El Pollo Imperial

The Best Peruvian Restaurants In LA

"A great Peruvian restaurant in a former KFC with a fully functional drive-thru is about as Long Beach as it gets. El Pollo Imperial in North Long Beach is a local institution known for its affordable chicken plates and long list of Peruvian specialties, which includes everything from tangy ceviche with sweet potato and corn kernels to lomo saltado to shrimp fried rice topped with a heap of green onions. To top it off, each entree comes with warm rolls, their zesty ají verde, and a cup of aguadito, a soothing cilantro-laced chicken soup. Most diners do takeout here (see: the drive-thru), but there are a few booths inside if you want to hang out sipping Peruvian lagers or Inka Kola. " - sylvio martins, brant cox

The 25 Best Restaurants In Long Beach

"An amazing Peruvian restaurant in a former KFC with a fully functional drive-thru is about as Long Beach as it gets if you ask us. When it comes to juicy wood-roasted pollos a la brasa and wok-seared lomo saltado, El Pollo Imperial in North Long Beach is unmatched. The place is a local institution known for its affordable plates and long list of Peruvian specialties, which includes everything from tangy ceviche with sweet potato and corn kernels to shrimp fried rice topped with a heap of green onions. To top it off, each entree comes with warm rolls, their zesty ají verde, and a cup of aguadito, a soothing cilantro-laced chicken soup. Most diners do takeout here (see: the drive-thru), but there are a few booths inside if you want to hang out sipping Peruvian lagers or Inka Kola. " - garrett snyder, nikko duren, brant cox

El Pollo Imperial - Review - Long Beach - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"A Peruvian restaurant in a former KFC with a fully functional drive-thru is about as Long Beach as it gets if you ask us. When it comes to juicy wood-roasted pollos a la brasa and wok-seared lomo saltado, El Pollo Imperial in North Long Beach is the spot. The place is a local institution known for its long list of Peruvian specialties, which includes everything from tangy ceviche with sweet potato and corn kernels to shrimp fried rice topped with a heap of green onions. To top it off, each entree comes with warm rolls, their zesty ají verde, and a cup of aguadito, a soothing cilantro-laced chicken soup. Most diners do takeout here (see: the drive-thru), but there are a few booths inside if you want to hang out sipping Peruvian lagers or Inka Kola." - Garrett Snyder

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"One of the region’s most affordable and dependably juicy renditions of pollo a la brasa can be found in this small shack in Long Beach. Its riff on Peruvian chicken soup is a perfect precursor to a feast of tender white meat and french fries. Don’t forget to give it all a once-over with the green aji sauce — El Pollo Imperial’s version has enough kick to avoid being mainstream." - Euno Lee

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Mari Corson

Google

The shrimp ceviche was $22.95 for a small portion of the worst shrimp ceviche I have ever had. Tough shrimp, no flavor, no lime kick. The stuffed potato was the bright spot. Other entrees also $22.95 and lacking in flavor. Bread hard and not worth eating. Chicken soup, meh.

German Felipe Cardona Gomez

Google

Had an amazing experience at this Peruvian restaurant! The lomo saltado was absolutely delicious – perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. Highly recommend!

Simon Lau

Google

First time here and I found the food to be really flavorful. From the outside, it looked quite small but I was impressed. The flavor was really good and the staff really nice. I ordered the lomo saltado which was a large portion. It also included their chicken soup and some rolls. The green sauce was dynamic and tasted great with the meal. Seating can feel small inside. There is a small parking lot but it was full during the lunch hour and I parked in the residential neighborhood behind it. They accept credit card and also have lunch specials Monday thru Fridays except holidays.

Jaime Sanchez

Google

I went to try their rotisserie chicken but they had ran out of it 🥺 so I ordered their lomo saltado dish instead. The chicken soup they serve you as an appetizer was fenomenal. The lomo saltado really hit the spot. The waitress was really polite and attentive to my needs. Really good place to eat and really good service from the people tending the place.

