Excellent authentic food from northern Peru!  I love the LAMB (Cabrito norteño) so much that it's hard to order anything else.  However, it's all good:  EMPANADAS, JALEA (fried seafood), CEVICHE, AJIACO, great desserts, beers (Cusquenã....mmm).  Very good and friendly  service as well.
Review Source:It's a good clean place in a cool shopping center with tasty as heck food! I don't know why it's so empty all the time during lunch, but people are missing out. Realy great food!!! I think people that rate on Yelp must take into account what you are paying, so you can't judge this place against a $30 a plate restaurant. For what you pay,...awesome!
Review Source:They have an SUPER WAITER named BRANDON! Â I came in trying to find a good chicken soup to heal my cold/coughing. He suggested on off the menu item - GINGER SOUP. It only comes in a large (there may be leftovers), but it was so perfect. It was loaded with breast chicken meat, cabbage, cubed potatoes, broccoli, noodles, scallions, etc. The sauce on it had a light ginger taste, some curry hints and other things going on. I asked for it extra spicy so it was right on! Â $11.95.
They have a mixed veggie stir fry with chicken for $12.45 that is also quite good. Â
My only comment is their broccoli florets seemed overcooked. Other than that I would go back again and again!!!
A must go! I am the pickiest eater on the face of this planet and I love Inka Mamas. I have thoroughly enjoyed each meal I have ordered. Consider trying Inka Mamas even if you have never tried Peruvian food before.
I always order the dish with a lightly breaded chicken over a bread of spaghetti and a yummy green sauce. The sauce is very similar to pesto sauce.
I have also enjoyed a dish with grilled chicken and vegetables with a yummy and light sauce. It's a very healthy meal.
The best part of Inka Mamas is the service. The service is superb. They are always so welcoming and hospitable. My parents go their regularly and as a token of their appreciation they treat them to a complementary appetizer.
The sangria is really yummy too.
I called in 2 weeks ahead to make a reservation at this restaurant and was confirmed by the gentleman on the phone. When I got there that day, I found the restaurant was closed due to a new Holiday schedule. Since I had driven over an hour to get there to meet some family members and never received a phone call telling me that my reservation was closed, I was understandably upset. Also now I have a groupon to this place that I need to figure out when to use. So just a warning, you better call in day before to check on your reservation !!
Review Source:If I could do 2.5 I would (extra .5 for the service). Â But since the definition of 2 stars is, "Meh. Â I've experienced better," 2 it is because that is exactly how I felt about this place with the exception of the service. Â The service was really nice and attentive. Â But the only thing that was memorable about the food was the over salted and bland dishes that we were served. Â
I had the lamb stew, which sounded amazing, and does have the potential to be, but there was so much salt in the dish on top of the flavorful stew sauce, that I had to mix it with the beans and rice to mellow it out. Â
My husband got some kind of chicken stew with potatoes, and it was completely bland. Â It sounds weird, but he almost compared it to a garlic sauce at a chinese restaurant, and when I tasted it, I had to agree.
We had the Ceviche Mixto/Misto (I can't remember) to start, and again, just kind of Meh, it sat there and we ate as much as we could muster, but really unimpressive.
The only saving grace was the desert!  The crêpe with plantains and carmel is fab.  But that just wasn't enough to save the rest of the meal.
I am sorry to have to write a bad review, because my husband and I really enjoy Peruvian food typically and I REALLY wanted to like this place, but Inka Mama's leaves much to be desired.
My friends invited to have dinner at this place. When we got there there only a few people on a Saturday night. It got just a little bit busier with about 5 tables when my friends got there. The servers were all really cute guys and very nice. We ordered the Sangrias that were by far not as a regular sangria with just a little hint of alcohol. We also ordered some appetizers such as the Ceviche and the clams that were not impressive at all. Our main dishes were well served but again nothing really stand out. It is a very cute restaurant in a gorgeous area of San Clement but the food is just ALL RIGHT!!!
