Pio's restaurant has gotten a facelift and it's even better than it was in the past! The score has increased to 99, the seating has been updated and the food is still delicious--maybe even better! We went on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and attentive service. Our meal was excellent as it has consistently been, especially since the changes have been made to the restaurant. I want to make sure that I mention the cleanliness of the women's bathroom. This is the second time in a row that I've used it and it is very well maintained. It's large, clean and odorless. It gives me an overall positive feeling about the restaurant, which adds to my comfort when we eat here. We love coming here. The prices are reasonable, the portion sizes are just right, and the servers are attentive and friendly. A great experience!! read more

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What happened to this place It used to be really good, we came for Lunch on a Saturday all the windows were down so it was pitch back inside! I asked the waitress and said the owner likes it dark!!!? We literally couldn't see each other! The food was terrible, We ordered empanadas as an appetizer and they were soo bad i couldn't finish one filled with RICE??? the meat tested horrible, we ordered half a chicken with rice, beans and plantains How can you mess up such basic food? 30 min after eating we felt sick.. coincidence probably not. read more

We arrived without a reservation and was able to be seated quickly. The waiter was good, there was a little language barrier but we got the orders in. He was very pleasant. The ambiance was a basic storefront with a bunch of tables and a bar. We will be back. The food was all seasoned well and came out hot. read more

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Pio Pio used to be delish, but tonight's chicken was so dry I couldn't finish my meal. The rice was decent, the beans though didn't taste the same and were mostly juice. Plantains were flavorful, but greasy. No need to return. :( read more

I come here almost once a week when home. Food has been consistently good for last two years. Sometimes they rush and mess up my order which is the same thing every time. I am always too lazy to drive back to have them correct it. Over all nice neighborhood gem read more

Pio Pio - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Pio Pio is a true hidden gem tucked away in a busy shopping center anchored by a Fresh Market along thriving East Boulevard. While they may be easy to miss because of their low profile, you need to do yourself a favor and go check them out. I think of them as a smaller more traditional Viva Chicken as they also specialize in Latin American cuisine with a special emphasis on their roasted chicken. But whereas Viva Chicken is a fast casual place that lends itself to go orders, Pio Pio is more of a sit down kinda place. Ok so you can totally take orders to go, but the restaurant is so charming with its decor, small cozy size, friendly staff, and traditional music playing, you will totally want to stay and be treated! As stated earlier their chicken is the highlight, and at $13 for 1/4 lb, or $16 for 1/2 lb, each coming with three sides, this is a great value for a wonderful meal. Also gotta give a shout-out to their fried yuca. Absolutely delicious! read more

Pio Pio - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I devoured everything on my plate. The food here is so delicious! The service was polite as well. A must go to spot in the area. read more

Pio Pio - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Pio Pio has always been one of my favorites. I tried to order a Latin Combo, no chicken, double rice, double beans. And they said no. I was like cool, cool, cool. Bye. read more

Pio Pio - Poor customer service - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

We ordered the : Chicken and Beef Empanadas: Delicious and generously filled. Guacamole with Tostones: Fresh guacamole with crunchy tostones, a must-order! Chafe Rice with Beef: Tender and flavorful, couldn't stop going back for more. Sangria: Perfect balance of sweet and red wine flavor. Ceviche: Off-menu item, shrimp was fresh, but the acid marinade affected the texture of the fish. Tres Leches and Flan: Could have had more flavor, Tres Leches disintegrated a bit while eating, but the cinnamon whipped cream was a nice addition. read more

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I like Pio Pio! Great saffron rice. I typically get a whole chicken, some rice, and sauce.

Ordered several appetizers to go. Inside the decor is nice and looked spotless. There was a lunch crowd packing the restaurant so I figured the food must be worth a shot. It is by far the worst empanadas and arepas that I've eaten in the United States. Nobody in my party thought it was edible. The sauce was equally perplexing. A mix of ranch and whatever the chef decided to toss in there. Stay away. read more

The food is very flavorful and service was great . I really loved the green and white sauce soooo good. I ordered the chicken and the rice since it was my first visit and a beef empanada. The price point was good for the meal. I do feel like the empanada was a bit overpriced for the size. It was pretty tiny. But overall, I would definitely return. Food was great. read more

Great food! Went there for my wife's birthday along with my son. The atmosphere was simple, but the food was very good.

