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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mid WilshireMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
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When my friend asked me to meet her on Melrose for some Peruvian after work, I said sure, then thought hmmm...Peruvian on Melrose, that doesn't sound right. I proceeded to type it into my GPS and follow the sexy Brittish voice to yeah, a neighborhood that can only be described as a kinda ghetto. But next to a Radio Shack and non-descript other shop with heavy bars, I found some of the most kick ass Peruvian ever!
The ambience is decorated ala mall food court style, the service happy to serve you as long as you don't require anything more than the minimum. Yep, the four stars is for the food alone! Order the ceviche which is orgasmically good, salty, citrusy, just spicy enough to reach for water but not drink it down, with big chunks of tender octopus. We collectively had Saltado de Pollo and the broiled snapper dish....omg good! Don't forget to ask for more bread to soak up the incredible broth if you order one of the fish dishes. Who knew! Great seafood in a strip mall? Minus part of a star for having only potatoes instead of fried yucca, but everything else was fabulous.
Overall food completely worth risking life, car, and a journey onto the interesting side of Melrose :)
I will almost NEVER recommend chicken over beef.
I'm just a beef kinda gal.
But during a recent dinner with my beloved E, I said, probably for the first time in my life, "The chicken is better than the beef!"
The place is super ghetto, but more often than not, ghetto restaurants serve the best food. Yep.
After a slightly lengthy wait, the two of us were seated at a dilapidated table on dilapidated chairs and handed dilapidated menus. Awesome.
As we perused the menu (dunno why we even bothered, as we always get the same things when we grab Peruvian), we were served a basket of warm bread and butter. Bread and butter? Yum. But one must NEVER forget that weird lime green sauce. It's so frickin' good, my inner klepto was screaming at me to stuff it in my purse. Alas, the squeeze bottle of green gooey goodness didn't have a cap, so stashing it in my purse as a take-home gift was not an option. LOL.
Our food came out pretty quickly, and I must say, it was mighty nice to look at! A heaping pile of rice was surrounded by mounds of meat, veggies, and fries. My mouth is watering as I write this review.
A dash of salt and pepper and GLOBS of green sauce perfected the plates (one chicken and one beef), and the two of us had a dandy time. Quality food, I daresay! And for dirt cheap prices, too!
If it hadn't been for my fast, I definitely would've scarfed the entire thing down.
Next time, next time.
Had dinner at Mario's just last night. We drove by and I was really excited to see a Peruvian restaurant on our way to Paramount. Luckily, the restaurant was vouched for my our friend who worked nearby and we went there for dinner.
Although we had to wait, the staff were really friendly and even seated us ahead of another group because there were 6 of us and only 3 of them - but only after telling them what was happening and why (the table that opened up was way easier to squeeze 6 people than some of the others). I thought that was super courteous and nice of the staff to offer that explanation.
The last time I had Peruvian food was in Virginia and that was several years ago. When I had it again last night, it was even better than what I had remembered. I ordered Pescado Chicharillona (?) a.k.a. #30. It's a fish dish that had some amazing seasoning (not too salty) along with sauteed onions and tomatoes. I got a piece of fried bread and potato on the side with my rice too.
The portion was very generous and I even have some left over. The price was decent across the board - everything was roughly $11 - $13 whether you ordered chicken, seafood combo, or fish. Given how much food we get, I can't really complain about the price.
I wouldn't go to this place if you're looking for a nice, fancy sit-down dinner but if you just want some good food and friendly service, go check it out!
Just a warning, that green sauce they give you with the bread is SPICY!
Great peruvian food.
GOOD PERUVIAN FOOD
This place is really good but there parking lot is very small so I had to park on the street across from the church nearby.
Went here after shopping on Melrose my homie recommended we go here because he wanted his peruvian fix. Once you get in the smell of the food smells awesome made my hunger even stronger.
The restroom is ghetto all tagged up. They have one urinal and one toilet stall. I was discouraged because I wanted to wash my hands but there was no sanitizer soap that a big -.
My entourage and I were on a time schedule to head back to the hotel so we decided to order it to go because leaving Melrose is a bitch!
