Was in Chicago for a business trip and met up some old friends at Peru Criollo for dinner on a Thursday night. There was no wait, this place is like a hole in the wall but deserves way more recognition! The food was phenomenal. My husband and I have travelled to Peru years ago to hike Machu Picchu and we've been craving good Peruvian food since but there aren't many Peruvian restaurants in general in the states. So glad we tried this place! The flavors were authentic, the portions were huge, and the service was friendly and fast! The restaurant is byob and my friends brought along some Peruvian wine for us to drink with our dinners and it was the perfect touch! read more

Peru Criollo - Churrasco Peruano- Grilled Angus Top Sirloin with Sautéed Onions - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Fantastic Peruvian food!!! Such a cute restaurant with salsa music in the background for ambiance. All the servers were so nice especially Araceli! Hands down the best mazamorra I have ever had in this city!!!! It was warm, delicious, and not ridiculous sweet. The meat in the tallarines and diabla were cooked to perfection and seasoned so well! Juicy and so full of flavor! The causa was light, fluffy and melt in your mouth! 10/10, will recommend and very good! Only recommendation I have is warm the bread that comes table side! read more

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1+ BYOB 1+ presentation 1+ staff -1 food taste -1 cork fee no cork 1+ ambiance 0 price read more

Do I recommend this business???? YES!!! Living in Portage Park, we have come here a few times and they have never disappointed. I've had the ceviche, the Lomo saltado, seco de carne, papa relleno, and the Papas a la Diabla with the steak. There is not one item that I have gotten from here that I have not enjoyed. Do yourself a favor and try their drinks too. Chicha Morada is a Peruvian maize drink, and really different, good, and refreshing. My favorite though is the Maracuya. You know it's real passion fruit juice when you see the seeds. I'm almost always able to find street parking on Cicero when we have come here. The servers are also very nice each time that I've been here. The restaurant itself says they are open until 9p, but be warned that their kitchen closes at 8p, so don't come in later than that. The dining room is nice for a dinner with friends or a more intimate date night, and the paintings on the wall are beautiful renditions of Peruvian culture. One of my favorite restaurants in Portage Park. read more

Peru Criollo - Papas a la diabla with Rib Eye - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Came in here last weekend with a girlfriend and was able to get a table right away. The staff was very friendly and warm. We shared the ceviche (I devoured it before getting a picture) and it was to die for! I'd go back just for that one entree. We also shared the empanadas, lomo saltado, and arroz con pollo. Everything was 10/10 and incredibly flavorful. Will be back soon! read more

Peru Criollo - Arroz Con Pollo - Green Rice and Chicken - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We wanted to love this place and actually posted a pretty good review on Google reviews, but honestly, this place is not what it should be or what we believe it used to be. Some of the food is great - the stir fried beef was very tasty but honestly, you can get it at any number of places. The ceviche was good enough but again not really anything you couldn't find elseswhere. We had some other menu items that were very needlessly spicy and not flavorful. Service was middling at best, but they didn't seem to care there was someone near us who was very excited to watch some YouTube videos at full volume for 20+ minutes and no one in the store cared to ask him to reconsider playing that at full volume. This place looks amazing on paper but is not worth even a teeny tiny visit. read more

Great place, nice food beautiful wall paints , Aracely was very kind and drove as trough the best good election, thanks again we will visit you again read more

