iss said to be Peruvian but the menu screams Mexico. Lets start with the appetizer I wanted papá a la huacaina but the waiter stated they were out, fine, we ordered empanadas and guac, our waiter never wrote anything down and he forgot our empanadas, the guac was decent. I ordered fajitas for entree and what I received was a sizzling pile of onions with 4 very tiny strips of chicken.. my daughter order a taco an was given a tortilla with ground meat.. the food was very bland ... the waiter forgot our refills, never checked to make sure things were ok... overall just a bad experience. Will not be returning any time soon. read more

We went to eat on May 5th 2018 for our anniversary. It was so loud we couldn't even hear each other talk. The music was extremely loud & a table of about 10 were in the same area which they were so disrespectful and didn't care about the other tables around them. Yes it was Cinco de mayo but my gosh there is a time and place to have the music cranked up and party.. When people go out to eat and are in the same room as other paying guest that are celebrating a event they should show respect. I was not the only table that up and left early because of the loud music & that table. read more

I used to come here all the time a long time ago and I decided to come back with my boyfriend to show him how good it was. The service and the food were horrible. It took over 10 minuets for us to even be greeted and even longer to get waters. It was a Monday night and not busy, so I would expect the service to be much better. The tortilla chips are cold & bright red (have zero taste); store bought tortilla chips are way better or even if you went to a cheaper place like Qdoba or Chipotle. My boyfriend got the enchiladas and they were just okay, I got the shrimp fajitas and the only thing good was the grilled shrimp and the onions. Overall, I was extremely disappointed and I will not be coming back. I'll save my money and go to Qdoba or Chipotle instead. read more

I have been coming here for years and have always enjoyed the food and the ambiance! The restaurant is GORGEOUS! Where else can you get authentic Spanish/Peruvian food in the area? And the margaritas are fabulous! I was going to get fajitas on this particular trip when my husband pointed out to me that one of their specialties is the lomo saltado which I have only found when traveling or have made myself. How could I have come here so many times and have overlooked this? The dish was wonderful! The beef was super tender and I love tomatoes and onions stir fried. The rice and the french fries added a level of "comfort" to this dish. The flavors were off the charts! I was hoping to take some home for the next day but gobbled it all up in one sitting. I like that they also give you complimentary chips and salsa. They even gave us a second basket while we enjoyed our margaritas. Friday's and Saturdays and every other Sunday Dante plays his guitar in their lounge and the music pipes through the entire restaurant. It definitely adds to the ambiance here. Its no doubt that this place is a gem and I will continue to come here and hopefully try some other wonderful dishes I have been overlooking all this time! read more

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Ok... Let me tell you this....the taco salad bowls might as well have had a "made in China" sticker stamped on the side of it. Definitely, by far the worst taco salad bowl I've ever encountered in ANY restaurant before. Looked pre-pressed in a factory somewhere, I couldn't believe it when it came out to our table. It was very tiny too. From what I remember back in the day...El Serrano always had these epic taco salads with house made tortilla bowls. What happened? Its just like when they removed my favorite meal item from the menu...the Tostadas... That's why I stopped going there in the first place. Here it is 10+ years later...first time back...lousy meal. I honestly expected better. Looking at the other reviews... for something good, just order anything but the taco salad. There's better mexican food options on the York County side of the river than this place. read more

Our meal was decent, very large portions while not creative it was fresh. The main reason for this review is that the owners now only serve their own label of wine and beer. The two of us each had a glass of red wine (two different wines) and they were extremely inferior. We asked our server about bringing a bottle of wine , which you can do for a corkage fee ($8.95). With average food and below average wine this restaurant isn't that appealing anymore. read more

This is my must go restaurant when i am in town. The service is always great regardless of how crowed they are. There is typically live music played from the bar and i have yet to have a bad meal there. I am glad someone recommended this place to me a few years ago. read more

We have been historic (Pre-Covid) patrons for years and decided a return was in order. Still enjoy the atmosphere and the service has always been quite good. Sadly, however, the cuisine has tanked! At least based on yesterdays experience. Ordered a vegetarian fajitas which was served with the usual sides. Surprised when the sizzling skillet of veggies also included a sizable portion (1/3) of greasy FRENCH FRIES! (not menu listed). The warm side of refried beans & rice was room temp cold. Salsa & chz side was fine. After extracting the fries, our waiter stated "creative license" by the chef and kindly fetched more hot veggies. The Mrs ordered Chuletas de Puerco. (2) marinated pork steaks were tough, tasteless and served with an inedible slice of raw pineapple. Side rice was cool & unadorned. The circulating manager blew by quickly and provided no chance fir us to respond...maybe she was tired of the customer comments!? Service was excellent but doubt we'll be back anytime soon. Perhaps under better kitchen management & staffing. El Serrano used to be the go-to Tex/Mex restaurant...at least for us. read more

