Autentico - Real Peruvian Flavor

We love the ceviche and the chicken soup at Autentico in Great Falls, VA (formerly Pio Pio). We first found this place a couple of years ago, and it’s been a favorite ever since. I really enjoy their fish dishes, especially the mahi-mahi, but our go-tos are the paella, the seafood dishes, and the ceviche — everything is super fresh and flavorful. Another must-have for us is their chicken soup; I don’t remember all the exact names on the menu, but every soup and side we’ve tried has been excellent.

Amazing food at a reasonable price and great customer service! The only thing I’d suggest is reducing the salt in the sautéed vegetables served with the roasted chicken because it was too salty. Other than that, everything was excellent!

Family friendly atmosphere. Food was great. We brought a birthday cake in and they cut and served it. Ceviche replaced tilapia with mahi mahi is always good

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An outstanding Peruvian restaurant that truly honors the world-class reputation of Peruvian cuisine. Every dish was full of authentic flavor, beautifully presented, and made with care. The service was excellent — warm, attentive, and welcoming. Chef Dani Pain, a well-known Peruvian chef, leads the kitchen with passion and skill. We were genuinely impressed and are already looking forward to coming back. This place deserves more than 5 stars!

I can’t say enough good things about Auténtico! The service is always friendly, attentive, and welcoming. The drinks are fantastic, especially the Pisco Sour. Every dish is phenomenal, and the ceviche is outstanding. If you’re looking for amazing Peruvian cuisine with great drinks and excellent service, Auténtico is the place to go!

The food was fresh, abundant and delicious. German (the server) was amazing. Food came out fast and we left feeling very full. Reasonable price for what they offer. The menu has everything you can imagine for a Peruvian restaurant. Parking wasn’t easy, only downside in my opinion.

My friend and I visited Auténtico in Great Falls after a hiking trip, eager to enjoy Peruvian cuisine. The restaurant has a refined, gourmet atmosphere, and the food itself was excellent — full of authentic flavor and beautifully presented. However, our overall experience was affected by the service. Three different staff members approached our table before anyone actually took our drink order, which gave us the impression of disorganization. In addition, my friend’s vegetarian dish was brought incorrectly, and although it was later corrected, it disrupted the flow of our meal. Another detail that stood out was the presence of a few flies around the dining area, which detracted from the otherwise upscale environment. Despite these shortcomings, I would still recommend Auténtico to friends who want to experience Peruvian flavors in a gourmet setting. The quality of the food is undeniable, but I believe the service and attention to detail could be improved to match the standard of the cuisine.

Alex and Joana were fantastic, very welcoming and attentive. Came here when it was Pio Pio. The re-brand hasn’t only improved the image but the flavor and quality, which was already amazing. Would come back 💯.

Nice little find off the main street in Great Falls! The Signature Bowl was fresh and delicious with the Jalepeno Sauce! Service was great, and the interior vibe was warm and inviting!

My friend and I went to Pio Pio to catch up over dinner in the Great Falls Village and loved the experience! The restaurant is very much Mom and Pop style with plenty of seating and classic checkered table cloths. Loved the decor with its Peruvian touches! We started off with crispy Canchita, Peruvian Popcorn. I've had this snack at past restaurants and found Pio Pio's to be the best! Think of it as a semi-popped kernel and is crunchy and salty. I found myself popping some into my mouth during my meal! For my entree, I got the Tallarines Verdes - Peruvian style Pesto, skirt steak, and roasted potatoes with what seemed to be a spicy cheese sauce. The pesto had an interesting twist I had never tasted before - it was a bit more herby and was quite thick in comparison to pestos I've had in the past. This paired very well with the medium rare steak that was juicy, well-seared, and seasoned to perfection. The potatoes were crisp and the sauce was delicious. Such a filling meal that provided a burst of flavor in each bite I took. The portions were HUGE! Plenty to enjoy at the restaurant and for leftovers the next day. For only $23-$25 dollars per entree, this spot provides great deals! Not to mention, Pio Pio has daily $7 Happy Hour with a different drink featured each day of the week. Very fun to try out! The friendly staff were speedy and provided us with great menu recommendations. The only issue was we got our water quite late into our meal. Otherwise, they were very accommodating and translated all of the menu items :) So happy to support a local Great Falls restaurant and will be back soon!

Top choice for Peruvian food in the area if not the region or larger! I have gone to Peruvian restaurants across several different states and this one takes the picarones. Large menu with a variety of food. Fresh cooked. Meat so tender it melts in your mouth. Friendly service but helps if hablo espanol. Give it a try!

