El Pollo Inka

Ordered the lomo saltado! Although it was delicious, I had more onions than anything else. It looked like I ordered an onion stir fry! 🤣 the restaurant itself was clean, our food was served promptly, and the host ( the only black person) was very attentive and very polite! I'll definitely be back to try something different. 😋

The place is very well decorated, but it has a strange smell, right at the entrance and the same goes for the restroom. The food is good, but not great! Starter - the bread was good and warm, while the soup was good but cold Meat dish - good, but with little meat and too much onion. Noodle dish - lacked seasoning and shrimp, was a bit cold and had too much onion. Desert - Burned donut.

Festive atmosphere with good food, beverages ☕ 🍷🍻. Check ✔️ that box and enjoy The El Pollo Inka Experience.

Very consistent food, seasoned to perfection, very generous portions, nice atmosphere, pleasant staff. I'm there atleast once a week for over 20 years. My favorites are Col de Pollo (cabbage with chicken) and or, vianitas de pollo ( green beans with chicken) and the cilantro chicken soup... I cant get enough! Its a MUST try! Also, you can try these amazing dishes well done for that extra boost of flavor.

One of the best restaurants in Torrance. Their picante tofu is drool worthy and one to die for. Been eating here since 2010 and the quality of food has been the same, if not better. Their portion sizes are big enough and very satiating

When I lived in RPV 10 years ago, this was one of my favorite spots. I recently came back to SoCal for a visit and had to return, nothing had changed. It felt nostalgic and timeless. The lomo saltado and aguadito soup are still my go-to and just as incredible as I remembered. Can’t wait to come back again!

Another absolute must try! Absolutely delicious food and authentic to food we ate while in Peru. The Lomo Saltado was so good! The Papa Rellenas were crispy outside, mouthwatering inside. We are now regulars and can't wait to try more items from their menu!

This has been a good place to eat. I have been going to this place for years. I will start with the price, and I must say prices are pretty good being the times we live in, about 18.00 per dish. Now, in regards to flavor, I think they have lowered the standards, this time, I was there, My food was a bit bland , not much flavor as it used to have. I do still like the PV location better, this was the Torrance location, still you will not be disappointed with the food.

Best Purvian Spot in the South Bay Area! Plenty of parking and is an isolated location from other restaurant establishments for convenience. Greeted and seated. Ordered a Michelada beer , wine and bloody mary to start off our post work relaxation wine down period. Ordered the Veneta di Pollo plate entree. Received our food in a timely manner. The chicken with rice was excellent!! Ohh and that special green sauce .. out of this world! Put that green sauce on everything! Lol. Delicious Nice Ambiance, clean restaurant, clean restrooms and friendly workers. No complaints. I would come here anytime for Purvian food! Big shout out and Kudos to our waitress Maria! She was very nice and funny. She kept asking us if we were good. She is like a professional part time comedian, she has jokes lol. Good spot to take the family if you are in the mood for Purvian food. Price is righteous and fair too.

4.8 star restroom Cleanliness: No stinky smell was present. Nice floral air freshener. No noticeable filth or trash on the floor. Above average restroom compared to others I've rated. Pretty clean overall. Privacy/Space: The room was spacious enough to fit a urinal and large stall for a toilet. The stall had a small enough gap between the door and wall so that someone cannot see in. Amenities: All essentials of a bathroom were provided(toilet, soap, and sink). In addition to those, the bathroom contained an ear deafening Xlerator hand dryer that ensured your hands were drier than the Sahara Desert and also a urinal. Unfortunately, the paper towel dispenser was empty but the seat coverings weren't. Extra comments: The sink spewed out scorching water straight from the depths of hell. The bathroom had two different light tones: white light in main area, warm light in stall. Overall: Very satisfied with the quality and vibe of the bathroom. Of course the food is legendary as always so it steals the show every visit.