Order: 1/2 chicken yellow rice and beans with a side of plantains. First time having Peruvian food. Wasn't sure what the food would taste like but I had a Caribbean flavor profile set in mind. The chicken was good but didn't taste "international." Sorry if that sounds dumb but it tasted like regular baked chicken. The two dipping sauces (one taste similar to ranch and the other a wasabi sauce) compliment the chicken well. Not a bean person so I didn't eat the beans. But the plantains were delicious. I love plantains! Would have loved more! read more

Pio Pio - #4 - 1/2 Chicken Rice & Beans with side - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Food 10/10. Service 10/10. Ambiance 9/10. Y'all, if you want a place with quick service, delicious food at reasonable price, you gotta come to Pio Pio. We have come here for years and during the pandemic did take out and the food never disappoints. You can get a whole chicken for $12!! Like wow. My family of 4 adults and a kid got a set called Matador and which comes with a whole chicken, salad, fried plantains, yuca, rice and beans, and fries and franks. We also got the carne asada and a couple of empanadas. Everything was good but the chicken, especially when you eat with the sauce, is outstanding!!! So if you come here, I recommend just get the chicken and do a la carte sides. The combo was great for my family but best bank for your buck is the chicken. Ambience is nice as well since they recently remodeled the place. I am so glad this place stay open. Keep supporting locals :). read more

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Amazing Peruvian food. Comfortable but nice place for a dinner date or lunch date. Loved everything we got. Fresh ingredients, authentic recipes. Service was great! My favorite app was Guacamole with Tostones. Definitely recommend the chicken soup if you're not feeling well or it's cold. It's the ultimate comfort food done better. The Montanero was a Colombian fish that is perfect if you want a bit of everything. The Signature chicken is a win being so tender and fall off the bone. Tres leches cake is my go-to and it hit! read more

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Rather disappointed in Pio Pio. My chicken wrap only came with rice, beans, and some shredded chicken. It was very bland. You can't look at the photo and tell me that doesn't look like a drab wrap. The two sauces offered where a spicy green sauce and a more mild white sauce. I had to use all of the sauce to give this wrap some flavor. The side of fries was minimal and hardly warm. I wish there were some veggie options to add to this wrap to give it some texture and flavor. It was just so bland.. it was hard to eat. For 12$, I am very disappointed. Most Latin American or Peruvian places I have visited are exploding with flavors in their dishes, but not here. read more

Pio Pio - August 2022 - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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A good and affordable reataurant in one of Charlotte's nicest neighborhoods. FOOD & DRINKS Pío Pío offers a menu with a mixed variety of Latin food and drinks, whixh include natural fruit juices. There are very few wine and beer options, bit they do offer sangria. My wife and I come here for the chicken soup, which we believe it the best in town. Empanadas and arepas are average. LOCATION & PARKING The restaurant is centrally located with no issues getting here with the GPS. There is plenty of free parking inside the shopping plaza where it's located. We are once again leaving very satisfied with the chicken soup. read more

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The gentleman, taking my order either, didn't like me or didn't want to be at work ... he didn't try to hide his annoyance when I asked to change my order after viewing the back of the menu. Maybe I should have stayed with my first order of half a chicken. The Arroz con Pollo was OK at best. A bit drier than I was anticipating. The empanadas were a bit different than what I expected texture wise as well, but good nonetheless. It was the garlic and green sauce that saved the day for both! read more

Ordered online Loma Saltado website says it comes with steak, rice and fries and a side. They left the fries out of the order. By the time I got back home they were closed, tried to call the next day, they only have text service. Texted them my issue and they did nothing, no apology, did not try to rectify the issue. I've been going here for years and the food quality and service have gone down hill. read more

Pio Pio - Loma Saltado with left out fries - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Had a craving for some authentic  Peruvian food ( Like my mama use to make), so I had to stop by and we were NOT disappointed. Staff was very welcoming and attentive, small location, but clean. If you enjoy Peruvian and Colombian cuisines then you need to check them out. For my Appetizer- Salchipapas(frankfurters and fries, with white garlic sauce ) - Lomo Saltado (sauteed steak, rice and fries) -Arroz Chaufa- (Chicken & Shrimp mix in chaufasauce, drizzled in sesame oil, served with riped plantains) . read more

