I had a very notable lunch here! We loved the empanadas and calamari, and I was having the best lomo saltado of my life until I noticed I was having an allergic reaction! Apparently the calamari was dusted with sesame seeds, and I didn't think to disclose this at Peruvian... but this is where the waiter checked on me and was wonderful as I was going through this. I bought a pack of carne empanadas and enjoyed those later at home. I'll definitely be back, just no calamari next time! read more

Updating review to accurately reflect the experience now that I think about it. Never heard back from owner about things. I don't think I'd go back. I must've been drained from school. Food service mistakes in this economy? No way read more

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Amazing first time. Thank you Darwin for the recommendations. He was very pleasant and honest with his suggestions. A real salt of the earth kinda guy. As soon as you walk up to the restaurant the unique atmosphere transports you in to their own little version of Peru. They have so many little touches of decor that make the interior unique. The food is reasonably priced and delicious. I loved the Maduros. Recommended by a local and now I can see why. read more

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We love Peruvian food but were pretty disappointed here. The menu is relatively small so we had expectations that what they had on the menu would be very good. This was honestly one of the worst lomo saltados we've had in awhile. The steak was so chewy and tough and there was literally no sauce. Also usually there is a green sauce to go along but this was not given to us. The calamari dish was promising but ended up being one dimensional and just extremely smoky tasting from the chilies. Maybe it was just a bad day but would probably not come back. read more

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Love this cozy Peruvian spot in downtown Encinitas. They have a hot sauce they make in house that I've been coming back for a lot lately. We really enjoy the fried plantains and arepas, and my husband was a huge fan of their catch of the day. Looking forward to exploring more of their menu. read more

Qero Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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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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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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The ceviche was delicious and very refreshing on this 80 degree Sunday. Service was knowledgeable and relatively quick. We sat outside in the shade so we watched the people go by and had a very nice fruit drink (nonalcoholic) that was like sangria. Very good. read more

Qero Restaurant - Peruvian ceviche - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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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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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

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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One of the best dinning experiences I've had in a long time. Small and quaint, perfect for a date. We had the salmon and it was the best fish you can get in San Diego. read more

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

We LOVED our dinner! The ambience is great, the decor authentic, the service excellent, the prices reasonable-- and the food was amazing! Loved the sangria, and the plaintains, empanadas, dulce dos leche dessert. It was crowded (added to the ambience!), glad we had a reservation. Will definitely be back. read more

Walked into an empty restaurant and was told we had to make a reservation to eat there. Lady was very rude. Left.

We drove from Rancho Santa Fe yesterday to have early dinner here yesterday. We entered the restaurant about 4:00 and it was like an oven inside the restaurant. It was soooo hot inside it would be unfathomable to even consider dining inside. There was a couple sitting at a table outside on the sidewalk. But, that was also unacceptable. So, we just left. Not sure if they don't have air conditioning or choose to not use the air conditioning. Either way, it was a no go for us. read more

The lomo saltado y very good and the ceviche taste like in Perú! Also the rocoto salsa is delicious!!

I came on yelp to give this restaurant a five star review and then I checked our receipt. Food was good and arrived in a timely manner. We were thinking of going again and trying some other dishes but I noticed a 5% service charge and an additional 3% credit card surcharge (both taxed). I don't think we will return. 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

Qero Restaurant - Ceviche with fried calamari - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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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

Qero Restaurant - Handpacked with heavenly ingredients - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We tried stopping in but they had no reservation system or list. This rude guy said it would be 45 minutes to an hour so we went and had a beer, set a timer, and came back in 35 minutes. The guy looks angry, points to a table and yells do not leave again. We left, never going back. read more

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

Qero 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

everything that went in my mouth was sooooooooooo gooooooood - amazing sangria, meat, seafood, plantains, spices, and ceviche! read more

Qero Restaurant - lomo saltado - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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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

Qero Restaurant - Qero sign - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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

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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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

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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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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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

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

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

Qero 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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4/5- didn't have everything on the menu. With the menu already being a little on the smaller side, not having 4 things was a lot. We made reservations for 11:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and it wasn't busy (on the weekends for brunch it's packed). We were given the pick of indoors or outdoors. It was warm inside with no air circulation- since there wasn't a breeze, it was a little uncomfortable. It was lunchtime, the sun was beaming and there wasn't any shade, so we opted for indoors. The service was amazing! Both servers were attentive, friendly and informative. Food: everything tasted fantastic. It did take longer than expected especially since it was slow, but can't complain since the food was clearly all prepared on the spot. Yuca Fries were crispy and yummy. I didn't care too much for the hello sauce too much. Empanadas - the cheese ones were SO good. We also got a beef one, but it wasn't favored and tasted a little drier. *Aji Pollo - super yummy and packed with flavor. I got it with the quinoa, and that was prepared very good as well *Lomo Saltado - My husband enjoyed it, great flavor and authentic flavors. Also used an obscene amount of their house hot sauce... we bought a bottle for home :) Enjoy!!! 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

Qero Restaurant - Front of restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Encinitas, California

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