Peru Criollo - Ceviche - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Peru Criollo was my second experience with Peruvian food (after Cabra) and my first experience with home-style Peruvian cooking. I could be way off-base, but I think this is as authentic as it gets. To start, I had an opportunity to try the Empanadas De Carne (Peruvian Baked Turnovers), and the Choclo a La Parrilla Con Queso (Peruvian Grilled Street Corn). For a main, I had the Pollo al Vino (Chicken in Red Wine Sauce). Empanadas = these were as fresh as could be. Even after spending a couple minutes on the plate, the filling was too hot to eat (how embarrassing!) The dough was tasty and in perfect amount and firmness; just enough to add some flavor and not fall apart. The filling was fantastic! The seasoned steak (with accompaniments) was scrumptious and brought great flavor forward. Just one question: why powdered sugar to create a fork outline? A little did make it to the empanada. Didn't hurt anything, just curious. Street Corn = Excellent! The corn was Peruvian (Choclo) where the kernels are notably larger than the standard corn at the grocer. It was cooked to perfection with the grilling adding a perfect amount of smokiness and firmness to the texture. The cheese and sauce added some creaminess and savoriness also. Lastly, I loved that eating this wasn't nearly as messy as I was expecting (as things go for corn on the cob). Chicken = This one is how I know this place is the real deal. The helping was large, the bird was hot and tender, and the sauce was a little sweet and very savory. The veggies were great to add some freshness, and the rice was cooked perfectly. The large piece of potato did not really do it for me. It didn't really hurt, but with the rice already providing a starch element and having the benefit of soaking up any excess sauce, the potato felt like it was only there to add bulk. Guava Turnover = A delightful dessert! The feeling was flavorful and reminds me of entenmann's pastries that I loved but were discontinued, only better! The dough meanwhile was fresh and somewhat flaky. Chicha Morada = I'm finding it difficult to find the words to properly describe this drink. Only to say it is a little bit sweet, and has a little tang/slash funk from the spices added. I think it comes from the cloves. Trust me, this is worth getting. Finally, I want to give some credit to the service that was kind, welcoming, and fairly attentive. I also enjoyed their vibe, and found a decor fun and not overdone. Okay, now I have to justify why I am awarding four stars instead of five. There are two reasons, and very much a 'me' thing: 1. If someone asks me to recommend an authentic Peruvian restaurant, I would 100% share Peru Criollo. At the same time, if someone asks me where to eat in Chicago more broadly, it wouldn't make the list. I also can't say I am particularly drawn to return, not that I would be against it, I just don't feel the pull. 2. Bones. Look, I get that if I'm going to order chicken wings, for example, there's going to be a bone or two within. I also know that some chicken dishes will not be boneless. However, I must say finding random smaller bones throughout my meal wasn't pleasant. There I am, chowing down only to hit a bone. No teeth were broken, but I can't say it was pleasant, neither was pulling them out of my mouth in front of my friend. read more

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We come from far away to eat here Food was good. Overall service was bad until Alejandra come to help us. If you ever come don't let the chinese girl be your server: she's rude and walk away while we would ordering. But FOOD WAS GREAT!!! read more

We live down the street and had never noticed PC, but were stuck in traffic headed to another restaurant and decided to try it. We called to make a reservation but probably didn't need to (it was probably about half full when we got there). Alejandra was our server and she was super sweet and answered our questions / gave recommendations when asked. We decided to try the Papa Rellena De Carne (fried potato balls) and leche de tigre mussels to start with, split the churrasco and ended with the caramel flan. We both liked the papas (4/5) and thought the mussels were okay (3/5) - we liked the leche de tigre relish topping but it kinda tasted more like pico and I think it overpowered the taste of the dish and the mussels were huge so the balance just felt off. The churrasco was thin so most of it came out more medium than medium rare and the flavors were not as bold as I was expecting but still fine (3/5). Last was the flan and it was okay too (3/5). The restaurant itself was cozy inside and very clean. They are byob but charge a $10 corkage fee (which wasn't mentioned when asked on the phone) - not a huge deal but kind of odd if you don't have a bar (there was a physical bar but it was empty). Overall I wasn't blown away but I like family restaurants so we plan to come back and try some other dishes that looked good. read more

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Highly recommend! Authentic, freshly made, and absolutely delicious. A true must-try for anyone who loves real family-style food. read more

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It was our first time to Peru Criollo. My husband has lived in Peru and I have visited. We started with the Papa a la Huancaina, which was very flavorful. My husband had the Arroz con Pollo and I had the Lomo Saltado. Both were amazing and full of flavor. The staff were super nice and very attentive, especially Alejandra. We will definitely be back soon. read more

