Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Inka Mama's

    4.0 (585 reviews)
    ModeratePeruvian
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Inka Mama's Takeout or Delivery

    Inka Mama's Peruvian Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    INKA MAMA'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Inka Mama's

    Recommended Reviews - Inka Mama's

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    House Salad
    Joshua T.

    Arrived for dinner during OC Restaurant week on a Wednesday night and were seated immediately. There was only 1 or 2 another parties there at the time, with 2 or so coming in during our dinner. The servers were very nice and accommodating. We opted for two of their Dinner for $45 options. The salad wasn't bad, but it also wasn't exciting. The dressing had an interesting tartness to it. The empanadas were very good, although I would stick to the chicken if you don't like olives because the beef has a very strong olive flavor. They also came with a tart sauce. The saltado was good, but the chicken momma scampi stole the show. The chicken was perfectly lightly breaded and the sauce on the noodles was so good! The flan was good for desert and the lucuma ice cream was surprisingly delicious. We also poured the sauce from the flan on to the ice cream and it was great!

    Chicken Empanadas (YUM)
    Alan P.

    Craving Peruvian fare New Year's Eve and San Clemente location was closed.... Thankfully, the restaurant in Aliso Viejo was firing on all cylinders! Followed waitress recommendations for Chicken Empanadas and Pisco Sours (original) both happy hour specials for Tuesday's. Pisco Sours (Peruvian "margarita" using Pisco instead of tequila) were on point for me, slightly sour for my wife's pallet. Okay, so the Chicken Empanadas arrived hot, perhaps the best I've ever tasted, with tender chicken seasoned to perfection, Peruvian olive, hard boiled egg slice, and DELICIOUSNESS. We split an order of Loma Saltado, which did not disappoint and left with an order of melt in your mouth Alfajores (small cookies with dulce de leche inside).

    Sandy B.

    Friendly service to help guide your choices. Located on the corner of a large shopping center. Authentic cuisine. Be sure to try the plantains. Good sized portions.

    Salteado Mix + platano
    Jean Luc M.

    Food was outstanding. Service was great. Good vibe in the restaurant. Would definitely recommend!

    The house salad with a great simple oil and vinegar dressing!
    Ali A.

    I love this place! I usually get the same stuff saltado de vegetales or arroz con pollo, with their house salad ( great simple oil and vinegar dressing). Both entrees have so much flavor!! But this time I ventured out!! We tried the chicken and beef empanadas, delicious! Causa with shrimp, it's really good. Imagine creamy shrimp cut in nice small pieces mixed with peas, carrots and red onions layered between 2 potato pillows and covered in a mild yellow pepper sauce. It's enough for two people to share as an appetizer. The Yucca HUANCAINA so crunchy and good also comes with the yellow pepper sauce that I can't get enough of, soooo yummy!! Service is always great and they have a lot of tables outside, perfect for summer dining!!

    Chicken Empanadas & Tallarin Verde Bistek
    Alex M.

    Was craving something a little different. Noodles were so creamy and buttery. Empanadas were good but I'm not a big fan of olives.

    Jamie A.

    Inka Mama's for dinner last night was delicious! The flavors were so fresh and the chicken was incredible. We opted for the rottisserie special $18.99 which comes with half chicken and two sides. Since we shared this we chose double rice and added their half off happy hour chicharon con pollo (this was soooo flavorful and perfectly crisped! Paired perfectly with the red onions on top). I also got their Saturday happy hour special sangria which was alright. I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 as the service was friendly but felt overly attentive since the hostesses kept checking in every few minutes - this made me feel like I was being rushed and nagged despite there only being two other parties seated inside. Indoor seating is ample and there is a ton of outdoor tables as well for you to enjoy the fresh air. Would come back for sure

    Chicken Causa
    Amy L.

    I really enjoyed this place! The service was super nice (shout out to Victor for answering all our questions), the ambiance was cozy, and food was great! Every table comes with some complimentary bread and butter. Then we also get the beloved green sauce (sauce of the gods) aka aji, Peruvian spicy green sauce. What we ordered: Chicken causa ($15.70) - we wanted to try something new and thought this looked interesting. It was really good.. kinda reminded me of chicken pot pie combined with an egg salad. It was delicious! I put some on top of the bread and put some green sauce and omg even true comfort! Arroz con Mariscos - another favorite dish full of flavor and sprinkles of seafood! So good. I would definitely order this again. Beef saltado - I thought this one was just okay because I have eaten at other restaurants with better versions of this (maybe because the other places were a bit more saucy). I will say though, the rice was so good! Seems like they cook it in chicken broth because it was so flavorful!! Brazil beer - can't remember the spelling of the second part of the beer name but this served in a cold glass was absolute delight. So refreshing and a good lager indeed. Lastly... aji sauce! Complimentary bottle on each table and we literally drenched EVERYTHING with it. We would probably drink straight out of the bottle if that were acceptable. Overall, great experience and great food. Victor was kind enough to answer all our questions about the ingredients and the how the flavors are created. Kinda feels like a hybrid between a fancy restaurant and a local fast food, to make fancier, I'd suggest fancier plating but aside from that I'd definitely come back for the food. I truly don't think we would go wrong with any dish. Parking is also plentiful because there's a ton of other restaurants around in a big plaza.