I ordered the number 27. Saltado De Camarones: Shrimp sauteed with onions, tomatoes, and french fries. Served with lightly seasoned rice.
The food was very tasty and good even though I didn't eat it freshly done I took a few bites in the car but I would have enjoyed it more eating there but thank god someone invented the microwave.
I would definitely want to come back and dine in but for now I had a good meal. Peace Yelp Heads!
I love Peruvian food and was excited to find this place. I read the reviews and noticed it may be crowded. When I walked into the restaurant, it was almost full, but we were lucky to get seats.
I had the beef saltado. It was really good. I definitely recommend ordering that if you go here.
The downside is that the parking is really small and since the place gets crowded, it is easier to look for street parking then bother going into the parking lot.
4 stars for great food. -1 star for ok service.
This place is my favorite. I love the lomo saltado. I'm pretty sure I dream about it. It is in a crummy strip mall but I think that might even add to its charm, that and the perpetual line, nah.
This is one of those places that makes LA a special place to get ethnic food. Nearly 20 years ago, when I first starting coming here, you never heard of Peruvian food, the Incas Chicken places were non-existent, and this stuff just screamed hello to you in the most friendly (and bold) way.
Now, nearly two decades later, this place still rocks. Warning, you are not coming here for atmosphere. This place looks like an ex-All American Burger where they've changed next to nothing. Stuck in a tiny strip mall next to a Radio Shack (excuse me - "The Shack!") in a mildly gritty part of South Hollywood (or Northern Hancock Park, depending on whether you're selling a house or describing a robbery) which you're likely to miss unless you know what you're looking for, this place is just food. And really good food it is.
The basic foods that I've eaten here are the Tallarin and the Saltados. Tallarin is a pasta stir fry with onions, tomatoes and great seasonings, and filled with the "meat" of your choice (ie - Chicken, mariscos - shrimp and calamari, beef, etc...). The Saltados is a similar stir fry with french fries as well, and steamed rice on the side instead of pasta mixed in. Both are incredible - strong, hearty flavors with lots of onions and other strong seasonings underpinning it.
They have other things as well, interesting ceviches, potato dishes, things of the like, but for my money, it's all Saltados or Tallarin. And they're both relatively cheap, about $10 for a really good meal.
They start you out with a simple bread and a great cilantro aji sauce which is to die for. When I first came here, they stuck them in these tiny little bowls which we usually cleaned out with a half a piece of bread. We didn't feel like looking like pigs and asking for 10 or 20 of them (how many we could legitimately go through), so we went without. Now they stick it in a squeeze bottle, and you can go to town. Warning, though, this sauce is actually a little spicy (a lot for mere mortals), and I happen to like eating the chilis at Chinese restaurants, so beware before downing a bottle wholesale. You may end up in pain.
All in all, this is just a perfect little find. Beware, it's not a secret any more. Get here for lunch between noon and 1 and you can expect to wait a while. Same with dinner. My little secret spot of my childhood has been discovered. But, that just means it will stay around long enough to be a place I enjoy when I'm old and grizzled as well.
I Love thiiss placee cus the food... meat + french fries yuummy! The waitresses are extremely nice. However, the parking and the wait here sucks!! Definately have to try this place AT LEAST once so I would recommend going a little early to beat the wait and the parking ~
Sometimes, (okay, most of the time), there is a long line, but this place is definitely worth the wait.
Love this place! They have the best bread and the SAUCE! The green sauce is so good! I could eat it everyday. It has just the right amount of spiciness and it compliments the bread so well. One of the workers told me that people even steal the sauce bottles! I would so steal it if I had the guts...
I always order the Lomo Saltado--so yummy. I cover it with sauce of course. I make sure to get every bite of the beef, rice, fries, and tomato.
The portions are pretty big so I take the rest home. They'll wrap it for you and they even give you small packets of the sauce!
I have never in my life said this before but, the food here is better than my mamas.
I didn't have to wait to be seated but I was told that was unusual. You get yummy bread, butter and a green sauce. The sauce is so good, nice and spicy I already knew I was in for a treat jus from that.
I got the shrimp, rice, and potatoes..I can't explain how good it was! My friend told me I sounded like I was having an orgasm! The wait staff seemed attentive and nice. I can't say much about the decor jus all my attention was on the food!