Quaint small place with well presented food. It was tasty and the wait staff was very friendly. The kitchen is under reconstruction so the menu is more limited while this is going on. Food was fresh and was my first introduction to Peruvian food. I would recommend this place for a light and refreshing meal. We went during lunch and the portions were sufficient.

Food was terrible not close to Peruvian food Choros ala chalaca !! instead pico de gallo?? With lime ?? Pollo Ala brasa cold no fries and chicken from yesterday "not fresh " danny is a cook not chef

I had an absolutely fantastic dining experience at Pío Pío! I ordered the lomo saltado, and it was truly amazing. The flavors were rich and authentic, making every bite a delight. The service was top-notch; the staff was attentive and friendly. We were in a big group and they had two waiters take orders for maximum efficiency. What impressed me even more was the speed at which my food was prepared; it came out quickly, hot, and fresh. I highly recommend Pío Pío for anyone looking to savor delicious Peruvian cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere. I'll definitely be returning soon to explore more of their menu. Kudos to the chef and the entire team for making my visit memorable! Also it is hidden and out the way but totally worth the trip.

Got the chance to try this place earlier this week. I was very impressed with everything. I went for lunch on Monday afternoon and the place was PACKED! That was the first hint that it was going to be a great experience. The service was quick and efficient. The food was delicious and everything was so flavorful. I got to try the A Lo Pobre Saltado and the ceviche Mahi Mahi Avocado. They were so good!! I definitely plan on going back again

My boyfriend is Peruvian and throughout the years, I've loved home made food. Pio pio ranks very closely and has delicious options. They're located in great falls and parking is sufficient. The interior is modern and simple. They also have outdoor seating. They have various drink options but I love the pisco sours and the Chicano's (maracuya - passion fruit - is my favorite flavor). They give you toasted corn - cancha - as a starter to munch on while you wait for food. They have a variety of sharing platters which are always good. My favorite item in the sharing platter is the Rocoto shrimp - it's like a bang bang shrimp but better. Their leche de Tigre is delicious as well as their ceviche. They have plenty options of ceviche as well. For leche de Tigre, they have various spice levels. The jalea brava is always a nice meal to share and leaves you full. Also, the anticuchos is delicious. I recently tried the pescado a la mocha and it was really good and filling - I even had leftovers. Lastly, when we went for a birthday they did give us free lucuma mousse which was great. This place also delivers on various partner apps like Uber eats/etc. and we've never had an issue with the food through delivery. Service is always good for dine in as well. Highly recommend for Peruvian food!

Huh... where to start... We were given a wait time of 30 minutes, and we got that table within 30 minutes. Check! We were advised of a limited menu do to the restaurant going for a kitchen remodel. No big deal. The food has never disappointed me. You'll get all kinds of textures, flavors, and even color in your food. This may have been the 5th or 6th time I've dined at Pio Pio. Prior to this dining experience, I continue to be disappointed at the service. I've had to hound down a server after being seated for 10 minutes, even for a glass of water or recognition. This time around, that wait was about 15 minutes. The servers kept staring at my family and were quick to dismiss us. Finally after being considered as a guest, we took advantage of ordering everything at once. We got our food within . . . 20-25 minutes minutes. Not going to complain about the food wait, however, I will complain about the temperature of the food. The meat I had ordered felt as it was waiting on the service line for at least 10-15 minutes. The pasta underneath the meat already had breakage for it sitting. I advised the server and she ran off to not return until we had paid the bill. We did have a sweet elderly serve who approached us and advised us that were short staffed. I'm sorry, this is not my issue. If a restaurant is going to be short staffed, cut out a portion of the restaurant to where the serves can SERVE their guests. The elderly lady wanted to make sure we were happy. We weren't happy, but again, we're not the type to send food back or have a refire ticket. We just went on to eat our food. Upon receiving the bill, we noticed an extra charge for a beer.... my god ... Not a big deal, but our food was cold, and now they're overcharging us? Come on... get more organized. Once again, the elderly lady (not our server) came to the rescue, took off that extra charge. We tipped the standard 20%, usually I give 25%. As we were packed up and ready to go, "our" server come back to us asking if we had gotten a discount... I didn't care for the discount, but again... come on... Overall: Food: 7/10 (10/10 if food was served on time and not cold) Ambiance: 8/10 (they pulled out extra tables outside, serving more than they could handle) Service: 5/10 (you know... read above)

The food is fantastic. One of the most authentic peruvian restaurants in the DC area. Definitely recommend the Ceviches and El Gran Marino.

