Q’ero Restaurant

Mmm loved it! First time here Saturday and everything was so amazing! Sangria is so good, empanadas, Tres Leches:) awesome service! Not to mention the Papa Rellena and I loved the Calamari! Can’t wait to come back again next Saturday with w my girlfriends! So swanky! Love!

Ceviche Del Dia was sooooo yummy, perfect fish and spices. I will be back. Maybe tomorrow at the Cardiff location for happy hour!

We had the tastiest breakfast today. There was so much flavor and love put into the food, it was such a treat. I had the sangria to drink and it was by far the best I’ve tried anywhere, such depth of flavor. They said they use the blue corn in making the drink.
My husband got the El Chaski, which is a quinoa bowl with seasonal vegetables and scrambled eggs. He said it was very light and the eggs were scrambled perfectly. The whole dish looked fluffy and colorful.
I had a half order of the Huevos Benedictos, which is their own unique take on the dish. It consists of the usual poached eggs, but with the addition of flank steak, spinach, and their signature Aji Panca Hollandaise, which is very flavorful and creamy at the same time. All this goodness sat atop one of their delicious arepas. The side of potatoes and giant corn kernels was a treat on its own. I’ve never had corn kernels that big and tasty before!
I got our one year old the Maduros, cooked sweet plantains, which had a drizzle of sour cream. She ate them up happily and I liked them too. Great, authentic Peruvian food, with so much soul. Great meal!

My absolute favorite go-​to spot in Encinitas! I discovered this restaurant with my sister in 2003 (when it was called Amicis), and from then until now, we continue to visit Q’ero for birthday dinners and other special events. It’s also a great spot to bring friends and family when they are visiting. Some favorites, the Calamari a la Diablada, the Amici Salad, the Quinoa, the Empanadas Vegetarianas, and teh Tres Leches for dessert — melts in your mouth. The service is great, the atmosphere cozy and comfortable and unique, nice wine selection. Just make sure you make reservations in advance, as they are always full.

Cozy, little authentic peruvian restaurant on PCH. Wait times were quite significant, however service was friendly. The house-​made sangria tasted great, so did the empenadas, potato and yucca chips. Bought some of their spicy sauce.

Don’t let the stars fool you. Two stars for the décor and for the chicken empanadas. Other than that this place is far from being authentic Peruvian cuisine. I’m from from los Angeles and have experienced amazing Peruvian food from family members to restaurants. This place is very cute. Loved the decorations. I they have a very small menu with not that many options. My husband and I got the lomo saltado and it was very bland. To be honest it was not good at all. Is pricey for the amount of food you get and lacks terribly in flavor. I would not recommend this restaurant is you want good quality Peruvian go somewhere else. This is more Americanized Peruvian food. The locals seem to like it and I think it’s because they don’t know any better.

Absolutely the best dinner I’ve ever had. I would have ordered everything on the menu. The flavors and quality were 5star restaurant worthy. I’m still dreaming about it.

I have been here before and was pleasantly surprised by the food. They have a delicious tapas menu. The reason I give it a 3 star rating is because of my experience trying to book a reservation. I received a confirmation call and after I told her we weren’t planning on ordering much food I was told that they could not seat us at a table (even after 8:30 PM). I realize this place is busy but refusing a customer based on the (guesstimated) amount of the bill seems like bad business. Unfortunately I will think twice about eating here again.

I came in here on a late Saturday afternoon with my daughter to have lunch. There were four other tables being served.
We sat a table directly in front of the little bar where the employees hang out. There were two ladies and a young man hanging out, looking like they were doing something… well anything except tending to the tables that is.
We waited 15 minutes for water. We waited 15 more minutes for menus. We waited another 15 minutes for a waitress to walk by and glance over that she would get to us in a minute. Okay, I think this lady was the only person actually tending to the other five tables.
Meanwhile her coworkers were doing there very best to avoid eye contact. Gotta love it when food servers pull this one.
Ten minutes later the waitress comes buy to take our order. We give her the order and she says «that is not much food»…Okay, we haven’t eaten here before can you tell us about how much food that is? No she can’t she says it is an appetizer. That is odd because I don’t think it was on the appetizer part of the menu but whatever.
The complete lack of service and her unwarranted weird response was enough to just get up and go.
I think the folks eating on the 101 Section of Encinitas must have really lowered their expectations in order to find satisfaction in places like this.

This is my favorite Peruvian restaurant in san diego, the restaurant isn’t too big so they get packed on weekends so try to make a reservation or arrive early. The food taste very authentic and really good service here. Very nice ambiance as well!