I'm sad we don't have a Mario's in the Bay area. I'll jus hit up mamas.
Mario's is one of your more typical hole-in-the-wall type ethnic food joints. There are your standard tables and chairs, and the decor is wall-length mirrors (the better to watch for the waitresses for your food), and countertop that my mom built in our house in the 70s. But don't let the look fool you.
The menu isn't extensive, but covers a lot of the traditional Peruvian dishes. The prices are okay (they are around $11-14 for an entree) though to be fair, they give you a decent amount of food. To start, they serve large, warm rolls with butter and the traditional green sauce. Bread always helps quell the raging seas of hunger in your stomach. The sauce is INCREDIBLE, but has a lot of bite, so try a little dot of it if you're a spice weakling.
I ordered a Pollo Saltado, and it was pretty fantastic, and a good change from the beef version. Lots of chicken and onions, though I wish there was more sauce and tomatoes. DON'T NEGLECT THE SLICE OF LEMON THEY SERVE WITH YOUR FOOD. My roommate ordered the milanesa, and the lemon accented the food perfectly, as it did on my Saltado.
The parking sucks ten ways from Sunday. The parking lot is tiny and there are idiots who will wait there for a spot even if it means blocking the way for you to get by. If you don't see an open spot, park in the residential area right behind the mini-mall, or across the street around the church.
Overall, a good experience if you're in the area and looking for authentic Peruvian.
Mario's is low on the atmosphere scale. But the Saltado de Camarones is delicious. It's stir-fried shrimp with potatoes, tomatoes, onions. On your table you'll have a spicy green aji sauce in a clear squeeze bottle. Love that too. The overly sweet chicha morado, a purple-corn drink, wasn't my favorite but it's a counter-balance to the spicy food.
Mario's also makes for a fun test. Tell the person you're with that it is an excellent restaurant. See if they buy it.
Went here for the first time last night and ordered the Lomo Saltado.
We'll begin with the good. Service was fine. Got my food about 5-10min after ordering, which is pretty quick. The waitress even refilled my soda without me asking. The green cilantro sauce they give you in the squeeze bottle is money. The flavor is great and it has a nice spicy kick! The marinade and flavor in the Lomo Saltado itself was great. Lots of bold flavors that really did remind me of the time I spent in Peru years ago.
Now for the not so good. Even though I thought the flavor of my Lomo Saltado was great, the entire dish was dry. They needed to give you a little more of the juice and flavors in the broth/sauce that help bring the entire dish with the meat, french fries, and rice together better. This would have helped the dry french fries and rice. Worst is some of the meat strips were very dry too.
Also, we got there about 6:30pm on a Monday night and were seated right away. But half an hour later, there was about a dozen ppl waiting to be seated.
All in all, I thought my dish was okay despite it being a little dry. But personally, I like Nathalie over in Hollywood better. Every aspect of their dish is put together well and the dish is more cohesive as a whole. Plus, you rarely have to wait for a seat.
I've been hearing some good things about Mario's Peruvian, so I was delighted when my friends decided to come up to LA for lunch this week.
After all I'd heard about the LOMO SALTADO (beef with fries, onions, tomatoes, and a side of white rice), I just had to give it a try. But for variety's sake, my friend and I split that and the ARROZ CHAUFA DE CAMARONES (shrimp fried rice).
The shrimp fried rice was good, but unremarkable - it tasted just like the SAEWOO BOKUMBAP (Korean-style shrimp fried rice) I get at my friendly neighborhood Korean/Chinese restaurant. Seriously - are the owners Korean or something? The flavors were actually all very Korean.
But that lomo saltado - man alive, it's heaven on a plate!! I couldn't decide which I liked best: the beef, the potatoes, the tomatoes, or the onions!! Okay, so it was the beef I liked best. Succulent and savory - it's a Peruvian fiesta in my boca!!
It's a little on the pricey side, but if you place a high premium on flavor, I promise you won't regret eating at Mario's.
We'd been wanting to try Mario's for a while. When we first moved to LA a few months ago, we went there but the line was too long. Today we went around 4:30 and had no trouble getting in.