This location is the worst! I don't like to write a bad review, but this has to be addressed. I was not too far from this establishment and decided I wanted something quick and easy and a pick up on my way home. I usually go to my PV's location because it's closer to my home. But figured since it's the same restaurant, this must be the same type of service and food since it's the same name. Was I wrong! I ordered a family whole chicken meal that comes with two sides and a soup. I get home and I get two tiny pieces of chicken instead of a whole chicken, packaged like it was somebody's leftover. I called to speak to a manager on a Saturday night. I cannot believe they have no manager on staff during weekend?!?! I speak to a guy named Rony, and he could careless that I have received the wrong order and tells me that I need to drive back there and show him my food and they will replaced it with the correct whole chicken. (It's a 20 minute drive to the Restaurant and another 20 minutes back). I asked nicely to have it delivered since it was there mistakes, ( It was late about eight so I did not have the time or the energy to drive back) and nope he says, they don't do delivery, so he gives me an email. So now I was given not even a half a meal for a full price dinner that I paid for to feed my family. This establishment really needs training and needs to have a manager on a weekends, they need a manger at all times. This cannot be their protocol of fixing their mistakes. I will never go to this location Ever again. The manager needs to contact me. I want a full refund. I received soggy fresh fries that was packaged in a plastic to go container, 2 tiny pieces of chicken, a salad, and 2 tiny cups of soup. Nothing like the way PV's location always packages.

El pollo inka is an old reliable restaurant. My family & friends have gone to these restaurants for decades. I went a couple of weeks ago on a solo date. I got my usual pollo saltado and a Inca cola. It was very tasty. It could've used a little more chicken though. Their free bread & butter & sopa was delicious. The soup came in handy that rainy afternoon.

The service the day I went was top tier and the lighting is better then most el pollo Incas. The lomo saltado was great and the green soup was amazing.'n

The food was amazing, the service was excellent and the the atmosphere was very embracing

Food was mediocre, beef was tough, rice was undercook. Service was acceptable. Used to be one of our favorite locations but now there are better choices.

The good: They had a live flute player which was super cool. He played popular current songs and wore native Peruvian clothing (I think). I got the seafood noodles and my husband got the half chicken. I like the cilantro chicken soup that accompanies all of the meals for free. I also tried their chicha morada and thought it was sweet and tasty. I liked the interior decor and decorative leather and carved wooden chairs. We got seated after about a 10 minute wait without reservations. The interior has larger tables that are good for large groups as well. I thought the prices were fair and the portions sizes were good. There were lots of menu options. The bad: The booths have really low walls so you're in close view of your neighboring diners. I generally don't mind this but my toddlers loved throwing stuff over the border and standing up to greet the neighbors in their personal space. There's no outdoor dining space. The interesting: I've been to their other location up the hill and would say the other one has a slightly fancier feel with a slightly larger space (because it has vaulted ceilings and both and indoor and outdoor eating area). The front lobby area has a lit up wall menu that looks like it could be for takeout orders.

The Good: Service and price. Huge servings I really wanted to like this restaurant as the service was good and the prices were very affordable ($14 for a plate of 1/2 a chicken with soup, salad and rice ( or fries if you want) but the food was ok at best. The Chicken had a nice crisp skin but the flavors are lacking. We also had the Lomo Saltado and the meat was hard and overcooked and again lacked flavor. It looked delicious and the servings are huge

The food is ok but keep in mind, this is the express drive through so some items tend to get soggy. Service and price point is good for a quick lunch. Salad is precut and stored so the lettuce is brown by lunch time sometimes. Probably should inspect more frequently and toss those out. Photo here doesn't show the brown lettuce as well as my phone.

There are a number of things to love about this location: -Ample parking -Excellent and attentive service -A nice, welcoming atmosphere -Plenty of seating, especially for large groups -Good music on rotation that's not too loud -A well thought out menu with options for individual meals or family style sharing But, goodness. The food is so bland. This was my first time dining at any El Pollo Inka location. It's a local chain and popular with the family. Apparently, the restaurant has been around since I was in elementary school growing up in Los Angeles, but I had never heard of it. It's a Peruvian restaurant with an origin story about a family that immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s. Sounds like the family has poured everything -- their hearts and love -- into the restaurant. The most popular dish, from what I have heard is the Pollo a la Brasa, the Peruvian rotisserie chicken, which I very happily ordered. The dish was quite fresh, but the chicken had no noticeable flavor. I was shocked, because I hear that nearly 10 different herbs and spices are used to make this signature chicken. We also went with the calamari. Which was actually more flavorful and more interesting overall. It came with boiled potatoes, which were so bland and did not add anything at all, and marinated onions -- and a ton of them. The canario beans and rice, however, were absolutely delicious. I could have had a bowl of that and nothing else. And if I ever return, that may be all that I order -- though I am interested in a number of seafood dishes they offer. And I really enjoyed the bowl of soup provided at the start of (most) meals. So, not a good impression. And not eager to return. But I say give them at least once chance to interest you.

