El Serrano Mexican Restaurant

I loved the atmosphere and décor. The waitress was really good and friendly and was some of the best service I have received in a long time. The food was tasteless and actually the oil they used to cook my meal in had gone rancid. It was horrible. If the food was edible I would have given 5 stars but unfortunately that is the reason someone goes out to eat.

Horrible! Lived in Texas & this is Not authentic Mexican food! Don’t waste your time nor money! No music. And waiters seemed mad or upset at something. Always rushing! Ugh never again!

I have been a El Serrano lover since they were located on West Market St in York. Delicious, authentic cooking that doesn’t disappoint. Last night, dinners to go. We enjoyed ground beef taco salad, enchilada dinner, chicken fajitas, and cheese quesadillas. Of course homemade chips and salsa. I love their hot sauce for chips, has a kick. Only regret, I did not get a fried ice cream for dessert.

A hair away from perfection.
The food — especially the Gambas Ajillo and Lomo Saltado are terrific.
Mexican Burros were OK — but a but to spicy for my 11 year old. (perfect for me).
Crabmeat «mini“changa was the perfect lunch portion.
Lovely service.
Uncomfortable chairs.

Love coming here!!! The food is amazing and the atmosphere is beautiful. It’s not as nice as their location in Lancaster, but still beautiful!

This place is probably one of the only places in York to be consistent ALL The time. Food awesome! Service awesome! Great prices! Highly recommend the Lomo Saltado!

First off, let me say that we just moved here from Southern California where they have the most amazing Mexican food. With that said, I still think that the food here is just average. When I go to a Mexican restaurant and pay $ 15 for my meal, I would not expect to get ground beef in my taco or enchilada.
The service, I will say, was outstanding. Our waitress was very friendly.
I miss good Mexican food!

My husband and I tried El Serrano for dinner on Saturday night. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and the ambience is lovely and upbeat. The live music was great as well. For dinner, we each had the El Serrano combo which was outstanding. Our waiter Dennis was very pleasant and attentive. After dinner, we were given a tour of the entire facility where we visited the courtyard, bar areas, and wine cellar. Additionally, this facility has two additional restaurants upstairs as well. The hostess who gave us a tour indicated that they have several events there. Cannot wait to go back!

This place was an incredible find. Very rustic atmosphere, which really set the mood for a good meal.
I was served chips and salsa to start and then I ordered Gambas al ajillo as my appetizer. The shrimps were served in a broth with a side of toasted bread. It was not the usual way to serve this dish but regardless, it was a well-​seasoned dish.
For my main course, I ordered lomo saltado: beef with onions, tomato, potato, and white rice. Again, the flavors were all there and the meat was tender.
Service was friendly and attentive. I will be coming back to this place when I am in the area again.

We love the Lomo Saltado one of the signature dishes. Peruvian style strips of beef tenderloin grilled with red onions. French fries and cooked tomatoes. It is delicious. The onions are not over powering but add a little sweetness to the dish.
We also had the Ceviche and Avacado Frito Tapas as appertizers. Both excellent as was the Coconut Shrimp. We will eat there again.

Having been my first visit to the East York location for El Serrano, how did I miss coming to this restaurant?
My companion having been a long-​standing loyal customer took me here for lunch.
The staff was remarkable, food prepared nicely, well, and real.
Nothing shabbily prepared here: the seafood was very fresh and I had the Nachos Grande adding shredded chicken to mine.
As usual, we shared the complementary taco chips but added fresh guacamole to our tab.
Deciding my next planned visit. Can hardly wait…

My husband and I may not be back…
Had a horrible experience tonight. Service was beyond slow. Our entrees were fine… our cake was not. Had to beg for our check.

I had been to El Serrano several times years ago and always enjoyed it. The food was always great and the fried ice cream was excellent. I returned for the first time in a few years while visiting the other week and had a less enjoyable experience.
We went during an off time, so maybe that had something to do with it, but either way it wasn’t as great as I remembered it being. The food was tasty, but seemed a little off. The real bummer was the fried ice cream. There was no warmth to it at all, it was like it was just pulled from a refrigerator. Not as good as it used to be.

