El Pollo Inka Gardena Peruvian Restaurant & Nightclub

I have been coming here for years, since I was a little girl. I loved it! The food is delicious. My reason for the rating is the service. I have ordered catering numerous times but this last time, I had the worst experience. I placed the order for pick up and I had someone pick it up to bring to our event. The order wasn’t ready on time. I can understand that they get busy so that wasn’t too much of an issue. When the food arrived, I inspected it and the order was wrong. They didn’t have enough white rice so they gave me an incredibly small amount of white rice and the rest was green rice. I was missing half a tray or rice as well. Their rice is one of their signature sides and it astonishes me how I didn’t receive a call for a heads up because chances are, I would’ve asked for a refund. I reached out to them making a complaint and I was given the managers number and instructed to call him. I called Juan and left a voicemail. I also sent him a text. This happened at the end of May. It’s almost the end of June and no one has called me back.

First experience with Peruvian food and everything was great. Meals are very affordable and also served with soup and/or salad and bread. I am unsure what the soup was (smelled like chicken noodle) and had some veggies in it and tasted good. I tried the chicken salad and the chicken was a bit overcooked but i really liked the salad dressing. One of my brothers got a full chicken that came with a large side salad and a plate of fries that he wasn’t even able to finish. My other brothers got seafood meals and ate every bite. They really enjoyed their meals but were a bit surprised that fries were mixed in with the seafood’s seasoning then served with white rice on the side. They also had some unique drinks and also familiar things like raspberry tea and thai coffees. The murals were a nice addition.

Food is delicious. Tried different items from menu. If you don't like a specific dish, chances are you'll like a different dish. The staff does their best to tend well to guests. I like the dim lighting, relaxed feel. If you want to have conversation, I recommend avoiding the dance nights.

I've been going to this restaurant for a while now , and I love the food ,service, and atmosphere, and to my surprise, they have Dance on Friday nights.

They don't have someone at the entrance to sit you but they will sit you eventually. Otherwise, place is clean, food is great and comes out pretty fast.

I'm not pleased with the service. It's very slow and not too friendly. My plate was cold (aji de gallina). No one greeted us at the door. We had to go inside and ask for acknowledgment. Won't be back back. I am not impressed, poor service, and not the best food service. Hope your dining experience is better than mine. 🙏

This restaurant is a great option for mothers day. Food is really good , friendly service , reasonable prices .But place looks like it needs a detail cleaning , including restrooms!!! Spotless restrooms means spotless kitchen!

We walked in there about 7:15 pm. It wasn’t that busy so we figured we would be able to sit down right away. We put our name down and walked to the smoke shop next door. Didn’t take us not even 5 mins. When we came back our name was crossed off. We were waiting for someone to come and ask us how many people and the waitress would just stare at us. My husband for frustrated and asked for a table. They tried to tell us to wait 30 mins. He explained and said it wasn’t fair so finally the waitress found us a table. My husband asked her if they were busy and the waitress answered with no. We didn’t understand why we got ignored in the first place and if they’re not busy why did she say to wait 30 mins. We sat down and our table and seats were dirty. They didn’t even bother cleaning them. They sat us in a corner table where they had dirty dishes next to our table and old furniture. We ordered right away since we thought it was going to be quite some time before we get our food. Surprisingly it arrive pretty fast. The only thing I can complain about is the service. They really need to work on that. The food was good and the atmosphere wasn’t what I expected. Would I come to this location again. No … never again

Jonathan Beatrice and Mina -- god bless you three Came here on a rainy day and this place brought me back to life. Best chicken I've ever had. The cilantro dressing is a show stopper. This place is a national treasure

Haven't been to el pollo inka for some time. This was my first time at this location. The atmosphere was much different than the one in Hermosa and Hawthorne. The place is nice but the service was not very good. We had two menus with different prices. Also after receiving our meal we were never asked if we wanted more water or how was the food. I had to flag down the waitress to get my bill. My food was barely acceptable. The arozzo con pollo look like it was cooked last night and the rice was mushy. The price with tax and tip came out to $23.00. If the food was good it would have been ok. I don't think i will be coming back to this location.