This little spot was absolutely amazing. The different sauces were spectacular. The beef heart was so tender and delicious better than a lot of steaks I've had, the calamari was so flavorful. Must try.

The very best Peruvian food in NOVA the ceviche's where outstanding, the service was excellent and the prices are decent!!! Highly recommended

We been here a couple of times. This can be very busy at times. The parking can also be busy during those times. The first was a real hit. We got Jalea Mixta and Tallarines a La Huancaina. My wife and I loved it. The corn appetizer is unique for us but it was good. At first you may think it will be a challenge to bite but it wasn't at all. The next we got the Jalea again with a friend. We tried the 15$ appetizer with crab, tuna and (sigh) forgot the other one. It is like 3 volcanoes topped with a lump of crab/tuna/etc. over a round mashed potato and a garnish of alfalfa. I wish there were pictures on the menu or we would tried something else. It wasn't bad just not what we are expecting. The arroz de mariscos is an experiment. I was craving for a paella, the Spanish version with saffron and so I had to try this version which is the closest one in their menu. It wasn't cheap at all at 26$, but I can see why. They didn't cut corners, it is full of calamares, mussels and scallops. I just got disappointed that it wasn't close to what I was expecting. It was also bland. Not bland in saltiness, but bland in flavor. Service is also 4 stars. Didn't experienced anything negative at all. (5 star is for something exceptional).

Dinner was delish! Love the environment. Our waitress Ingrid was very friendly. Thank you for the great customer service! Kid friendly, good music, and authentic Peruvian food!

We saw this place highlighted on WETA's Signature Dish. We were at Great Falls Park and stopped since it was close by. We were greeted by the owner, Danny. He was so welcoming, nice, and gave us some recommendations. We tried the ceviche mahi mahi avocado featured on the show, lomo saltado (known to be the best in the area by Peruvians), and pollo ala brasa. The ceviche was an incredible blend of fresh and bright flavors and textures--highly recommend. The lomo was also flavorful with tender beef, onions, tomatoes, fries with rice. Pollo was equally delicious. Cant wait to come back and try other dishes. Sooo good and great service.

We ordered takeout from here after searching for ceviche close to Herndon. It was legit! We definitely over ordered as portion sizes were huge (and we're big eaters). We ordered a quinoa salad and 3 ceviches (mixto, tres leches, passion - we upgraded to mani mahi for tres leches and passion). Our favorite was definitely the mixto and the quinoa salad exceeded expectations, I'd order again! Standout was how sweet the sweet potatoes were. Also loved the crunchy corn.

We came back again since our first time here was so good. This time I felt I had to try the Peruvian rotisserie chicken, and my wife and daughter shared chicken comfit which came with fried rice, house salad and they got the slightly spicy sauce on the side. I decided to try just the rice and fries on the side. Both chicken dishes were fabulous. If someone in your party is not adventurous they would be happy with either choice. While you would probably be happy with either of these choices, I would highly recommend going out of your comfort zone though, and trying some of the other dishes which you may not have ever tried before, because they are wow!

Such amazing food, definitely will be back. Ceviche was the best. Loved the mom and pop vibe.

Delicious,delicious,delicious!!!!!! Best Peruvian food in the dmv! This is a small place and they are always busy. The service is always fast and the food always amazing

Great and authentic Peruvian food. They are right, the ceviche is amazing. Staff is super nice and friendly.

Best Peruvian food around DC area, best ceviche, great service. The owner, Yoana (la Chama) and all service people are so kind and charmers. Thank you guys. La mejor comida Peruana alrededor del área de DC, el mejor ceviche. El propietario, Yoana (la Chama) y todas las personas de servicio son muy amables y encantadoras. Gracias muchachos.

It used to be good! Their portions have changed, prices have gone up and last time we brought our guests it was embarrassing with their portions!!!

Homely casual dining spot that serves authentic Peruvian cuisine. We got the Mixto cerviche and Lomo saltado which taste absolutely fantastic. Will definitely come back again!

Great food, fast service, good atmosphere and hidden location which makes it good too because if it was somewhere busy I'm not sure how long the wait would have been. I ordered the seco de res and ceviche. Both were pretty good and tasty. My daughter ordered the bisteck a lo pobre and she loved it. Didn't get dessert but many next time!

