Las Brasas — Restaurant in Decatur

Definitely one of the better options for peruvian cuisine in Georgia, but I was most disappointed with the Pollo a la brasa, Which is the staple dish of this restaurant. It was one of the main reasons we came and something I was really looking forward to enjoying a good wood-fired taste but it was not there. Their cooking method was what I expected, though the chicken didn't taste bad. The sauces were not so unique and could have used more flavor so it couldn't save/complement the chicken. I was disappointed at some of the other options as well. We had been here before they moved to this location too but they still didn't improve much. In fact, they took away some options that I enjoyed such as the Peruvian olive mayonnaise.If you're in the area, it's not a bad option but definitely not one of the better peruvian restaurants I would recommend.

Pollo a la brasa 7/10 - Although they claim to use authentic wood fired ovens to cook the chickens, the chicken definitely lacked that wood fired smoky flavor. Regardless of whether they actually do cook the chickens in an authentic peruvian wood fired oven, the flavor on the skin is underwhelming, thus do not penetrate deep onto the meat itself. There is no flavor presence of any of the traditional peruvian herbs used for the marinade on the skin.It is still tasty, but not to the level of the better peruvian rotisserie chickens I have tried in America or Georgia.

Arroz chaufa de pollo 9/10 - One of the best Arroz chaufa de pollo around georgia, definitely top 10 (as of 2023). Although the chicken itself doesn't contain much of the flavors of the seasoning, it added good texture to the dish as opposed to using chunks of chicken like it does traditionally. Pulled chicken allows the flavors of the entire dish to further season the chicken and absorb flavors easier. If the chicken was better seasoned and had a true wood fired flavor, it would remarkably elevate the dish. The rice was flavorful, buttery, fragrant, and best of all, abundant. The portion size was beyond satisfying for the price. It could easily feed 2 or more people. There was a strong and evident taste of all qualities of authentic Arroz chaufa on every bite. All of these combine it to make it one of the best I have tried out of the many peruvian restaurants I have tried.

Lomo saltado 6/10 - no strong or smoky flavor anywhere on the dish but tasted good. As far as decent Lomo saltados go, this is it. Nothint special and you can find this same flavor at many other restaurants. Not only that but the portion size was not as good.

Rotisserie chicken sandwich 5/10- This was a pretty sad excuse of a sandwich. The flavor of the so called sauce that was included in the sandwich was barely recognizable, likely due to the incredibly small amount of sauce they put in. As previously discussed, the chicken itself does not have much flavor outside of the skin so you essentially have a pretty bland and dry sandwich. Although it is the most basic of all the sandwich options, they could have focused

Papa rellena 5/10 - I'm afraid that the use of lamb meat for the filling does not suit this appetizer well. Traditionally, ground beef is used as the filling.I can only assume a modern twist was attempted when using lamb meat, but it was not properly executed. A proper execution would have focused on a more flavorful seasoning selection for the lamb meat filling to compensate for the natural taste of the lamb meat. Both the potato and filling could both...

Overpriced and bland. We went here for my friend's birthday. I was very excited about trying it, and she said she liked it. We all got several plates to share, and ended up spending a lot (about $200). Sadly, the food was mediocre at best. Most of the dishes had very little flavor, and tasted like they could have come from any basic Latin restaurant.

The Ceviche Mixto, which was recommended by our server, came with fish, octopus, calamari, and shrimp. The calamari and octopus were very chewy, and the whole dish basically just tasted like lime juice. There was very little seasoning. Even the hominy and sweet potato were covered in lime juice, so there were not other flavors in the dish to help balance the tartness. The best part was probably the onions.

I was very excited about the Patacones, because I love fried plantains. However, I have several Puerto Rican family members, and I know what a friend plantain should taste like. Peruvian plantains may be made differently, but these basically just tasted like the fried batter. The plantain flavor was not very distinct, and there was basically no seasoning used. On top of that, the sauce, which I believe was something cilantro based, was also very bland.

The empanadas and yucca fries were both very basic. The empanadas were very dry in the center. The fries were okay, and were cooked well. They were not soggy. However, neither of these dishes were exciting enough for me to order again.

We also ordered the Corazon, which is beef heart, which was recommended by a gentleman in our party who had in fact been to Peru. I have never had beef heart before, but I found the texture to be rather chewy. It did taste like an organ, and had a texture that is undesirable to me. Having said that, some people may like the texture and the taste.

Next, the Lomo with vegetables, rice, and french fries. The Lomo was okay. The flavor was not exciting, but not bad. It was a little more well-done than I would like, and not any better than a typical restaurant chain would serve. The vegetables and rice were okay. The fries were obviously soggy, as they were drenched in whatever sauce was on the Lomo.

The one thing that I did enjoy was the half rotisserie chicken. It was not amazing, but it was good. It was juicy, and the flavor was good. I wouldn't say that the seasoning was anything special, but I liked it. It was the only good part of the meal to me.

The staff was very pleasant. They were happy to make suggestions, and were very inviting. The atmosphere was okay. The table we sat at had a very bright light, which is a little uncomfortable for me. It was not a very romantic atmosphere, or even inviting, but a little warmer than a...

Born and raised Peruvian reviewer here who goes back to Peru every year. I really struggled with leaving a review. As a Peruvian I want every Peruvian business to thrive. However, I also feel that I want them to do right by their products and how we present our food to a city that is so incredibly unfamiliar with it. So here I am..

Let’s start with the +. The service and atmosphere at Las Brasas is great. Everyone is prompt and friendly. Nothing bad to say there.

Now, onto the egregious. This place is anything but authentic. It’s a far off and unfair interpretation of it. My chicken had no flavor of a true pollo a la brasa. Not even reminiscent of one. You could have taken me to x y x restaurant and I’d have just assumed it was some random rotisserie chicken. You want to give me bland chicken, strike one. Dry too? Strike two. Also cold? Straight to jail. For those of you who don’t know, Pollo a la brasa is our most beloved dish in Peru. Yes, surpassing ceviche and lomo saltado, so this hurts.

The huancaina pasta was also off. The noodles were so overcooked and there was no huancaina sauce. What was there was a version of what they think it’s supposed to be. I make my own at home so I know it’s not that hard — it’s just quality and knowing the flavor. It was a very odd taste, almost like the cheese had gone bad and the aji Amarillo flavor tasted as though it was just paste and not the actual peppers.

The duck anticuchos had decent enough ají panca flavor. Probably the only edible part of the meal. The huacatay sauce was also remiss. We paid our bill. Tipped 20%, and went home very sad.

Truth is, ITP Atlanta just does not have consistent or simply decent Peruvian food representation at all whatsoever. It’s either a fusion of Peruvian food or, in this case, entirely off.

If you want to taste a legit pollo a la brasa, drive out to Doraville and head to Pollo del Rey. Ignore the 3.9 rating — the place is a humble hole in the wall. Their booths seats are split open and it’s fluorescent lighting with no frills service. However, their cooks are all from Peru, they make everything from scratch and you will actually get legit Peruvian food there. My Peruvian mom who is visiting loved it too. TRUST ME. I drive 30ish mins each way happily.

As for Las Brasas, I would love for them to turn it around and be truly representative of what a pollería is with the quality and execution of the products and flavors. I’d be their...