Is there anything not to like about this place? Here's the quick and dirty: margaritas, homemade salsa, and delicious Peruvian food. El Serrano might be my favorite restaurant outside downtown in Lancaster. It's a classy place with delicious food and drinks. They've innovated some of their space to open a tapas restaurant (separate from downstairs) and a fine dining restaurant within the same building, but their original setup is quite good as is. Like I said, margaritas are where it's at as far as drinks go. "The Original" is my favorite and what I recommend to any "first timers." Now, back to the salsa. They serve complimentary chips and salsa on the table, but their salsa is homemade and is a ridiculously good recipe. You only get 1 or 2 servings complimentary because it's so good and you can buy it "to go" if you want to take some home. As far as the rest of the menu, I've tried many dishes and haven't run into one I didn't like. They separate out the vegetarian entrees, which is always a plus in my book. Recently, I've tried the tacu tacu, the salmon, and the crab quesadilla. Like I said, they're all delicious. Also, the food is very reasonably priced for the quality and atmosphere of the restaurant. If this place isn't already in your regular rotation of restaurants, it should be. read more

I've been here twice now and I've been super impressed both times. First, the margaritas are amazing. Coming from someone who doesn't like tequila, theirs are so good I have at least two when I go. Second, the chips and salsa are great! They have a spicier salsa verde or something, which was a little too much of a kick for me, but if you're into something like that just ask for the "spicy salsa." Now the entrees.. I've never had more flavorful food. EVER. it's seriously so good. This last time I went, everyone at our table raved about the food. If you've been wanting to try this place, definitely do it. Our wait staff tonight was great. And I've never waited longer than 15 mins, but I can see how when it's busy, you might be waiting for longer. read more

This was my first experience with Peruvian food, in Lancaster of all places. A group of 10+ of us were staying in the area and this place was recommended as it could hold a large party like us. I made a reservation that morning and they had no problem accommodating us on reasonably short notice. The food pleased everyone in the group. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, initially wanting to go for something that came with rice & beans, but was persuaded by friends & the waiter to stick with the more traditional entree, which came with french fries. Everyone was right - the entree was delicious. The chicken, as expected, was incredibly well-seasoned and tender. The sauteed veggies & french fries were a nice touch. The restaurant is huge and there were many large parties there. We were kind of awkwardly squeezed into a space with a long table that was on an angle, which made it hard for our server to navigate around the table. Speaking of the server, despite seeming incredibly young and inexperienced, he handled our large group very well and even dealt with the dreaded separate check issue without any complaint. read more

Amazing restaurant, always seems to be busy when my fiancé and I go but only because it is so good! Great food, very friendly staff and always on top of things. We both are always satisfied with our food! read more

This is a fantastic find in Lancaster! We came in here after spending a loooong day at Dutch Wonderland, amidst the hordes of unleashed rug monkeys. So the adults among our group were seeking food that wasn't hot-dog-related at a place that served alcohol. Yay, El Serrano! So the menu is a nice mix of Mex-American fare and Peruvian dishes. We started off with the tilapia ceviche and the Super Nachos (try and find that combo in DC!). Both were excellent. For dinner, we ended up with the salmon serrano, the lomo saltado, and chicken in enchilada, fajita, quesadilla, and finger form. The salmon serrano was delicious, as was the lomo saltado. Surprisingly, the chicken dishes were also outstanding - including the chicken fingers! The chicken fajitas in particular were tasty, tender, and not at all dried out or chewy. They also make a mean manhattan and mojito (well, three mojitos). Desserts are delicious, and bad enough for you that you should probably share them. Yes, I'm talking to you, fatty. The place is enormous but seemed to be getting full by the time we left (about 7:30 pm on Saturday) - we didn't stop to check out the other restaurant that occupies the rest of the building (it appears to be a tapas place). Note that while it looks fairly upscale, they are excellent with kids and there were quite a few in there (including our two) making noise and having fun. But the way the place is laid out will isolate your group well, which is good if you're either a source of noise or trying to avoid it. read more