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We have been here a few times and gatekept long enough. The food am here is exceptional. The servers were so kind to help us the first time we can in and added their delicious suggestions. They also make delicious juices that change from flavor we had passion fruit one time and a different one the second time we came and both were a laid it on the hands of the server again and it did not disappoint. Let me forest mention that they are BYOB. There is a liquor store literally walking distance from there. For starters, I suggest getting the corn ribs. The Churrasco Peruano was cooked perfectly and we recommend that as well with some extra chimchurri on the side for dipping. We got the ceviche and it was so-so but definitely still decent, it's just that the corn nuts threw me off and it might have just been a "me" preference thing. My hubby got a soup because he wasn't feeling well and he loved the soup so much I didn't get to try. Parking on the street was decent and the entire meal was affordable. I would 100% come here again and suggest you do too! read more

The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was great! We had Alejandra as our server, and she was amazing. Super friendly and accommodating staff. Highly recommend! read more

Went to Peru a few years ago and have been talking about the food since then but have been unable to find a restaurant in Chicago that feels like being in Peru. Peru Criollo is that. Ambiance is great, service is great, and the food is incredible. The ceviche is out of this world and we got the flan for dessert, I can truly say it was the best flan I have ever had. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Peru Criollo - Art - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I visited Peru Criollo on 5/22 for the first time during my most recent Chicago trip. A very clean, well-kept, establishment with romantic vibes fasho fasho. My server Evelyn, had such a dope vibe about her! Helpful, soft-spoken, and she answered all my questions about the food. Thanks Evelyn! Now about the Lomo... YO. Bomb.com. Lots of umami, good tang, and the perfect fries (made in house) for a Lomo Saltado in my humble opinion. The flavors are coming back to my mind as I'm writing this review. Yes, my mouth is watering! Great meal and amazing dining experience overall! read more

We where there for my birthday in December and we love it was a great good and service ..finally we decide to go back today to celebrate my nephews birthday..we got there order appetizers right away. 2 min after the server came back to take the order and told us that they don't accept any alcohol when the place it was a byob . We decide to just take the appetizers home and leave . Is very disappointed and never come back ..don't make people waiste the time read more

Peru Criollo - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our waitress was a sweetheart and I really enjoyed the lomo Saltado here! Delicious. The ambiance was perfect for a nice Sunday date with my honey. read more

Peru Criollo - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our dinner at Peru Criollo was a lovely Valentine's Day treat! The dining area is spacious with bright gorgeous murals contrasting the moody black walls & ceiling. There's an elevated feel with faux candles and black table clothes (played down with a paper cover). There's also bar seating near the back; it's a great mix of elevated and casual. Their menu is easy to navigate and we quickly knew what we wanted for our main entrees: charrasco steak (special) and a classic lomo saltado with steak. For apps, we ordered chilled cooked mussels on the 1/2 shell and Peruvian Street Corn. It was fun to try something new for apps, but it was really our mains that wow'ed us. My husband loved his steak and I was delighted by the flavors of my lomo saltado (a brilliant Asian and Peruvian fused dish that always satisfies). Although this spot is a bit of a trek for us, we'd love to come back with friends to try more dishes. The service was personal and warm -- thank you Alejandra. We felt right at home! read more

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Love it when a restaurant has the perfect mix balanced. This place has a very clean and inviting ambiance. Open space and tables are not on each other. Easy street parking at night. Some paid parking during the day. Amazing quick, professional, helpful, and friendly staff. The food is superb. Everything I had was fantastic. Peruvian cuisine is top notch, but when done well, it is a home run, and this place does it flawlessly. Ample menu, and I only tried specific items and loved them all. And then the value! Great prices with good portions. A $30-50 per person for high-quality flavorful food. read more

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Came here for my birthday couple months ago, forgot to write a review. This place was recommended by a friend, and my boyfriend and I were looking for a good Peruvian food. So we decided to come here, let me just say the service was awesome and the food are delicious. We order appetizers and entree with a dessert. Everything was delicious and we walk out with a smile on our face and stomach was happy. Would definitely come back and recommend family and friend. Street parking. You can host a birthday party too. Plenty of space. read more

