Upon arrival this place was very busy so I definitely recommend a reservation if you're thinking of coming here! The space is small and intimate and I think it would be a nice place for a casual date! We were seated quickly and the server was really great throughout the whole meal and very knowledgeable about the food. I appreciated that he let us know about the specials without us needing to ask. We started off with some drinks. I got a red wine sangria and it was good but I did find it to taste a bit watered down but it wasn't a huge deal! We also got a carne empanada and the flavor was to die for. The beef and onion was so delicious and savory. It was juicy inside but the outside was crispy and dry not soggy at all. The portion size was fairly large as well. We also got the yuca frites. They were good. Crispy but still nice and starchy and filling. Not my favorite dish but only because of personal preference and not because they didn't do it well! Lastly we ended with the pork shank special they had for the night. It was absolutely amazing. The meat just fell off the bone and was so tender. I loved how the mushroom and spinach came with the pork. All of the different parts of the fish came together really well to made it exceptional. It was a hearty and comforting meal and I wish it were on their regular menu! I'm excited to come here again in the future to try more dishes. read more

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Save your money. Please don't go here. They discriminate against neurodivergent people and their families. The food is overpriced. If they treat strangers like this, how are they treating their employees. You guy need some Customers service and some hospitality and training. I will never come back. read more

I'm not being dramatic when I say this is the BEST restaurant food I've ever had in my life. Everything is made in house and full of flavor. We shared the ceviche for the table, so fresh!! Empanadas and tamales you can tell they're made from scratch. Adorable ambiance, I would be thrilled to go on a date here or sit outside for a weekend lunch. Clean, upbeat music, and very kind service read more

Review from Thursday Feb 19, 2026 12:30pm. Server was excellent!!!! Apologies I did not catch his name. Restaurant had lots of Peruvian decor, items for sale. Lunch was delightful. Parking was street parking only on the main drag so limited but I found one available. You may have to circle the area a few times to stag one. Only negative was the difficulty of parking and a 5% service charge.... Not sure what that's about. I gave a 20 some % tip, server was excellent and didn't inquire about the service fee. It was a great experience so I didn't dampen the mood. Needed to get to my meeting in San Diego. More details : There's outside parking but it was sprinkling. Small place but still plenty of seating inside. Two other ppl were dining, possibly regulars, they got their seat and knew exactly what they wanted. I requested the calamari but they were out. He was apologetic but no problem I saw the soup + empanada and on this rainy Thursday it sounded perfect! Butternut soup was delightful, seriously, I could have that soup daily. Wish I could. We don't live near but I'm traveling for work and gonna try to get it on my way back home Saturday. So delicious. It was just a creamy butternut squash, nothing more, but still it was so yummy. The empanada was big and filled with ground beef, onions, and a few olives. I don't like olives but this is common for Peruvian food, it's like a garnish for some dishes and adds flavor. My husband loves olives (hes Peruvian) so I usually give him the bites with olives. I also got chicha. It was so refreshing. I appreciate that the pieces of fruit (usually diced apples and lime slices) added to the yumminess rather than make it bitter. Some places add dry fruit and it makes it bitter. Sure looks pretty but it's not appetizing. This place it's obvious it's fresh and edible. Not overwhelming at all. Chicha is said to be anti inflammatory. This place adds the right amount of sugar. Not overwhelming at all. They also give you water as well. In a fun silver cup with their logo to enjoy while there. I don't think you are suppose to take it. I didn't. Not sure. I didn't ask. I assume it's just part of their place setting. Food was filling. Left quite satisfied. : ) I ended up returning Saturday for the soup! To be continued.... read more

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As a local, I can't believe I haven't been here sooner. Long overdue. Super impressed. As a foodie, the taste is amazing. No notes. 10/10. The chicken and beef empanadas are amazing. Also, it was my dogs bday and they gave her artisanal gourmet salmon skins, I'm honestly in awe, that is the best doggie treat ever!! Well done! Can't wait to come back for more. Some of the best empanadas I've ever had, especially with the stuffing to dough ratio. read more

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Always great food, kind staff, and fun atmosphere. Q'ero is an Encinitas staple and no one has ever had an issue here. An unfortunate recent situation has prompted MAGAts to comment on this page with 1star reviews that are false. Please support this family owned, incredible restaurant read more

The owner and the staff are caring, very friendly and treat their patrons like family. Their food is outstanding and their ability to handle matters is beyond reproach. The restaurant reflects the Peruvian life and it makes the meal seem right at home with the staff and the ambiance. Become a patron, embrace the atmosphere and experience and you won't be disappointed. read more

Refused service to family with an autistic son on Mother's Day! Heartbreaking and horrible discrimination:( Families with children who have disabilities already have a difficult time just navigating day to day life, why can't we enjoy a nice meal together on Mother's Day. Will not be patronizing this establishment. read more