The main reason I'm writing this review is because of service! Absolutely amazing, Maria was so kind to us and very accommodating with our 4 little ones. I had the shrimp saltado while my husband and brother ordered the lomo saltado and kiddos had the tallarin verde. Everything was good but service was excellent!

Never did I think the best fried rice I'd ever have come out of a South Bay Peruvian chain. If I had to recommend anything out of their vast menu, it is HANDS DOWN the Chaufa de Pollo. It has gloriousssss amounts of chicken and somehow the fried rice as a whole is so so juicy. Don't ask me how. Just order it. Right now!

I wouldn't recommend ordering the soup for delivery. The first order was good but the 2nd order was watery. There were maybe 3 or 4 chunks of chicken and hardly any rice in it. Inconsistent quality. The other dishes are more consistent (Chaufa Pollo, Saltado Pollo).

It had been a hot minute since I'd been to El Pollo Inka. We used to go regularly but the quality started to go downhill, then the pandemic hit, and when we tried it again it was this weird "order at a counter" and then the service was non-existent, the live music disappeared, and the food became mediocre (chicken was dry, beef became chewy). Why did we decide to go back? I guess it was driving by the new El Pollo Inka Express that took over the KFC/Pizza Hut location made me think about the aji amarillo sauce (a little too much). I also missed a good rotisserie chicken and I used to enjoy the lomo saltado. I guess I figured if they were expanding, maybe they regrouped and figured it all out again. So, we went. They are back. Friendly service. Aji amarillo sauce in the squirt bottles. Juicy chicken at a reasonable price. Tender beef in the lomo saltado. They brought back the music. The musician was playing Christmas jingles on the pan flute. Campy but festive. Bottom line: I'll be back even if the music isn't. The tasty food was back.

Ordered delivery through DoorDash - food arrived promptly and was still warm. The ceviche pescado definitely needed to marinated in lemon or lime juice for another couple of hours - it smelled very fishy and the texture was very, very raw so we ended up adding more lemon juice and putting it back in the fridge for the next day. Aji salsa was delicious and had a kick to it, but it was the most flavorful item we received. The beef in the lomo saltado was on the tougher side, but still able to be chewed without hurting your jaw. I did ask for a medium rare cook but it was definitely well done LOL. Overall, the beef needed more soy sauce, tomato flavor, salt and pepper. Curious to try out their other dishes but this wasn't the best experience! Can't say much about ambience since I ordered for take out.

El peor cebiche Peruano que degustè, el aguadito que sirven muy aguado, mejor es el que sirven en el local de lawndale. Los demas platos lomo Saltado y chaufa de pollo ok No habia chcha morada.

Used to come here all the time when I was younger with my parents who loved their lomo saltado. Moved to riverside lately so haven't had chance to go often. I recommended this place to friends and we all went last week. THEY LOVED THE LOMO SALTADO, and the bread is still as good as I remember. Their chicken is freshly made and cooked in house and service is always great!

Our server got our order wrong 3 times. The food was ok but the ceviche left our stomachs hurting. The place is big, no complaints on the ambiance.

They have a lunch special that's a good deal. I love their green sauce over rice. I hadn't eaten here for a while but recently I ordered take out and it was truly delicious. The seafood rice dish is really tasty/spicy. The yellow creamy chicken is mild and amazing. The chicken cilantro soup is so good and not salty which I appreciated.

This is the first time I've had Peruvian food. I fell in love the first bite. The soup was incredible, warm and flavorful. The main dishes were wonderful, Lomo Saltado was my absolute favorite. The only downside was the dessert, which fell short of the quality of the rest of the meal. It didn't quite hit the mark and felt like an afterthought compared to the otherwise amazing offerings. Despite that, I'd still highly recommend El Pollo Inka for the excellent service and great food. Just maybe skip the dessert!