Review Source:Haven't been here in a very long time. When then first opened they had service problems, I am happy to report my visit for lunch today I had excellent service at all levels, from the greeting to the waitress  and the turnaround time for the kitchen.
Staff was friendly, prompt and delightful. I always liked the food and the Chicken Saltdana today was no exception. Love the green chile dipping sauce so much, yum.
By far one of the Best Peruvian restaurants in OC. Â Staveros the GM is a very nice guy, always greets you at the door and makes you feel at home. Â I have tried almost every dish on the menu and I feel like I haven't had a bad dish. Now for the beer, its like heaven, Staveros is a beer guru and knows his beers and always changes the tap so they change it up often.
Review Source:I was excited to try Inka Mama's as most of the reviews from people who had visited Peru looked tantalizingly good.  Sure enough my Ceviche plate was on par with similar servings from my trip to Lima.  Their Aji they served with the fresh bread was THE best Aji  I have tasted outside of Peru. Â
The plate was loaded with lime marinated chunks of white fish, large scallops,
calamari and shrimp. It had just enough touch of heat and was not overpowered by
with onions or cilantro ( both present but just right). It also had a couple of boiled potatoes and  a sweet potato as a garnish.
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/xY1wVAyXsUV2LvK-_z4t5Q?select=B1fLlnfLxzlGLt31CPh6TQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
My two golfing buddies, either of who had ever had Peruvian, were duly impressed and surprised by their dining experience. One tried the steak Estofado  and the other beef Saltado. Both joked it was the best Peruvian food they had ever eaten as it was the only Peruvian food they had ever eaten.
In any case they both loved their meals.
I will come back when I am in the area. Good meal at an affordable price too.
My husband and I have said for several months we were going to try Inka Mamas and never seemed to make it there. We finally went last Friday and were pleasantly surprised. The food was awesome; the atmosphere was comfortable; and the servers were amazing!!! Â We go out to dinner often and will make Inka Mamas part of our weekly routine!
Review Source:Love this place.... Even though I have no clue what 1/2 of it is.... first time having Peruvian food..... the staff walked me through recommendations. Â They have never steered me wrong. Â I have had appetizers, different lunch and dinner plates, and it was all awesome. Â Yes I have to admit, I have settled on a favorite. Â And of course, I will be back. Â Great job Inka Mama's... Keep it up.
Review Source:We read the reviews before we got there and although some of them were complaining about the service we still went because my husband was craving Peruvian food. We were surprised actually by a very good service. The waiters were around us all the time asking us if we need anything although the place was packed. We got our food fast and it was delicious. I'm giving it a 5 stars and we will be back :)
Review Source:This is definitely the best Peruvian I've had in SoCal to date. Great selection and an excellent menu that describes the dishes and has lots of pictures of them so those who don't know the dishes can confidently venture past the Lomo Saltado. Great dinner after a round of golf at Talega.
Review Source:I really enjoyed this place. I went with a Peruvian friend, and she gave her seal of approval as well. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. We had the mussels which were really yummy. The appetizer platter was really good too. You get a nice mix of food to try. The chicken empanadas were extremely tasty, as well as the tamale. The sangria is really good too.
They have a great lunch special with your choice of 3 entrees and soup or salad for $9. I'm looking forward to my next visit here.
I recently went to Inka Mama's in San Clemente and had a glorious dinning experience. Yes, the staff made my experience worthwhile, but the food was truly out of this world. Each dish ignited my senses as I discovered the many delicious entrées.  I would love to recommend just one dish, but I was fortunate to have almost one of everything as I picked off my friends selections and I loved them all! The menu is fit for even the most finicky diners with something to satisfy those with very particular tastes and also offers very traditional Peruvian dishes for the sophisticated palettes.  The staff was well versed on the menu and offered recommendations while making the dinning experience fun and interactive. I highly recommend this restaurant and don't be afraid to ask the staff for help and recommendations. They know their food and love to show it! A+!
