El Pollo Inka

There used to be a little Peruvian restaurant near my house and it ended up closing. Since then it was hard finding a good spot in my area, till I had dinner one night at El Pollo Inka. First dish I ever tried was the Lomo Saltado, who doesn’t love meat and potatoes? Always my go to if I ever get food from there. I normally get my food to go, but once in a while I’ll eat there.

Free soup all day 11am-​9pm Mon-​Thurs
Free soup ends at 4pm Friday
Free soup ends at 3pm Sat-​Sun
Friday they close at 9:30pm, and it’s the latest night.
Live music every Friday and every other Saturday.
Sat-​Sun = Dinner prices ALL DAY 11am-​9pm.
There are groupon deals, for DINE IN and TAKE OUT.
Read the fine print bc you cannot use them during lunch specials (mon-​fri 11−3pm), nor on what’s on the black board outside that specific day.
Free drink if you check in, BUT cannot be combined with other deals (I.e. GROUPON, AXXESS, PRINTED COUPON etc)

I thought I was getting a PLATE of ceviche like the menu advertised but only got a small amount. Since that wasn’t enough, I ordered lomo saltado but that dish was so salty I couldn’t even finish it. And my sister ordered seco de cordero and got more bone than meat on her plate. Not a place I’d recommend.

This review is mainly for their Saltado De Pollo. French fries and chicken pan fried with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic. It’s good and its’s consistent.
Service is usually ok. Some experiences have been better than others.
One gripe from some time ago. I ordered a half of chicken which came with a choice of either french fries or rice, at the same price, mind you. I requested half & half, to which the waitress very promptly replied that it was not possible. Clearly, this request has been made before and management has decided not to honor it. Later the waitress presents my dish with TWO large scoops of rice. Tell me again why that second, very distinct scoop of rice could’t have simply been HALF an order of the french fries… especially considering there was NO difference in price between the two sides. Infuriating. It’s the little things like this that make a difference

It took me almost 9 years to finally get back to this restaurant again — partially because we don’t usually go by here and partially because I wasn’t sure how my kids would like it. So then two things happened. My kids were singing to me how much they love Inca Kola because they go to a peruvian restaurant all the time when they visit their dad and stepmom and then a Groupon popped up on my radar. SOLD!
The atmosphere is like you’re escaping the beach and visiting a dark little restaurant in Peru. We ordered quickly and easily and the staff was wonderful with answering any questions we had. My son of course went straight for a steak dish and loved how thin it was but how tender it was. My daughter loves chicken and their roast chicken is so moist and flavorful! The portions were very satisfying. I went for the slow roasted lamb and it was divine. Again, falls off the bone mouthfuls of amazingly seasoned meat. Not very gamey when it’s slow cooked like that.
Our Three-​thumb review is 3 thumbs up! My kids both gave thumbs up for the Inca Kola. It looked an awful lot like Mountain Dew to me so I was afraid that they’d be up all night, but their full bellies had them ready for a siesta. I could not get over the sauce that was served with the rice and beans. I thought it had cilantro because it had that sort of refreshing feel in the mouth but the waiter said it was blended up lettuce (and some secret amazing ingredient I’m sure). It won’t be 9 years before we return. Loved it!
#ThreeThumbReviews

My update if nothing else is to confirm what a terrific little spot this is! I truly love there food! It seems anything I order turns into my new favorite.
If this location is a bit out of your way, you’ll be happy to know they have a few other location, both on Hawthorne. One in Torrance the other in Lawndale/​Hawthorne. I just happen to favor the Hermosa, PCH local, it’s smaller and much closer to my home.

Excellent place to dine and enjoy the weekend. As we walked in we were greeted with a warm welcome by the server. Our order was immediately taken. Our food was served within 5 minutes and it was absolutely delicious.
5 STARS

My favorite Peruvian in Southbay. It’s not fancy or revolutionary. But portions are large, service is great and food is excellent.
My lomo combinado had juicy tender beef with rice and possibly some of the best beans I’ve ever had. It was tasty, hearty, and comforting.
The rotisserie chicken was flavorful, juicy and fall off the bone tender. Perfect with the aji sauce.
Located in a Ralph’s shopping center, there’s plenty of parking.