We've had some great Peruvian food in LA so far but the saltado de mariscos and the jalea de mariscos here were hands down the best so far. I only wish that they gave us more lemons for the jalea de mariscos. The ceviche mixta wasn't on par with the rest of the dishes but it was still enjoyable with nice piece of calamari, octopus, and shrimp (they were out of fish for the ceviche).
Today I came here for lunch after church with some friends since we were hungry and knew Mario's has good and filling food.
Parking was a little difficult since the lot is so small, so we parked on on the street about a block over in a residential area and walked over. The wait was about 10 minutes as well since the place isn't too big but there's a lot of people. We saw Joe Hahn from Linkin Park waiting in line as well!
I ordered the saltado de pollo and my friends got the lomo saltado, and it was pretty good. The food came out quickly (we got some bread and butter beforehand), and it was realllly good with huge portions and a decent price (about $11.25 for a portion big enough to feed two girls). The green sauce is spicy and flavorful, and the saltado had a ton of red onions and tomatoes in it which were delicious as well. Chicken got a little tough though, which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. It definitely could've been juicier than it was today, but the food was very authentic and yummy. The service is good too, so I'll definitely be coming back here for some more chicken/french fry cravings!
My friend Alex has been on a two-year journey to find good Peruvian food. No, not great Peruvian food, and certainly not even perfect Peruvian food, but simply GOOD Peruvian food, that would put an end to his Peruvian baby-punching ways. I am pleased to announce that the Peruvian babies of the world can now rest easy. For we have finally found a restaurant that does justice to what has to be one of the yummiest cuisines the world has ever known.
The location is in a mini mall with very few parking spots. It's smarter to park in the street, next to the church, and walk a few feet to Mario's. They were taking people's names when we got there in the afternoon, thus we had a bit of a wait. But it was so worth it!
Protip: Yes it's true, if you live close by, I would simply order to go. There were MANY college kids who got their food much earlier than we got ours, because they had ordered take-out. Not to mention, they didn't have to stand in line!
I ordered the Lomo Saltado, without tomatoes (vile berries)! I also ordered the Arroz Chaufa de Carne, which is simply Beef-fried rice. I must say that it was dumb to order two entrees, as one filled me up just fine. The Lomo Saltado was juicy and delicious. If I have to use one word to describe Peruvian food it would be, "savory." These people know how to cook beef. Yes, the recipes are simple. So much in fact that you may feel ripped-off for paying for something so plain. However, one taste will change your mind for good. The food was mouth-watering, and went down great with a can of Inca Kola. It's Peru's coke! A bubble-gum flavored soda, with a golden color.
So don't wait, treat yourself to one of the yummiest cuisines in the world. It's the love-child of Chinese and Mexican food!
Protip: That green squeeze bottle is filled with Aji sauce. Which goes good with ANYTHING on the menu. Be sure to use it to give your food a delightful kick.
This place always gets crowded but its well worth the wait!
Parking is a pain but we usually park on the streets.
I usually get the fried rice w/ beef.
I highly recommend if its your first time!
Finally. Finally. Finally. I can now say that I have had GOOD Peruvian food. It seemed as elusive as the legend of Big Foot. Surely, I thought, this was some tale told to unruly children that wouldn't eat their food. "If you eat those beans, Jimmy, we'll take you to go get Peruvian food tomorrow."
You see, I've been to three other Peruvian restaurants before coming to Mario's. The first place was awful and no AC and lamp-heated food. THe other place was just kind of bland and uninteresting. The third place, well, my entree was partially frozen! Needless to say, I have never warmed up to Peruvian food.
Mario's. This place is quaint. There's a wait for the food. If you live nearby ordering takeout ahead is the way to go, there were a lot of people who did that. My friend and I, the Mehrdude, waited maybe twenty minutes for a table. Not too shabby, actually. I didn't mind.
The food. It's really good. Why? I feel as though the type of food they serve at Mario's is similar to the type of food I'd get if my Peruvian buddy's parents were cooking for me. It's good comfort food, real meat and potatoes type stuff.