Tonia Maldonado

Google

This is the best peruvian food I have tasted. Whenever I'm in town I make a point to stop and get my favorites, lomo saltado, tallarin saltado de carne, and the whole chicken meal. Riquísimo

Pamela Royster (proyster)

Google

The food was terrible, no flavor and not as advertised. The Stuffed Potato had no raisins or onions, only two salty olives and a boiled egg! The Vainaitas El Pollo had no flavor as well. The people who prepared this food, would you eat it? Very disappointed and it was expensive at that! Food delivery on time, that was good!

John Burchmore

Google

Went for lunch and the food was amazing. Great fast service. Lunch special came with soup and a few rolls. I had the Saltado de Pollo.

Agustina Ramirez

Google

We had a long time without going to this place and honestly very bad service. The vegetables in the salad were spoiled. However, overall the cashier is really rude and always forgets something in your order. Bad service! But the food is okay overall.

Debbie W.

Yelp

We typically go to the location in Hawthorne and was pleasantly surprised that they had a location closer to us. This location was very clean and bright. The person who took our order was very kind and helpful. Parking was also very easy as it was part of a large plaza and was the first restaurant when we turned in. We ordered our usual: Lomo Saltado and Tallarin Verde Lomo Saltado was just as delicious as the Hawthorne location. The meat was juicy and not overcooked, and the fries were so flavorful! The green sauce and soup that comes with the order was also delicious. We can literally eat anything with the green sauce! Tallarin Verde was also delicious. We got 2 plates for our family lunch and everyone had great things to say about it. Would recommend trying this place out!

Marilyn G.

Yelp

After a long day in Los Angeles eating around and my son visiting his friends, on our way back home I still wanted to have some Peruvian food since there aren't many Peruvian places to eat at in San Diego. So I searched on Yelp for some Peruvian restaurants and omg there's like a long list of selections of places to eat at for Peruvian food in the Los Angeles county . So I picked the closest one near the Freeway exit where we were at, which was EL POLLO IMPERIAL in Long Beach . Complimentary Bread and Soup was brought out to our table. We tried their bread & butter and it was just typical bread , but their SOUP was delicious, luckily for me, my Son is picky on soups and didn't eat his, so I got to eat his soup ;) We only ordered a few foods from their Menu since we just ate at another restaurant before coming here. What I ordered for us. *CHAUFA DE MARISCOS (SEAFOOD FRIED RICE) *TALLARIN SALTADO DE MARISCOS(SEAFOOD NOODLES) *SALTADO DE MARISCOS (STIR FRY SEAFOOD) The CHAUFA DE MARISCOS ( seafood fried ) rice was delicious, it had good seasoning. Same for the TALLARIN DE MARISCOS SALTADO , it was also good, I like the Savory, Sweetness and sourness from the seasoning on their TALLARIN DE MARISCOS SALTADO ( seafood noodles ) However, I was so dissapointed with the SALTADO DE MARISCOS ( stir fry seafood ) . My goodness it was way too SALTY! I would have told the server about it, but they were about to close, so I just set it aside and ate the Fried Rice and the Noodles . Also, the Cut of all their Squid on all our seafood orders were very THIN , especially the ones on our SEAFOOD FRIED RICE. Other than the issue of my SALTADO DE MARISCOS being very salty and the very THIN slices of squids on all of our orders, the 2 other foods we ordered were delicious, plus the customer service was amazing friendly here.

Thuy N.

Yelp

Rating for take-out. They served spoiled food. I don't have strong sense of smell as compared to my husband. When I brought the food home, my husband said it smelled weird. Old rice and chewy beef in the lomo saltado as it has been cooked and reheated multiple times. The food isn't cheap. It's $22 per dish. Never coming back here again.

Carmeli S.

Yelp

Menus are not updated - no prices! Lomo saltado was ok! Pollo a la brasa seemed reheated and not fresh! Salad lacked presentation, straight from the bag! Service was so-so! The place seems to lack something! Spanish Music? Tables and chairs need a refresh! All to say, no reason to come back with so many Peruvian restaurants in the area! Sorry!

Julia W.

Yelp

Amazing food! Chicken soup is a must for those feeling under the weather! I love the fried fish with lentils and rice. We also love the chaufa (fried rice). I guess Peru has a large Chinese influence in their food.

Phi N.