Peruvian food cravings, stopped by here for dinner. The staff is super nice, welcoming and helpful. Indoor seating only, lots of tables available and there's even a dance floor! We tried the following: ** Arroz con Pollo - The chicken was flavorful and the aji verde salsa they have is delicious! The cilantro rice was a yummy addition to the plate. ** Filete de Pescado Encebollado - a bit too much onions on this plate. Hence the name of the dish ... encebollado - the onions & dish all together was lacking that flavor. Lots of parking available.

Came with a group of coworkers for lunch recently. The place was pretty empty, so we were seated right away. The servers were friendly and attentive. I ordered the Saltado de Pollo. I've gotten the Lomo Saltado in the past. The dish was great and a decent portion. Everything was cooked well, and checken was well marinated/seasoned. Everyone else also seemed to enjoy their food. Overall, it's a pretty good spot if you're craving Peruvian, and I've never had any issues. There are other locations and they are all usually similar quality to me. I typically don't dine in, but food is the same either way. If you're near one, I recommend checking it out. Enjoy!

They really need to fix how they give out tables and call out names. Like how are you going to forget I waited since 6pm and didn't get a table till 9:36 and complete separated when they told me they'll give us the back table when they just gave it to another family... then the security is really rude.. this has happen a couple of times and at times they "can" be nice. But today they are super rude! And yet here we are still Buying lots of food and trying to smile yet they want to act that way.now that we wanted to dance they said no yet we paid and still waited after a whole talk they said okay

Decided to try this out after around 4 years. Honestly, not worth $21 for this lomo saltado. In terms of quantity and quality. El pollo Inka was a little more consistent in terms of both before. I'll try again in another 4 years.

I'm not so sure how this spot has such a low star rating. I've been dining at this location for years as well as their other locations across the South Bay. Always hits the spot. In fact, I was here twice this week for client visits and they also said this was awesome Peruvian food. Our service was fast and attentive for both visits this week. I'll be back for sure

Stopped by her the other day for lunch, food was as good as any of the other El Pollo Inka's in the area, the prices have gone up quite a bit lately, one thing that was missed was my boss got a menu where everything was $1 more than the menu I got. Seems that when they raised prices they missed a menu... Anyway we got charged the higher of the two prices. $20 for Lomo Saltada and a much smaller portion than on past visits. Food was OK, service was OK nothing special, but the prices are getting a bit high in relation to the portion sizes.

Only reason I come back is the food!! And I stopped coming in because the service takes so long and the service is alright. The ambiance is nice they have these cool mural artwork on the walls with blue light. The employees aren't that friendly but the Lomo saltado is the best meal to order and it comes with the sopita and make sure you eat it with the green sauce. I get the lomo saltado with the beans instead of French fries. Hits the spot ever single time!

People say that things don't taste like they used to. Think it's that we evolve, while chefs and food prep change as years go by. Food at Pollo Inka has evolved. Our delicate palate changes as the years roll by. Our preferences shift seeking flavors, textures, and levels of spice that we were not used to. Yes, food does change, but so do we. Pollo Inka... what can I say? Food is good here. Service is extremely lacking. Food gets 4 stars, server gets 0 stars. It's hit or miss with the customer service at Pollo Inka. I got a dry and unfriendly server. Service wasn't bad enough for us to get up, walk out, and leave, but we all were think about booking it before the food was served. Come eat here. Look for a hospitable server. Follow me on Yelp. Jordan

Popular restaurant on a Friday (7 PM) with a sign-in wait list at entrance. After getting seated the waitress brought us menus and took our drink order. Since it was our first visit to this restaurant, it took some time to read all the menu selections. I ordered the rotisserie chicken (dark meat) combo (beans and salad) with chicken soup. The rotisserie chicken was flavorful but a bit dry for leg and thigh meat. The pinto beans were barely warm and watery. The garden salad was fine but half floated on top of the watery beans. Servers were quick and efficient for a busy evening.