I had the Bistec Frito. It came with fries and rice. I also ordered the Fish (pescado) Ceviche. I loved the ceviche. Yum! SOooo good. Sure, they overpower it with lemon, but I'm pretty good with that. The Bistec Frito... It was good. But it was fried steak with rice and french fries... Again, comfort type food. I was salivating over my friend's choice of the Lomo Saltado, however. That's what I should have gotten, I think.
The prices are decent. They have Inka Cola. You have a yummy joint to go to that serves Peruvian and doesn't suck.
The only reason I give this place four stars instead of five is because of three reasons:
1) Parking is scarce!
2) Waitresses too busy to provide good service.
3) Long lines.
Yeah, of course long lines because it's damn good there, so I can understand that, but I figure they can hire a chick who does nothing but refill drinks. I get very thirsty so I need lots of refills (well 2 at most), but the waitresses are often too busy to flag down for that.
As for parking, I've never even attempted to park there, as I always park on Rossmore, just south of Melrose. It also helps I live right down the street directly on Rossmore/Fremont, so it's a convenient place for me to go.
The green hot sauce they give is also awesome. I love how we get a bottle of it, and not just a little saucer (like at Don Felix, even though I freakin' love Don Felix, esp. because there's no waiting, and food is just as good).
Oh, and the only thing I've ever had here is lomo saltado.
the food here is A-Freaken-mazing!! one of my friends took me here in high school and I have been coming ever since. I am Korean, and I think the food appeals to Asian taste buds, because my mom loved it here too hehe. I love their bread with the green sauce, it is spicy and delicious. I like to get the pollo saltado, because I love the spices they use, but seafood tallarin is awesome too, and it is FULL of seafood!! i did not come here for a while, for some reason I do not know, but last Friday i was CRAVING Mario's, and even after the year hiatus, the food was the same and incredibly delicious as always!! the portions are HUGE, you will come out very satisfied and very full!
Someone told me there are two types of people who wear sunglasses indoors. Blind people and Douchbags. I totally agree with him. I actually would dismiss the above theory if I saw a person wearing their shades inside this place though. The lighting here is atrociously worse than a 7-11. Totally unacceptable. The decor here is also totally unacceptable and probably has not been updated/renovated since 1978.
The food however, is 5 stars. It's really to die for. My first Mario's experience was the one in OC (where there's much better lighting). And that green chili sauce in the squeeze bottle I believe contains crack! I heart Peruvian food so much, I want Lima to be my next vacay destination.
I ordered the Saltado de Mariscos which is a sautee of shrimp, squid, octopus, tomato, onions and potatoes served over rice. I think you could feed about 3 people with one order - I finished 1/4 of my meal. This must have been sauteed in a truckload of garlic, butter and lemon. Deliciousness! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. My friend ordered the same thing but everything was steamed instead of sauteed, which is a smarter alternative. Even though his dish wasn't sauteed, it still had brilliant flavors and probably saved 1/2 the unnecessary calories.
I advise you to take this to go so you don't have to sit through that awful lighting! And no dates here. This place is far from sexy!
OKAY!
Finally I get a chance to write about why it is that I always find myself here with my roommates.
First of all, this place is a GEM. Hole in the wall food is exactly what people say it is - less focus on the frills and more focus on the #$%^ing food. This place has it DOWN!
Now, let's talk about the eye candy... apparently my resident hot young man is a TWIN! Ladies... You know how to handle it. Still, the clean cut, pierced look is a win, and I recently learned he wears glasses. WE HAVE A WINNER. [Notice how this review should be about the food but I'm talking about a guy? Sheesh...]
ANYHOW
The service is awesome here. The waitresses are hilarious. I have lost count of how many times I've come here, but my roommates and I have never had even a sliver of a bad experience. I read other people complaining about waiting when it's busy - I guess common sense isn't as common as one might like to believe.
The food is still out of this world, and even without the added eye candy, I would come back for more.
GOOD LORD.