    Arroz con Mariscos
    Mervin L.

    1/10/2024 110pm I was in the area and took one of my friends to lunch and she suggested this place. We got seated right away. The restaurant was small but nice. The servers were nice and friendly. We had the Arroz con Mariscos and individual Jalea. Both tasted great. Adding the green sauce elevated the flavors more. Would come back when I'm in the area,'would love to try the other dishes.

    Jonna G.

    This was my first time trying Peruvian food. My mom suggested this for her Mother's Day treat. Our waitress was very friendly and checked up on us. Food: + Calamari Frito: This was one of their special and it was only $10. The calamari was very tender and had the right seasoning. I ended up dipping it in the green sauce which was amazing! + Arroz Con Mariscos: Peruvian Paella- Such huge portions! The dish came with an assortment of seafood: shrimp, scallop, squid, fish and one mussel and the rice was cooked perfectly. I also enjoyed the spice that it had and had a lot of leftover for the next day. + Tenderloin Lomo Saltado: My mom's favorite when she comes here. I tried a few bites and the meat was very tender. Also there's french fries in the dish! Overall, I'm glad I got to try this place out since my mom has been wanting for me to go. Can't wait to be back.

    Mama Scampi and Beef Chaufa
    Michelle N.

    We rarely ever get Peruvian food, but when we do Inka is the only spot that comes to mind. We usually see them at the Taste of Aliso, and they are always sampling delicious food. Here is what we ordered: Beef Chaufa ($18.95): This is like a fried rice. It comes with sirloin and it was so chewy, almost impossible to eat. It also had bits of scrambled egg and spring onions. Kind of a basic dish and not worth the price. Mama Scampi ($24): This was really good! I really liked the sauce. It was not fishy like most scampis I have tried. It also had a little kick to it that was enjoyable. The shrimp portioning was good, but it was a bit dry. Seemed like the shrimp itself was a bit overcooked. I called in my order, and they told me it would take around 15 minutes. I walked in and was not greet by anyone. The couple in front of me seemed like they have been there for a while and were trying to get seated. They were peaking in the back door to see if there was anyone working that could help them. Someone finally came out and sat them and rang me up for my order. It seemed like my order was not even started until I had arrived 20 minutes later, so it ended up taking almost 40 minutes for my food. Overall, it everything was just average. Price was high for what you get.

    Mama scampi, calamari and Chicken dish
    Vincent P.

    Went here last night and still great. Last time I was here was during pandemic. I think they improved from last time. Well-seasoned dishes and the service is pretty nice and quick. Everything is delicious and comfy ambiance great for casual night outs.

    Half of chicken empanada on left, half of beef empanada on right.
    Pat F.

    It had been a while since we last dined here at Inka Mama's and we were passing Aliso Viejo on our way back to San Diego from the LA International Airport. It was approximately 2 hours prior to them closing so we opted to dine in and enjoy some delicious Peruvian food. We started with some empanadas (one chicken, one beef). They were served hot & savory, they weren't dry like many other empanadas we've tried at other restaurants. Then we shared a Chaufa Combinado (Peruvian fried rice sautéed w/beef, chicken, shrimp, peas, carrots, scrambled eggs, ginger, black bean sauce, red bell peppers, and green onions) and it was delicious and just the right portion for us to share. Had we both ordered an entree each, it would've been far too much food for us, and we would've had to take the leftovers home. I believe this was our first time ordering their Chaufa Combinado and were quite pleased with it. This restaurant also accepts AMEX cards, a plus for us as it's our payment of choice.

    See all

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Loved it new fav spot I tried the beef saltado plate comes with rice. I added the green house sauce and it was soooo good.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ali A.
    0
    52
    90

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy L.
    645
    507
    2633

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brett M.
    1
    240
    25

    10 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Francesca B.