This chicken still hits! After two decades, I finally returned just to see if the food still stands and it sure does. We came on a Friday, 6p and were seated immediately. The vibe is cozy and busy. The servers are nice - not super warm vibes - but bastante. They are busy and they have the operation down to a science. We ordered pilla a la brasa and it was divine- perfectly seasoned, the skin is the best, and the meat falls off the bone. They could do better with the iceberg salad but overall a decent meal.

Visited on New Year's Eve for dinner. Took a little while to be seated even though it wasnt busy and no one else was waiting. Once we sat down and the server came we ordered our drinks and food right away. People have had bad experiences with the service but ours was ok. They brought our drinks and then the bread and soups came. We ordered the Chaufa de Pollo and Lomo Saltado. Chaufa de Pollo - We preferred this dish over the Lomo Saltado. It was very flavorful and was delicious with the green sauce. Lomo Saltado - We substituted the rice for more fries. The server asked if we wanted the extra fries mixed in with the rest or on the side. We asked for them to be mixed in, but when the food came they were on a separate plate. Not a big deal but the side fries were soggy, had no seasoning, and werent very hot. The dish was ok, I have had much better Lomo Saltado. It seemed like there was not enough sauce/seasoning. Our experience wasnt terrible, but probably wouldn't come back as there are some much better options for Peruvian food.

El Pollo Inka is a favorite place to go for great Peruvian food! Was in for lunch today and had my standard pollo saltado. It is as consistently delicious as ever! Service was friendly and attentive and despite the darkish interior, the vibe at lunchtime is light and positive.

food poisoning overnight this place is not good. Service is slow and sucks. I need to wait 30 minutes just to get my check and pay them and then food poisoning not cool.

First time trying Peruvian food and it was pretty solid. I got the Vainitas de pollo which came with chicken, green beans, onions, and rice along with a chicken soup that was decent. The order took a while to arrive but it came out nice and hot. I enjoyed the chicken and loved the cilantro sauce provided at the table which gave the dish a great spiciness. Overall a solid Peruvian restaurant with good chicken dishes.

Quality and flavor not like before. Service was very slow. Over all enjoyed our dinner with nice music playing in the background.

On the website it says Garlic rice. But what I got was a plain rice. I would suggest to check your order before you guys leave after you get your Togo order.

Ordered lomo saltado.... Delicioso.. meat soft, great flavor and adding the spicy red sauce made it extra delicious.. the service was top notch as always.. it was quiet when I came (11:30am). Just people eating and enjoying their meal .... I always wonder why this spot has low ratings when everything from the food to service is always good

First time having Peruvian food. Hmmm and what is my verdict?!! I would say a 4 stars for now. It may change if i visit the restaurant in person. I work for a very diverse and food adventurous company. Which means that i got to try different awesome LA restaurants all the time. Awhile back, someone from the office suggested El Pollo Inka. I ordered a BISTECK MONTADO. Breaded steak, veggie, served with fried plantains and garlic steamed rice. First thing first, i have to mention the portion. It doesnt look that big but you are planning to finish the whole plate while working, make sure you have some caffeine ready. This meal will guaratee giving some food coma. Overall, it is an interesting combination. I like the sauce, the steak and the fried plantains Hopefully i would visit the restaurant in person too and give that extra star later.

Used to be my go-to for perivian when I worked in the area. Always preferred it here to El Recoto, more friendly less bougie. Mariscos Saltado always yummy but Lomo Saltado is my go-to order. Place is always busy for work lunch but usually get seated fairly quickly. Pro-Tip: ask for extra green sauce for the Saltado. I out that ish in urrthang.

I usually don't write reviews, but the experience I had was so bad. I found a tape warm in my meal (#42 Sudado Chalaco). I asked for a manager, and the server said there was no manager and that she had just left. This was at 540pm. All the server said was I would take a picture and send it to her. I was just speechless. I just paid for the meal and I left. No apology or anything. I hope the health inspector see this post.