HOT guy behind the counter with an incredible smile [He must be Peruvian mixed with…
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I've eaten at a number of Peruvian restaurants since moving to LA and the one I always go back to is Marios. I really can't get enough of their Lomo Saltado or their friend rice. The place is always crowded with families and people of all kinds. It's one of the more popular restaurants I've seen in LA. It's pretty simple what draws so many people in, it's damn good comfort food. The orders are huge and usually more than what one person can finish. It's great to go to for the experience (you will probably have to wait for a table) or it's just as easy to order take out. If you're really hungry and are temporarily unconcerned with calories, I can't recommend Marios highly enough!
Went here for an early dinner with a few girlfriends. It was on Melrose and kind of hole in the wall which I really like. The menu is really similar to the Inka Peruvian restaurants in Orange County and LA, including the kickass green spicy sauce.
The service was great, got our food quickly, waters refilled, and constantly checked up on. It was probably a little bit cheaper than Mama Inka's but I don't mind paying a little bit more for a nicer ambiance. The bread was kind of stale and old, also.
The parking lot is small but there are nearby streets that you can park on.
It was really strange but during my meal, there was an ant crawling on my forehead and I have NO idea how it got there. So, it looks like they might have ants in their restaurant...
It's pretty small so it looks like people are always waiting for a table, even us when we arrived a little before 6 for dinner. Because of that, we couldn't really sit back and chat when we were finished.
Oh man this place is great. IT is definitely a hole in the wall with very limited parking. I have never had a problem finding street parking.
This place is just friggn delish! Its small on the inside but I have never had to wait to get a table. They serve you some warmed up dinner rolls and they have this mystery green sauce they put in this squeeze bottle on your table. I think it is some avocado spicy concoction. Warning it is definitely spicey but ohh you just cant get enuff of it.
I have had the meat and seafood Saltado and they are both amazing. They are so full of meat, french cries, tomatos, and onions. It is seasoned and is so good, definitely not too salty. I usually put some of that green sauce on it and i am good to do. It comes with a cup of white rice and is super filling.
Loooove this place!
The service stood out the most. My waitress was straight up treating me like my mom! The Chi cha was very good. The food itself was GREAT but not the greatest. I had the Milanesa and it was dry and tough. My friend had the Saltado which was good.
Id probly go to Los Balcones over Marios.
I finally satisfied my dream of visiting Peru this past summer and I really didn't want to leave... but here I am back at home and DYING to go back :( I've always heard about this place, but yesterday was my first time and I'm so glad that I went after having gone to Peru and tasted the real stuff! Let me tell you... this was as close as you'll get to having Peruvian food. No frills, no fuss, just large, perfectly spiced portions and con la salsa verde, todo el calor que quieres ;) Had the seafood ceviche, the lomo saltado, and the seafood saltado, and ate it ALL with the biggest, stupidest grin on my face. Except for the parking, everything there's perfect and homey and just plain awesome, right down to the steaming hot bread. I didn't see any hot workers that other Yelpers were talking about... but you can bet I'll keep em peeled next time.
if you're visiting for the first time.... definitely try the LOMO SALTADO. you can order all the other recommendations at your next visit.
come starving as this place gives huge portions. i would say two girls can share OR one guy can eat the entire dish alone.
two dishes are either hit or miss: (1) shrimp ceviche - extremely sour and unexpected (2) this red drink - forgot the name - but if you look around at least half of the restaurant has ordered it.... weird taste so i definitely would not recommend.
oh!! and this place has the BYOB policy. they don't mind if you buy your drinks @ the pavilions across the street or from a local liquor store. so hopefully this helps :)
They would jump to 5 star status if they'd just use less salt. I got a headache after my most recent trip to Mario's b/c of the explosion of salt in my body. I think I'll ask for my dishes unsalted during my next trip.
This is a great place to eat. Food is great, epically their beef and seafood is good too.
Prices are a little on the expensive but under $20.
Def. try it because its worth the money.
That green sauce they service is hella hot. Doesn't seem so at first but it's a slow burn.
We ordered the shrimp ceviche, lomo saltado and shrimp saltado. Good food, just a lot of it keepin me full for hours.
Shrimp ceviche is great. I don't know what that yellow stuff of it is, but it's good along with the potato and onions.
Service is quick. We came there around 6 pm on a Thursday and was empty but people started filling up the seats.
Parking is an issue though as the spots are tight and not much around. I had to do a 10 point turn just to get out of my spot with my truck... That part wasn't fun.
