Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken — Restaurant in Raleigh

Let me just dive in. Some days, as a consumer you find yourself rushing and trusting the restaurant to include all of your food you’ve ordered; so you get home and all the food isn’t there. In remembering we’re all human and mistakes happen, especially when the establishment is busy, items can be placed in bag you thought was being packaged for a certain order. The Brier Creek (Raleigh, NC) store can get busy during dinner time but the staff has always seem pleasant; however, on August 13, 2024, I placed a mobile order for pickup at the Brier Creek location. Upon arriving to the store to pickup my mobile order, I ordered more food in the store. Once at the counter to checkout, I also mentioned to the staffer at the register that I was there to pickup my mobile order as well. The staffer graciously handed me my mobile order bag with my first name, last name initial (I was not ask to provide any confirmation for my mobile order). I left the restaurant assuming I had all my food. Once home, I notice 3 items missing. I reached out to the store within minutes of being home and a polite staffer got my information (assuming upon my return to the store the issue would be resolved without issue). At the store, the General Manger remembered one of the missing items (due to the modification made to it). Here’s where the General Manager’s professionalism begins to waiver, he asks, “are you sure you don’t have the items?”. So I call my family member to double check and ask them to tell me everything that’s on the table in front of them from the order (checking off the items as they’re being called out, in front of the General Manager). Unfortunately, what may seem like misplaced frustration turns into him saying to me, “I’m going to do this this time.” as he hands me the missing items from the $81.94 food order (plus an additional $9.47 in store order). As he continues to express his frustration about the impossibility of the items actually being missing, I then ask the General Manager, are you saying that I’m lying about the missing items? His response was that “I’m 200% sure that I placed the item (speciality rice) in the bag; I know the item was packed.” Let me mention, I didn’t drive back to the store to embarrass anyone, I just wanted the food that was missing from my order without any problems and at least some professional courtesy in handling said situation. As mentioned, all humans make mistakes (that’s why I called back to double check the missing items). Unfortunately, the General Manager did not use the moment to ensure a loyal Alpaca customer felt appreciated for even selecting the establishment to dine although the evening’s experience may have not been desired. Yet, I walked away feeling attacked and insinuated of being called a liar because the General Manager assumed that he was packing all items in the correct bag. I also left sharing my thoughts with my family and have asked them not to patron the Brier Creek location even though it is one of our go to restaurants. I hope this review is seen by others to understand what type of establishment you’ll be walking into at the Brier Creek location. When I left the BC location after receiving the missing items (seemingly, reluctantly), I also felt as if the mission is to take the customers money but if a mistake happens at the establishment it’s the customer’s fault/problem. Today’s event was very unprofessional on the General Manager’s part in how he handled the situation. It is noteworthy to note, I’ve worked in the fast food industry and when presented with a mistake from a customer, I wanted nothing more than to get it right so the customer can feel appreciated and continue to patron the establishment. With that being said, the GM is well trained on customer service and should handle such events...

I have been a loyal patron of this restaurant, consistently enjoying the excellent food. However, my recent experience on 3/20/2025 at 2:25 PM was deeply troubling due to the unacceptable behavior of two staff members.

Upon arrival, I observed a male and female employee at the bar area, conversing and laughing in Spanish. Being of mixed heritage—half Black and half Dominican—I am fluent in Spanish and was disheartened to overhear derogatory remarks directed towards Black customers. Despite my visible presence and readiness to place an order, I was ignored until I made deliberate eye contact to gain acknowledgment. In contrast, a Hispanic woman standing behind me was promptly attended to without hesitation.

This incident reflects a lack of basic customer service principles and highlights a deeper issue of racial discrimination within the staff. Such behavior fosters a hostile and unwelcoming environment, alienating a segment of the clientele and tarnishing the restaurant’s reputation.

I urge management to address this matter with the utmost seriousness. Implementing comprehensive diversity and sensitivity training for all employees is essential to prevent future occurrences. Additionally, a thorough review of current hiring and training practices may be necessary to ensure that all staff members uphold the values of respect and inclusivity.

I hope appropriate actions are taken to rectify this situation and prevent any recurrence. I look forward to continuing to support this restaurant under improved...

Terrible Meal (6/13/21) - As I was in the Brier Creek area, I decided to order food at the Alpaca for this location.... Bad Idea! For those who've tried Alpaca and eat their food often, you know that they have the best tasting green beans. Well, something was definitely off with the food and the meal itself was beyond disappointing. For one, whoever was responsible for cutting the chicken was doing an awful job in that the half that I received was not really a half so I was short changed on the portion of chicken that should have been mine. But the biggest issue I had was with the green beans. They were dry, tasteless and had no onions or the special sauce that we all love so much. I could not eat them at all! Shame on Alpaca... what a waste of my money! When they run out of green beans and add a new batch to the pan, they are not mixing them up properly or, they're forgetting to add the onions and sauce to the freshly cooked batch. I would NEVER order the green beans without the ingredients that make them so special, otherwise I can cook my own at home. This location has a lot of new faces and clearly the new people do not know what they are doing. The portion of chicken that my sister ordered was a strange piece and not what a typical thigh would look like.... it was weird. This is the LAST time that I will order food from...