Inka Grill Peruvian Cuisine — Restaurant in Greensboro

Inka Grill had been on my to-try list for some time, but my wife and I ended up here almost accidentally when the last food truck festival proved to be too chaotic. I’m glad that we did as it made for a good though not outstanding meal.

Inka Grill’s menu boasts traditional Peruvian steak, seafood, and chicken dishes, chaufas (fried rices), and ceviches as well as a few Italian-inspired items. There’s a lot to choose from if you’ve an omnivore, but vegetarians may be at a loss here. A complementary offering of toasted corn for the table was a nice touch.

My wife and I went with a yucca starter, a frijol con seco, and a lomo saltado. The yucca came in rolls that were nicely browned and crispy on the outside. The accompanying huancaina sauce was creamy and added a welcome bit of spice (which was disappointingly missing from an aji verde sauce). The steak in the lomo saltado was perfectly cooked and flavorful, and its accompanying vegetables were vibrant and nicely grilled. The tacu tacu (a Peruvian take on refried beans) in the frijol con seco was a first for us, and we enjoyed it. However, the meat in that dish was more akin to pot roast than steak, which we were not expecting. Both dishes were also quite salty.

Our visit occurred at an off-peak hour (before 5 on a Sunday), and Ismael provided excellent service at the start of the meal. Once 5 p.m. arrived and the restaurant began to fill, however, staff began to seem a bit overwhelmed.

All told, Inka Grill, while solid, wasn’t quite the “wow” I was expecting. However, the steak at least did reach that level for me, and the breadth of the menu suggests that there are other dishes that...

The Pros: The staff is very friendly, and the location is excellent, situated in downtown Greensboro within walking distance of other shops and bars. The restaurant overall is very clean and well-kept, with a nicely decorated outside seating area. The music and atmosphere were good. The food presentation and plating were top-notch. Special thanks to Ismael for being a great server and accommodating our needs, including refrigerating my stepdad’s cake and adding a candle for his birthday celebration. His exceptional service and menu knowledge were appreciated.

The Cons: However, the food fell short of expectations. It lacked seasoning and salt, evident in dishes like the chicken nuggets and fries, which were bland according to my little brother. My order, the chaufa de pollo, had flavorful rice but bland chicken. Although the Tacu Tacu con lomo was decent, the rice had a strange, bland taste, as described by my sister. The Pollo Inka, while decently seasoned, was let down by flavorless potatoes. Despite being generally easygoing eaters, we were disappointed, especially after traveling from out of town to celebrate my stepdad’s birthday. The main issue seems to be the lack of seasoning in the dishes. However, despite this setback, we appreciated the overall experience and would consider giving the place another chance in the future.

Suggestions: If serving juice in long plastic yard cups, consider providing longer straws. It becomes challenging to drink the remaining fluid with the short straws provided once the cup is nearly empty. While not a significant issue, it would improve the dining experience for...

I would love to say I had a great experience at Inka Grill for my husband‘s birthday dinner, but unfortunately it was very disappointing and we will never go back to Inka Grill. I could make a list of everything that did not go well, but I’m going to try and sum it up. Service was super slow and disorganized. This is sad because the food is mostly really good. However, some of the seafood in the mixed chaufa was very rubbery. It was inedible to the point of being a choking hazard. It took quite some time to be presented with our bill so we could pay and leave. I decided to try and save time and pay my bill using the QR code on the paper bill I was given. I paid my bill and gave a 20% tip. After paying my bill the server came to our table and told me that I still owed five dollars, and that my account didn’t have sufficient funds to cover the full payment. I was quite surprised because I know my account had more than enough to cover the payment and I received a receipt from the toast app which I tried to show, but was ignored. The server did not look at my receipt and it was obvious they did not know how to use the system payment device they were holding. They kept repeating that I owed five dollars, which finally ended when they said it’s only five dollars so I’m not going to worry about it . I knew I was worried about it because I had already paid my bill +20% and was definitely not paying more because someone didn’t know what they were doing. This was a bad experience. I attached a copy of my receipt minus the server’s name because I’m not evil and of course minus my...