Review Source:My partner and I recently stopped here for a bite on our way to San Diego. We sat at the bar and were happily greeted by the owner/manager and gracious staff in a timely and professional manner. We ordered a couple of beers and it was the coldest beer I've had on tap (great selection) in recent memory. We ordered a mix of the empanades, the ceviche, and one of the most delicious and unique shrimp dishes (I can't recall the name) I've ever eaten. The food, decor and service were amazing! We will definitely be back and glad we found it so easily on our road trip from Los Angeles. One word for this restaurant and our experience there- SUBLIME!!
Review Source:I've been to Inka Mama's a few times and I actually like their food. Â The one in Aliso is well established so the service there is great. Â However, the restaurant in San Clemente is new so the service there is seriously lacking. Â Everything is a long, long wait!!! Â Get more waiters!!!! Â
I really would hate to see another restaurant in SC shut down but if Inka doesn't get it together, they won't have any customers returning.
I should have read the reviews before I went. The food was great, but the service was horrendous. We never got any beverages (including water) until way after we started on the bread. Our appetizers never came and was met with a sheepish "sorry". It took forever to get more bread and our entrees. Â Typically, restaurants will comp a thing or two to make up for such incompetence, but I guess that's why this particular restaurant is doing so poorly (because no one knows what they're doing).
Review Source:I went to Peru in 2006 and when I came back I was surprised by all the peruvian cuisine that was here in the US.
I love Inka Mama's and was excited when I heard of a new one with a bar! I stopped by a couple months ago. I had never been to Telega, I like the atmosphere and location. I sat at the bar and had a couple beers and snacks. The beer selection is awesome! The people who worked there were nice and great to talk to. The dining room was also nice and I am excited to have a full meal there!
Horrible Service and Mediocre food!!
My wife and I went to the San Clemente location to try out the new restaurant since we received a coupon in the weekly mailer. Â Upon ordering, we asked the waiter if this coupon could be used for the specials and was told YES it could be used. Â We really like the empanadas but the other dishes were bland (steak saltado) or very salty (chicken special). Â But, our most displeasure in this dinning experience came from the service. Â We asked our waiter for the check and gave him the coupon. Â He came back with the bill and told us we could not use the coupon for what we had ordered. Â We reminded him that he said we could use the coupon at which point he went to his manager who was at the bar talking on his cell phone and eating a plate of food. Â Our waiter came back and again said we could not use the coupon, but we could leave off a tip if we wanted and then turned tail and walked away. Â We paid our bill and left a small tip, but we were not happy that the manager did not bother to come over and explain the situation. Â The manager did not even acknowledge us or get off his cell phone as we walked past him on our way out. Â NEVER AGAIN WILL WE EAT AT THIS RESTAURANT OR RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE.
Simply The Best! Â From the Service to the Food to the Atmosphere, This place is amazing! Â The Owner, Stavros, provided the type of service you would get from a luxury resort. Â When we couldn't decide what to get he suggested something off the menu that he would personally make for us. Â It was amazing! Â I will recommend this to all of my friends and I will frequent there often!
Go Here!
When we heard Inka Mama was coming to San Clemente we were really excited. We have been to the Aliso Viejo store many times and we were never disappointed in any meal we were served!
While there is not a full bar in San Clemente yet, the wine selection is pretty amazing! And of course the food........we will be back soon!
Bob and Vinny
INKA MAMA'S IS AN OUTSTANDING DINING EXPERIENCE!!!
I love this new place in San Clemente! Â Â A friend told me about it so I had to give it a try. Â Â The ambience very comfortable and upscale. Â The service was professional and friendly. Â Â The food truly unique and delectable!
The Peruvian food offered here is carefully prepared and has a healthy, home cooked flavor. Â Wow! Â Â Next time I'm bringing more people!
I was so glad to see the restaurant filled today. Even with the crowd, the service was prompt and friendly.
APPETIZER:
Causas - layered potato cake with mouth-watering chicken salad, and topped with a yummy yellow cream sauce. 5 stars!