Yelp

Wasn't very impressed with the lomo saltado and the ceviche was average. The beef was super overcooked and chewy-- really hard to enjoy. There wasn't much of the soy sauce mix to mix into the rice either. I did however like their aji verde; is one of the better ones that I've had. Without it, I probably wouldn't have been able to eat the meal. I had a bite of my co-worker's saltado de mariscos and it was definitely better than mine.

Jorge M.

Yelp

I was eating Comfortably soup was good until I found a dead roach or bug with my bread

Natalia C.

Yelp

I recently went to the restaurant in Long Beach, and while the food left a lasting impression, the service did not quite meet my expectations. Let's start with the positives - the food was outstanding. El Pollo Imperial specializes in Peruvian cuisine, and they certainly know how to deliver on flavor. The star of the show was their perfectly roasted chicken, which was juicy, tender, and bursting with Peruvian spices. The accompanying green sauce was a delightful complement, adding a spicy kick that elevated the dish. However, my dining experience was marred by the slow service during my visit. Despite the restaurant not being particularly crowded, it took an unexpectedly long time for our orders to be taken, and the wait for our food was even more excruciating. This was especially disappointing, as it detracted from what could have been a perfect dining experience. If you're patient and willing to overlook the slower service, you'll be rewarded with some of the best Peruvian flavors in Long Beach. Just be prepared to wait a bit longer for your meal.

Annie B.

Yelp

I wanted something today that I haven't had in a long time it was #elpolloimperial. The food is always yummy cooked to order. The cookies are the best omg once I eat one it's a wrap all the others are gone. Will definitely return sooner than later.....

Maria P.

Yelp

The food was good just the place there's a little loving care. I recommend the food just don't hope on a fancy restaurant or to clean

Danny M.

Yelp

The food is always great, and the service is just as good. My work mates and I come here on the regular!!

Ryan B.

Yelp

For 17.95 I ordered the Arroz con Pollo. It came with soup, salad, two rolls, and rice and chicken. The rolls were cold and hard, the chicken was a dry breast piece. 1/10 I gave it to someone else.

Kristina F.

Yelp

Aguadito de pollo with a healthy drizzle of aji verde is one of my all-time favorite rainy day cravings, and what with the super wet weather recently, I've been really wanting some Peruvian food. My husband and I were in North Long Beach and decided to visit El Pollo Imperial after not visiting for years and years, remembering how awesome their lunch specials used to be. The interior is still the same; several tables with plenty of seating in a casual space. Was a little dirtier than I remember it, but times have been strange. The prices have gone up significantly, with a lunch special costing around $15 nowadays but we were committed. A little steep for a lunch special but you gotta do what you gotta do. The lunch specials include fresh yeasty rolls and aji sauce, which were quickly demolished and generously replenished. The aguadito de pollo (cilantro-y chicken and rice soup with potato and other veggies) was fantastic; give it a squeeze of lime and you're golden. I ordered the lomo saltado and my husband got the arroz con pollo. My lomo saltado was delicious if not potato heavy, with flavorful (yet kinda chewy) strips of beef and a ton of red onion and a small mountain of fries, with a few chunks of tomato sauteed in a salty umami sauce served with rice. The arroz con pollo was a healthy chunk of their pollo a la brasa served with cilantro rice and salad. It was gone before I could try it. The little side salad that came with it looked like it would play a sad trombone if it could, but I don't think anyone expected it to be the star of the show. I can't complain about the notorious big yucky flies, maybe they were all asleep during our visit. But mad props to the little lacewing fly who waited until I was already full before it drowsily dove into my leftovers.

Arturo M.

Yelp

My family use to love this place but it seems that it's not the same. First of all, I had a long hair in my food. Couldn't eat after see that . I did not ask for the ají sauce because it was normal that you get one sauce with your plate but when I look in my bag sauce was not there, i guess that now you have to pay for it . I had to buy one at the grocery store. Service was fast but food taste was not the best. Food was really expensive definitely not going back again .

Kimberly H.

