Pio Pio 7

5 stars for what it is. xasual relaxed atmosphere for finger licking amazing spicey chicken.

Simple, good, consistent — got the matador combo to share between the three of us. I personally wouldn’t say it’s the most exciting or interesting food (although that green sauce is excellent) but it’s definitely always a decent choice to come out for especially in a small group.

This is not my first time at pio pio. I’ve been to the queens location a few times already. I came here because I wanted to show my friends how good the food is here. To my surprise, it was way smaller than the one in queens. We got here around 7:20 pm. It was kind of confusing on who to go to, to ask for a table but eventually someone came out. We got our table within 5 – 10 minutes. We were a group of four.
I already knew what I wanted to order. I get the same thing every time which is the matador combo. My friends also got the same combo. I replaced the plantains with another side of rice (i like how they allowed that). Our food came very quickly! About 3 – 5 minutes after we ordered. Our waiter was very nice. Our glasses of water were always filled.
The bathroom is really small. You barely have room to move around.
We were kind of ‘rushed’ out because there were other people waiting. It’s understandable but they were literally taking the plates off our tables as we finished! They weren’t rude about it but i felt very very rushed. They took no time to give us our check even though we weren’t done and by the time we paid, we had to literally get out because they had to reset the table.
Overall I do like the customer service in this location over the one in queens. I do like the queens one for the space though! I also found the portions of the chicken to be better here. It seems bigger than the ones in queens.

I love pio pio and very familiar with all the queens locations. I came to this location with a friend for a lunch and it got packed very fast. They have a lunch special for $ 10 which is pretty good. I enjoyed my baked chicken with yuca fries. It is served with this garlic sauce. Amazing. Otherwise it say the lunch special comes with it own salad but the waiter only served us one small salad to share so that was confusing. I didn’t give it the 5^th star, because the location is very narrow and the waiters can get very pushy because their serving in a hurry. My friend seltzer water landed all over her. If they slowed down just a bit going through the narrow space in between tables I wouldn’t feel like I need to watch my back while eating. Otherwise great food. Would not come here during lunch time. Order it out and sit outside in the nice weather

I can say that it was okay for the first trial. We did not like the house food we have yesterday at work so decided to order from neighbors.
They have 10% off on your «next online order» on their website for Unilocal check ins, we were already there so did not want to lose time going online and ordering there, just ordered at register.
We got a portion of empanadas, comes as 2 pieces, also we got the fried rice –Arroz Chaufa– in the menu it says with onions so asked no onions and they said there are no onions but scallions so I do not know why it’s not written so in the menu but was not a big deal. The rice is ideal for sharing. Me personally loved the empanadas the most.
We also got the piononos, the dessert, it was not something special. I will try some more offerings but empanadas are on list for sure :)

Place is super small. Literally tiny, but food is very good. A little pricey compared to other Peruvian food, but this is a more «upscale» twist on Peruvian food. Also, green sauce is bomb!

Second time going to Pio Pio but my first experience was at the Hells Kitchen location. That venue was gorgeous and the menu was a lot more extensive than this Midtown East location.
There were 3 of us and we just ordered the Matador Combo to share. There was a LOT of food. The chicken was delicious! The rice and beans were just okay for me. I liked the salad. The fried plantains were probably the most disappointing because I usually love those but these were just too hard/​thick. The fries with the hotdogs were pretty good too.
For the amount of food we got and the price, I think this is well worth it. I’ll probably stop by for just the chicken next time though.

I’ve been to this place many times, and have introduced my family to this wonderful food as well. I usually go to the west side location, but I was closer to this one recently and decided to get my favorite snack, the empanadas.
Pro: Alcohol (Sangria), Food portions, Flavorful, Friendly Professional Service
Con: If you are looking for a quiet evening, this place is NOT it. Luckily for my family we like to talk. Consistency: This is a very minor issue, and usually only something that people who eat at the same place and order the same meals will notice, other than that not many cons.
Cost: Reasonable

I have been to the restaurant in Queens and it’s a whole different experience. The chicken at 34^th street, you never know what your getting. This chicken was over cooked. Badly!!!