I only went here one time but do plan to return. The food was fresh and delicious though I did have to wait a bit. The waitress brought me chicken fajitas but I had ordered shrimp fajitas. Odd location and rather hidden at the end of a strip mall. I’d be interested in checking out their Lancaster location which has been highly recommended. Not the greatest dining experience but, once corrected, the food was fresh, hot and flavorful. The portions were generous. Definitely worth another try.

One of the best restaurants in York! The food is authentic Latin American and Peruvian. The Peruvian is our favorite. The Tacu Tacu is great. We add shredded chicken and it’s phenomenal. The Arroz Con Mariscos is also delicious. They have the best salsa and chips, too, which come complimentary to your table. They make a Serrano margarita that we love. Hands down the best margarita in town. If you haven’t tried this restaurant yet, you must! Soooo good!

My mom took me here for my birthday dinner. The appetizer (Papas Rellenas) arrived still frozen… clearly not authentic fresh made food… something from a frozen bag. The salads were mediocre… really tiny. The entrees we settled on (Chicken Quesadillas) were the same quality I would get any any run of the mill Mexican restaurant. WILDLY UNIMPRESSIVE.
Also, the location is in a cheesy strip mall, lacking any real feeling of going out to a nice restaurant. I would not recommend this for a celebreation place, more of an over priced lunch spot.

Meh. I think the food was mediocre in flavor, the service was sub par and the portions are minimal. I mean, when I am craving chips and salsa… I expect a basket of chips. NOT 10 – 12 chips in a small boat basket with a very small share of salsa. The chips to salsa ratio was way off, thus I ran out of salsa on my 4^th chip.
The food came out quickly, as I’m sure they had their food just sitting in warmers in the back kitchen. Let’s just say that the food wasn’t any better or equal to that of other Mexican establishments I’ve been to… but then again, I’m a fiesta food snob. Because Mexican food is my favorite and I have been to my fair share of them all over the world, there needs to be something impressive and I just didn’t find that «wow» factor at El Serrano.

The food is great but the seating here is horrible and very uncomfortable. There is another location in Lancaster that is much larger and has better chairs.
We would have stayed longer and had drinks if we could have tolerated the chairs.

As a big city guy I would put this restaurant up against any of the best places in DC Portland Pittsburgh or Baltimore, where I have lived.
You walk into a comfortable an innovative décor that brings you to a 18^th century Hacienda in what might have been Spanish California. The staff are friendly and work very hard to take your order and keep things moving in a timely fashion. A single seats are uniquely made from a cured leather and monogrammed to show the owners dedication to their restaurant in to the experience.
The menu is diverse with excellent choices, meat, chicken, seafood, and wonderful variety of vegetarian items. Its not your standard Tex-​Mex. This menu has dishes that are indigenous to Peru and particular specialties of the house. They take unique flavors and blend them with high quality ingredients to produce a true culinary experience and not just a meal.
My wife had their chicken and said it was excellently prepared wonderfully moist and truly flavorful. I as a vegetarian had a rice and beans based dish that was out of this world. The portion sizes left more than enough for another meal and we were glad to take it home. The dessert was phenomenal. Their cakes are soft and moist & the flavors are excellent. Their fried ice cream uses a quality vanilla base and is served hot & crunchy.
We had a wonderful experience and would recommend this place to any of our friends.

You know, it’s funny, as I read some of the entries here on Unilocal I have to take everything with a grain of salt… as should you. Everyone who comments about El Serrano wants to be taken seriously as a food critic, an expert in authentic Mexican food, or as someone who is an expert in restaurant spacial design and use. Interestingly, El Serrano is not an authentic Mexican restaurant, as their heritage is one of Peruvian decent. So, accordingly, El Serrano is a great representation of the Peruvian food culture and that is hard to find in these parts. It is possible to stretch and say that they also touch on the Tex-​Mex food culture as well. Perhaps the misleading information is in the title of the restaurant here on Unilocal.But, as far as authentic Peruvian food… you will find none better in this neck of the woods.
So, El Serrano (York and Lancaster) serves authentic Peruvian cuisine and they do it with perfection and honor as they continue to use family recipes that have been proven over time. From their early beginnings at the York Fairgrounds, El Serrano continues to provide terrific Peruvian flavors at reasonable prices both in York and Lancaster. I, for one, am a huge Fan of El Serrano. But, I guess that’s because I love their authentic Peruvian dishes.