Eli's Peruvian Kitchen - San Diego

I really really wanted to love Eli 's, but the food fell short for my wife and I. I have my usual Peruvian joints in LA, but when my wife said she was in the mood for Peruvian, I had to put the San Diego food scene to the test. The service was excellent and the setting felt very home cooked meal-ish . Unfortunately, our meals were missing flavor. But, the taste of reused oil or an uncleaned grill with tons of char might have masked the flavors. My Lomo Saltado was 80% French fries to 20% meat. This ratio is way off compared to my visit to Peru or visits to LA Peruvian restaurants. And my wife 's Tallarin Saltado was good, but it definitely a weird burnt oil taste to it. The service alone warrants another visit. I 'll definitely update my review after my next visit.

Finally found a decent peruvian place to eat in SoCal, For starters i would give their service a 5 6. They are so under staffed that it hurts the service and also the attention to the costumers. For example, today when i was there, it got packed with large groups of families arriving simultaneously one after the other. let alone the people that were already in the restaurant eating. There were only 2 servers. It just impossible to give great service when the business lacks people to help run it. Back to the food, my lady and I ordered the following; Starters : papa a la huancaina (7) Although it was a good portion, the salsa was authentic but i feel as though it lacked a bit more creaminess and spice. It felt a bit bland. Potatoes were cooked good. Entrees : seco de carne (10) Aji de gallina (9) The seco de carne was mouthwatering and succulent, tender beef that just came to shreds with my fork and the mix of the sauce with the beans, rice and pickled onions was a perfect bite everytime. The aji de gallina was also delicious and there were generous amounts of chicken but why i gave it a 9 was because the sauce also lacked a bit spice and didn't feel as rich. All in all it was still a good dish. Drinks : Chica Morada (4) Inca cola (10) Not what i was expecting, i thought it would be more delightful but it disappointed me. It felt really watery and bland, I didn't feel the strong flavor of the corn and the fruits that is usually added when making it. Also i didnt feel the essence of the cloves. I don't know but it just left me with a not decent taste. Desert: alfajores (10) Delicious little devils, definitely good and perfect bite size to end the day with a smile.

Good Peruvian food is hard to find in San Diego, the portions were great and the food was very tasty. Definitely will we back!

I absolutely love this place!! The food is outstanding, the service excellent and I love the atmosphere! Highly recommend this hidden gem!!

This is my group's favorite dine in restaurant after church, and we all consistently rave about the food! The beef empanadas drew us in, but the Lomo Saltado and Seco con Frejoles keep us coming back! My wife and I appreciate the serving sizes also as there is either enough to share or easily get two entrees and take some home... if we can even stop eating it! Thanks Eli's!