+1 Star. Great service. Friendly. Kind workers. +1 Star. Location. Convenience of parking, sitting, etc. +1 Star. Price, food options, ambiance. +2 Food. On point. I am from California this is best Peruvian Food I ever had.

Discovered this quant little gem during a Yelp search for Peruvian chicken. Started off with corn snacks, idk what it is about this snack, I just could not stop snacking LOL Even though my party of 5 were all craving chicken, 2 of us ended up getting Lomo Saltado and Aeropuerto. The picture of the Aeropuerto does not do it justice. Everyone's dish came out perfectly, fresh and plentiful. Decided to try the Chicha Morada (Purple Corn Lemonade) based off of previous reviews and this DID not disappoint. Wished I had gotten the pitcher for myself and not to share LOL Service was great, prompt, and friendly. Since this place isn't very big, it got pretty busy quickly. Parking lot is shared in a business park with the spaces not very big. Will be a returning customer for sure if I am back in the area.

As a Peruvian -- it's been very difficult to find delicious authentic Peruvian food and this place hits the nail right on the head!! The food is fucking delicious! I ordered the Jalea mixta, lomo saltado, shrimp ceviche, and pollo ala brasa. Chiefs kiss . I live in dc and will travel over an hour to eat this delicious food and it's reasonably priced which is awesome.

Another great falls gem. If you have never drunk a pisco sour - the Peruvian national drink - I recommend you head down to PioPio as soon as possible. The food is amazing - start with a ceviche and then either get a saltado (several types), several choices of seafood, chicken or a beef. I always get a mixed ceviche without mussels, calamari and lomo saltado. End the meal with a Tres Leches or Choco Flan. A must visit. Seating is limited so consider takeout..

Excellent authentic Peruvian food. The Chupe de Camarones was out of this world, the ceviche was excellent as well. On a nice sunny warm day you can sit outside. Good place for a good bite.

It's so nice to see an ethnic restaurant in this area. I had actually been craving Peruvian chicken and I was in the area. I didn't realize that they closed at 8pm on a weekday. I quickly ordered my drink and whole chicken with 4 sides (cilantro lime rice, fries, corn salsa, and plantains) to eat and take home. The portions of the sides were pretty large. I had a nice IPA draft beer that went well with my meal. My waiter was very nice. They only had three people serving, but the wait wasn't bad.

Pescado frito mahi majo estaba todo lleno de condimentos y seco , pescado viejo. Arroz salado . El pollo de mi esposo todo quemado , sirven la misma ensalada para todo .

Great authentic Peruvian cuisine , worth driving 25 minutes from Ashburn. My favorite Peruvian place.

This is authentic Peruvian cuisine! It brought back so many memories of my travels there! The menu is extensive, which can be tough if you love Peruvian food as I do. The drinks were good too, they have the traditional pisco drinks, but also chilcanos! I was surprised to see only one Peruvian beer on the menu. We enjoyed the hot appetizer to share, so many delicious treats! For the main course, I chose the tallarines. I thought I had chosen the verdes, but they came out with a huaincana sauce. They weren't bad, but also not great. I will be doing much towards the ceviche dishes for a while, as this seems to be their better dish. I chose poorly again for the dessert- chocolate flan. I will stick with the more traditional desserts next time.

I absolutely love this place! The food is delicious and the service is great!! Definitely recommend the rocotto ceviche , the causa de pollo and the anticuchos . All delicious and authentic!! I wish there was a location closer to me since I live in fairlakes but overall Definitely coming back! I highly recommend this place

Tried all kinds of Peruvians places from Alexandria to sterling va and this has to be the best one. The steak on the saltado was soft top quality so

This is my second time coming here and they never disappoint! Service is great and food is delicious I would recommend to anyone who wants to try Peruvian food!

Food is good. The jalea de mixto was okay. The service really sucked. I understand it's a Sunday and it's busy, but there was no reason for the owner to take my chair away from our table while I was in the bathroom for a few minutes WITHOUT asking the two (!!!) other people actively eating at our table if it was okay to take the chair that was in front of the giant half eaten seafood platter. After I confronted the owner I got a half a**ed apology. Our other server was also very busy, and though she was sweet it was very hard to get a hold of her. Maybe just go on a weekday or say a little prayer that your chair won't get taken away.

I love this place--the best Peruvian food in northern Virginia. And the service is also on-point. I never had a wrong server or a messed up order. Even when I order for delivery, the place is small, but you can overlook everything else once you eat their food.