This place is bomb, it really lives up to the hype and crowded conditions. Every time it's so delicious. I've only ordered the seafood here because I assumed that's their specialty. The fish tastes so fresh. I'm not sure why they use so many onions, not being an expert on Peruvian food, but as is my habit, I get the onions for the flavor and aroma, but simply push them to the side instead of eating them or perhaps nibble on a few. I have to take away a star, because they give you margarine instead of butter with the rolls which seem to be microwaved, and the service is just ok, and there is not really any decoration in here at all. The food itself is 5 stars, though. Don't miss out on this bomb seafood, it's awesome and extremely tasty!!
Love the food.
The fried rice, the lomo saltado, and the seafood soup are my favorites!
Its strip-mall location and the ugly decor may not look like much, but the incredibly savory, richly flavorful seafood dishes have to be sampled. As far as meat, the lomo saltado with beef sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and french fries is a must as well. All dishes are heavily piled with meat, served with tons of rice or pasta - you will never leave hungry.
Best Peruvian seafood in L.A.
This place is a serious Hole in the wall with a capital H! But the food is absolutely delicious! Places like these make me wonder why I keep wasting money on those expensive hip/trendy hollywood places that cost me an arm and a leg just to get mediocre food. This place is a true gem.
I've never had peruvian cuisine before so I was excited to get to try something new. The parking situation really does suck, and it was only a Tuesday night -- I can't imagine how a Friday or Saturday night would be. The wait wasn't too bad, but the place was accommodating a party of 12 right before us.
The bread that came out was oh-so-very soft and warm. It reminds me of Hawaiian bread but without the sugar. I tried the green sauce that everyone raves about, and it's good but just too too too spicy for me. The ceviche appetizer and chicken saltado were REALLY good. The ceviche had a VERY generous amount of raw fish and for only $13 it's an absolute steal compared to a sashimi plate at a sushi joint! The chicken saltado with french fries/tomatoes/rice were addicting. I only wish they gave us a more generous portion of meat to satisfy the carnivore in me. Service was also friendly, quick and efficient and I can't wait until I come back here again! I can't believe this place has had so many good reviews and I've never heard of it!
I tried Chicha Morada for the first time here. We saw some other diners with this purple drink, so we asked the waiter about it. Luckily they offered us a small free sample, because we ended up not really liking it. This place is pretty small, so we had to stand around waiting for quite some time before a table cleared up. Despite going there for a later dinner, plenty of people piled in after us and waited just as long for their tables.
Wish we had Peruvian food up here in the Seattle area! I love that the dishes are hearty and filling, with decent prices, and everything seems My favorite dish is the beef saltado, and it's pretty good at Mario's too. I'm also a big fan of the green dipping sauce that you use for the bread. I've had better elsewhere, when it comes to the sauce, but Mario's is still pretty good. to go well with rice or fries.
Maybe had very high expectations of this place - I skipped out Roscoe's & In N Out to give this place a try...I love trying new places- and this was suggested all weekend. Pretty tasty & filling, but not awesome.
Hole in the Wall joint - which equals authentic. I took my mom there, and she was expecting something pretty to the eye - flowers, clothed table, a view (shes all about ambiance). Sorry mom, none of that here. It's again, all about the type of food they were serving.
My bf tried Peruvian in Miami and raved about the ceviche. It was pretty sour- refreshing yes, but I just cut my lip and that was a bit tough...you have to try it w/ the spicy green stuff- (which I think was avocado salsa w/ a kick)
The dishes are huge: we each got one and def. didn't finish. A beef, chicken & seafood saltado.
mmmm, steak, mixed veggies, & french fries sauteed all together is an excellent combo. (although, after awhile it was a little too salty to eat) Packed the flavor though. And it was the same for the other dishes.
We were all very full afterwards - not sure how busy it gets - based on other reviews, I'm thinking quite full on the weekends, luckily went there are a Monday so things were quick.
Brand Spankin' New Lunch…
Los Angeles, CA
$5 Mojito Mondays
Los Angeles, CA
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Latin American
La Mirada, CA
Category: Latin American
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Latin American
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