Went for birthday dinner, on 4/1 order placed at 715, asked the waitress for food status at 745 , said food was coming. Asked again 8pm said food was coming. 805pm I walked over to cashier to ask on food status and as I walked towards, I heard our waitress say " the kitchen skipped my order!" ( which was my table order... the waitress was holding two plates that was part of our table. I looked at the food and it looked it was was just sitting under a heat lamp, with old fries, the pasta was covered with green Alfredo. The food just looked disgusting, old and cold. As I told the waitress that we have been waiting for a long time, she proceeded to say she took our order at 745pm and we have only been waiting for 15mins... but as we just sat waiting for our food, we see other customers eat, pay, Grubhub order in and out. NEVER AGAIN going to this location. Bread was lukewarm, no offer to refill our drinks, no effort to refill our bread, no effort to update us on food. Waitresses breaks a plate because she seems overwhelmed. It seems they focus more of takeout orders. I didn't understand why it took so long to get service, when the restaurant was more than empty.

7 Health Code Violations. The Brand, Pollo Inka, is never consistent in quality or food preparation- just lousy. First time I went to this one in Gardena, it was great. Second time, today, July 16, 2023, FAIL. I ordered the Lomo Comonado: Mushy rice, onions were sparse, steak was cut into cubes instead of the normal fajita type strips, it was Not seared or seasoned, and also under cooked. It also appears they are using a different type or cut of steak. Moreover, the waitress forgot to serve the meal with the customary breads rolls, even after two request. The meal cost me $28 with one beer. Asked to speak to a manager to voice my concerns- of course no manager was on staff at the time. What a waste of hard earned money. The 2 restaurants in Lawndale and Hermosa Beach are just as bad. The only one that appears to be consistent is the one on Hawthorne Blvd in Torrance, just off PCH. Good luck !

Over priced they charge for absolutely everything extra food wasn't seasoned well it was bland not how it used to be, I won't go back.

The name might sound good but the SERVICE is horrible. 2o tables open not one hosted came up and ask how many are in your party or even check up on the sign up list. They got people waiting while the server stand around and talk to each other.. And it's not even busy for Memorial Day. I would understand if it was busy. But nope it wasn't. Don't think I'll be returning.

It appears that this particular location has received bad reviews for years, so I won't waste too much time with my review because obviously management doesn't care. The food is okay at this location, but it's better at others. Service is two thumbs down - slow, never comes by the table unless you're a regular, and good luck getting everything you request (drinks, bread, sauces, etc). If you want to try this place, go to the location in Torrance or Lawndale. This location is trash.

Food is always packaged nice for ubereats. Lomo saltodo and the tallarin saltado are so flavorful and delicious. The green sauce is the best sauce ever - i love it on everything even noodles and rice. Portion size is huge. Every meal comes w a cup of soup thats so addicting. I love ordering lunch from them!

First place I ever had Peruvian Chicken back in the early 2000. Still my favorite! All ingredients so fresh and crave able! So wonderful!

Always great food and great customer service , I love that they cater to vegetarians like us

As soon as you walk in, you will think you are in a different country. I love their decorations. Very spacious and the restaurant can accommodate a big group. They don't take reservations, but if you have a big group, then just give them a call, and they will reserve the table for you. Victor made sure that we had a table ready for our big group. They have a full bar with beer, cocktails, and wines.

We've tried this place several times. I used to really like it many years ago but I the recent years, I have found the food just ok. It was not awful but I found the flavor and the dishes underwhelming. I've tried the chicken and the lomo saltado. This trip we tried: Papa La conhuaica con bisteck Ceviche pescado Alfa Korea Plantains My favorites were the chicken soup (served with the entree), plantains and the Alfajores. The ceviche used a tad too much lime for my taste. We finished it but I would've preferred less citrus. The bisteck dish was good and I liked the sauce. However, I kept thinking the dish was lacking a component. It was not well balanced. Perhaps your experience will be different. Try the resto and find out! There were a lot of patrons the night we visited. It was a Tuesday night and that says something. Enjoy!

