The Most Delectable Latin American in Raleigh

Mi Perú Peruvian Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.5 (205) • $$

"I found Mi Peru Peruvian Cuisine on Yelp when searching for takeout nearby. At the time, this restaurant had a 4.5-star average rating with 158 reviews. I agree with that rating. The food and service were good to great.Mi Peru is located in a small shopping center (BB&T Plaza) behind Sam's Club and Target (South Square). It opened in 2014. It's a small, humble, casual restaurant. Along with a fairly spacious dining room inside, they have a narrow, uncovered, three-table patio outside.Online ordering is available through a link on Mi Peru's website at https://miperucuisine.com/. At the time I ordered, they used the Toast platform which I've grown familiar with. It's easy to use and I like that I can pay online so all I have to do at the restaurant is pick up my order.I checked the online menu for two days and both days, they were out of the Peruvian charcoal rotisserie chicken. Oh well. It was OK because there were plenty of other dishes for us to try and they all turned out to be delicious. When I checked the online menu a third straight day, the chicken was back in stock. Maybe I had bad luck. I hope to try it sometime.A whole chicken was priced at $20.99, half $12.99, and quarter $8.99. Those all include two large sides.I placed my order at 5:30pm on a Wednesday and it was ready for me by 6:00pm. When I arrived to the restaurant, the kitchen looked busy. There were three dine-in parties (two inside, one outside), one uncleaned table, and one party waiting for takeout in front of me.Here's what I ordered:* Ceviche de Tilapia ($15.99) - fresh raw diced tilapia marinated in lime juice, served with Peruvian corn, sweet potato, lettuce, and onions* Lomo Saltado ($15.99) - Peruvian-style beef stir-fry mixed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce, and served on fries and jasmine rice* Cau Cau ($12.99) - Afro-Peruvian tripe stew, seasoned with aji amarillo and turmeric* Aji de Gallina ($11.99) - pulled chicken breast cooked with a creamy aji amarillo sauce; served with sliced potato, sliced boiled eggs, olives, and white rice* Alfajores ($2.99 each) - Homemade Peruvian-style cookies with dulce de lecheWe enjoyed everything.At the top of the list were the Alfajores. They were incredible. Definitely order at least one per person. You won't regret it. These were some of the best cookies we've had anywhere. It's worth coming to Mi Peru for their cookies alone. The Alfajores just melted in our mouths. Each bite was sweet, buttery, and magical. No other way to explain it. Perfect texture and flavor.This was my first time ordering takeout ceviche and Mi Peru did a great job. The restaurant offers a few different kinds of ceviche: mixed, tilapia, and sea bass. I went with the tilapia version since I'm allergic to shrimp and the mixed version comes with shrimp along with mussels and other seafood. The Ceviche de Tilapia was excellent. It was fresh, colorful, and flavorful. It was so flavorful and zesty that we didn't need to squeeze the two lime pieces included. I enjoyed the big, soft pieces of Peruvian corn. Crispy, dried, roasted corn and a red spicy sauce were served on the side. Good stuff. I recommend this dish.Of the entrees (I consider the entree-sized ceviche above as more of an appetizer), the Lomo Saltado was my favorite. It was also my wife's favorite. This is a popular Peruvian dish and one of Mi Peru's most-ordered dishes. I believe the type of beef they used was sirloin. While the strips of sirloin were a *little* on the dry and chewy side, they were still high-quality and seasoned and flavored well. The other ingredients were fresh, and this was just an overall hearty and satisfying dish. You can't go wrong with it.I liked the Cau Cau more than my wife did, but I also like tripe more than she does. If you like tripe, I think Mi Peru's Cau Cau is worth trying. I likened this to a comfort-food-type dish along with the Aji de Gallina. Both were tasty stew or stew-like dishes, chockful of umami, and I couldn't stop eating them. That unpleasant tripe taste/odor in the Cau Cau was mostly non-existent (very subtle). The shredded chicken breast in the Aji de Gallina was tender and the sauce was creamy and scrumptious.All three entrees came with white rice which was soft, fluffy, and yummy.In addition, the entire order came with a complimentary side of Sarza which is sliced purple onion marinated in lime juice and served with chopped cilantro. It's like a salsa. It was the same stuff they served on top of the ceviche. Tangy and wonderful. Also included were two small cups of Huacatay sauce, a yellow sauce made with the same aji amarillo chili peppers that were used to make the creamy yellow sauce in the Aji de Gallina entree. I noticed these cost extra on the menu (listed under the sides) with Sarza at $2.99 and Huacatay sauce at $0.99. I'm not sure why I got them for free except maybe because I ordered several items.TL;DR - I consider Mi Peru a proverbial gem."