This is my second time visiting a Pio Pio. I originally went to the Hells Kitchen location with the big, beautiful underground dining room. This time I wanted to meet some friends who live in Murray Hill, so I decided to check out Pio Pio 7.
The restaurant itself is very small compared to the one I first went to, and the menu is limited, but the food was just as delicious as the first time. Things that are not to be missed include the rotisserie chicken, the green sauce (put it on everything), and the Peruvian fried rice. The food is extremely fresh and extremely delicious. The service at this little location was also great.
If you’re looking for a great lunch or dinner spot in this area, check out Pio Pio 7. There is also a 10% discount off your meal if you check in on Unilocal,FYI.
Summary: Small restaurant, great food, you won’t be disappointed.

Maybe it’s because SO many people had hyped up Pio Pio for me? Maybe I ordered the wrong things? But I don’t know, the 25 minute wait just wasn’t worth the food to me. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but not anything I’ve never had before. I had the juanita’s chicken and the arroz chaufa, which was very dry. Idk, can someone help? Did I order wrong?! I really want to like this place. I think I would give it another shot and order something completely different because I really haven’t heard a bad review. Almost everyone around us was ordering the matador combo, however I thought that would be way too much food for 2 people. So maybe I’ll go back with a larger party and try that and then update my review. For now, just ok.

I first tried Pio Pio years ago on the UWS before I moved to New York. For some reason, I ordered the ceviche as an entrée all for myself, which isn’t a great idea. Too much citrus for one stomach.
Fast forward to the present day: I was ready to give Pio Pio another go, this time in Murray Hill. We ended up ordering the Matador combo ($ 36), which includes the following:
*Whole rotisserie chicken — This was indeed a tasty chicken and the best part of our meal. The famous spicy Peruvian green sauce served to separate it from your everyday rotisserie chicken. We did think the chicken tasted a bit gelatinous in spots, however, and one of the wings was charred to a crisp and inedible.
*Saffron rice and beans — Just rice and beans, but pretty great. I relished the saffron rice.
*Tostones — On the other end of the greatness spectrum, these were really not great. Plantains deserve better. They were somewhat saved by the tangy sauce they were served with.
*Salchipapa — Fries and beef medallions that looked like miniature hot dogs. I tend not to eat beef, and this did not strike me as a dish for which my general rule should be broken. It honestly didn’t really look appetizing, and we barely touched it.
*Avocado salad — eh, nothing special. The avocado seemed a bit mushy.
Despite mostly ignoring the salchipapa and tostones, the order still contained a massive amount of food. I ate the remaining half of my portion of chicken for lunch today. $ 18 for basically two meals ain’t bad.
I also sipped on a red sangria (I think they actually only have red). It was definitely on the sweeter side, but not obnoxiously so.
The service was impersonal but QUICK. We were served our food just a few minutes after ordering. Benefits of a small menu, I suppose. The staff knows how to deal with the small and narrow space; just watch out for other patrons. The table next to us spilled a pitcher of sangria and it went flying everywhere… didn’t get on us, but it easily could have in such close quarters.

This place is really small but offers great food at a decent price. I went on a Saturday night at 7:30pm. The hostess quoted a 45 minute wait for 2 people, but we ended up only waiting 15 – 20 minutes. We saw an open 4 person table while we were waiting and assumed they were saving it for a large group, but shortly after we were seated, the couple right after us got the larger table. …Idk how to really feel about that. I would have given them 5 stars if it wasn’t for that situation.
I highly recommend the Matador combo. It was $ 36 and its enough food for 2 really hungry or 3 regular people. We couldn’t even finish everything. The rotisserie chicken comes along with a side of green sauce. I pretty much used this sauce for everything. It was so good. The avocado salad was light and refreshing, though they could have used less dressing because towards the end of the meal, the salad got really soggy. Salchipapas are basically fried hotdogs over french fries. they added a great salty, crunchy aspect to the meal. :) Tostones with the garlic sauce were great as well. I love this combo because it makes it easier for people like me who take forever to decide what I want to order. I didn’t try the Sangria but everyone around me who ordered, looked like they were enjoying it. I’ll definitely order it at my next visit. :)

Interesting mix of good and mediocre options. Chicken is fantastic — juicy and flavorful. Maybe the most tender chicken I’ve ever had, I fear how much butter you have to cook it in.
Yucca is good, and the salsa/​dip were quite good. Chicken empanadas were also tasty but a little too much pastry for me. Other things were quite average — rice and beans, salad.