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The absolute best Latin inspired restaurant in Charlotte. The rotisserie chicken is always moist and seasoned well, the rice and beans are amazing and the plantains are sweet. Do yourself a favor and get the garlic sauce - although not needed it is a tasty addition to the meal. read more

for a restaurant to claim to prepare certain types of food, Pío Pío fails miserably. the worst $70.00 dollars ever spent. my husband and I drove 2 hours to eat at Pio Pio, thinking that we were going to have an awesome lunch. when we got there I was filled with great expectations. I ordered una bandeja Paisa, and my husband ordered carne asada. we, we asked Ruti, our waitress what dishes were their best sellers , she in turn told that their dishes were plentiful and well prepared, no sooner we saw her coming back with our order. needless to say our expectations went to the floor. la bandeja Paisa , had a very remote similitude to what it should be, the rice could not have been any mushier, nothing to resemble Colombian food. The carne asada was paper thin. to Make matters worse I came home with diarrhea. Their manager never came to see us at the table. In any case I would never ever recommend this poor excuse of a restaurant. read more

I am working in a different area of Charlotte now and I was so happy when I realized that Pio Pio was close by. My first encounter with Pio Pio was at the Ballantyne location and I was hoping this location would hold up to my first impression. This location shares a parking lot with several businesses including a Fresh Market, so no worries about having to park on the street or being towed. This location is very small and on a cold day the cold air whill be entering whenever someone comes in and out of the door-so bring a sweater or jacket. It was lunch time on a weekday, crowded inside, and I was greeted with smiles by the ladies and sat at a table next to the front window-I could see all of the parking lot action taking place. My server came to the table quickly and took my drink order. Don't ask me about the chicken-never had it. I always go for the skirt steak and this location did not disappoint, it was better than the Ballantyne location. The steak was marinated so it was tender and juicy with grilled onions on top. My favorite items are not the meats but the rice, beans and tostones. The beans are cooked so good with seasoning and I am glad they serve it in a bowl with the yummy broth. I put the broth on the rice and when eating the beans and tostones together, it's like a party in my mouth! My server kept my drink re-filled throughout my meal, no complaints. I will definitely be returning to this location for lunch in the future. Also, Pio Pio is on the Clover app, collect those points for money off in the future. read more

Pio Pio - # 7 - Grilled Steak. Skirt steak, rice, beans, tostones - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The food was so good. Tastes straight out of Miami. I will be back. Great portion sizes for the price. read more

Pio Pio - Red snapper - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I had a great experience here. I was visiting Charlotte for 2 days and when I travel I always I like to see what type of Latin food they have in that city. I noticed that this place seemed very similar to a Pio Pio in Orlando. Looked like the same food on Yelp and google, so I went for it. It's a small restaurant nothing like the others in Orlando, but it was very clean and cozy. The host/waiter was on point, and very attentive. I did ask him if there was any affiliation to the Orlando Pio Pio and he said yes. I ordered the Lomo, it was terrific. Flavor was on point. In addition, the food came out fresh, hot and did not take long at all. The portion seemed kind of low for the steak and they don't mix the fries with the steak which was different than the Orlando area does it and other restaurants.. However the fries and rice and steak was all so good. If I lived here I would come back. read more

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I've been visiting Pio Pio for years, lately more the Ballantyne location. I came to this location for lunch the other day. Let me clarify my 3 star rating. It's based on service and price. The food has never been less than 4 stars in my book. The waiter took a while to come, when he did, I ordered my usual, the number 13, a quarter white chicken, salad, rice and beans. The salad came out quick. It was fresh and vibrant as usual. At that moment I realized I didn't have silverware or dressings/sauce. Had to flag the waiter down, as he was chatting with the woman behind the register. My meal arrived hot and was flavorful, though the chicken wasn't as seasoned as it normally is. The waiter never checked on me, and I later flagged him down for my check. Upon inspection, I was charged the dinner price for my lunch special. Luckily I caught it and had to be refunded the overcharged amount. read more

Pio Pio - Side salad - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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So happy to see a restaurant from my hometown queens here in my new city Charlotte! Can you say blessed. I do enjoy the empanadas they have a nice soft crisp to them. Also the pollo Al horno is super tasty. The restaurant is kind of small so plan ahead for big parties. read more

I love their plantains. Really good chicken, rice and beans. I've had the chicken on the side as well as a wrap before and enjoyed both. The garlic sauce is nice for extra flavor. The chicken empanadas are also pretty good. read more

