El Pollo Inka — Restaurant in Torrance

I always tip for services and the fact that now our only option is to do so at the beginning before being seated along with paying for food is bogus! I have worked in the restaurant industry for over 9 years. Customer service is top priority, esp at a restaurant and those who deal with customers nonstop. My experience today was horrible. I left a $20 tip, expecting a nice service from the servers but my expectations were far from what we recieved. We got our food before our appetizer -- we were already finished with our food when we got a hold of someone to ask them about it. (Mind you, these people don't even ask if you need anything; a water refill, if the food came out okay or if they can assist us with anything else. They just drop off what you ordered before being seated and go.) He said he was going to check up on it, comes back 15 mins later. We get our dessert right after our appetizer -- as the person who left our appetizer is walking away in comes our dessert.. I just think that's ridiculous. I was at a point of asking for a refund, not even a full refund for my bill but just a refund for the appetizer because I no longer wanted it after eating my food -- HENCE the word appetizer: BEFORE the food.. I know what it's like to work at a restaurant so I have the patience and I'm capable of understanding what the kitchen or waiters/waitresses go through, but to overhear from the table next to us that didn't even recieve their cups of water until AFTER they were eating their food is utterly ridiculous! The restaurant experience at Pollo Inka was horrible. I loved going there. There was this Latin waiter, on the older side, who worked there for YEARS as long as I can remember. That man made sure everything was good, his service was excellent, always served with a smile, was attentive and best believe his gratuity was above 20%! We always took care of him. It's a shame to this establishment if he no longer works there (which I have not seen him since Pollo inka has made adjustments with ordering food/customer experience). He was the only good thing left...

I haven't been here in several years and had a craving for it, so I stopped in. It was a little different now, whereas before you were seated and a waiter took your order; now you place an order first, and then you are seated. I just didn't like that at all. It kind of cheapens the experience, sort of like a fast food restaurant. Plus, if you have a large party, are you really going to have everyone stand and take turns ordering with the host? Anyways, since I have been here before, I knew what I wanted, but I felt rushed looking at the menu for other things. I eventually placed my order. I came to a table that wasn't wiped down and had a liquid spill on the corner that they overlooked. The waiter stopped by, and you would think he would clean it up, but no. I went to the restroom to get my own paper towels and cleaned up the mess myself. The food came, and I wasn't disappointed except for with 4 bread rolls they gave me 2 tiny butter packets. I was looking for a waiter and again they were nowhere to be found. My chaufa de Pollo was great. It was a lot so I took it home. Anyways, I don't know if I would ever dine in here again. The food was great but the service and cleanliness were not good. The fact that I had to get up more rhan twice to ask the host for something AND ordering in advance really killed it for me. It was overpriced for the service, and I REALLY wish I could have tipped after, not before I sat down. Again, it was like dining at a fast...

The one star is for the good food and the nice gentleman that was cleaning that gave us the time of day so we can ask for a to go container. Like others my biggest complaint is the fast food style order, pay and tip before being seated. The whole point of going to a restaurant vs fast food is for the EXPERIENCE. The ambiance, the friendly staff,looking over the menu and having the chance to order different things with your party( ordering upfront is costing you revenue),being checked on. All of that is gone. The food alone isn’t enough to keep people coming back. Came in on a Saturday at 12:30pm and wanted to try a pisco to go with my lomo saltado. The lady at the register said the bar was closed and when I asked when it opened she said sometime in the afternoon. Unacceptable. Friday- Sunday is the biggest drinking days and that alone would bring you more revenue. I was in and out in less than 30 minutes. The McDonald’s down the street gives me better service than this. I’ve seen the reviews and most of them say thank you for the feedback but nothing seems to change. You still haven’t addressed why we have to pay BEFORE being seated. I’ve gone back 4 times over the past 2 months, thinking hey they can turn this around but same experience. Please train the staff to be friendlier and accommodating (starting with the lady at the register). I’d really hate to see this place go out of business but that seems to be...