Pio Pio 3

I love the food here and the green sauce is delicious. On occasion i will buy the $ 5.00 container so i can it had it to my meals at home. The place is very small and if you sit in the back you can feel very cramped. I don’t like having to sit so close to people when I’m eating. The food is delicious. I usually order the matador and that combo can easily feed three people. However, you don’t get a lot of rice and im sure that is fine for most people but if you are among friends who like rice you might not have that much. That isn’t so bad especially if you order sides.

We ordered an assortment (didn’t know that the fries and franks came with our order, had leftover for the kids) and it was all good. Tight quarters, but they accomodated our party of 9 with no problem. Great service.

Have been to eat there in person a few more times since. Service still poor. And if there is a game on (soccer any where in the world) they will blast that on the speakers. So maybe call ahead. Food still great though.

Good little Peruvian chicken place — clean and quick, juicy delicious chicken. One thing to note though: ordering a whole chicken for take-​out is $ 12 while getting an exact same chicken at the restaurant is $ 16! I asked both the hostess and the waiter what was included at the restaurant to justify the price difference; both just shrugged. So if you consider the $ 4 difference plus the $ 3 – 4 tip, makes much more sense to order out. Which is what I’m going to do the next time around.

If you order the right thing, the best food ever. Why do I say that? Let me tell you in a breakdown of the lowlights and highlights of this restaurant.
Lowlights:
1. The ceviche limeno was not good. The fish was not fresh. It had a fishy (starting to go bad) taste to it, and it was a dish that I will probably never order from pio pio again.
The good news is that was the only lowlight.
Highlights:
1. The lomo saltado was the best I’ve ever had. The meat was tender, the sauce was delicious and flavorful, and it was a large portion.
2. Juanita’s chicken was a whole chicken, and it was absolutely fantastic like usual. The chicken is some of the juiciest, most tender chicken I’ve ever had and it has just the right amount of flavor to it. The skin is crunchy. Just phenomenal.
3. The chicken, again. The price, the portion size.
4. The green sauce is good (but not the best, it wasn’t spicy enough for my taste)
Service was good.
Recap:
Great food (lomo saltado, Juanita’s chicken, DON’T get the ceviche)
Good service
TRY THIS PLACE (they deliver also)

Wish I could give these people 0 stars came here at around 4:30 pm with wife and daughter we get to the restaurant the guys literally on a latter cleaning light bulbs doesn’t even acknowledge us or greets us so we stand for about 5 more minutes while he does this and still doesn’t greet us until I had to ask if the restaurant was closed or open and he clearly says it’s open so I wonder why would you ignore costumers or even be on a latter standing above the tables you are serving people on when you are clearly open for business. I literally walked out and took a cab to flor de mayo restaurant on the west side of town witch blows this place out the water.

Omg this place was amazing, the chicken was juicy it melted in your mouth the salad was good and the empanadas were to die for I highly recommend this place! Outstanding service

Omg so gooooood! Very well seasoned chicken, (means alot to a person with a carribean background)
The waiters were attentive, which was great! I just hate the 2 person’s table, they were especially when its obvious you’ll order a combination of things.

Surprisingly a really small space compared to some of the other pio pios I’ve been to! Went on a Saturday for lunch around 1pm and it was almost empty.
Matador combo is yummmm. Split it among 3 and was full for the rest of the day. Food came out super fast too!!! Can’t complain bout much.

My first time at Pio Pio — why did I not know about this place before? Awesome as I was starving.
Second time — hmm, still decent
Third time — pretty average chicken dinner but I like the Green sauce.

I love chicken
And I love green sauce
I also like little hot dogs in my fries
This place has all the above
Also heard they have chicken soup have not tried it yet