My shrimp was completely overcooked. They were so tiny and tough to chew, it was a struggle to stick my fork through them. Everything else was perfect

My brother and I split a whole chicken with brown rice, soup & salad for $30.80 before tip. This is more than half off the price I spent at Wurstkuche for my brother and I. I actually felt guilty for spending so little on my food. I left an $8 tip.

This is one of my fave places. Atmosphere inside is great with a touch of Peruvian or Brazilian decor. The service is always with a smile and their lunch special is fantastic. I ordered the quarter chicken and it comes with a good size plate of green salad, a bowl of their delicious soup, two dinner rolls nicely warmed and fresh. And the main dish comes with a generous serving of beans, a big scoop of rice cooked with their chicken drippings. All this for under $20.00 with a generous tip included. I will definitely come back when i visit Costco wholesale.

Let me first start off with our service was great! We got in and got seated right away. We then were greated by our server who was very kind and sweet, and helped us with our questions about the menu! She brought us our drinks right away and our complimentary bread, 10 outta 10. Ordered the Vanita de Pollo and can say the food wasn't too greasy and the soup was amazing. Would recommend asking questions about their menu if you haven't been here before but they have a great selection. And the table and bathroom were very clean, with awesome music playing, it was a great time! Ask for the green sauce!!

Pollo Inka has always been one of my favorite places to get food from but this was my first time actually eating in the restaurant! We started off with a some nice fresh rolls with butter and after ordering was given some delicious soup. The food was super delicious and came in very big portions. The live music was super nice and made a very nice eating atmosphere. 9/10 experience, only for the fact that we kept having to look for our server since they seemed to super busy.

The food is very delicious at this location. We didnt have to wait that long it was a 3 minute wait and the service was good. We were surprise that on a Saturday night it's wasn't crowded like other restaurants. Yes it was busy. Food was really good and warm. The ceviche was the best choice.

I usually get the saltado de pollo but I had a coupon for their col saltado de pollo which has cabbage instead of fries ( Sautéed onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and cabbage, served with garlic rice). The garlic rice tastes like just regular white rice. I also got a side of fries to add to the dish. The side of fries is huge and good for 2 people! But it was almost unedible as I got it to go, it was dried up and semi cold (maybe they prepared it before the dish because the dish itself was hot). I loved the con saltado de pollo. The crunch of the cabbage was a wonderful edition (not raw and not overly cooked, it was PERFECT). The legendary spicy aji green sauce was great as always, chicken I got well done which was great, cumin flavor, sauteeed tomatoes and onions were wonderful. Just a fantastic dish I will keep coming back for. Next time I will just opt to add the fries into the dish unless I'm eating there or picking up myself to make sure the fries are fresh.

Service was slow. Food not spicy enough. No flavor. Ordered combo inka. Lots of rice. Which is cheap. And tasteless white rice. Chicken was small and needed to be kicked up a notch or two. Little cup of soup. Ok. Salad vinegarette very good. Also wish the green sauce was hotter. Beans tasted like canned. The other entree was whitefish Pescado something. It was a little bland. So the sauce was a little bit better than what I had. It had a red color to it. Bottom line here is. More flavor and better service too. Less rice would also be a bonus. Most people are on low carb. And don't want a huge plate of rice. How about some nice vegetables on the plate?

My coworkers and I often dine here during lunch time. It's never too busy and the staff are all very friendly. We always talk about trying something new, but seem to always just go back to the classic lomo saltado.

Food was blah. Compared to other Peruvian restaurants, the food here falls short. For the price, I expected better tasting food. We came on a Friday evening and it was pretty dead. That should have been our first clue. The service was even worse. Our waiter was not pleasant and seemed to be annoyed that he had to serve us. Then when I asked him if they could sing happy birthday to my brother since it was his bday, he said "we used to do that but not anymore". Spend your money elsewhere.

First time eating here and it was good. The food is not top tier but it is good. The ambience is nice. But most importantly my server Maria was amazing. Excellent customer service and such a sweet lady. Well educated on the menu and great advice for what she recommended. I would definitely go back.