Food was excellent, service a little slow. I ordered the Montanero platter- a plate of Columbian favorites including steak, an egg, rice, beans, plantains, pork skin, sausage, and half an avocado. Needless to say, it was A LOT of food, but delicious as well. Highly recommend. My friend was more comfortable sitting on the patio due to COVID. There were only 3 or 4 tables outside, but they will allow you to reserve a patio table if you call ahead. My only gripe is that the service seemed slow. Infrequent visits to our table by our server and a long wait to get our check- personal pet peeve of mine. Otherwise it was fantastic! Huge rotisserie chicken lover here, so I'll definitely be back to try that. read more

Pio Pio - Montanero Platter- Steak, egg, plantains, pork skin, rice, beans, sausage, and avocado - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Atmosphere is nice a little "stuffy" for such small place. Ordered lomo saltiado.... Not lomo not the right meat or sauce. Did not try anything else. Not impressed read more

Here for a quick lunch.. I didn't realized it's the same place. I must not order the same thing or things has change because it was YUM this time around. I ordered lunch combo 1. Which is 1/4 of rotisserie chicken, rice and beans and plantains. The chicken just completely came apart.. the plantains is nicely made. Soft and sweet. Rice and beans is good.. I even have a bit of the tosnotes. That was crispy.. I can't stop thinking about it since thurs. can't wait to go back. And best yet. They even cater! read more

Pio Pio - Lunch Combo #1 - 1/4 Chicken Rice & Beans with side - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My family and I came here because i wanted Peruvian food. Im married to a Peruvian from Lima and have had a variety of dishes when visiting family in Peru, and Ive been taught how to prepare multipe Peruvian dishes. I say this because I know what is supposed to taste like... The rotisserie chicken is delicious as was the fried Yuca. Now the beans and the yellow rice IS NOT traditional Peruvian. That was disappointing. The "Salchipapa" (frankfurters with fries) had NO traditional sauce drizzled. It was a plate pf plain fried chopped hotdogs with french fries (let down). We also ordered the chicken w/vegetable fried rice w/fries and my daughter thought it was delicious. The beef empanadas are Columbian NOT Peruvian yet they were delicious. The "aji verde" on the table is not only NOT Peruvian but also NOT Columbian. Ive had aji sauce from both countries and this is not it! This is almost like a Viva Chicken chain w/ American versions of aji sauce. They also do not have any hotter ahi sauces. Normally Peruvian restaurants have a mild and hot version of their aji/ hot sauce. The service by our waitress was wonderful. The restaurant is small, clean, ambiance is comfortable. Because of the narrow size of the restaurant the tables are placed close together so if they were busy I can see there being an issue with walking in between. The bathrooms are clean which is something important to me. I had the biggest issue when I asked the waitress for 6 to go containers and the waitress explained she was only allowed to give us three "to go" containers as it was the restaurants policy. This to me was not only surprising but also upsetting. I dropped over $200 on dinner plus tip and was about to tey and order another to go meal (pork chop dinner) which I quickly cancelled and the restaurant has a policy of only 3 to go containers allowed! Ive never heard of this. read more

Pio Pio - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I ordered from this place quite often as it came highly recommended by coworkers. Typically I was given a variety of sauces. The green sauce is a little too spicy for me. On this particular occasion, I requested no green sauces, all white sauces, and asked the lady if I could do curbside as I had a child in the car. It was pouring down rain and the website said curbside available. Later I was told no curbside is technically available, but yet you can see on the example in the picture below that it still appears available on their site. She grudgingly brings me my order with 1 sauce in the bag. I asked her for a couple more sauces considering the amount of my order. She refused. She could at least charged me if necessary, and then she refused to answer the phone when I called back. I called the Blakeney location to express my concerns because this was a matter of principle at this point. Ultimately no one ever called me. I called them the following week day. A gentleman apologized and said he wrote my name in a book for a discount. Fast forward to this Sunday, I worked 16 hours at the hospital and was going to order food. I called them, and a guy basically said sorry, this is not how it works and asked who was the lady who was rude. Poi Pio, you need to do better!!!! read more