If you love Peruvian food like I do, El Pollo Inka is a very solid 4 star spot. If you’ve been to Mario’s Peruvian Seafood (the king of Peruvian food in LA), El Pollo Inka is about 90% as good as Mario’s without the insane wait times. The portion sizes are similar, the vibe is different, but they’re both really good.
We went to EPI on a Thursday night at 6:30 PM and had no problems being seated quickly. Like Mario’s, it’s a little confusing because the host stand is in the middle of the restaurant, so you come in, stand there awkwardly, then eventually one of the waiters finds you a spot. It’s a little odd, but no big deal. I was on crutches and the waiter was really cool about finding us a spot where I could easily get in and out of a seat and have a spot to put my crutches.
Normally, my wife and I always get Lomo Saltado at Peruvian restaurants, but we switched it up slightly this time. I got the Saltado de Mariscos and she got the Saltado de Camarones — pretty much the same thing but with seafood/​shrimp instead of steak. We were very happy to report that both of our dishes were both super flavorful and almost as good as Mario’s. Who knows, if we had gotten the Lomo Saltado, maybe it would have been even closer.
We also got the ceviche mixto (no chips in a Peruvian restaurant), which was also great and had a good spice to it. We got bread with the delicious green sauce about halfway through our meal, which was cool because the restaurant was super busy and we knew the waiters were hustling. And yes, you can get Inca Kola here!
If you live in the South Bay/​Fox Hills/​Culver City and usually trek it up to Mario’s, only to wait outside for 45 minutes for a table, give El Pollo Inka a try! Like Mario’s, it’s casual, costs about $ 15−20/person for delicious and good portioned Peruvian eats. Unlike Mario’s, you won’t have a crazy long wait or have to find weird street parking. Located in a strip mall, EPI has plenty of parking. While my loyalties to Mario’s run deep, I’m positive we’ll be back to EPI out of convenience alone and appreciation for good Peruvian food closer to us!

I’ve never had Peruvian food before, so I decided it was time to try it out. The ambiance of the restaurant gave a feel that was other-​worldly. By this, I had to assume that this maybe a «Peruvian» feel.
I ended up ordering the lunch special for Cau Cau de Mariscos, which is basically a Peruvian Seafood Curry. NOTE TO OTHERS: This was a pretty spicy dish, and I’m not talking American spicy, this is Indian spicy.
Sad to say that the only thing I enjoyed about this dish is the lunch special soup that it came with, which was the Rice and Cilantro Soup with chicken.
That’s the reason why I am attributing a 3 star review to this. This is not necessarily a reflection of the restaurant or the service, but more along the lines of my experience. I would go back here again and order something different. Hopefully that would make way for a better experience.

The waiter was nice, the service was fast.
We came for lunch and ordered the following:
Tallarin Saltado de Pollo
Marinated chicken sauteed with onions and fresh tomatoes served with fresh spaghetti. $ 11.95
Vainitas de Pollo
Marinated chicken sauteed with french cut green beans, ripe tomatoes and onions $ 11.50
Saltado de Pollo
Chicken sauteed with fresh onions and tomatoes, & golden fries. Served with white rice. $ 11.50
Chicken, veggie and rice soup came with the meal, it was very hearty with no shortage of chicken.
The chicken was similar in all 3 dishes; flavorful and juicy, but there were a lot tendons that we spit out, thus the reason for the one star reduction. Our favorite was the Saltado de Pollo because it came with crispy tasty fries, the other side dishes weren’t bad, but just OK. Loved the side green sauce but the waiter said he could not give out the ingredients. It’ a big secret receipe haha. Overall, considering price, portions, flavor and service, it’s a solid 4 star.

I’m not too familiar with Peruvian food, but I guess this is your typical Peruvian restaurant. There really wasn’t anything about this place that would make me crave it. The food was mediocre, at best… although, my husband might disagree. The appetizer chicken soup was pretty ok, I guess. It was nice and fresh. But, my seafood main dish was somewhat generic-​tasting, and greasy. I wanted to devour it, but just couldn’t. I forced myself to eat as much of it as possible so as not to feel bad about wasting it. The plantains were almost too ripe… and were also served greasy… much like food truck quality.
The service was ok. However, I feel like I have to mention that as we handed our payment to our server, she didn’t feel the slightest need to expedite the process, given that it was during a work lunch rush hour. She, instead, stopped by another table where she recognized some friends, and started chatting with them a good 5 mins. while we sat and waited to be done.
The experience wasn’t horrible, but wasn’t outstanding, either.

Lunch time
— Very reasonable lunch specials
— Those specials are more than enough food
— More than enough for lunch
— Any more and you’ll sleep back at work
— Great service
— The earlier you go the better
— Beat the lunch rush
— Plenty of parking
— Try the chicken, veggies, fries and rice plate
— You might not think it works but it does
— Fries soak up the delicious seasoning
— I’m full
— Time for a nap
— No, get back to work

Delicious lomo saltado and ceviche! Portions are large so I had only half the dish which made it worth it!
This place is really family friendly with great energy and a nice big parking lot!