Gonza Tacos Y Tequila

★★★★☆ 3.9 (227) • $$

"Latin American Yums! Tequila galore! & my personal favorite is the salsa and plantains. Omg. Out of this world. Corn tortillas are a must here. Gonza is always good vibes and good plates. Pollo tacos are my go to. This time around we explored the coconut encrusted shrimp tacos. I can't get them off my mind. So yummy. So fresh & filling. I could shout from the roof tops how awesome Gonza is. Informative and attentive service. Fresh & authentic menu items. Best taco place around!"

El Chapin

★★★★★ 4.6 (159) • $$

"Durham needs more places like El Chapin - affordable, upbeat, and no-frills.I'm not generally a fan of Central American food, but the Plato Típico Chapin won me over - I actually went back a week later and ordered the same thing again! It's enough food for two people if you add an appetizer (probably even if you don't) and just varied enough to keep you both interested.The folded potato cakes are a nice crispy alternative to fries, and a better vehicle for sauce should you choose to use them that way. I think this was my first time having garnachas - like a little crispy mini-hamburger. And the stuffed pepper was truly stuffed - oozing with meat, cheese, and ribbons of some kind of leafy green and maybe part of the pepper, too.I kind of wish it came with beans in addition to rice, but no problem - just order it with one of their incredibly moist bean tamales.My dining partner got the chicharrones, which were also excellent - crunchy without being tough and hay-like on the inside.I recommend their mango juice (not too sweet, very fresh-tasting) and their champurrado (also not excessively sweet, very cinnamony)."

Los Fogones

★★★★☆ 4.3 (145) • $$

"Five stars for the customer service. Me and my sister arrived at 4pm on a Tuesday knowing the rest of our party wouldn't arrive until 6. We sat at the bar and had delicious drinks. We tried the pork belly and empanadas. Let me tell you if I had only eaten the pork belly I probably would have given five stars. It's easily the best thing on the menu. Next is the rotisserie chicken. Honestly everything else was good enough to include which should be a given at a Peruvian place: the rice and beans. Just okay. But I love this place for Goldsboro...adding diversity to the cuisine scene. Not mad at it at all."

Lechón Latin BBQ & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (146) • $$

"Lechon is located at the Triangle Mall. When I arrived there was only two parties inside of the business. The restaurant is spacious with many tables to sit at or stools at the counter. I placed my order at the counter & my food was brought to me after it was prepared. When I placed my order I had discount for a certain amount off for lunch & a higher amount off for dinner. I arrived at the business close to 3:30 pm. My bill was rang up with the lunch discount. I asked what time lunch was over & I was told 5pm. I have never heard a restaurant having lunch going that late. I got the ribs with beans and plantains. The ribs and beans needed more seasoning. The ribs were a little too fatty but they were tender and the bourbon sauce on them was good. I enjoyed the plantains."

Blue Corn Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (168) • $$

"This is one of the gems on 9th Street! There are several restaurants nearby, but none that have this flair. The food is delicious and super fresh."