    Francesca B.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pat F.
    1261
    913
    3315

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 12
    Thanks 0
    Love this 10
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sierra F.
    124
    64
    21

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Adam L.
    15
    61
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Taylor T.
    238
    28
    14

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jack D.
    1
    25
    16

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great food, not sure about service, overall it was an ok experience, server might not having a good day (arroz chaufa and ceviche awesome).

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 15

    Inka Mama's Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Inka Mama's

    Do they take reservations?

    From when are lunch specials going to be available?

    Is Inka Mama open during COVID season?

    Yes

    Is there a happy hour? If so what are the days/hours?

    Yes weekdays 3 to 6. They have daily specials on food and drinks.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Peruvian 8,640 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Inka Mama's - Empanadas

    Inka Mama's

    4.2(225 reviews)
    11.9 mi
    $$

    Easily some of the best food San Clemente has to offer…read more The chicken empanadas are elite--honestly the best I've had in years. It's so refreshing to have something authentic and cultural here that isn't just a derivative of every other restaurant in town. Great service, good vibes, and truly unique flavors. Check it out and support something different!

    this small restaurant chain has got me addicted and has the best and most accessible lomo saltado…read morein town! my friend and i came here on a saturday morning and were actually early before opening! the person opening the shop literally just came up from surfing and greeted us and returned to welcome us in after he quickly changed. it was such a great experience and i would highly recommend anyone to come in and try any of their dishes! its delicious! THE FOOD: -ceviche (AQ) - smaller in portion size but very flavorful. i think the red onions, halibut, and corn nuts paired really well together and i would order again. just wish there was more! -ribeye saltado (AQ) - compared to other locations this one is a bit higher end and serves ribeye and it was very good along with their bomb aji verde sauce!!! spread that everywhere and you're golden. this is my go to dish and recommend to anyone! PROS: -beautiful interior -they open the windows up really wide so it also feels indoor/outdoor if you are sitting in that part of the restaurant -friendly staff! -very large space; would be great to host an event here -cant go wrong with their dishes CONS: -smaller parking lot but doable or street OVERALL: highly recommend, but note it seems each location has a different ish menu and caters to that area (ex. this one is a bit higher end) so keep that in mind!

    Photos
    Inka Mama's - Fireplace with tables dispersed for dining.

    Fireplace with tables dispersed for dining.

    Inka Mama's - Jalea (calamari, fish, shrimp)

    Jalea (calamari, fish, shrimp)

    Inka Mama's - Indoor seating

    See all

    Indoor seating

    El Rocoto - Tallarin Verde & Papa a la Huancaina

    El Rocoto

    3.8(1.5k reviews)
    28.6 mi
    $$

    Great food I had the steak skewers with the chim churi sauce it was delicious. I would definitely…read morerecommend

    Came to visit this family-owned restaurant (Chef Jorge Chan) as I was curious about Peruvian…read morecuisine. We ordered the cerviche (Mixto Cebiche), soup (Chupa De Camarones), Arroz con Pollo, and Tallarín Verde w/ beef steak to share for two people. The mixed cerviche comes with big chunks of fresh halibut, and plenty of shrimp and octopus. The sour and tangy flavor is perfectly balanced the glazed sweet potato and Peruvian corn and corn nuts. Definitely a must-try if you like cerviche! The soup (Chupe De Camarones) has a thick and creamy (shrimp chowder) texture, with plenty of peas/carrots pieces, fried fish, and a scrambled egg on top. Very hearty and just perfectly seasoned. We ordered the regular size and the portion is plenty enough even for two people to share. The specialty courses Arroz con pollo (rice cooked with cilantro sauce with chicken) and the Tallarín Verde (pesto spaghetti/parmesan cheese with breaded beef steak) are just as delicious as all the other dishes. The pesto spaghetti is al dente, and the pesto flavor is just devine! If you like cilantro, you cannot go wrong with the Arroz con pollo. Both of these dishes come in big portions, plenty to share for two people. Good service as our waitress was very attentive. Great value considering the cost. Good atmosphere, and plenty indoor seating. Parking in front of the establishment can be crowded, but there are also plenty of parking spaces in the surrounding area. If you are craving for Peruvian food, this is the place to be! Also since this is family-owned, please come and support your local small businesses.

    Photos
    El Rocoto - Service area

    Service area

    El Rocoto - Seafood Saltado No Ocotpus substitute for squid.

    Seafood Saltado No Ocotpus substitute for squid.

    El Rocoto - Pescado A Lo Macho

    See all

    Pescado A Lo Macho

    Inka Mama's - peruvian - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...