I have been coming here since they first opened. That's got to be over 25 years now. Unfortunately, this is the third time we've gone since Covid hit, and the vibe is gone. Understaffed, under flavored, over-priced, and a lack of customer service. we waited for over 20 min after being seated for someone to ask if we wanted water, and that person couldn't take our order. No more bread with dinner, no more live music, it's just not the same. Food takes about 20-30 minutes to come out, but the soup came quick. Don't forget to bring your own water, because you won't be getting any refills. Most of the saltado dishes are 79% onion, 20% french fries, and the rest tomato with some protein. The roasted chicken was dry, and didn't seem like the same bird you see roasting on the spit in the window I am so sad that El Pollo Inka (Gardena) has dropped to such a level. I don't think I'll ever be back. Third bad experience is enough... shame on ME, now.

Got to restaurant and signed in to wait to get seated. Waited 20 minutes and nobody was coming to sit us! Wife went over to ask how long it would take and with attitude was told in a bit! Mind you, half of the tables are open! Now we got a table and the person that sat us down just threw the silver ware on the table like she was mad just because we ask how long it would be to get seated ! Waitress came to take our order with an attitude and never came back to check on us, there was a gentlemen that asked us if everything was good. Other pollo inkas the service it's amazing. the one in hermosa beach all the male employees were amazing. Why is it that females most of the times have an attitude Management please advise your employees that their paycheck comes from patrons like us. Ambience was tense with the waitress. Food was good no complaint on that. Just noticed that the glass partitions are super dirty and I don't want to imagine the rest of the restaurant is kept the same way.

The food was horrible. I order a chaufa and it was half way cooked. There balls of white rice with no flavor. The rice felt more like dough. I will not go back. Also I order vainitas saltadas or what ever you call it. There was no flavor on the meat at all over cook green beans. Ambiance don't know order for pick up.

Food is always great. I used the App ChowNow. I was told to wait for online order area. After 30 minutes I checked with the restaurant.Don't know which sides fault but the restaurant say they never got my order. They said 5 minutes I after asked them where's my order? I know Saturday nights are busy, but was sad when I waited over 40 minutes standing by the counter and no staff approached me.

Great food good service plenty of parking overall great eating experience . For 2 or up to 20 large parties are welcomed and plenty of room . Evenings dance lessons .. so if like Latin music and dance great tune to eat dinner and watch and listen or even partake in the dan

Forever my favorite chain for rotisserie chicken. I worked at one of their locations for many years and know how much heart goes into these recipes. Prices have definitely jumped since my time but I promise you it's worth every penny. The service is always great bc it's definitely a family tan business at all restaurant locations. I was surprised to see they close at 9pm now! This used to be a 2am place with their nightclub experience but maybe there's been some issues. Ambiance is awesome with their Peruvian decor, love it! Will come dine here whenever my schedule allows me to make the trek to this neck of the woods. :)

Incompetent services and kitchen. I was skip entirely too much, not organized and show biased towards non regular customers.

The consistency of their food gets worse and worse. I paid close to $100 for 4 meals and couldn't eat 3 of them because it didn't taste the same. The soups were bad too. Ordered the spaghetti noodles with the shrimp, and it was so bland. 2 of their chicken inka meals and the chicken was rubbery and greasy we had to throw it away. The only one edible was the pollo Saltado.

The reason I came here in the first place it was because there was a five star review on their WEBSITE. When we got here, it took them over 15 minutes to serve us drinks (place was not that busy). After they came to serve us, the food came out not that long after. The food lacked flavor and no one came to check in and ask if we needed anything. We asked for bread but then had to flag someone over 20 mins later due to us not getting our bread. The person said we didn't ask for any even though we asked. The bread was cold when they served it to us. Once we finished our food and got our check, (it was like 18 dollars a plate), we weren't happy because the food was not worth it.