Gallo Pelón Mezcaleria

★★★★★ 4.6 (79) • $$

"Wow, what a great bar! Loved it! The bartender Daniel was amazing at recommending Mezcals. I observed him with a number of customers and having them try samples to find the right Mezcal for them. He did that for me as well and I appreciated his knowledge even as someone who knows something about Mezcal already. I have a long way to go. I even followed him home and he just spoke to everyone he encountered about Mezcal. The stray cat was even more curious about Mezcal after his encounter.Back to the bar, and I'd go back to this bar in a Cicada second. The atmosphere is a bit dark and mysterious, with lots of little knick knacks around the bar and seating area.They had a decent food menu but the special when I was there was chori-pollo nachos. I'm a huge fan of chorizo and queso so this was a no brainer for me. So good with just the right amount of spice! Yum!The cocktail I ordered was elegant, refreshing and balanced with just the right amount of tequila and mezcal, freshness and smoking garnish that smelled amazing. Others at the bar commented on how good my drink smelled which I THINK is a first for me. Delicious concoction. I first went in to the bar downstairs, which turned out to be the Centro bar, so if you're looking for this place, go upstairs when you walk in. The stairwell is cool too. The folks at Centro were friendly and helpful as well, but I was in a Mezcal mood!I found out about it by looking at the list of top 25 mezcal bars on Yelp! Check out the list from US and Canada:https://blog.yelp.com/community/top-25-mezcal-bars-in-the-us-canada/They were closed on Mon/Tue and I was in town Mon-Thu, so I could only go one night. I would have ended every night here if they were open. Excellent Establishment. Loved it! Thank you for existing!TDLR - Go Here! Drink! Thank me!"

Chios Rotisserie

★★★★☆ 4.3 (88) • $$

"Hi. My name is Bruce. I am a Peruvian Chicken addict. Chios got me another fix and that's a good thing.As is usual, this chicken is rotisserie cooked over charcoal. It is moist, delicious and they sauces they offer range from mild to nuclear. I went with the medium yellow sauce and it was perfect.The restaurant is clean, the young lady who took my order was nice, and the dinner was inexpensive. I'm a fan![Review 11909 overall, 1691 of 2019.]"

Brisas

★★★★☆ 4.3 (87) • $$

"Even the veggies were good! And those Caribbean wings were jamming. My coworkers picked up tacos and beef stew and they were also raving. I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. The service was excellent and it's a really cool space. I did spot Blantons and Bookers behind the bar for those whiskey lovers."

Rancho Grande

★★★★★ 4.5 (73)

"Even though my order came out wrong both times I've been (ordered and confirmed it in both Spanish and English) and there are no chips available (I know it's a dumb gripe but I am a salsa bar fiend), there's a whole lot to love about this place. The sopes are good and freshly fried, piled high with meat and adorned with queso blanco, crema and lettuce. Topped with some of the super spicy red sauce or some completely serviceable pico de gallo they are quite delicious. Tacos are a bit flimsy but well-priced. Have tried 7-8 of the toppings the cecina, crispy tripe and pastor were the best. Tongue is a bit rubbery but fine, cecina was tasty enough and the barbacoa is totally fine. Looking forward to going back and trying some of their seafood offerings."

Sabor Latin Street Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (62) • $$

"This order-at-the-counter place has only been open a few weeks, but they run it like they've been doing it for years. The menu is simple, and the prices are good! For a recent lunch, I ordered two chicken autentico tacos and one shrimp taco (they changed the flour tortilla to corn at my request). All were good, but the shrimp taco stood out, and I'd definitely order more next time. My friend ordered a build-your-own chorizo burrito and loved it, especially with sauces from the sauce bar. He didn't share his yuca fries, but he said they were crisp and good. The place is clean and bright, with lots of seating considering the space. Service was fast and friendly and our table was even cleared for us. I definitely hope we get to go back soon!"