Genuinely only good things to say about this restaurant. My parents used to go here when they were first dating, 20+ years ago. My mom swears the quality has stayed the same! I agree. - Fast service and straight to the point! They don't push specific plates which is nice. - Bathrooms well kept - Salsa Nights - Big portions - Vegan and vegetarian options - Large bar and options - Booth seats are super comfy!

Spicy aji sauce... drool, soo good! This is a take out review. It was our first time at this location, easy to park, the lobby area was nice, it has seats for the waiting area. Upon walking in we were immediately assisted to where to go for take out orders. I truly admire the fast and efficient service we received. The order was correct and had all the extra sauces, soups, and bread! The PESCADO A LO MACHO was fire! The perfect amount of spice and packed with flavor, I could literally just eat the rice and the sauce alone, then add in the delicious seafood! I am definitely ordering that again! All in all, my experience here for take out was smooth sailing, I will be back to dine in next time! Happy eats, loves! ^_^

Honestly have no idea why this place only has a less than 4 stars. I thought the food, price and service was good. The food came out in under 10minutes and it was quite busy. However, it did take a while for someone to come and take my order. The food tasted great like any other Pollo saltado I've had. It was a bit on the pricier side but I'd still come back to give it another shot. Service: 4/5 Food: 5/5 Ambience: 4/5 Taste to cost ratio: 4/5

Chicken is always good here, never crowded during week, could get busy on weekends but max wait would probably be 1/2 hour at most. Staff are always nice. On weekends they have small group playing live music very nice they dim lights as well to set the vibe. I mean the food is always good there's nothing really bad to say. I just love the chicken here.

I had my last lunch during work with some of my coworker besties here. Since I will be starting a new job, I decided to eat here with them before my departure. It was my first time eating at the restaurant and I was surprised at how spacious it was inside. Prior to eating at the restaurant, I've only driven by the restaurant. It always sparked my curiosity so I thought I'd try it. Although I've had Peruvian food before, this was my first time trying El Pollo Inka. We ordered the: - Lomo Saltado w/ Carne Asada - Tallarin Verde Bistec Apanado - Chicken dish with vegetables (sorry I forgot the name) I just remember my friend mentioning that there was a lot of veggies. It was definitely a more veggie than meat ratio. - Aguadito Soup (pleasantly surprised that it came with our meal) -- it was delicious - Inka cola (first time trying it and it was so yummy -- imagine banana and pineapple soda) I remember the food coming out quickly. Since we went during our lunchtime, we were on a time crunch. We sat down, ordered, ate our food, and packed what was left to-go within an hour. The place was pretty packed during lunch time too. Even though our waitress was super busy running back and forth, she still made time to take a lovely photo for us. Thank you!

Family meal is a great deal and so very filling. Chicken was delicious as were the sides. I haven't eaten at the restaurant yet but plan to go in the near future.

The food is consistently amazing always fresh, flavorful, and on point! The service is top-notch, with friendly staff who really take care of you. I've rarely ever had an issue here. Highly recommend this place it never disappoints.

I visited Peru and have since cherished the Peruvian cuisine and culture even more. This place has impeccably fast service and it's perfect for families, casual dates and more! You get a LOT of food for your buck. I always ask for the bread and sauce appetizer, the ceviche mixta and the lomo saltado. You can't go wrong with that combo if you like a little bit of everything! Also, the chicken plates pack a heavy punch! It'll fill you up on protein and keep you full until the next day. In the end, I always end up taking food home because I always want all the flavors! No regrets, though

My father-in-law wanted Pollo Inka for Father's Day and we obliged. Came out to this location around 1 pm and they sat us instantly (even though the entire party of 10 wasn't there yet). It was a bit quiet here when we arrived, not many guests, just busy enough to keep busy, but still relatively slow. The menu is fairly straightforward, they know what they do well and promote it. The service is great from the host to the waitress to the servers to the bussers, everyone really makes sure you're taken care of. Additionally, once you order food, it comes out fast. Food, though, is okay. My wife ordered something that had the spicy symbol next to it that said it was spicy, but it was not. I ordered the Pollo a la brasa with rice and salad. You get quite a bit of salad with a vinaigrette dressing in a little sealed container to pour on your salad. The salad is your typical iceberg lettuce and some carrots. You get about 2 cups of garlic rice. For the chicken you have an option between dark meat or white meat (I opted for white). Flavorwise, nothing stood out. It all felt safe and okay. I was honestly hoping for more considering that this is what was highlighted on their menu.