Yelp

I used to like this place, but I feel the restaurant has since been missing the mark. They have failed to maintain the quality of the food and the restaurant. To begin, the food is still decent, but clearly the kitchen staff isn't paying attention to the details of the plates they put out. We got served moldy Parmesan cheese with our tallarín verde, so we asked for more, only to be served moldy cheese again. So we asked a 3rd time and same thing. It was very unfortunate. Their chicha morada is not freshly brewed or even made in house. It was bottled and wasn't too tasty. We also ordered the lomo saltado, but the rice seemed old and stale. The meat seemed low quality and dry and wasn't cut proportionally. We also ordered a half order of Pollo a la brasa. Their sides are very stingy. When asked about the sides, they just said they'd have to charge if we asked for more. Which wouldn't have been a problem if the sides weren't so dang small. RESTAURANT UPKEEP To say the least, there was dust everywhere: window seals, fans, etc. You can tell there isn't a dedicated cleaning team. Seems like the only things that get cleaned frequently are the table tops. The server was either having a bad day or really just doesn't enjoy her job. She was less than happy to serve and seemed bothered when we would ask for extra napkins or something else. All in all, I'll need to find a new spot. If you're going to pay for Peruvian food (which is typically a bit more on the expensive side) might as well find a nicer looking place. Oh and I forgot to mention their parking lot is a little funky. For it being empty when we walked in, almost every parking spot had been taken except for 3.

Jane C.

Yelp

Hole in wall with a drive thru. There's a dozen tables inside, including a few booths. Like all Restaurants, Prices have gone up. Those $8-9 lunch specials from 4-5 years ago, are now $14+. So limo saltado is $14 lunch, $17 dinner. Still Great tasty food. One of my fav Peruvian spot. Nice service, generous portions:)

Seia P.

Yelp

Our first time here, I can't believe this place has been here for awhile and I never noticed it. So glad to have a local Peruvian spot, previously we would go to a place in Paramount. The service was good. The food was flavorful. We will def come back and would recommend it to those looking to try Peruvian food. The drive thru is a nice option if we don't want to dine in.

Erica N.

Yelp

I Love The Food The Service Is Delicious And The Lady Is Very Friendly I Recommend It Will Return

Sarah O.

Yelp

Food prices have gone way up and you now get less food. It's too bad because this used to be the best place to eat in the neighborhood. We've been long time customers, but won't be back.

Philip O.

Yelp

Decent, good food at a bargain price: only $29 for pollo saltado and plantains. Totally not overpriced at all!

Kathy B.

Yelp

I called in my order ahead of time and was told it would be ready in 15 minutes. When I arrived and pulled into the drive-thru, there was only one car ahead of me. However, the car was parked and the driver didn't seem to care that there was someone waiting behind them. I ended up sitting there for 10 minutes with no movement. I decided to pull out of the drive-thru and go inside, but when I got to the door, it was locked, and the employees inside didn't even acknowledge me standing there. Completely frustrating experience. The food is decent, but definitely not worth all the inconvenience. I won't be coming back.

Javier C.

Yelp

Not as expected. Please do better. Thank you. Appetizer was the only thing that was good. Got two other dishes, which were overpriced for quality. Look forward to improvements!

Joelnramoz ..

Yelp

First time eating Peruvian food. It was amazing, all the hype was true. We had the lomo saltado, ceviche mixto and plantains. Everything was phenomenal ! The flavors were on point. The food came out very quick. The staff was polite and profesional, will defiantly be back !

Baron M.

Yelp

chicken soup large the best in California $8.50 a lot of chicken, broth,rice some vegetables & the green sauce & rolls numero uno!

Big L.

Yelp

Every time I try to eat here its always some bs the service is not that great they talk to you kind of rude price are high for no reason at all They will never get my money and the ambiance doesn't match the price at all

Foodie Native Z.

Yelp

This place has lost is way; the first red flag , the prices on the menu are erased with "white-out" ( that would have been my clue to leave). I've eaten here before, I gave them the benefit of the doubt. The food: The Ceviche the Mariscos was flavorless, I was actually concerned to eat it, came off as if it had not been kept cold enough, and stored for too long. The 1/4 chicken with rice and side salad. The chicken was soggy, the white rice was dry (old) and the salad bland. Lomo Salgado was a bit salty. And 2 diet cokes for a total of $71 dollars. They raised the prices and lowered the quality of the food, plus, they don't let you know what the price is before you order (yes, I can ask), but that's what the menus are for, so I should don't have to ask; but, it did open my eyes to know that this food is not worth my money. $71 dollars for food that's worth $35- $40 at best. The pros: The bite size table side bread they give you; but, if this is the only good thing about this place, that's an expensive "free" bread.

