El Cortijo Grill Seafood Bar — Restaurant in Santa Ana

I've been around the block when it comes to Peruvian food. Being Mexican myself, it feels blasphemous to say just how much I love Peruvian food. I have been everywhere from San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, and Miami trying out Peruvian spots because as we all know, every house cooks with a different recipe. THAT BEING SAID, if you know how Peruvian food is, you KNOW what Lomo Saltado is supposed to taste like. Man oh man, have I had some bad Lomo Saltado. After moving to Southern California and trying 3-4 different Peruvians spots, I almost gave up because I just wasn't satisfied. So here we are today, giving Peruvian in the area one last shot, and I come across El Cortijo. I decide hey, 30 minute drive there and back, if it's good food I know it'll be worth it; so I set off on my journey for a decent lunch.

Upon getting here, I'm able to tell just how good this place is because of the smell. There's an unmistakeable, mouth watering, mind controlling smell about good Peruvian food. I get further in, and I'm pleasantly surprised that I can actually see the kitchen, meaning I KNOW they're not reheating food in a microwave, not using old ingredients, or serving me yesterday's food. I ordered my Lomo Saltado, steak of course, and got to sit and talk with the staff. Let me tell you, this place feels like home. It really feels like I walked into my Tia's house and I'm waiting for her to get done cooking. The staff is so incredibly nice, but they're also HUMAN. None of that fake customer service happiness you get in a chain restaurant.

But on to the food..... I don't even know how to express just how good it is. I can't get over how good my lunch just was. This is everything I've been missing for the last three years, my hungry belly never being satisfied, going from place to place just looking for a decent steaming plate of SALTADO. I'm a bit of a cook myself, and I know when I taste a recipe that's so good I have to ask for it, and I had to ask within TWO BITES, what the heck is in this that's so good?????? The staff informed me there is a special ingredient in their arsenal, something so simple yet so powerful in a flavor palette that I'm upset for never thinking of it. I won't tell, you have to come in and ask for yourself!

The entire experience here was already a 10/10, but then I got to know the staff over my meal. I came to discover that my waiter was a cook himself, had been dreaming of a place of his own since he was a kid. Then, I found out they had something new and special available, something they were still testing with the locals and getting a feel for how they like it. After some investigating, I learned MY WAITER came up with the recipe. Something personal, that he's been working on by himself for years. I knew I had to try it.

Let me tell you..... I have never tasted a more succulent, flavor filled, satisfying bite of chicken. This chicken has been roasted and marinated in some sort of sorcery, because I had to get one to go to take home to my picky boyfriend, the kind that doesn't even want to look at a tomato let alone get cilantro on his tacos or beans with his burrito. AND HE LOVES IT. This lets me know that this is a FAMILY FRIENDLY PLACE. Even for picky eaters! Something delicious for everyone!

Please for the love and respect for yourself and your taste palette, try this place out. They have luckily been floating during the pandemic, but they deserve so much support from the community. I drove from Irvine and I'll continue to do so! Did I mention FULL BAR? Did I mention OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT????? Hands down. Just go. Lose yourself in the flavor, and feel gravity working extra hard to keep you in that seat eating, because I really have no idea how I was able to stuff so much knowing I was so full. I'm gonna tell my grandkids...

Been coming here for 4 years now. Not many good things survived C19, but this spot did, and I’m so thankful. William is my server today (I usually see and talk to the owner, Blanca I think is her name) and I was intending to update my review from before but I feel like some stuff should be said. This is a small owned restaurant. You can literally watch them cook the food, and see the fire reach their eyebrows while they do. They have a really lovely atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights, usually popping off in here during then. Otherwise, you basically have mom or dad up here making your food. It’s courteous to call before showing up, some days are slow and they won’t hang out here all day for nothing.

Now onto the actual food;

Again, 4 years ago, when I first came I had moved from Texas and was actually dating a Peruvian man who lived with his mother so I was pretty adept to his family’s cooking, especially since holiday season just passed and I got quite a stacked plate on thanksgiving. I thought the food was amazing then, and I went and sat in my car and cried a little because I realized I missed home, the stuff I remembered, everything I knew. I decided to write my first review then, because a plate of food drove me to cry! Definitely deserves a review!

Now here I am, 4 years have passed, and I’m still eating here with the same dish as before. I have been here to drink, to sing, to laugh, to cry, to get fed, to feel safe, to be taken care of, many times over the years. Every single time without fail they have provided with smiles on their faces. The food is always incredible, I’ve never had my plate come back with anything wrong and they’ve never forgotten a request. One time I got so drunk here I ordered my Saltado in a burrito and they just did it.

I see some people saying stuff like “ehhh it was too much sauce” or “my fries were soggy” or “wahh there was too much salt” and I just….. this is not American fusion. This is not Panda Express. This is a grown woman and her loved ones cooking what they know how, and they’re DAMN GOOD at it too. This is actual Peruvian food. The average American taste palette is not used to other cuisines. Keep that in mind.

Now, to today’s visit. Stellar as always, THANK YOU WILLIAM! Over the years I have gotten my white friends to take a liking to Peruvian as well, and they like it so much now they try other Peruvian spots too. Even out of state, they try new Peruvian spots all the time now because this place made them love the cuisine. Guess what spot we ALL agree is the best? And we ALL drive 30+ minutes to get to? Mf EL CORTIJO! It’s just a bonus to get to know how warm and friendly the owners are.

I came for the food. I stayed for the people. Give this place a try and you won’t regret it.

They are also super accessibility friendly with ramps leading into the restaurant. I see kids there often and they even give you your receipt with small candies so there’s fun for...

The wait was long, and we were the only table in the restaurant. The anticuchos were cold and a little dry. 3/10 The ceviche and leche de tigre were a 10/10. The pollo a la brasa is one of the best I ever tried in OC, a solid 9/10. The lomo saltado with too much Sillao, I will give a 7/10.

The pionono was ok. A little more of manjar blanco would do the trick an 8/10. Chicha morada an 5/10. Maracuya a 7/10.

They had a hard time trying to figure out how to use the system. It took them 20 minutes to get our check, and we were the only ones in the restaurant!!!

Even though the waiter was very slow and the wait was very long, he was very nice and helpful.

They had Mexican music in a peruvian restaurant. There is nothing wrong with it, but we requested a little more authentic music, which they did. But it was southamerican music in general. It became a quiz for us to guess from which country was it.

The bathroom is very clean, and the place is clean as well, considering it is in Santa Ana. Not disrespect, but the area is not the nicest one.

If they fix the service, the anticuchos, the chicha, and maracuya juice, it will be a hit. I will be back to another pollo a la brasa to...