Free soda with Unilocal check in!
It’s located next to Ralph’s by the dry cleaners. Bf and I stopped here on a Sunday morning at 11. I really like the green hot sauce. It’s not that spicy, but it’s very flavorful.
Lunch came with soup and warm toasty rolls. Price was reasonable.

Great Peruvian spot right down the street!
Fast & friendly service, take-​out was the way to go for us tonight.
Placed the order, said meals would be ready in about 20 minutes. Really? At peak dinner hour. Ok we’ll see.
Right down the street so I waited a few minutes, then thought I’d thumb thru their menu to kill time. Sat down, paid for dinner & it was really ready a few minutes later. Right on!
Lomo Saltado: Moist beef cut into stripes & seasoned well. Sitting on a large array of stir fried vegetables. Onions, peppers, sliced wedged tomatoes & french fries. French fries? They actually mixed nicely, gave a California burrito without the tortilla kinda bite. This combination along with a side of sticky rice was a real winner for me. Costs $ 11.75.

Having lived in LA for the past 10 years, when I think of Peruvian food, I think of Mario’s, which is good but too greasy. I’ve always been curious about El Pollo Inka, and finally got to try it a couple weeks ago with a groupon. I liked it much more than Mario’s, the food was delicious and felt much less greasy.
Each order we got came with a delicious green chicken and vegetable soup. The lomo saltado was the best I’ve ever had with tender pieces of beef and not greasy fries, and the flavors were amazing. The grilled chicken was good and cooked perfectly but I don’t think Id get it again since it didn’t seem special.
Get a free soda or iced tea with check-​in.

Groupon Deal: $ 12 for $ 20
Ordered:
*Lomo Saltado ($ 11.75) — extremely SALTY and was a mixture of tough and tender pieces of beef, Eh…
*½ Chicken Rotisserie w/​fries ($ 9.50) — nothing special
*Plantains ($ 3.75) — my fave of the night! Eat it while it’s hot!
Complimentary chicken & rice soup and dinner rolls. The soup was okay, it had generous amounts of chicken but was a little too salty.
I didn’t care for the green sauce (aji verde) that everyone raves about. I did use quite a bit to help lessen the saltiness of the beef :)
FREE fountain drink with Unilocal Check-​in! Ordered the Inka Cola and it tasted like bubble gum… not bad, not good. It came in a can.
Service: our server was very attentive and friendly. She was cute too! :)
Crossed off another restaurant on my list of bookmarks, yay!

El Pollo Inka always gives me my Peruvian fix, plus it’s like 5 minutes from my house so double win. It’s super cute and intimate inside and they have a Peruvian band that places on weekend nights to keep you entertained during your meal.
Their house merlot is actually pretty tasty and cheap. I almost always get the arroz con mariscos, which is delicious it is made with this magically flavored green rice mixed with peppers, pickled onions, and all kinds of delicious seafood, shrimp, octopus, squid and scallops. Sometimes I get the chauffa de mariscos, which is similar but it is more like regular fried rice, not the spiced green stuff, but I think the arroz has more flavor. Then again the hubby’s favorite is the chauffa de pollo so who knows.
My absolute favorite in the South Bay is still El Roccoto because the seafood there is of better quality and I really like the orange ahi sauce, which El Pollo Inka doesn’t have (they just have the green ahi), but El Roccoto is much pricier so for the price it’s pretty darn tasty. I often pick it up for takeout mid-​week a la last night.
They have Groupons from time to time but I think it’s well worth it with or without the Groupon because it is very reasonably priced.

Inka cola, ceviche, lomo saltado with a generous amount of cilantro sauce = one satisfied tummy.
My first time trying Inka Cola, has a bubblegum taste. Light and refreshing! Not really like a regular cola.
Ceviche de mixta: fish, shrimp, squid were all fresh in an excellent lemon type marinade. Portion was ok.
Lomo saltado: sautéed beef, onion tomatoes, fries w/​rice. Beef was very flavorful though a little tough. Fries were still crispy. Generous portion.
Pollo a la brasa: house special chicken. It wasn’t too special but the chicken was very tender.
Service was excellent. Our server came to check up on us many times and made sure were had plenty of water and napkins.

Aguado de pollo + Lomo saltado + chicha colorada + arroz de dulce = yummy!!!

Great food, service and atmosphere. Pollo combinado is my dish of choice everytime!