Michael P.

Yelp

Excellent food but prices have gone way up on lunch specials.....I get adding a dollar or two more...was $10 now almost $20

brendan f.

Yelp

Menu has zero prices listed and when asked for a water they gave us a bottle of water and charged us for it. Food is good but how are you going to charge us for water and not have a single price on your menu. Not even sure if that's legal.

Angel R.

Yelp

Came to this restaurant and since I entered the awful service started.... Only 4 tables were occupied, 2 of them were finishing their food and the server didn't greet me after making eye contact with her, so I waited to be seated. After seating myself, I asked if they had Coca cola Diet and the server answered with an upset face and when she came back with the drink , I ordered Pollo a la Brasa which doesn't taste like Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, I asked for sauces because it is NORMAL to have at least Mustard Mayo & Ajis which any authentic peruvian restaurant has, her answer was NO WE ONLY HAVE KETCHUP. I saw a male worker coming in to the restaurant and asking if everything was ok , so I respond with "Is your server ok?, She has been very rude to me everytime I recieved something from her and I thanked her she didn't even say anything like "you are welcome" or sometimes just "ahem" So the guy said "I'm sorry she is busy" I worked at restaurants as a server and I am sure if you are a server you know that 4 tables is not being busy and even when you are , you should always offer great customer service unless your customer is rude then you call your manager , in this case I was just nice and always saying please and thank you. She never ONCE checked on me and only at the end she offer a to go box and I wasn't even offered dessert she just got the box and the check. Hoping the owner gets to read this , your business will never grow and customers won't come back because of these type of people. I really wish this place focuses on hiring people that really understand good business practices and that customer service is EVERYTHING when you own a restaurant. I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS PLACE, SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME.

V. K.

Yelp

I used Yelp today to find a restaurant to cease my peruvian food cravings. I was pleasantly surprised of this modest location. I ordered Lomo Saltado. It came with bread and a cilantro rice chicken soup. The soup was so delicious which got me excited about the main dish. I wasn't disappointed, the ratio of beef to fries, onions and tomatoes was just right. Now in regards to the flavor, it was mouthwatering. I definitely recommend this restaurant for take out or dine in.

David J.

Yelp

Am I the only person who think restaurants should stay open to their posted hours?? Posted to 9p on Thursday. We get there at 7:15p and they are already closing up shop. Wasted our time driving there. Not going back.

Kaileen G.

Yelp

Food is okay but service definitely needs to improve. Been there twice and don't think I'll be back again, won't recommend to anyone either

Juan B.

Yelp

Had a big takeout order chicken was overcooked all the green sauces we got were spoiled

Work E.

Yelp

If you're gonna place an order to go don't tip them at all because even if you do tip well they won't hook you up. They'll just give you the bare minimum. Food is ok, I would recommend it if you like Peruvian food. Portion size is whatever. Like I said they won't go the extra mile even if you tip them so why bother.

Sara T.

Yelp

Food was so delicious! Portions were big, rolls were buttery and the ceviche was perfectly acidic. Would recommend!

Daisy B.

Yelp

I would say this is the wost peruvian I have ever had. The Aji Gallina was disgusting and clumpy. The lomo saltado was salty and used bad steaks for the dish. Service was only in spanish, so be prepared to be bilingual. Ambiance is not ideal as it did not seem very clean. It was a major let down and they charged for water as they do not provide except with a water bottle. The prices on the menu were whited out and you are left at the mercy of this establishment. It was awful and the Aji Gallina is starting to make my stomach hurt. Avoid.

Stacey P.

Yelp

This place is small but it's so good. We get the fried fish with the onions , tomatoes, and rice. So flavorful!!! They bring you soup and bread while you wait for your food.

Yvette M.