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The service was amazing our server was so sweet and kind and the atmosphere was great the music added to this great experience as a white Peruvian I loved the food on my trip here I have eaten here twice because it's so good. I love everything about this restaurant read more

Peru Criollo - Lomo saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

food was very flavorful if you don't try this place out before you die you're missing out and that's a million dollar money back guarantee. get the fried rice w steak good portion filling clean and flavorful you get what you pay for and some will be back here w family soon read more

Peru Criollo - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great authentic Peruvian food, try the ceviche and their special drink. Their triple stew is amazing too. read more

Peru Criollo - Ceviche Mixto - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The restaurant is beautiful, incredible paintings on the walls, very clean and elegant decor. The food was delicious. It is hard to find traditional Peruvian food in the US but this is the place to go! The food was delicious and the server was so friendly and overall just a great experience. We had the anticuchos, chicha morada, arroz con pollo, and seco de carne and it was all sooo delicious! read more

Peru Criollo - Seco de carne, chicha morada, already ate our anticuchos, and arroz con pollo oh and Inka Kola. - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a true gem!! The place is clean, nicely decorated, the service is amazing and the food is authentic and delicious. Our server, Alejandra, was so nice and gave us some recommendations. We ordered the bottle of chicha (purple corn drink), and appetizers to start. We tried the papa a la huancaina, causa rellena and steak anticuchos. Everything tasted incredible and my kids have not stopped asking about the causa. We then ordered ají de gallina and seafood rice, both were super delicious. We will definitely be going back to try the rest of the menu. The place is BYOB, so that's nice too. They also have a kids menu, we didn't try it because our kids ate the same as us, but it's great to have that option. read more

Peru Criollo - Ají de gallina and arroz con mariscos (seafood paella) - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was amazing!! The ambiance was very chill, good music throughout the night, our server was very sweet and knowledgeable about the whole menu. Definitely recommend going! And remember it's BYOB read more

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The food was amazing. I went for a birthday dinner with 10 people. Each person enjoyed their meal. The restaurant is family owned. The owner introduced himself and thanked us for dining with them. You can tell they really take care of their restaurant. Highly recommend eating here. It's also BYOB! read more

This place is a hidden gem. Been driving past for awhile and finally got to try it. The service, the atmosphere and most importantly the food was all 5 stars. Didn't know Peru had a Creole population but damn their food is fuego. Got the paella and papas al diablo. Was not disappointed at all. The server was very nice and the interior was perfect. I'll be back many times over. read more

Peru Criollo - a mural of a cowboy on a horse - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you are contemplating where to go for outstanding cuisine paired with a sexy, chill vibe and superb service; do yourself a favor, book your reservation and prepare to be WOWED! My husband and I met friends here for dinner who highly recommend Peru Criollo. Being our first time experiencing Peruvian food, we didn't quite know what to expect but we showed up ready to take on the adventure. Appetizers: Our friends took the liberty of ordering a plethora of appetizers including Ceviche (mahi-mahi), Anticuchos (veal heart), Tamal Peruano (Peruvian Tamales) and Choros a la Chalaca (mussels on the half shell). Each dish was a delicious explosion of flavor. What was most exciting was trying dishes I'd never have otherwise tried like Ceviche, mussels and veal heart and being absolutely blown away! All DIVINE!! Main Course: Lomo Saltado (flank steak), Seco de Carne, Churrasco Peruano and Churrasco Encebollado. I'm not sure what magic potion goes into the preparation of their meats but they were super tender and the flavor was outstanding! We all sampled our varying dishes and none of them disappointed! Dessert: I've never been a fan of flan but the flan at Peru Criollo changed my life! Absolutely delightful. This BYOB dining experience will definitely go down in history as one of the best we've encountered. Incredible food, outstanding service - thank you Alejandra, lovely ambiance and the delightful company of friends! read more