Aguadito, chaufa de pollo, the perfect pisco sour… I was dang near fantasizing about my Peruvian meal before I even made the reservation! So you can imagine how letdown I feel that my final verdict on Q’reo is «Eh… just o-​k.»
All these 4 & 5 star reviews got me excited… So excited that I only half-​read them (guilty!) Had I kept my composure & done my sufficient Unilocal research, I’d have noticed that most of the positive reviews were written by those who never had Peruvian food before :/​Post-​meal, it totally makes sense.
Blinded by those 4 bright & shiny orange stars, we made a reservation. **Heads up — our party of 4 had to book a couple weeks out to snag a table on a Friday night.** Q’ero is tiny & fills up quick. Be prepared to be packed like sardines — it gets just a little too cramped at rush that the cute, intimate charm gets lost. The tall men at our table were just plain uncomfortable.
Food was fine, just nothing I found particularly memorable. The calamari starter was pretty good & their homemade aji sauce was also yummy. It was my first time trying maca & I kinda loved it — so gingery fresh. Unfortunately none of my Peruvian fantasy-​players were even on the menu ((**tears streaming**)) so we settled with some very average fish & chicken options.
Food comes in at 3ish stars but the boiler room atmosphere seriously drops us down to 2 (still generous.) Q gets hot — like, I’m ruining my blow-​out sweaty hot. Thankfully we were with a casual crew & I’m so glad I wasn’t visiting on a romantic date. Even when we asked our server (repeatedly) to adjust the A/​C, we were met with surprised looks and ‘oh it’s fine’ comments. Um… no, it ain’t fine. We couldn’t even finish our entrees because the heat & stuffiness was so uncomfortable — ((**conserve energy… don’t move fork to mouth… sit still and just stop sweating.**))
Bottom line — we won’t be back. Yeah, some of our orders were nice, but Q’ero doesn’t even have a lot of our Peruvian favorites. Maybe our palettes are simple, but the flavors of traditional dishes found elsewhere certainly beat-​out Q’s menu.

This was my 3^rd taste of Peruvian food — the 1^st two– «not so much.»
Q’ero was stupendously delicious. They were slammed and the guy who appeared to be the owner was on top of it — great customer service. If he wasn’t checking on us, the server was. We had Papa Rellena, Ají de Gallina~, Maduros~ — AND Tres Leches. I was in heaven from start to finish. Encinitas has great restaurants!!!

After visiting Peru for quite some time, and now having a Peruvian boyfriend, I’ve had my fair share of Peruvian food over the last few years.
Cons:
— Overpriced
— Limited menu
— Not very authentic
Pros:
— Good cuts of meat and fish
— Good flavor
Our waiter was nice and patient. I enjoyed everything we ate, but I found that the food wasn’t very authentic. I got the Lomo Saltado and enjoyed it. However, the flavors didn’t seem to be authentic. There was a red sauce on the Lomo Saltado which tastes good, but in a more authentic Peruvian restaurant, the red sauce would not be included. I would have preferred it to be left out. The food was good but over priced.

Holy buckets! This place is fantastic. Never having been to a Peruvian restaurant, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, my colleague who brought me here had been before and I trust his food choices. And I’ll try anything once!
We started with the Anticucho (beef heart), calamari and ceviche. The Anticucho was expertly prepared. Calamari was fantastic, with just the right amount of spice. I could have eaten another order of the ceviche…
For our main course we had the special — and I’m really annoyed that I cannot remember what it was. But it had these squash blossoms that were one of the better things I’ve ever eaten. If they have something with squash blossoms on the menu ORDER IT. You will not be disappointed.
For dessert we orderd Tres Leches — TO DIE FOR. Just the right amount of structure and moisture. Not too sweet, not too rich.
Service was fantastic. Would recommend to anyone looking for something different and new.

Simply delicious. Is cozy and cute, and the menu is realy homemade taste, like going to eat in my mom home. We order lomo saltado and arepas. Just amazing. They have also a bigger new location that is realy good with the accustic make be too noisy. But is so pretty.

So basically my new friend and I just started our adventures. I was asked what I wanted to do today and I said I wanted to explore Encinitas.
We got to the place around 3 pm and I believe they weren’t really open until 4pm but the lady/​manager let us in to look at the menu. Granted that my friend also is very courteous in spanish; she let us just look over the menu prior to deciding. We both have not really had any experience in peruvian/​south american food. So this is definitely a must try as part of our adventure.
First the service! We were well taken care of and the staff is very helpful in letting us know as we had questions in the menu. They checked on us politely and I feel that the atmosphere was just right.
We ordered the carne empanada with the tangy lemony hot-​salsa they have. I wish I brought some home with me because it is sooooooo good! Sangria was brought in and I was in heaven. The lady says it was made in-​house so we quickly had to try it. It had bits of apple and orange. Delicious!
Now the main course — Inca Sampler Platter is what we chose. It honestly will definitely fill you up! Part of the platter –Anticucho (beef-​heart meat) slathered with their sauce melts in your mouth. This was the dish that I decided that I have to come back for it again. First time trying it! Plus their seafood ceviche along with fried plantains and yuca and papa rellena (mashed potatoes with meat, spices, raisins) all complimented each other. I was very surprised at the exchange in tortilla chips vs the fried plaintain and yuca. It was an adventurous pre-​dinner hah!
No room for desserts but we did have 2 full glasses of sangrias. :) Overall, definitely would recommend and come back to this place. I can’t wait to have family and friends enjoy what I just experienced today!