** NEVER EVER AGAIN **
NOTE: This is a review of Pio Pio 3 ONLY. I have been to Pio Pio 8 and 7 … and hey were INCREDIBLE !!
When you go to a place like Pio Pio. there are 2 things that come to your mind. The Food and of course the Service !. Now After visiting Pio Pio 8 (many times) and 7 … you definitely have your expectations. BUT when you find that the food is. well «average». but service is «TERRIBLE /​BAD» … you have no other choice but to give a 1 star. I will not even review the food … all I will say is try a Ceviche at Pio Pio 8 or 7 (try the mixto). and then come to this place and try it again. U will be more than disappointed. SO no more review on the food.
Now lets come to SERVICE… and I will say THEY SPOILED our evening:
1. We were a group of 4. all coming from work and an event at the Met. so yes we were not looking like Hobos. Went in. and asked for a table. plenty of big tables empty in the front. YET they made us wait to clear the LAST Table in the restaurant. which I wont mind if the place is full… but when its half empty its just unacceptable ! (Yeah and the empty tables WERE NOT reserved. since we saw. and I made it a point to walk and listen). that the next gorgeous group that came in did not have a reservation and got the front table.
2. When every single table was served water … we were NOT. We asked for it. in comes the waiter with 2 glasses. when the table has 4 sitting !!!. Never came back !!. Dude are you dumb? blind? or just ant me to call you separately for water for each?
3. Finally. We ordered dessert: Now when you order dessert at a table. almost every place that I have eaten serves it with spoons to share. I noticed the table next to us also had ordered dessert. and they were also sharing. and the dessert served with spoons to share. WHILE. in our case. no extra spoon.
I know These things may sound futile. and if you read my reviews. you will see I am all for the food. BUT 1 thing I cant stand is when a restaurant selectively attends to some tables while ignoring others… its rude. discriminatory. and spoils the mood. Specially when its a place with the name PIO PIO on it. which has always been a GREAT EXPERIENCE for me !!
So the bottom-​line is. If you want to enjoy the real excellence of Pio Pio. Visit the 7 or 8 BUT NOT THIS ONE… Or you may visit and get lucky !!
(cant comment about the other Pio Pios since I have never been in the rest)

I didn’t want to do this.
This could’ve all been avoided Mr. Pio! WHY are you making me do this?
I would like to preface this by saying I’ll only leave a negative Unilocal review if I’ve a) been physically assaulted, or b) have been grossly offended. This instance is the latter.
I used to love Pio Pio. Great chicken ready before you’ve even finished ordering it. Also, great bang for your buck. BUT.
Last night I used the online ordering system to order my wife and I some fuego chicken. I submitted the order, and quickly realized I messed up. Ordered the wrong thing. This leads us to offense number one.
I call up Mr. Pio to correct my order, and for the life of me cannot get a hold of a physical person. After 8 minutes on hold, listening to the strangest violin version of Metallica’s «Nothing Else Matters,» I give up. I thought, who cares? I’ll eat this wrong order if it means I don’t need to hear this atrocity any longer.
An hour and nine minutes later, I’m off the gym because my food is nowhere to be found. *this isn’t even offense #2*
Some time passes, and I come home to find my poor wife DOUBLED OVER in front of the toilet, telling me, «don’t eat that f*^king chicken,» in between heaves. Even though I totally dodged a bullet, there’s offense #2.
So I’m a little annoyed at this point, but I wasn’t the one food-​poisoned, so I was going to let this go. Maybe call up the restaurant, get myself a refund. No harm, no foul (on me anyway.)
Today, noon. I call Pio Pio looking to have a peaceful conversation, maybe air my grievances, and get my money back. No big deal. What do I get? «Nothing Else Matters» AGAIN for another 10 minutes.
Finally, I hear a person. I don’t know what they said, but I ended up on hold again (to a different song, thank god) for another 3 minutes.
To my disbelief I hear, «Pio Pio?» From the other end of the phone. I was so shocked, that I almost forgot why I called, and who I was.
I gathered myself, and explained the whole story, only for the voice on the other end of the phone to give me the «managers number» which of course went to voicemail. No, I haven’t gotten a call back. Offense #3.
So basically. Never again. Mr. Pio you’ve left me no choice.
TL:DR — bad service, wife poisoned, bad service.

They delivered to us. Yay!!! The matador fed these hungry nurses. Wish they would deliver sangria– then we would really be happy. The portions were impressive for delivery and it came fast. Nothing worse than cold food delivered. Nurse approved goodness.

I love me some pio pio! One of the best deals on the upper east side.
The green sauce is so good!
The chicken is delicious and tasty, and I want it right now. The skin has a nice seasoning on it.
The plantains are sweet and succulent.
Service is quick and efficient.
The rice and beans are fantastic, they are great.