My bestie and I were in traffic today and saw this Peruvian restaurant and decided to try it out. Walking in the ambiance is very inviting! The murals on the walls are stunning and the owner and her brother in law did them with their own hands! The food was amazing! And our server was Evelyn who was just the sweetest!! She brightened our day and made our first visit here amazing! Will definitely be back! read more

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Very tasty Peruvian food. Have gone a couple of times with a large group and they have been very attentive. We have tried the beef empanadas, stuffed potatoes, tamales, ceviche and salad. All were good. And this is just the appetizers. Main entrees I had the shrimp soup and my husband had the fish with seafood . Our friends had the Peruvian fried rice and a stir fry noodle dish with beef. Flan dessert is very good (dulce de leche style) As is the guava pastry. I will go again. Forgot to mention, it is BYOB wine or beer. $10 corkage fee. read more

The ambiance was very nice and the food was killer. The arroz con pollo, hot sauce, ribeye and FLAN. Alejandra was very sweet and her service was phenomenal. Thank you for a lovely date night read more

Ordered for pick up. Food was pretty OK but the portions were insufficient and way over priced.

I always forget to take pictures but this was honestly the best food I've had in a while. They were very flexible with our reservation and made us feel very welcomed. Everyone was so attentive and we enjoyed our whole visit. Service was impeccable and I can't wait to come back again! read more

Food and ambience were great. I had the Churrasco & my fiancé had Lomo Saltado, both were delicious. Araceli was our server, super friendly & accommodating. Solid place to eat, definitely recommend. read more

Peru Criollo - Yuca, Churrasco,& Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Araceli was the best server! So kind and sweet. The food was insane we got the corn and cheese which was the best way to start our meal. Then we got seco de cabrito y ceviche and was so delicious! Can't wait to come back to Chicago to try it again! read more

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It was such an incredible experience at Peru Criollo. Wonderful service, delicious food and amazing ambience. Highly recommended for authentic Peruvian cuisine read more

Peru Criollo - Peruvian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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New Peruvian joint in the Six corners area. Grabbed some carryout the other evening after shopping nearby. Tried their tamale and mixed paella. The tamales had few pieces of lechon stuffed inside. The masa was pureed so finely the tamale was something new. The paella was a let down for two reasons. In the description it mentioned tomatoes but in the entree there were none and I'll tell you, the taste of that paella was lacking. Being that we're still not out of the effects of the pandemic I wish they had mentioned not having tomatoes, then I would have ordered differently. Even just a tablespoon of tomato paste could have elevated the entrée. Another bummer was that a few of the scallops had not fully opened. They were a crack open so I was cautious. Nowadays, chefs might say even if they open a crack they are still safe. Having eaten unopened/ barely opened mussels in the past and suffering through food illness, I was hesitant to continue eating. Nice people & good to chat with. If their reviews keep trending with 5 stars maybe I'll make another go and try to dine in. read more

This place is a hidden gem! I've been to Peru several times and the food here is definitely authentic. But before I get to the food, I want to mention that it is a lovely spot for a date night. The decor is beautiful, service was quick, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that Evelyn may have been the nicest server I've ever encountered. I got the Chicha Morada and was so excited about drinking it that I forgot to take a picture of it. It was perfectly sweetened and brought me right back to being in Peru. I regret not asking for one to go. For appetizers we got the ceviche de mahi-mahi and costillas de choclo con queso, which were both sizeable portions. The ceviche was nice and fresh and I love that they serve it with the conchitas to add some crunch. The choclo was so tasty with the honey butter and seasoning that I honestly considered ordering another plate of it. For our entrees, we went with the lomo saltado (classic) and papas a la diabla con pollo. I didn't try the lomo saltado because I don't eat beef, but my partner said it was delicious. The papas a la diabla con pollo was a fantastic dish. The huancaina was flavorful, the rice was cooked perfectly, and the chicken was thin but still super juicy. We ordered a pastellito de guayaba for dessert, but I don't have a photo of that either because my partner demolished it. Luckily I got a couple bites before it was gone and it was the perfect sweet treat to end a fabulous meal. I have already recommended Peru Criollo to multiple people and I will for sure be going back in the future! read more

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