Mario's Peruvian Chicken — Restaurant in Mount Pleasant

Such a wonderful, delicious lineup of Latin fare and friendliness. Everything was a first for me despite my relationship with a Chilean restaurateur in Bethesda, Md., years ago who'd introduced me to the flavors and customs of South America. Not spicy but spiced delicately using elements of Spanish and Portuguese cooking that feature fish, beef and chicken cooked with near mystical perfection with toasty, lightly smoked, and often with hints of citrus marinade, lime, lemon and mango that embrace the meat resulting in a crispy tender dish sprinkled with something quite engaging of all senses; amounting to what I'd suggest as comfortably spiced dishes with nothing dominating the dish but marrying the meat to vegetables and unite into savory bites. After eying the line up of browned, seasoned crusted rotisserie chickens encased at the counter, i ordered delicately spiced quartered chicken and sauteed string beans, and added a serving of yuca root fries that are like fried wedges potatoes but are denser and less starchy. To drink, I ventured into purple corn juice spiced with clove, cinnamon and citrus, called Chicha Morada. I imagine this would make a great vodka-laced cocktail. I wish I'd gotten the name of the dessert, which was simply delightful. Stephanie, the manager, said these caramel pinwheel cakes are made freshly daily by the owners Mario's. These cakes demonstrate the perfectly, almost subtly sweet desserts that I love with Latin and Mexican baked treats. The cakes have a smooth consistent density resulting in lightly sweet pallet pleaser. A trip to Mount Pleasant will be made strictly around Mario's weekend presentation of ceviche, a Peruvian hallmark delicacy of citrus marinaded fish, shellfish, onion and seasonings. The all-women staff are lovely ambassadors of various Latin and South American countries and Cuba, and each contribute to the flavors, fares, warmth and welcome into this brilliantly unassuming, authentic experience and restaurant. (Located next to the former Bi-Lo in the Sweetgrass Shopping Center off Johnnie...

Great food, the most succulent, tender chicken, and I love the yuca fries. The dipping sauces are just amazing and go well with any of the fries and the chicken. Also the coleslaw is great! and it balances out the chicken with the natural starch of potato or yuca fries. The price is also super reasonable considering the work that goes into the preparation.

My wife is from Peru, and we have gone to similar " pollerias " in her country, and Mario has nailed it and then some. I'm so grateful he's here, not cutting corners and offering the authentic real deal. To the commenter named Mark, who left a one-star review a couple weeks ago from this one... a real authentic Peruvian restaurant is not necessarily a smorgasborg of different dishes. It's a Polleria, which specializes in pollo a la brasa. You go to a cevicheria to get ceviche, and so on.

It would be nice if there was another restaurant that serves Peruvian food in Charleston and it's inevitable that it will happen, but don't knock Mario for specializing, which is what any Peruvian Polleria would also do. It's like complaining that a fine pizzeria doesn't sell lasagna, or gnocchi or some other Italian dish.

anyway I find it odd that someone would at least not seek to understand before leaving a one-star review based on ignorance. Sorry :-) got distracted with a rant but please support this rare example of something truly unique in Charleston, we need more Mario's and we are...

I went on the second day so I am hoping they improve. Being from the DC Metro Area we have a good amount of Peruvian chicken restaurants and Charleston was seriously lacking one so I was very excited when Mario's opened. Unfortunately it is not up to par. I do not know if my friends and I received a bad cut but there was SO much fat and gristle that it looked like I left half the bird. Eating cripsy fat on an animal does not scare me and I welcome it but this was very soft, gelatenous and unseasoned fat. The skin was just okay and that is always my favorite part. Seasoning could use a boost. The sauces didn't jump out at me and the green one only differentiated itself because of some spice. We had to use the sauces a good amount for the breast as that was very dry. I did like the coleslaw as they said they do not add any sugar so it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet. The yucca fries were a bit bland/flat tasting and not enough crisp. Again, this was only the second day so I know they will improve and will definitely be...