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    Panka Peruvian Restaurant

    4.5 (175 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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    PANKA PERUVIAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Panka Peruvian Restaurant

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    Danielle S.

    Seriously, one of my favorite restaurants, they're always so consistent with their amazing customer service, the food is always a 10 for me, and the vibes are just perfect.

    Peruvian drink made from a dark-colored corn
    Lotus S.

    YUUUUUMMM-DIZZLE!!! It's SIZZZZZZLE TIME! The food was absolutely fresh and delish! Everything from the service, decor, and parking were worth the visit to Ingersoll. This was my first time having Peruvian food and we explored the menu. What a treasure-find on this Yelp-Venture! There were many unique dishes that were flavor explosions with every bite. Everything was extremely fresh and prepared with love, skill, and beautiful presentation. Classy yet heart-warming! This has got to be the best place in town for date nights, something-to-celebrate dinners, or fun tapas. Love yourself, treat yourself to this locally owned restaurant and enjoy Peru right here in Des Moines, IA!

    While flipping through instagram today, I came across a post from Panka Peruvian Restaurant letting customers know that their restaurant had fallen on hard times and asking for support. With only a workout class planned, I decided that my Tuesday evening would be better spent at Panka. While I have only been there a few times, I have had only positive experiences and was introduced to Peruvian cuisine through Panka. I started with a Pisco Sour which was delicious and went down entirely too easily.  For an appetizer, I order the Empanadas de Aji de Gallina. Perfectly fried, the dish came out with six empanadas that I was sure would provide me leftovers for the next day. As I started diving through empanadas, I quickly realized that this was a dish that had no hope for tomorrow, and was to be enjoyed fully in the present. The cheesy, slightly nutty filling with shredded chicken was a more complex variation to the typical beef pastries that I have enjoyed.  Next, I gave the attentive and friendly waiter, Freddy, several choices that I was considering which were quite different from one another. Freddy must have known that I was seeking validation for wanting soup in 94 degree weather, because he suggested the Parihuela. This soup was extraordinary and everything I was craving: creamy, comforting, with a nice spice and full (I mean full) of shrimp, fish, octopus, and muscles.  The experience was a 10/10. If you haven't been, you are in for a true culinary experience. In addition to the food being outstanding, the staff and owner have always been kind and eager to share Peruvian food with the community. So get there, Des Moines, skip your weeknight workout and go support Panka.

    Arepa the Queen
    Sam R.

    Panka, on Ingersoll, is always one of my favorite restaurants to be at. We've become a bit of a regular as their food, service, ambience are always on point. The people here make you feel very at home. All for under $50 my husband and I were able to take advantage of their bottomless mimosas and delicious brunch meals that left us both full and happy -- And yes they were truly bottomless!!! Pictured is the "arepa the queen," my go to brunch meal here! If you're not a brunch person, they also have delicious dinner options as well, like their Paella seafood soup. Whether you're looking for that perfect date night out or a weekend patio mimosa with friends, be sure to put Panka on your list of must try places!!

    Todd S.

    The food was really very good. Got the Piqueo Peruano sampler appetizer. My wife not a fan of raw fish but I loved it. Great sample of Peruvian foods. She got the Arroz Chaufa De Cerdo which she said was some of if not the best rice she remembers having. I had the Creole dish Aji De Gallina. Phenomenal. We did not finish it rather we saved the rest for the next day. The service was great. Not too much and not too little. We were there at 6:30 with a reservation and it was fairly busy. The outside is very unassuming and we would never assume it was as nice and well appointed as it was. Our cocktails came in very cool unique glassware. The music wasn't too loud and the place was beautiful. We will return. Thanks for a great evening.

    Samantha K.

    we had incredible service from our waiter, who was happy to give recommendations! we came here with a bigger group and it was no problem

    Pisco sour
    Dawn W.

    Amazing food and service! My husband and I dined here for our anniversary and it did not disappoint. We had the yummy yucca appetizers and chicharrone pescado- fried fish. The arroz Norteno with beautiful cilantro flavor and Pescado a lo macho de camarones was perfect and spicy - shrimp melted in your mouth. We loved the special Peruvian pisco sour cocktails. Definitely would return in the future. Lovely decor and ambience as well. I also enjoyed the fact that it was not too loud even though it was packed. A fine dining experience I will not forget!

    Pork rice beans empanada
    Adrienne N.

    I love Panka!!! I tried their brunch for the first time today and it was delicious. There are so many options and it's really cheap. Granted, they're smaller portions but this gives you an option to mix and match. The staff are all super nice and friendly. And it's so cute inside with some patio seating for when it's nice. Definitely can't wait to come back!

    panka mexican restaurant
    Todd B.