Lucky Chicken Peruvian Cuisine

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (127) • $$

"1st charging stop on our trip to Asheville. Can't go wrong with Peruvian! We are hungry but not starving, just got empanada platter and sweet plantains. The kitchen is cooking right there, smells great but there is smoke in the building. So that wasn't great. There is outside seating. The food was fabulous. The green sauce was so good and spicy! Oh my gosh, pick up a few of the chocolates on the counter!"

O’ya Cantina

★★★★☆ 4.2 (65)

"O'ya Cantina is fantastic.We had the plantains which were cooked well and there were 9 or so in the order.We also ordered two pupusas which are filled with delicious cheese. These are like a grilled flat bread but better. And of course we had meat filled crispy empanadas. These were tasty and cooked to perfection. This place is a winner and I see now why it's so popular and always busy. Can't wait to try some other things."

101 Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.3 (62) • $$

"We came here for lunch, so it wasn't crowded in this spacious, pretty restaurant. Great service and excellent food. I loved my Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. The fries were especially delicious with a unique texture. Wasn't sure if that means twice fried but nevertheless really made this meal. Lots of parking. Would come back for dinner to check out the evening vibe."

HARTURA

★★★★☆ 4.1 (68) • $$

"Harturas is in same shopping strip as Big Lots and took over an old Pizza Hut. It's on same side as Dairy Queen. They serve breakfast all day and lunch type foods with some Cuban type dishes. My veggie omelette was good with home fries and love that you can customize to your liking. Service was spot on. Be aware that only one bathroom for single so if someone is in you are out of luck."

Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken

★★★★☆ 4.2 (48)

"We enjoyed the food at this Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken location at South Square in Durham. This is a relatively new Alpaca Chicken location. It opened in September 2020 and is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Congratulations to the business for opening during and making it through the unvaccinated phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. I can't say I'm surprised because Alpaca's food and business model are takeout-friendly.This is a fast-casual restaurant chain with currently nine locations throughout the Triangle. At the time of writing this review, Alpaca Chicken goes as far north as Durham and as far south as Sanford. I believe the chain's first location opened on the north side of Durham in 2007: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alpaca-peruvian-charcoal-chicken-durham-2. It was originally known as Mami Nora's. I found this new location at South Square when searching Yelp. It's the closest Alpaca Chicken location to my wife and me.We visited for dinner on a Tuesday night around 7:00pm. We dined in. From the time we got there to the time we left, the restaurant had a steady stream of both dine-in and takeout customers. Based on our visit, this place seems to be well-established and popular.Here's what we got:* 1/2 Chicken ($11.99) - 100% all-natural Peruvian rotisserie chicken - white and dark meat, includes two regular sides; I chose maduros (sweet plantains, +$0.50) and tostones (green plantains, +$0.50); these sides cost extra because they were "premium" sides* Lomo Saltado ($12.99) - tender strips of steak, Roma tomatoes, and red onions sauteed and served over French fries with a side of white rice* Rice topped with beans (a.k.a. rice and beans) - a la carte regular size side ($3.99)* Caramel Flan ($2.99) - caramel custard topped with a layer of soft caramelMy wife and I were both impressed with the quality and taste of the chicken. Simply put, it was delicious. Both the white and dark meat were tender and flavorful. I can see why this place was busy and why this brand has grown to nine locations in 14 years. There were self-serve dipping sauces for the chicken, a yellow sauce (mustardy, mayo-y) and a green sauce (definitely spicy). The chicken was so good, in my opinion, that it didn't need any sauce - even the white meat. The sauces made the chicken that much more delicious. The rotisserie chicken skin was delectable and overall, the smoky flavor, excellent texture, and great meat quality made this some of the best chicken we've had in the Triangle to date.The menu is fairly streamlined in terms of selection. Along with chicken and Latin American sides, there are a handful "made-to-order" entrees such as the Lomo Saltado we got. They make the made-to-order distinction because the chicken is already cooked in batches. When you order, it's cut and sides on the ordering line are added to your plate. I would say Alpaca is like Boston Market in this sense. Some sides, like the tostones, are made-to-order and aren't sitting on the line for immediate serving. Alpaca looks like a great catering option too.The sides were pretty good. I liked the maduros the best, but that's generally the case at any restaurant that serves maduros. Alpaca's maduros were just as sweet and yummy as I've come to expect of maduros. My wife decided to get an a la carte regular-size order of the rice and beans and I'm glad she did because it was addictive and gratifying. Rice and beans is a simple dish that's both healthy and comforting. I think they might season and/or butter the white rice here because it tastes too good to be plain. The tostones were fine. There was nothing wrong with them, but I'm not sure I'd order them again. I'd probably go for the yuca fries or green beans next time. The tostones were tasty and had good texture.The Lomo Saltado was savory and satisfying. It hit our table hot out the kitchen. I believe the steak they used for this dish was sirloin steak. If I had to nitpick, it was a little too well-done and salty for me. The steak could have been more tender, but it was seasoned and flavored well. The tomatoes and onions tasted fresh. The white rice was the same as described above in the rice and beans side dish - simple yet addictive. The portion size was large and filling, though I think they could have added a bit more meat.As for the Caramel Flan dessert, I can't say I recommend it. It wasn't bad. It was just very... average.Service wasn't bad either, but it could've been better. Our cashier was Jennyfer and she was nice/polite. Our orders came out quick. The manager fellow was nice and got my takeout containers and bag as soon as he could. The restaurant appeared to be fully staffed. However, tables and seats in the dining room were neglected and needed to be cleaned. My wife and I had to wipe down our booth. I didn't notice any tables being cleaned while we were there. That was really my only gripe with this place. It just didn't feel completely clean."