This place is what I call KFC for adults that just moved to New York City.
I’ve experienced better. Not impressed. ³⁄₁₀ — will not attend again unless someone forced me to.

Great casual place for dinner or after work! I order from here on occasion too. This location is a bit small and cozy.
I pretty much always get the Matador Combo which comes with a whole chicken, rice and beans, tostones, salchipapa, and an avocado salad.
The chicken is always cooked perfectly and served with some amazing green sauce. You can request all white or dark meat, as well.
I also want to call out how great the salchipapa is… It’s pretty much like mini hot dogs and they’re some of the greatest things ever!

Probably the best way to do a semi healthy date night on a budget. The matador combo is huge and enough for 2 people easily (with leftovers) –and relatively healthy. The chicken is crisp and juicy and flavorful, the fries with hot dogs on top are fun, and the rice and beans hit the spot. I also was a big fan of the sangria. Not too sweet… And you can get pitchers.
I also really liked that they know what they do well and they offer that– their menu wasn’t super short but it wasn’t overly long and complicated– they had one kind of sangria, a few larger platters for dates and groups, and a well rounded selection of individual plates. Done. It was easy to get in and order, and our food arrived fast.
I actually was here last Friday with a group, but will definitely come Back next time I’m In town… Love it!

4.5 stars for food, 3.5 stars for service
Two of us came here for dinner Friday night, and waited about 25 minutes before getting seated. Pio Pio is a super popular place, and the food definitely explains why!
We ordered the matador combo to share, and it was quite a massive amount of food — a whole chicken, rice and beans, fried plantains, avocado salad, and fries. We also ordered the soup of the day, which was actually really delicious — a simple chicken soup with potatoes and yucca, perfect for a cold winter evening. As for the combo, the chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Rice and beans were standard. Avocado salad was great — simple with a generous amount of avocado. Fries were thick and yummy as fries alway are, and interestingly mixed with hot dog pieces. The fried plantains came with a side of garlic sauce that was really flavorful and complemented the bland starchiness very well. And everything was of course amazing with the restaurant’s famous green sauce!
Next time I’d probably hold off on the matador combo and get a smaller option, unless I was with at least 3 other people. We ended up taking our leftovers home and not even being able to finish it for lunch the next day. A really good deal though — you get all that food for only $ 36!
As for service, it definitely could be better. We asked for ketchup 3 times because the waiters kept on forgetting. Also, when we paid, we handed the waiter our credit card but a few minutes later another waiter came and handed us the check. There seemed to be pretty poor coordination among the staff. Service/​attentiveness could definitely be improved. Granted, the restaurant was very busy, so it’s more understandable.

I’ve never been to a Pio Pio before, but I’ve heard some great things about their chicken & sangria. I love Peruvian chicken, so I had pretty high expectations.
My boyfriend split the chicken, an order of saffron rice & beans, tostones, sangrias and piononos for dessert.
— Mama Juanita’s Chicken: OF COURSE the chicken was juicy and flavorful. And with that green sauce? Mmmm!
— Rice & Beans: I’m a fan. This side order was just enough to share for the two of us.
— Tostones: these were alright. They were of a good size, and I liked the sauce that it came with. I just wish it was a bit crispier.
— Sangria: I normally like white sangrias over reds, but it was sweet so I didn’t mind. Like juice!
— Piononos: the menu described this as a pastry, but it was actually two slices of a chocolate and vanilla roll cake with their caramel (dulce de leche) ice cream and whipped cream. The cakes weren’t anything amazing, but the ice cream had a great caramel flavor.
Service was fine —
I came in around 5:30 on a Tuesday (a weird time, but we had to catch a movie!) and it was pretty empty. Our server was friendly and our food came out quickly.
As for the ambiance? It’s intimate. Pio Pio had a romantic vibe to it, with it being so dimly lit and tables close together. This location feels less like a chain — the close quarters made it feel more authentic to me. Probably not the best location for a large group, but not a bad date night spot.