I really enjoyed this place! I joined a friend to meet some his friends for dinner. This place is quaint, not too many tables, and charming. Service was great!
We had Antojitos (plantain chips) — thin-​sliced plantain chips with parmesan — pretty good, tasty and flavorful. B+
Anticucho (beef heart appetizer), — pretty good, a little too much for me, but my friends ate it up!!!
I had the special (forgot the name): Sliced beef, asparagus, tomatoes — it was excellent!
I also ordered their Sangria; it was so good, it had little apple pieces in it — just really good — I had 3 glasses.
I will definitely go there again if I am in the area!

Qero is an expensive restaurant with that expense, I expect better food and more professional service. for the most part the food was ok. The server was attentive and very good.
Portion size are mesium to pretty small we went to eat after we ate there.
parking is very tight. The alcohol drinks are watery and cheap. My sangria had little alcohol.
The fish flavor was okay prtion size is very small great for dieting. The lomo saltado had good flavor but the fries were burnt and had burnt flavor. The French fries were half the meal in that dish. The potato is one of the staples in the Peruvian diet
Peru invented the potato. I asked the server why the potatoes /​french fries were burnt and he said because that’s how they cook it in Peru. I asked him if he had ever been to Peru and he said no. I informed him I have been to Peru several times and had a Peruvian with me right there — my wife. I don’t never got burnt french fries.
If you can’t cook frys properly don’t blame it on peru. The peruvuans take their food very seriously. If a bad restaurant is claiming to have Peruvian food, that is embarrassing to Peruvians.
I gave the restaurant 2 stars because the server is nice and because the calamari diablada was very good.
Qero is in downtown in Encinitas a great area but the restaurant is very small and the bar is jammed with servers. The restaurant has a cramped feel.
We went to this restaurant 10 years ago and were underwhelmed ten years later the menu is changed but the attitude towards the food remains along with the high prices. I understand its a high rent district but if you’re going to charge high prices you better have good food and decent portions. At least pour a decent drink so that I don’t have good judgement
If you want half decent Peruvian food and you’re not married to a Peruvian you will have to drive to Racoto in Los Angeles.
If you want to grossly overpay and get small portions and a so-​so experience go to queros.

This place is awesome! You have to make an advanced reservation, however it’s worth it! I recently went with some Peruvian friends and they were impressed with the authenticity. If you’re on a budget, you can do quite well on the appetizers and one entrée to split.
All of the entrees are good sized portions. Highly recommended!
Great date spot!

wow, what an amazing experience.
i have passed by this place countless times (esp since next door to 101 diner, yum), and have never ventured until this night.
parking:
abundant street parking, may have to drive a block or so, but not a problem for the most part.
ambiance:
super beautiful, dark, cozy, Mediterranean style.
candles everywhere, nice dark colors.
small venue, but perfect for date night/​intimate night.
no kids please, not the type of place.
service:
great time with amy.
knowledgeable, friendly, good service.
the manager came by to say hi, and told us a little bit about the owner and her venture into Peruvian food.
drinks:
super smooth and refreshing red sangria, small apple chunks and other fruit made it delightful. not too sweet which is how i like it.
food:
can i say oh wow?!
1. started apps off with the «conchita en sajta».
quinoa crusted scallops.
cooked divine, very succulent, beautiful sauce.
2. 2^nd app was «papa rellena» which rocked my night.
potato stuffed with beef, raisins, spices.
i fell in love with it, especially combined with the pickled red onions next to it.
amy served us a house salsa/​habenero which accompanied it perfectly.
3. started dinner with «Pernil de Chancho” —
a super succulent pork shank served with roasted oyster mushrooms, sautéed
with shallots and finished in an aji amarillo sauce, served with roasted fingerling potatoes.
really to die for, i am craving it again.
4. we shared a mixed green salad prior, which was large, and well priced.
dessert:
we finished our lovely evening with espresso and:
«tulum»: a roasted walnut tart covered with vanilla cream cheese. it was very light and served with strawberries and a bittersweet chocolate drizzle.
perfect way to end the night. light, and airy, and GF to boot, fyi.
overall:
very amazing time.
i’m looking forward to hitting Q’ero up again.
i love the ambiance the best, very romantic and sweet.
thanks for a great experience!

My gf turned me on to this place and it is very extra special.
So small and cozy. Everything is yummy. Shared the calamari to start: lightly breaded, ample garlic, shitake mushrooms, at a medium spiciness. I could eat an entire bowl and lick it, if the table next to me wasn’t so close.
The lomo saltado skirt steak had great seasoning spices and the gravy and fries reminds me of poutine but even better. I normally think quinoa is for the birds but they make it really luscious and scrumptious here with spinach, its like butter.
Our server was super nice and brought out a box of assorted herbal teas. The apricot tea was aromatic and didn’t need any additional sweetener other than the alfajores.
:)

Q’ero… Sí yo quiero siempre. This is one of the highest quality restaurants you can dine at. I have been here probably 5 – 6 times or so and everything has been wonderful. Recently I got the ceviche, Camerones, and of course finished with the Tres Leches cake. All of the food here is outstanding quality and fantastic tasting. I would recommend this place to anyone and often do. :-)
Pros–
Location
Food
Menu
Ambiance
Service
Drinks
Desserts
Portions
Cons–
Reservations often limited
Small