Kokí - Creative Puerto Rican Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (33) • $$

"The restaurant is located on a small shopping center across from the Hyatt Place hotel near the airport. There was plenty of free parking and lots of tables outside. The inside is small with only 4 tables and a bar. They have some desserts and pastries for sale. I ordered El Kiosko, a plate with rice and beans, salad with vinaigrette, and 2 delicious empanadas. I also got the small bowl of bean soup. It was a lot of food for 1 person, so I saved the rest for later. My food was very good. I would love to try additional flavors of empanadas and their desserts and pastries."

Pupuseria y Taqueria Orellana

★★★★☆ 4.1 (28)

"This is my new favorite Pupuseria in the Triangle. Pupusa's sometimes taste of bland cornmeal, but not here - the cheese ones I got were great, really complex flavor. Their Pupusa-kraut is great, too.Asada taco's were also very good. It's pretty divey, just how I like it. Turnaround is a bit slow.It's also on the far north end of Roxboro Road, be warned."

El Chapin - Wake Forest

★★★★★ 4.9 (18)

"This place was great. As soon as we walked in we were immediately greeted. The menu had many options. The food came out and it looked phenomenal. The portion sizes are big, come hungry. I had chorizo sausages with rice beans and a salad. Hubby got steak with the same sides. Our toddler got corn dogs and french fries. The food was amazing. Even the rice. Yes, the rice. It was so flavorful. The beans as well. The steak and sausages were flavorful. You can tell hard work and talent went into preparing these meals. They also have a store inside and we tried Guatemalan snacks. We will be back."

Costa Azul Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (20) • $$

"Ok, boys and girls. Are you hungry? Are you looking for a refuge from so-so-tex-mex. Arrive here. I went today and ordered takeout, since I live in Chapel Hill and work here in Durham (NCSSM), and my wife does not drive. We got a beef entree and a shrimp entree. Wow. Incredibly tasty. Yeah, you want to try this place. Surprising tip: wine to accompany was a nice Macon, a white burg. It stood up well and complemented this very tasty food. Want to step out of the ordinary? come to this place and be very pleased. I shall return.Now get going and give it a whirl."