My husband and I recently dined here on a date night. We had been several times before and once again, it did not disappoint! It's a very charming and intimate setting and the server was warm and friendly. We shared small plates and a bottle of wine...the Maduros are to die for! Can't wait to go back! read more

I am writing this on behalf of a family who experienced deeply upsetting treatment at Q'ero on the 101 this Mother's Day. The family had made a reservation in advance for indoor seating. While the father searched for parking, the mother and their 19-year-old son went inside to wait. Their son, who is autistic and Black, was quietly watching a video on his iPad with headphones on and laughing occasionally. According to the family, the owner approached the mother and asked whether her son was "going to be loud." She explained that he is autistic and that he may vocalize at times. She was then informed that, because of this, they would not be allowed to dine inside -- despite the restaurant reportedly being empty at the time. The family described the experience as humiliating, discriminatory, and heartbreaking. No family should be excluded from service because a loved one is autistic. Every individual deserves dignity, inclusion, and compassion, especially in public spaces that are meant to welcome the community. Experiences like this are painful reminders of how much work still needs to be done in fostering understanding and acceptance of neurodivergent individuals and families. read more

Just learned of a family being turned away on Mother's Day with their autistic teenage son. As a mother of a teenage son on the autism spectrum my family will never eat here. I will also be sure to share that poor Mother's experience at your restaurant. read more

WOW. I had such a great experience here. I was thrilled to find there was a Peruvian restaurant here in Encinitas, and so I knew I would be coming here at some point during my stay. And I was not disappointed. I dined early (About 4:15pm) and Patrick was my server. He was pleasant and did his job really well. For a starter, I went with the Ceviche and Sangria happy hour special. I got the Rojo Sangria because it was made with Chicha Morada. And I had the Don Cucho ceviche. And let me tell you - I was taken back two summers ago when I was in Peru and had the best ceviche in my life. I haven't had anything taste as good as what I had in Peru until now. It was spectacular. Simple, but perfect. I also enjoyed the little accompaniments that are served alongside the ceviche. For a main, I went to aji de gallina. I wanted to badly to take the mix for this yellow sauce but it's not permitted to bring it back from Peru. I was so sad, and I've been longing for a taste of aji de gallina since then. While this iteration wasn't exactly what I imagine, it was still very good. I was expecting a little bit wetter sauce - like a mole - but it was more dry. The taste was there though, and I will not complain about it. I did order potatoes which is an upcharge from rice/quinoa I think. And I probably wouldn't have done this had I known it was going to be small round potatoes. I envisioned this dish with the thick cuts of the yellow potatoes that are so common in Peru. But I can't complain. The dish was still very good and I ate it all up! The atmosphere of this restaurant, both inside and out, made it feel like I was transported back to Peru. Overall experience was a 5! I would most definitely return if I was here in the area again. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place but i was quite disappointed when I left. The place was quaint and dozy. I loved the ambience. The staff were friendly. We got seated right away. We ordered many dishes to share. The special of night - ceviche mixto was a disappointment. It was loaded with onion with maybe 5 shrimps and a few small pieces of fish (i didn't even find one piece that looked like a piece of fish). Papa Rellena was good and it came out first. After we finished first two dishes, they brought out an empanada alone. It wasn't anything special. We waited for a long time after we finished the first three dishes. We wanted to cancel the rest at the end but then the waiter said they were almost ready. They brought out maduros alone. They were very sweet but I liked them. And then they finally brought out Sudado de Pescado. It has a good flavor but it was very salty even with white rice. I ordered a glass of sangria. It didn't have a wine taste. When we paid for our bill, we noticed that they charged us 5% surcharge which is higher than other restaurants. Overall, the food isn't worth the price. read more

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Terrible place, the ceiling looks like it has mold everywhere look at their air vents - your food is being cooked in this environment. Also terrible, terrible service. If you have kids that will "disturb" other guests, they will ask you to leave. Even on Mother's Day. This place is NOT kid friendly at all. Pretty sad they don't even give you a chance to teach the children how to acclimate to eating at a restaurant and just turn you away. Bad vibes all around. I have a feeling this place is going to lose a lot of business. Especially from families. read more

I've been here multiple times over the years as it is a staple in the Encinitas community. Not only is their food superb (Panca sauce is a must!) but they provide great service. They truly represent Peruvian culture authentically. Along with the multiple times my partner and I have dined here, there is a monthly Spanish club that meets at Q'eros demonstrating that community is important to them. Oh and you can't forget about their great happy hour deals! read more

Qero and its staff are the best. Food, service, experience is all on point. Best restaurant in SD! The staff is kind and welcoming to all.