DINNER:
My daughter had the Mama's Shrimp Scampi with pasta. I'm allergic to shrimp, so I can't describe the taste. But my picky daughter LOVED it and that's all I need to know. 5 stars
Tallarin Verde with Chicken - I can't seem to get away from this. I love it! 5 stars
Loma Saltado - yup - my youngest daughter's favorite. 5 stars again.
Last week...
Lunch specials are $8-ish with appetizer soup or salad. You get a choice from 3 dishes, which could differ every day. The portions are big (not as huge as dinner). I always end up taking something home from any meal I've had here.
Enjoy!
WORST DINING EXPERIENCE.
SHOULD BE ZERO STARS.
Let me clarify, we have eaten at the other Inkas for quite a few years, never had one issue. When this San Clemente restaurant opened we rushed to eat there. Had a group of 10-12 of us. The waiter, new at his job carried over 10+ waters on ONE tray. He sat the tray on the table spilling all the cups all over 3 people of my party. Nobody really rushed to help us and WE had to go get napkins to clean up the water. NOBODY FROM MANAGEMENT came to apologize and say let me take care of that, NOTHING. The end of the meal the waitress ran both cards on accident, charging MY CARD TWICE when there shouldn't have been one cause my friend payed for it all the total around 185$. Two days later I am on vacation and my card doesn't work! Called the bank and the restaurant charged me twice and my friend once. Totally our 185 bill to over 600!!!!!! Calm as I am I call and call talk to the manager he promised to take care of it. I call again he says "Be patient" the banks are closed on Saturday's. I call my bank and of course I talk to a rep who then calls the restaurant on 3-way to talk to the manager who then says oh ok I can fax this paper saying I'll refund. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Never called to say sorry or hey can I get you a free meal or anything! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE PEOPLE SHOUL NOT BE IN THE RESTAURANT/CUSTOMER SERVICE BUSINESS!
Finally! Â A restaurant w/ authentic ethnic flare on the Talega side of the fwy. Â Every single item on the menu sounded mouth-watering. Â We tried the mussels appetizer, which was tasty with a bright citrus flavor from the lime, finely diced onion and tomato. Â They used a sweet onion, so it's not a smack upside the head, but may be too much for those that are sensitive. Â
I had the asado estilo evangelos, which is a tender steak covered in this amazing red wine gravy served w/ mashed potatoes. Â It serves a comfort food purpose but packed w/ flavor. Â I couldn't get enough. Â The vegetables are very simple peas and carrots, which lets the steak be the star, but an upgraded sauteed vegetable combo would be nice.
The dining room is nice casual, nicer than a fast food place, but not overdone where you feel like you have to dress up. Â What a great place for San Clemente! Â Up until this point, the only options for ethnic foods were standard Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and sushi and the rare gem of The Village or Hapa J's.
Woulda/shoulda/coulda been a four-star review... The service was great, the food was tasty and the booze selection was good (the sangria was delicious and they have Pacifico on tap!!!)
But, I just didn't feel like I was getting good value for my money. Everything seemed like it was just a little too expensive. And the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back... $3 for a plain old fountain soda.
Been waiting for Inka Mama's to open! Came here at around 5:30 on a Friday with my daughter and by 6:00 the place was packed! Okay so I don't eat bread but I had to make an exception because the green sauce is not something you can have on it's own and you HAVE to have it (went home with a bottle, they sell it for 6 bucks and I've been putting it on everything).
We shared the Mussels which I highly recommend as they are stuffed with a sort of ceviche, delicious. My daughter ordered the Jalea, a lightly breaded and fried combination of calamari, shrimp and white fish while I had the Lamb special. I'm picky about my lamb and I am so glad I ordered this, it was so tasty and falling off the bone! I passed on the starches and they fixed me up with sauteed broccoli and green beans, no problem.
The owner waited on us as we sat at the bar and he made us feel special. He picked a perfect Malbec to accompany my lamb and gave me a taste of their house sangria, which I will definitely order next time.
My daughter loved the yellow soda, she said it tasted like bubble gum!
San Clemente needed to have a place like this, truly authentic, culturally diverse and absolutely delicious cuisine!
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