I DON’T RECOMMEND THIS PLACE FOR ANYONE Bueno hoy invite a una amiga para que probara «CEVICHE» del que tanto le habia hablado, todo estuvo muy bien hasta que nos dieron el dichoso Plato la verdad que me sirvieron otra cosa menos lo que pedi porque soy peruana y se cual Es el sabor, Se que no tienen los mismos ingredientes o tal vez vienen importados pero he comido en otros restaurantes aqui y tratan de hacerlo lo mas parecido posible… Luego de que nadie comio pedi hablar con Un manager quien por supuesto Se Escondio y mandaron a la mesera que me de el numero y si queria podia llamarlo, lo cual me parece muy malo de la parte de este restaurante, praticamente les regalamos 80 usd y espero que eso lo usen para poder elevar la calidad de su comida.

La COMIDA ES LA PEOR QUE EH COMIDO: Hoy Fui a este lugar con mi familia y pedi un cebiche mixto el cual Es totalmente desagradable, cuando Le réclame a la mesera me respondio que era la manera de preparacion. YO SOY PERUANA Y SIEMPRE ESTOY COMIENDO EN DIFERENTES LUGARES COMIDA PERUANA Y ESTA ES LA PEOR QUE EH PROBADO EN Nueva York!!! Cuando llame a la mesera me dijo que podia hablar con el manager El cual cuando lo fue. A buscar supestamente no estaba en el local. No vuelvo nunca mas!

Came for the chicken, stayed for the *hot dog*.
Okay, I kid. After doing several «Pio Pio» nights on the cheap by hitting Fairway late-​night for buy-​one-​get-​one rotisserie chicken (a great deal, seriously), decided to do the real thing at the Murray Hill location.
Got the Matador Combo, which was more than plenty for two. Chicken, rice/​beans, big fried plantains, «avocado» salad, and the salchipapa — which we discovered represented grilled sliced hot dog on a bed of fries. Chicken was as good as advertised, and a definite step up from Fairway. Brine was good, but maybe the wings were a bit overcooked — admittedly difficult when roasting the entire bird.
Now about the hot dog and fries; weiners were actually flavorful and rather dense, much more so than the average Oscar Meyer or Ball Park brand frank. I wonder if they somehow procured a Peruvian hot dog, as they did Inca Cola, which I’ve only seen on tap at Coke headquarters in Atlanta. Fries were perfectly well-​done.
I wonder if Peruvians eat Spam?

Es la peor jalea que eh probado junto con los calamares y el servicio de lo peor

Doy 2 estrellas porque la comida estuvo sabrosa y bien presentada, para no desmerecer la labor de los honorables de la cocina, porque en la atención en el salón casi todo fue un desastre.
La anfitriona hizo su trabajo y lo hizo bien, nos hizo esperar prudentemente para darnos el mejor lugar acorde a la cantidad de comensales que éramos (6).
La pesadilla comienza con la introducción del mesero: Como era nuestra primera vez, no sabíamos mucho acerca del menú, por lo que estábamos indecisos, nuestro nuevo amigo no se dio la molestia de orientarnos y simplemente nos abandonó por 11 minutos supuestamente para darnos más tiempo para tomar una decisión. Cabe señalar que jamás dejamos de ser respetuosos con el mesero, pero este empleado nos ignoró durante toda la jornada, incluso en algún momento tuvimos que elevar la voz para agregar una ensalada a nuestra orden y si no nos hubiéramos dado cuenta, nos hubiera cobrado el jugo de piña dos veces.
NUNCA se acercó a preguntar si estaba todo bien por lo que nos rendimos y decidimos entendernos con el bussboy quien se encargó de atendernos, aunque dentro de sus posibilidades pues bien atareado se veía.
Siempre he tenido grandiosas experiencias en restaurantes hispanos y particularmente peruanos, donde el servicio es maravilloso por ser esencia de nuestra cultura latinoamericana.
Esta fue una de esas veces en las que he dejado propina más como un acto de cortesía que como de gusto y agradecimiento por un buen servicio. Al contrario, fue una pésima y fría atención al cliente que arruinó toda expectativa de pasar una noche agradable con los amigos.
Fue mi primera vez en este lugar recomendado por mi amigo, creo que incluso para él será la última.