A hidden gem in Great Falls. Great food. Fresh, delicious, prepared quickly. Great service. Highly recommend.

Had a great dinner here tonight and YES the tres leche lived up to my expectations but that was not even the best part!!! So I have been looking for good tres leche and the owner chef suggested I try his in my foodie Facebook group. I am so glad I came to try this place! When you walk in it has more of a cafe feel then a full service restaurant. The food, however, is elevated to restaurant quality flavor! They provide complimentary corn which are crunchy and delicious. I tried the lomo fries which were so good I ordered the lomo soltado for my entree. As the reviewers previously recommended, the Lomo Soltado was the best I have ever had!! Now I am no expert on Peruvian food but have had Peruvian food at least a couple dozen times in my life and used to have a co-worker from Peru. The gravy on the lomo soltado was so delicious with a soy sauce base. The steak pieces were seasoned beautifully, so tender and juicy where it keeps you craving more!! Everything was seasoned perfectly with a great harmony of flavors. My friend got the seafood Peruvian style Paella which was hearty, tasty, and the seafood was cooked perfectly! Now the tres leche was delicious and really satisfied my craving for a good, moist and creamy tres leche. However the lomo soltado was my favorite! You have to go check it out!! The food really is delicious and worth checking out. I would eat in or pick up and eat immediately for the best experience! The parking lot is a bit crazy but they have dedicated spots directly in front of their place. Enjoy!!

Excellent service and food The food is fresh and good quality. Real good Peruvian food.

The food was horrible! The chicken had small bones in it that needed to be picked out or could amuse chocking. We ate there twice as we were hopeful that it was a one time issue. It was not. Some of our friends like this restaurant, we do not.

They say they have the best ceviche in the DMV, and I believe it! My friend and I both ordered ceviche and it was so fresh and delicious. Staff was attentive, great service!

Casual, laidback, family friendly Peruvian restaurant. I've been wanting to visit Pio Pio for quite a while. I'm happy I finally popped in. The food is excellent! Although they specialize in Peruvian food, they offer some Mexican dishes. The TV displays videos and images of all sorts of wonderful Peruvian food. Great marketing tactic since we ended up ordering the Peruvian bites. The bites are crispy fried wontons filled with a creamy chicken stew named Aji de Gallina. It was absolutely flavorful. Just thinking about it makes me smile. For my main entree, I selected Bistec a lo Pobre. Seriously, the portion size of this dish is massive; it is enough to feed 2 or 3 people. The meal consists of steak topped with 2 fried eggs on a bed of french fries and sweet plantains. It is also accompanied by a salad and rice. It is incredibly hearty and satisfying. 4 stars. The food is delicious and affordable. What's not to like?

Perfect for anyone! To start off they have the best plaintain (cooked bananas) and one of my favorite chickens in the best seasoning. The service is always friendly and the place is fun and upbeat.

First time eating Peruvian food - we will be back. Our group of 15 seniors was served delicious, well-presented, ample amounts of a variety of Peruvian food. We loved it. Not one complained even though we all ordered different dishes. I had shrimp risotto made with quinoa. The dish was fantastic and the perfectly grilled shrimp were arranged in a large circle atop the quinoa risotto. The service was great. Danny, the owner was there to make recommendations and describe each dish. Many could be made with low salt or less spicy. He was TERRIFIC. The restaurant was clean, and modern, with attention to health. Go. I will see you there.

BEST CEVICHE!!!!! Super excited to have found this place here in great falls VA. Ordered the ceviche carretillero because i love having the side of calamari with my fresh ceviche. They also ask what spice level you would like which is great because i enjoy spicy food. The mahi mahi bite are A MUST!! You know the food is delicious when you and your significant other are fighting for the last piece on the plate haha. The lomo steak was cooked to order and flavorful. Will definitely be coming ba

I only tried the beef saltado salad so review is based on this only. The beef was dry and all I could taste was soy sauce.

Awesome food! We ordered the ceviche and the shrimp dish. Both were very tasty! Will definitely try more dishes next time.

I was here twice this week! It was so delicious went two days in a row! Lomo saltado was amazing! We shared an order for lunch. Everything was so fresh and cooked to order. The plantains were perfect too! The service was great! The owner Danny came by to check on how we liked the food. Beautiful decor and you will not be disappointed. It gets busy on the weekends so you may need a reservation. They also have outdoor seating.