Peruvian charcoal chicken & grill — Restaurant in Gaithersburg

Peruvian chicken HITS!! The sauce, the charbroiled chicken, the sides. So when this spot got in contact with me, & said they needed help. I pulled up!! They have multiple locations too!! . Where I am: @peruvian_charcoal_ckn_grill . Location Reviewed: 261 Kentlands blvd, Gaithersburg M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Make Your Own Burrito Bowl Combo($20 with steak, rice, cilantro, onions, peppers, plantains, hot sauce, chips, & a mango drink). Well seasoned steak, spicy, sweet plantains, & a tasty drink!!

STAMP!! Their Tacos ($12.99 all tacos had corn, pico de gallo, & cheese on flour tortillas. The chicken taco had green hot sauce, the steak taco had sour cream, the shrimp taco mild white sauce). All these tacos HIT!! Well seasoned proteins, & fresh toppings!!

LIKE THAT! Their Carne Asada Entree ($23.99 grilled steak with onions, peppers, & Peruvian sauce, plantains, & potatoes with cheese, & onions). Well seasoned steak, tasty plantains, & DELICIOUS potatoes.

LIKE THAT! Their Chicken Quesadilla ($12.99 with cheese, charcoal chicken, lettuce, pico de gallo, corn, & sour cream).

LIKE THAT! Their Farmhouse Burger ($12.99 a double patty, with a fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onion rings, special sauce, & fries). Thick, cheesy, & well made!!

STAMP!! Their Honey Lemon Pepper Wings ($7.99 fried hard). Tasty, & perfectly fried!!

STAMP!! Their Peruvian Chicken Entree ($17.99 half white meat chicken, with strings beans, hot sauce, mild white sauce, & chicken fried rice). Tender juicy chicken, savory beans, tasty sauce, & LIKE THAT chicken fried rice.

STAMP!! Their Yuca ($5.99 a potato like veggie). Tasty, & crisp!!

STAMP!! Their Horchata ($3). Creamy, sweet, & tasty!! . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Decent. . Recommendations: Build your own!! . Accessibility: It’s wheelchair friendly, & it’s differently abled persons friendly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️=STAMP ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️➕=LIKE...

A Promising Concept That Falls Short

😢While the idea of showcasing authentic Peruvian flavors is admirable, execution at Peruvian Charcoal & Grill leaves much to be desired. Despite lofty expectations set by its menu and pricing, the restaurant underwhelms in key areas.

🐟Whole Fried Fish: this dish demands perfection but delivers mediocrity. The fish arrived soggy, its crispness sabotaged by the moisture from the accompanying sautéed vegetables. Furthermore, the cumin seasoning, while bold, lingered excessively, overpowering the natural flavors of the fish. For the cost, patrons would expect not only a satisfying portion but also the potential for leftovers, which was regrettably not the case.

🍟Yuca: A bright spot amidst the disappointment. The yuca was tasty and competently prepared, though far from extraordinary.

🥩NY Steak: Adequate at best, the steak lacked any distinguishing qualities to justify choosing it over offerings at nearby establishments.

🫙Presentation & Containers: Serving dishes in foam containers undermines the dining experience, making the food cumbersome to enjoy and further detracting from the perceived value.

👍Service: Alba, who took the order, stands out as a beacon of positivity in an otherwise lackluster experience. Her warm and welcoming demeanor was one of the few highlights of the visit.

⏳Wait Time: A 45-minute wait compounds the frustrations, especially when the end result is underwhelming.

🙅‍♂️In summary, Peruvian Charcoal & Grill must make significant improvements to rise to the level expected of its concept and pricing. From enhancing food quality and presentation to rethinking its service approach, there’s plenty of room for growth. Until then, diners might find greater satisfaction at established competitors like Sardi’s or even the prepared food section at Whole Foods or even Giant Food...

This recently opened restaurant is most definitely still undergoing growing pains. I do think there's "potential", but if you're in a hurry, I would suggested delaying a visit for a bit.

Atmosphere: The place was crowded (newly opened; to be expected), but clean. As expected for a sit-down/combo fast food restaurant.

Service: I'm a bit torn on the review for the "service". The people working there were very friendly and very obviously working hard. However, some are still undergoing training, which slows the process, but is understandable for a new restaurant. The pace of service was "both fast and SLOW". If you order something they already have made (already sitting out), then service is fairly quick. However, if you order an item that has to be made... well... let's just say you should bring a good book to read. I was watching the kitchen, and actually once the my meal was started, it took only 5 minutes tops. I do think the workers are overwhelmed/overworked because they worked on order out of order, seemingly randomly. Several customers seemed confused about this. Also note that they have a HUGE number of online/phone "to go" orders (even at 2:30 pm), so note that your order most definitely could be delayed. While I do believe that these issues are just "grand opening pains", the ultimate success or failure of failure of this business will be determine based upon if they can get these issues fixed.

Food: The food was good, but not awesome given the slightly higher pricing.

I think if they can maintain/slightly improve the current food quality, while fixing the service issues that the restaurant will continue to...