Andina — Restaurant in Portland

Update 10/16/22 - Went back after 10 months and happy to report that Andina feels to be back to the level expected for this Portland gem. This restaurant struggled a bit after the pandemic and after losing a chef or two. But it now has recovered. We were three adults and were very happy to find that many of the menu items are now Gluten Free! This is one amazing new offering! For entrees we sampled the Cebiche, Seco de Cordero, Pollo a La Brasa, and Lomo Saltado (all of which were Gluten Free). For dessert we tried the Leche Asada and Passion Fruit Sorbet. The Cebiche felt fresh and prepared in authentic form. The Seco was delicious; with the meat falling off the bone effortlessly and perfectly. The Lomo was equally tasty and The Pollo a La Brasa was fantastic and cooked to perfection. We also sampled some cocktails. The Mojitos de Piña were a hit and the Pisco Sour did not disappoint. We also very much enjoyed the warmth and service quality of our waiter and everyone who we came in contact with during our visit. Sitting at the patio was a first for us and we would very much recommend it to anyone who wants a more casual atmosphere whilst still enjoying the high quality of service and tasty dishes expected from this place. Overall, this is still a place anyone must visit when in Portland.

Previous Review (12/2021): 5 stars but a message for management to read and improve. We’ve loved this place for years and still do. We are happy to see it come back after the first part of the pandemic. We’re told they have a new chef and the food is still amazing; for the most part. We had the new version of Seco and the Carapulcra. Amazing dishes! The taste and quality of both are in line with a restaurant of this caliber; not something you can find at a cheaper Peruvian restaurant. But we also tried the Ceviche, and although the fish was fresh and the ingredients were of great quality, the taste was missing something. It was not extraordinary or to the level expected for this restaurant. But we want to think it is just a glitch due to the restart. The Lucuma ice cream was way better than before; great quality, and did not seem store bought. Once again both the Seco and Carapulcra were fantastic; but we did note the portion size of the Carapulcra, compared to the Seco, was rather small. Such a tasty dish deserves at least 10% more on the plate. And our server could have been a little less uptight and more relatable and friendly. We did after all have two Peruvians seated at the table and expected a little more of the warmth of Peruvian culture from the waiter ;) But all in all, it is a great comeback!!! The food is really fantastic save for a few tweaks needed on the Ceviche. So definitely GO...

Ten years ago I ate at Andina for the first time. It WAS life changing. Empanadas were amazing. Dusted with sugar powder, savory filling, pickled red onions on the side for the perfect refreshing acid crunch with flavorful cilantro sauce and aji Amarillo sauce. 8/10. The grilled octopus dish with the unique mashed potato (I could’ve eaten that alone my whole life) and aji Amarillo sauce was spectacular. 10/10 The ceviche with the green mango slices, sweet potato, pickled onions and guava lime juice was out of this world. 12/10

It was consistently amazing for years after that. Even my hard to please restauranteur parents loved everything and that is a feat in itself. I’ve told dozens, if not hundreds of people about my love for this establishment. Andina was 10/10.

A few years ago I heard the head chef went out to start his own restaurant, understandably. After this news I still went to Andina a couple times. They took the octopus off the menu along with some other staple Andina dishes and changed other dishes here and there. Not a big problem. Change, I get it. 8/10.

Went last night. The menu was an eyesore… who approved this font and layout? It genuinely was hard to read. Now, I wish I could say I’ve never been heartbroken and emotionally disappointed about food but there I was, sitting at Andina with my boyfriend (he’s never been and I was excited to show him my favorite place) wanting to cry for some reason.

Ordered the beef empanada. It was so sweet. The filling was sweet. The cilantro sauce was good, the other sauce didn’t have a single note if flavor. Tasted like blended soy beans. No salt, no nothing. Definitely was not the aji sauce. Ate it all bc it was only one bite for both of us. 3/10

Got the shrimp and potato salad. It was decent. Needed some acid so I squeezed my lime from my beverage. Better. Ate 2/3 of this dish. 6/10

The ceviche…. Had cuzco corn (chewy), toasted chulpe corn (toasted kernels but edible), about 2oz rockfish, three boiled slices of sweet potato and lime juice. That’s all. Nothing great. It was boring. Both forms of corn were unnecessary. Bland. Nothing seasoned the dish except lime juice. A huuuuge downfall from their original ceviche. Had one small bite each. 1/10

The server noticed that we didn’t eat much of the ceviche and took it off. Good man. Service here is always great.

So I am divorcing Andina with a broken heart and will recreate what I loved so much about this establishment in my own home with all the trial and error that comes with it....

I've been going to Andinas for almost a decade regularly and hate leaving this review, but hopefully management will see it and take action.

We went last night for my wife's birthday and were first in the restaurant but promptly shuttled to the worst table in the bar area. We asked for a booth and mentioned neither of us drank alcohol so we didn't need to be in the bar. After a 5 minute debrief with staff they kindly sat us in a booth at the bar.

Max showed up with some waters, both of which were dirty with particles floating in both of them and a small, brown bug floating in one of them. After flagging Max down - which took effort - and pointing this out, he acted as though we were troubling him with a request for fresh water and made some small comments with a smirk before returning 5 minutes later with fresh waters.

We then waited 20 minutes and finally a new waiter arrived, Austin (? - started with an A) asked if we we're ready to order. We said yes - and then he replied, "Sounds great, I'll be back in a bit." We scratched our heads.

Another 20 minutes rolls by and Austin shows up again to take the order. We put the order in and I also order a diet coke. We mentioned that we can also put the entree order in and he agrees - but walks off before we can point out which entrees we'd like, and totally left us hanging again.

The appetizers arrive - and they are good - except for one if the items which is not as the waiter described it at all, a small crab muffin with one-bite size.

I push the empty diet coke glass to the end of the table hoping for a courteous refill - this never happens and i ask a random waitress for a possible refill and she kindly obliges. A different waiter then visits our table and we guve him our entree selections.

At this point we are asking ourselves who our waiter is and what the hell is going on with Andinas, our go to spot, and for my wife's 40th birthday.

We were so let down and it really stings, especially with a $300 receipt and bad memories to show for it.

Absolutely terrible service - the nonchalant, passive, "I'll get to you on my time - maybe." waiter approach, was a total shock.

Andinas also removed two of our favorite menu items - the lamb shank and the paella - for some reason. These two were real bangers and it's a shame they are gone.

I don't know if we'll ever go back, after dining their 50+ times over a ten year stretch, and honestly it's depressing to...