wow. I was blown away by the deliciousness of the food here. The vegetarian dishes are amazing and so are the meat dishes. I especially loved the arepas here and the butternut squash soup had such umami taste to it I thought mushrooms were added but no mushrooms. The carne asada empanada was super delicious- the crust was tender and mildy sweet. The salsa they served from a bottle was delicious. I loved my waiter who was also a theatre actor. I think he was the owner too, he was so personable and passionate about the food and his personality was very inviting. read more

Great food as usual and a terrific dinner for 4 of us. Love the calamari and empanadas as usual. Pork shank special was outstanding. Service is top notch and entire experience was memorable. Still one of the best restaurants in the area. read more

Just refused indoor service on Mother's Day because my son is autistic, even though we had a reservation and there was no one in the restaurant. read more

The staff here is nice. I had a friend visiting from Seattle and she suggested we visit. The restaurant wasn't terribly busy but it was a nice day so we sat outside. We had the yucca fries, beef and chicken empanada and the ceviche. The best thing on the menu was the beef empanada. I thought it was kind of weird to have Peruvian ceviche without hominy and served on a piece of lettuce. I think the dish could have used a little more citrus and flavoring. Perhaps I just ordered the wrong thing in the menu. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Ceviche with fried calamari - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I've had the empanadas my 3 times here. The beef and cheese empanadas are great. The chicken....while big and loaded with meat are missing something to make them interesting imho. I grew up with Empanadas Place in West L.A., so I appreciate a good empanada. I love the inside of this restaurant and the woman who is running things is super nice and works her butt off. I'm not sure, but it appears that most of the staff are family or something, so that fact makes me want to support it more. I've had great service but I've come at hours in the afternoon when they weren't too busy. Love the place, love the vibes! read more

You haven't lived .... Until you've tried their empanadas. I keep coming back for the carne. It's better than anywhere I've tried. The music envelops you in, the decor is authentically peruvian to the last detail. The empanada itself. How to even describe it? Rich and decadent might not so if justice. There's an authenticity in the way it's presented, and the composition of ingredients on the palette that are just hard to even compare to anything else. The service of course is also accomodating and helpful. The warm embrace of Q'ero is one of a kind for encinitas and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Handpacked with heavenly ingredients - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

This is my first time at Qero. The food is excellent! Patrick the server was also great. Also had great Patacones. :-) Love the ambiance and music. Highly recommend! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Ceviche ahi tuna - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

My family wanted to eat here and told me they had vegan options for me. Last time my mom came here, there was a very sweet woman who assured her that there were vegan options. Today, I asked if the rice and beans were vegan, and was told that the rice was vegan, but the beans were not, as they contained butter. So I told them okay, I'll just get the rice. They offered to make me their sweet potatoes cooked in olive oil instead of butter, as well, to make them vegan. I thought that would be perfect and appreciated the offer. Well, the food came and the sweet potatoes had Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top of them. The rice was cooked in butter and I had to taste a bite before realizing, since I was told it was vegan. This was extremely upsetting for me, as veganism is a very important moral construct for me, and the fact that I consumed dairy due to this place lying to me feels awful. If you are vegan, PLEASE avoid this place. I can only imagine if someone had a dairy allergy. read more

Incredible and authentic food, the empanadas were amazing. The service was incredibly welcoming and quick as well.

Patrick was a great server. Ordered half portion of an entree- big portion. Very lovely ambiance. Love the vibrant colors read more

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Ambiance was lovely, decorated beautifully with Peruvian goods. Customer service was on spot. The menu was limited compared to what we had anticipated according to Yelp and Google. We ordered the ceviché, tasty but missing a few key items we are used to in this Peruvian dish; pine nuts and hominy. Plenty for 4 of us to share along with 3 large tostones. Also ordered the very tasty, freshly baked chicken and beef empanadas, again more than enough for the 4 of us. 2 dishes of aji de gallina/shredded chicken and rice and 2 dishes of the lomo saltado beef. The beef saltado was flavorful, pplentiful but salty. The aji dish was very tasty, just not sure if we would order it again. read more

Dear Qero, the size of this sign better represents how amazing the food & people are at your fine establishment. Thank you for the home cooked meal experience & enchanted sidewalk dining vibe. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Qero sign - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

The steak in the lomo was very difficult to chew, too many French fries in the mix. Husband had shredded chicken mixture, Tony Hawks fave. It was very tasty. Waiter was very nice and pleasant. A bit pricey. read more

This place is cute. I found it when walking by, I got a vegetarian empanada and I ordered patacones and it never came to the table. I did not even remember about it until I was driving home, and I spent an hour after eating to walk around the shops here so that's crazy. My friend and I must've been burnt out from finals. This is a nice place though and I think they just forgot about it. I was sitting with my friend and talking with the owner about her businesses authenticity so it's possible she forgot about us ordering it too. She is really nice and put a lot of effort into making this place have women fully employed. I respect that so much. She cares a lot about her relationship with her customers and had her business for over 34 years. Pretty impressive, Im honestly bummed out I didn't get to try it because the plantain dish because it sounded so good. I would definitely come back with my mom and sister! read more