Yelp

It's been awhile since we visited this spot that was once on our list of favorite lunch specials. Craving Lomo Saltado, we decided to give this place a try again and we were so happy that we did. We ordered ahead and once we arrived, we noticed that all transactions are done through the drive thru. We had a couple of cars in front of us, but our wait was less than 10 minutes. The lunch specials come with rice, chicken soup, bread rolls, and that delicious green sauce. We ordered the Lomo Saltado and Saltado de Mariscos. The steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned, the bread rolls were fresh and the chicken soup, although a tad salty, had a decent amount of chicken and was delicious as well. The green sauce tops it all off and the spice is welcomed. The total for three lunch specials and a liter of Inca Cola was $36.

William D.

Yelp

Whenever I'm in the mood for some good Peruvian that has a low key atmosphere...this is my spot. Been coming here for years and the food has always been delicious. I need to make it on a weekend morning so I can try that special menu

Lloyd D.

Yelp

I've enjoyed this place for so many years but I guess it's under management and both the service and the food has suffered.... Ordered was wrong good definitely not on the same quality as before and needless to say we won't be coming back. And looking for an actual legitimate Peruvian restaurant. This isn't even seafood fried rice.

Brian S.

Yelp

Always great food here, no matter what you order. The green sauce is magical. Always a bit crowded but worth a little patience.

Cami M.

Yelp

I used to love coming here with the whole family. However, lately this place has been horrible. The servers have an awful attitude and get upset if you ask for mayonnaise. The arroz chaufa lacks taste as well

Travis W.

Yelp

Tried this pretty good Peruvian restaurant. Their Lomo saltado was wonderful. Staff was nice. Dining area was clean and tables were stocked with all the right stuff. I can see myself coming back here to try their other tasty looking dishes.

Chanell S.

Yelp

Wow! Our first time eating Peruvian, and we were impressed. I had no idea the flavor fusion going on in these dishes. And the sauces! I need the green one for my purse.

Connie N.

Yelp

I usually love to go here with my family and are usually met by great service and nice ambiance. Tonight we came here to eat and didn't see our usual server this lady looked bothered to be here and brought our food and bread pretty quick. But we finished half of our food before our drinks arrived and never really had anyone check back in with us. When we asked for a Togo box we hadn't even finished eating and she began to take the plates away I had to grab my bread quickly before she took that as well. Then she told us the total bill and walked away finally we saw a lot more of her when she wanted payment because we were most definitely being rushed. The icing on the cake was the roach in the display case that honestly didn't seem to surprise them.

Sue M.

Yelp

Pollo Imperial is located in a small location which seems to be very cozy. You will be quickly greeted by the staff and asked to sit (if there are open tables). Once we received our menus, we noticed that this restaurant has dishes I have not seen in other restaurants such as Lentejas, Locro among others. Shortly after ordering our food we were welcomed with bread and a cup of Aguadito. The food was good but took a long time for it to be delivered to our table. Some of the meat was burned and they charge extra for Aji (Chile).

Hillo P.

Yelp

Recognized by the Los Angeles Times and the LA weekly as one of the top 10 best Local and delicious Peruvian food restaurants in LB Unfortunately, nothing is perfect in this world so heads up, food is amazing but maybe because they're always super busy or 'cause they might be understaff, overwhelmed, tired or all of the above?their customer service is never the best but if you only care for delicious food? then this place is for you! I only buy food to go so I won't be able to speak about my experience inside this tiny and nothing fancy but mighty place I been coming here for a long time and their customer service hasn't improved however they make it up with great food and politeness and they also offer the convenience of drive thru and yummy vegetarians options They've a large variety of dishes, Peruvian beverages and beer El Pollo Imperial accepts credit cards, ATM's and cash When I don't want to bake I love to come get small boxes of alfajores for gifts. Everyone loves them If you're a fan, you may follow them on FB, IG, Twitter & Foursquare for updates Or you may also check them out at www.elpolloimperial.com Except for holidays observed, El pollo imperial offers lunch specials Mon-Fri from 10:00 am-3:00pm and you have the option to order ahead at (562) 612-3315 If you're a Peruvian Food lover you will enjoy this business

Julian T.

Yelp

What a bad experience.. cold soup, bad service and food is horrible! I really think this is the worst Peruvian restaurant I ever been

Armando V.

Yelp

The food was really good. Each lunch special come with amazing soup, bread and green sauce. Would definitely recommend. Beef dish was good, chicken dish was better. Very friendly service. Will definitely go again.

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