This place use to be a really good place to go sit down and have dinner but ever since they got rid of the waitress and added the monitors it just your basic fast food place now

This is my favorite Peruvian restaurant. I always come here for lunch when I was still working nearby and I am going to miss it! My favorite is their Lomo Saltado, cooked in perfection. Tender meat, good seasoning and delicious! The meal is just perfect together with the rice and green sauce. The place gets pretty crowded during lunch time but their staffs are always attentive.

El Pollo Inca is an awesome Peruvian restaurant that serves up some of the most delicious dishes Peruvian dishes around. The average review here is 3 stars. But if you judge the place based on the delicious food, it's easily 5 stars! . I tried their pollo picante plate today and it was absolutely incredible. The chicken was cooked to perfection and had a nice spicy kick to it that really set it apart from other dishes I've had. The dish also came with a side of rice and beans, which were both tasty and flavorful. Overall, I have to say that El Pollo Inca is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Gardena. The food is always fresh and delicious, and the service is top-notch. I love that they take pride in their cooking and use only the best ingredients. While the restaurant itself might look a little run down, I say still give it a chance for its delicious food. If you're looking for a great place to go for lunch or dinner. I highly recommend giving El Pollo Inca a try!

Walking in, signed name to waiting list. Group of 8 sat fairly quickly. When server sat prior person she acknowledged our group and reassured us we will be sat shortly at our table. Once server returned we were sat quickly. Place was pretty packed. Server took our order and food came out fairly quickly. Soups and bread were served first and nice and warm. The entrees came shortly after. Overall I highlight recommend. Food portions in entrees were nice and generous. Good flavor. Our picky eaters really enjoyed their meal. The ambience was good.

This Peruvian restaurant is on the corner of Artesia Blvd. and Normandie Ave. You should find your parking spot any time during the day as there is a large-sized parking lot in the plaza. My recommendation is their lunch specials (They are available from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Monday thru Friday. It is not available on holidays.). Their lunch specials are very good as the pricing seems to be very reasonable especially when you are having the Peruvian for the first time. Additionally, their lunch specials include a very tasty soup! It is rare to find a Peruvian restaurant in the South Bay area which makes this place very special. You may encounter some language barrier with their waitresses, but other than that, you should have a satisfying time with their very delicious food! I hope you will give this place a visit especially when you are in the city of Gardena!

What happened to this place??? I used to enjoy coming here and was in the area hoping to have some of that delicious food. We ordered a pollo a la brasa and an arroz con pollo. The pollo a la brasa was good, but the chicken on the arroz con pollo was not tasty and was somehow both cold and warm...WAKATELA!!! The rolls were they served were not fresh at all and the glasses they brought the water in were dirty. There was obvious debris of something inside the glasses (see pic) and glad I noticed before taking a drink; probably why they dim the lights. This place used to be decent, but today's experience has me feeling nauseas and will likely be my last time here.

This place is a nice find for Peruvian food which is a cuisine I don't get to eat often. The interior of the place is interesting, but pretty dark, parking was easy as well. I ordered the Saltado de Vegetales and the Tallarin Verde here. The veggies in the Saltado de Vegetales dish was solid and flavorful. No complaints on the dish. The Tallarin Verde is a unique pasta with Spinach-Basil sauce. I personally thought it was good, but I could see this pasta being a hit or miss for a lot of people. Although it was good, I couldn't help feel it was missing a flavor or ingredient in the pasta to give it some flare in taste. I would come back here to try some of their other food as there is a ton of options here.

Food was delicious. Service was horrible. We waited 15 minutes to get greeted by a server. We finally got greeted but took forever to get our drinks. They ran out of bread so not everyone got bread. They ran out of glasses so we got plastic cups. We didn't get refilled. BUT when we got the food, it was delicious

I normally go to the location on Hawthorne Bl and 154th, but I decided to try the Artesia location. My usual order typically cost $16 plus tax, but at this location the same exact meal was nearly $4 more. When I asked, I was told that the locations are franchised, so the cost varies. I asked if the food taste the same and she said yes. Well, the food taste different and the portion was smaller. The service was mediocre, but I will stick with the Lawndale location going forward.