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So delicious! My person and I had dinner there last night. We started off with a vegetarian tamale. It's was packed with olives and mushrooms. We loved it. Our entries were a vegetarian dish with rice and a shredded chicken dish with potatoes. Both were delicious. The sangria was refreshing. The restaurant is small and charming and our wait people were friendly and helpful. A lovely way to spend my birthday. read more

Qero review Bad experience that echos previous bad reviews about this restaurant. First off don't use old menus! We only discovered this when our bill arrived only to find increased prices. We asked about inaccurate prices and the waiter, Patrick, said they were old menus! Well how about you tell the customer that FIRST before they order! Or, better yet honor the price on the menu we viewed and charge us that menu price instead of surprising us with higher prices on our bill. And the sneaky 5% fee on the bill? When questioned the waiter said "it was for the cooks" (this was before the tip.) Let the customer decide about tipping, as that is based on the food and service. Which leads me to the service. Get rid of the jacked up waiter PATRICK! Don't know what he was on but it was really off putting. For how strung up he was you'd think we would have gotten our food faster. It took forever to get our orders and each was delivered several minutes apart. As we waited for all to be served our food was getting cold. Then Patrick proceeded to tell us they had a huge catering order that went awry and that's what took so long. Well, that's not our problem, our party was there ready to eat and shouldn't have had to wait forever for the other parties mess up! Once we got our orders a couple of them were wrong. Finally, the Food was good (once we finally received it) but not good enough to return to this restaurant. read more

My new go to restaurant in Encinitas. Incredible food with intimate & friendly indoor seating as well as a nice outdoor patio. The team here do a great job of taking care of guests and introducing the dishes. The highlight is the empanadas. Overall such a fantastic experience and truly my new favorite restaurant in the area! read more

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5/5 restaurant. Small and cozy place with friendly family service. The Nikkei ceviche was so so good with the crispy plantain chips mmm and the fresh tuna and salmon. We tried the frijole empanada which was great but the sauce served with it really made it amazing. For the main I had the lamb special which was one of the best plates I've ever eaten. There was dried fruit in the rice and everything complimented each other so perfectly Left so stuffed and happy but will have to go back to try more! read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Lamb special - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

The food Q'ero Restaurant was so delicious and the service was really great, too! The second de cordero was so yummy and Joseph really enjoyed it, we dove up just for this dish and I had the calamari a la diablada was tender, flavorful and the right amount of spiciness that it made go well with the sauce and vegetables, our friend had Aji de gallina and she said that it was the best meal she had in San Diego during this visit from England. read more

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Loved: calamari a la diabla, alfajores and the service Meh: ají de gallina didn't have the ají pepper spice I was looking for. Too bland and I wouldn't order again. It's not the most comfortable dining experience. Knees knock the metal tables underneath. Metal chairs aren't inviting/comfy. But I do like the Peruvian decor. It's hard to bring that charm to the outdoor tables though. read more

What an expesive Peruvian restaurant! The best part was our $5.00 beers. What we ordered: beef empanada ($8) Lomo Saltado ($24) Calamari a La Diablada ($18) with a side of rice. The beef empanada was super stuffed with a delicious and juciy beef filling (almost like a shredded beed stew with onions and spices). Yay for our starter dish and beer went well with it. The entrees were forgettable. Although I liked the soy, vinegar and peppery flavors of the calamari dish, I probably vould have gotten something similar and better at a Thai or Chinese wok spot if they served fried squid. Also, for twenty dollars a plate the kitchen could try not to just throw crumbling rice into a plate haphazardy with no effort. No idea why, but our server didn't even go over the dinner specials (we heard the other server go over the two specials as well as rave about the owners and some history of the spot). Even with a gift card we paid too much for this meal. I guess I would return if I wanted a beer and and empandada but I wouldn't drive all the way here for snacks. read more

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Not sure why people are hating on Patrick, he was our server and he was very attentive and very nice! All of the food was delicious and I already can't wait to come back. read more

We have been enjoying the ceviche here since 2022. Recently, 10/25, they made a few changes ... served differently and no plantain chips were available. Not sure if they are under new ownership/management. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Front of restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Que Rico! Love this place. Came for happy hour empanada and beer for $10. Or sangria same price. The yuca Freitas were deliciously. Got some empanadas to fry at home as well. Dulce Lethe is a must. Service was awesome. Aplausos to the team. Music and ambiance is very nice. read more

Q'ero Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California