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Nice spot for an affordable yet delicious lunch! Today was my second time at Pio Pio for lunch and I loved it. I was seated right away and the waiters and waitresses were very friendly. I ordered a half rotisserie chicken which comes with a side of rice, beans, and your choice of either tostones, sweet plantains, or yuca for only $15. Today I chose the tostones and last time I got the sweet plantains. The chicken was DELICIOUS; excellent flavor, beautifully browned and spiced skin, and the meat wasn't too dry. The beans are also unnecessarily delicious, they are just black beans but whatever they do to them is 10/10. The rice is also great, I think it's mixed with some spices and a bit of oil. The tostones were also good, relatively crispy although I've had crispier before. You also get two complimentary side sauces: one is a garlicky/buttermilk sauce and the other is a spicy habanero sauce. I like to mix the two together since I find the habanero sauce to be a bit too spicy. They go great with everything but I used them with the chicken and tostones mainly. The decor is also fun and quirky, lots of chicken themed art. I will definitely be coming back. Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Price 5/5 read more

Pio Pio - 1/2 chicken with rice, beans, and side - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Honestly very disappointed! Not going to lie this is one of my favorite restaurants here in Charlotte and here for work but I went to pio pio at 9:15 to show some friends how good the place was and the guy at the counter claimed they were closed when it said both online and on there door they were open until 10. You can tell the workers wanted to go home and there was no management there. Change your hours if you don't work them. Drive out of our way to go. Give a 1 because wasn't even able to eat. read more

Just horrible, we ordered arroz chaufa mixto it was $14 plus $4 extra for the chicken and beef that means $14 just for the rice, it was a tiny little portion that tastes like nothing. We were told it was the dish that takes the longer time to prepare. The place is nice but that is as far as it goes. If I could give a minus star i would read more

Pio Pio - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Pio Pio ... Why 3stars , let me break it down . Customer service : GREAT Ease of ordering through Yelp: Great Portion sizes : wonderful! Food selections : plentiful Cost: Reasonable I chose the Matador (cute names by the way for their combos) Whole chicken (choice of all white/dark if that's your thing ) -mine was very dry , the wings were roasted to a crisp you definitely couldn't eat them. Also there was no flavor . Rice -completely flavorless Black beans -too watery Plantains -Delicious! Fries with Franks- no seasoning of the fries at all Large salad -can't really mess up lettuce , carrots and avocado Fried Yucca-no flavor I wish my takeout experience was better to give that fourth star , as I love Peruvian food . Even the sauces to dip the chicken in were off . I'm not sure if it is always like this or maybe they had an off day . However, the portion sizes , contrasting with the cost was wonderful. We were able to eat this for lunch and dinner . Maybe I'll give them another try if I'm craving this cuisine again. read more

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If you show up at Pio Pio expecting anything resembling Viva Chicken then I'm going to kindly ask that, before you reach the front door, you should turn right around and head back to your car (and then drive to your nearest Viva Chicken). Pio Pio is situated in the shopping center containing Fresh Market off of East Blvd. It has a shared parking lot so there is plenty of parking spaces to choose from. I had some time to kill before an event on a weeknight so I decided to finally give Pio Pio a try after so many rave recommendations. I walked right in around 5:30 p.m. on a Thursday and it was not crowded at all. Granted this place is very small so, at peak times, I can imagine that it gets very tight in there. I was seated (party of one, thankyouverymuch) and the waiter came by to take my drink order. I happen to love various juices provided at Latin restaurants so I ordered the mango juice which comes with an option to add water or milk. I added water and it was sweet but not overbearingly so. I placed my order for their #2 dinner special which is chicken soup, plantains, half of an avocado and rice. My food was brought out and I immediately dove into the soup. I'm trying to keep those nasty flu and cold viruses away so soup was what I was craving. It was very flavorful and filled with chunks of potatoes, small piece of corn on the cob, chicken, cilantro and a few other things. Very hearty and delicious soup! The rice was perfectly cooked and the plantains were so delicious that I'm considering calling up and ordering a side of only those. Pio Pio is more of a Latin American restaurant covering dishes from various countries in South America. It's not one or the other. Pio Pio has a style and flavor all its own. I recommend you stopping by and giving them a try for yourself! read more

Pio Pio - #2 dinner special - chicken soup, plantains, avocado, and rice - Colombian Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Got take out from here during Whole30 and the food was delicious. Tostones with guacamole, included roughly 10 tostones and they were crispy and delicious. The shredded chicken salad was huge, and very filling with avocado. Highly recommend! read more