El Pollo Inka has been a favorite of ours for many years. We have gone to many of their locations, but the Torrance location is our favorite. We like the layout of the restaurant and the food has a better flavor here in our opinion. It had been a while since our last visit so it was nice. My usual is the Saltado de Pollo. The Saltado can be done with beef or seafood as well. My preference is the chicken though. The mixture of the chicken, fries and tomato (onion as well if you like it), gives the dish really good flavoring. It pairs well with the rice and if you add some of the green sauce for a little spicy flavor, it is perfect. Most entrees also come with a small bowl of soup as well. I believe they call it sopa aguada, which is a chicken soup. It has a good taste as well and adding some green sauce will also help it cool down quicker as it's usually very hot. The only downfall I see after all these years is that the plates are getting smaller, literally. Our dinner entree was brought in this medium plate where the food was pretty compacted. My daughter had the half chicken plate with rice and fries and she had a full size plate. I just feel that it looks more presentable in a bigger plate rather than cramming the food into a smaller plate. Reminds me of lunch time portions where you usually pay less, but it's a smaller portion than the dinner ones. Overall though, it was a good experience as usual and the food was good. Definitely worth the drive for us.

I went to the other location in Torrance. This one had live music playing. Service was great as usual. The soup here was a bit smaller than the other locations I have gone to. The food though was still great like always. I will be back to this location

Want a 3rd world dining experience? Go here. Place is filthy AF, bathrooms worse than a gas station's, disgusting! If they are that dirty, how's the kitchen? Glass between booths also filthy. Truly stomach turning 3rd world lack of cleanliness. Food is actually pretty tasty, however, service is SLOOOOOW and inattentive. Will not be back. 2 of 4 people had runs later that evening. Stay far far away. Filthy, nasty and just not worth it.

Full service, free famous rolls with Aji sauce and cups of soup are back. This place has been restored to its former glory after suffering thru take out and limited service years. I've been coming here since 1997 when some local friends persuaded me to drive down here for the best Peruvian food around. They were right and I've been making the 1.5hr drive for 25+ years now when I'm craving good Peruvian food. My go-tos are the Aguaditto soup (chicken and rice), the Lomo Saltado (must try for first timers) and the Tallarin Verde with Bisteak (pesto spaghetti with milanesa) that's to die for. The Pollo a la Brasa and Chauffa de Mariscos are top notch as well. All the food at this location is full of flavor and has the perfect texture. I've tried other locations that are closer to me, but none are as good as this one. Service is prompt. Ambience is very casual with Peruvian decor everywhere. Plenty of parking in the back and easy access from Hawthorne Blvd. It's a bit far from the 405 or 110 freeways, but worth the trip. Don't forget to try an Inca Cola or any of their cocktails.

The food, service , ambience was real nice. The 1/2 original chicken plate was good. The service was on point with all checking on our needs.Also , there was entertainment .

Fantastic menu with everything I enjoyed when I vacationed in Peru, from anticuchos (skewered meat), Peruvian rotisserie, lomo saltado (steak, chicken, fish, you pick) to green spaghetti (tallarin verde), ceviche and Peruvian Chinese food (chaufa). It's very cool that there is a local chain like El Pollo Inka that serves all of these Peruvian dishes right in Torrance, plus with extremely reasonable pricing (much of it is under $15/plate) and huge portions that includes the most delicious white beans and white rice or garlic rice. They even give you a cup of green chicken rice soup and house bread complimentary with your meal. They have a full bar with drinks like Pisco Sour and Inka cola to complete your Peruvian meal! You order at the front counter, pay, and then they seat you and bring the food out to you. The dining room is huge and I don't think this place ever gets too busy. Big attached parking lot in the back! This feels like a well kept secret. I can't wait to go back and try the other menu items.

I did love it the Food was Perfect cooked and has flavor. I made the order online. I ordered plate of lamb it was delicious and Plate lomo salteado it wasn't salty it was Perfect cooked it was delicious

My 5 stars is for Maria our server today. She was so amazing and always made sure we were taken care of. The food was good too