    3.5* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 4* Value: 3* Service: 2* 02/10/2023 This place has been on my Want to Go list for a while and finally got to try it last night. My wife was quite hungry, so we thought we would quickly resolve that and try out some $5 apps during Happy Hour. While the first external impression was a little negative (store front came across as a fast-foodish), we immediately felt better after stepping inside - very nice atmosphere and bustling with activity. Long story short...we arrived just before 6pm on a Friday, didn't have a reservation, were told it would be "5 minutes" - then proceeded to wait 50 minutes before we were seated. We thought we would help the time pass by enjoying a cocktail, so asked the primary server about ordering a drink (behind the bar seating area is food preparation only and no bartender). He said he would be back "in a second" to take our order, but never did return. Other than cooking, bussing tables and table clean up, he was the only one doing everything else in the service area of the restaurant. While he was very friendly, pleasant and apologetic - he clearly could not keep up with all of the demands of the customers and made some mistakes. If he would have help on the service side, they clearly could move more people through (all told, we spent 2 hours and 20 minutes there) and increase their revenues while providing better service. Now onto the good part - the food and drinks were FANTASTIC (see pictures for menus and food / drinks)! I did make one mission trip to Peru that was quite enjoyable and introduced me to ceviche and pisco sours - but have not have the opportunity to sample a lot of their cuisine. For starters, I ordered a Pisco Sour (see picture) and it was delicious - very foamy egg white on top and the cinnamon / presentation was great! For appetizers, we ordered Chicharron de Pescado and Causa de Pollo (see pictures). I absolutely loved the Causa mashed potato / chicken salad / avocado stack and the Pescado was also very good. For our dinner, my wife and I shared Cremoso Ceviche (see picture) and Arroz Norteno (see picture). As our 5* rating implies, we loved both of them - as the name implies, the ceviche sauce was a bit creamy and the Arroz dish was fresh and very tasty. If you read my reviews, you know I love sweets - so the meal wasn't complete without Alfajores Peruanos (see picture) for dessert. Again, it is highly recommended - the soursop ice cream is best described as unique (the first word used by both my wife and myself) and the caramel cookies were great - caramelly, yet not too sweet. Do not go here unless you have reservations (the place was packed and stayed so until less than an hour before closing when we were there) or go during a less-busy time. If you do that and are patient with the service, you will definitely not be disappointed with the food! As the pictures show, the presentation is fantastic and it tastes every bit as good as it looks - I highly recommend the food and cocktails! If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

    Salmon Oriental
    TJ R.

    The location is unassuming and low-key, and wedged between two other more mainstream restaurants. You could miss it if you walk too fast. But inside its quite nice, little fancy even. At first I was a little disappointed in the lack of vegetarian options; ultimately I was quite pleased. Its pretty expensive to eat there. However the food is both exquisitely delicious and presented so well, in true Peruvian form. We were all very impressed and recommend to anyone looking for something different. Sadly there was no lucuma this time. The service was very friendly and fast. Top notch.

    Freshest Salad Ever!
    Veronica L.

    BEST restaurant in Des Moines!!! Brunch menu is excellent value! YUM! Outstanding food! Delightful ambiance. Lovely service. Have visited five times. Zucchini soup is DELISH! LOVE the chicken empanadas. Addicted to soup & empanadas! Super FRESH house salad that was very unique with kiwi & mango that was refreshing on a hot Des Moines evening. While my review is on the shorter side, I cannot recommend Panka enough! Big kiss! xo

    Lomo Saltado
    Rosie N.

    Definitely a place to try out! I would also say it's a great first date place too. The atmosphere is causal but romantic too. For the food we got the Lomo Saltado, Chicharron DE Pez y Camaron, Aji DE Gallina, and the "Sigh of the Woman". The Chcharron is highly recommended! You won't be disappointed! It was flaky, soft, tender, a bit of salty savory. The sauce has a bit of kick to it and paired with picked onions! It was perfectly made. The Lomo Saltado was savory with a bit of sweetness to it. The beef cooked perfectly, it wasn't tough or dry, it was bouncy and tender. The Aji DE Gallina reminds me of a curry dish. The chicken is so tender that it is shredded in the curry lentil base and the potatoes we soft and tender. It's sweet, savory, seasoned with spices. It got spicy at all. Finally the "Sigh of the Woman" was a beautiful end to the dinner. It's sweet, silky, and a burst of carnal flavor was wonderful. It's like a pudding version of flan and tres Leches cake! Would definitely come here again.

    ARROZ CHAUFA DE CERDO
    Veronica K.

    I give this place 3.5 stars. I was going to give it three stars but my husband really liked his dish a lot, hence the extra half star. I ordered the Arroz Chaufa de Cerdo and my husband got the Salmon Oriental. I don't know what I was expecting but I guess I thought I would be getting something less Asian-y and more Peruvian with South American flavors. My dish was basically Asian fried rice with pork like I could get at an upscale Chinese restaurant. It was supposed to have ginger in it, which is why I ordered it, but I couldn't taste any ginger in it at all. It was good but nothing spectacular. My husband liked the creamy rice in his dish a lot. He said he would order it again. The place looks very nice and sophisticated inside. It's not very big but it had around 10-12 small tables plus seating at the counter. It's cute and cozy. However, it was freezing inside and it felt like the heat wasn't working. I had my down jacket on during the entire meal and I was still cold. My feet were like blocks of ice. I couldn't wait to finish my meal so I could get out of there and warm up. The food was ok, but for the prices they're charging, I expected better. I don't think I'll be back any time soon because I can think of so many more restaurants that really wow me.

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    Birthday celebration was made extra special by the staff! Food was amazing and so were the drinks and atmosphere.

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