Came for dinner– date night! This place is SMALL. I mean TiiiiiNY! Seems to always be a wait, but it has a fast turn around as long as you’re no more than 4 people. Otherwise you should head to the westside location. Had red sangria which is always good. Ordered the Matador meal for two (as usual) and it came out fast! Fast as in, you stole another tables’ food. It was hot and fresh. The dessert menu is lacking, had the coconut sorbet.
tip ******Next door has kickas$ tres leech! Check please.
Like this chain, but I like the bigger locations for visual stimulation.

Hmmmmm their chicken is tender and moist!!! I love their «Matador Combo» for $ 36.
You will get: One whole Juanita’s rotisserie chicken, Saffron rice and beans, salad (lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrots, and celery), French Fries with sausage, and Fried Yucca.
I always share Matador Combo between 2 (including me) and I get fully satisfied and stuffed. Be hungry before you go Pio Pio and order Matador Combo!!! ;)

I love Pio Pio. So much food for such a great price. The first time I went to Pio Pio, we ordered the sangria (very strong), too much sides, and fiancé and I shared the Peruvian combo. The green sauce is the best! It tastes so good on everything. The salad is also very fresh and tasty; but definitely needs the salad dressing. The chicken is so moist and tender… an explosion in your mouth. The other two times I ate Pio Pio, we ordered in; once we got the matador combo, which is even more food. I like that they allow you to do substitutions (for example, exchanging french fries for fried yuccas, beans for fried yuccas, haha, I really like the fried yuccas!). Try eating Pio Pio leftovers baked (put it in the oven for 10 min at 425F)… tastes even better! Another tip: the menu online is actually cheaper than the in store menu o_​o.

This place is usually pretty packed but it’s worth the wait. You can also order online of take out. Excellent Peruvian chicken, very tasty and juicy. Don’t forget the fried yucca and the limeno ceviche.

Having gone to several of the other Pio Pio locations, this one left a little to be desired. Firstly, I’m rarely on this side of town, so in a rush to find something to eat post-​ASPCA adventures, we needed to feed. Hanger is real, people.
We did the ½ chicken combo, tostones (which were oddly huge and super dry), avocado salad (which did the job) and the rice and beans (which were soggy bc the beans weren’t properly drained).
All-​in-​all a bit of a lack luster experience as far as Pio Pio goes, so I’ll stick with locations that I know that I know aren’t so bleh.

I found everything to be delicious here. Came here at 12 moderately filled with people. Ordered the lunch special with quarter chicken maduros (sweet plantain) and side salad. The chicken was really good and moist, the salad and whatever acidic dressing was really good and the plantains although not dominican style were pretty good albeit a little dry. What made the meal for me was putting their creamy green sauce on EVERYTHING. It complimented every single thing that i ordered and i could practically see myself putting it on anything i eat. Come here to try their green sauce on anything they have. And $ 10.34 including tax for all of this food is not bad!

Great restaurant for casual dinning experience and foods are delicious. Local place for the neighbors, walk-​ins any time, don’t expect too much service, or chit-​chat, order your food out of the menu.
Highly recommend their roast chicken, Peruvian chicken so juicy and tender!
$ 16 an order with 2 halves, barely could finish these, not sure they sell only one half for the table.
Avocado salad is very fresh, kinda be spoiled with fries with sausage! All very hardy stuff!

Get the matador combo. So much food for $ 36, even when shared among 4 people.
Space was definitely tight but service was quick and friendly. Food was delicious. Probably the best chicken I’ve had in a long time. And the avocado salad was also great!

Great Peruvian food, amazing chicken, highly recommend for takeout/​delivery.
I’ve only been to the restaurant a couple times to eat — it is small, cute, informal and they make a sangria. I have mostly ordered for delivery.
I always get their Matador special– a 6 item offering that has so much to it there will be left over food even for two. So so good !
It includes:
— deliciously flavored roasted chicken– delicious !
— black beans
— rice
— fried plantains
— salad with tomato/​avocados (iceberg which is the only thing I do not like)
— French fries and little Franks (so unhealthy but actually pretty tasty especially with the green dipping sauces /​dressing they give).
Definitely recommend their matador special for delivery.

Everyone talks about the roasted Peruvian chicken, but my go to Peruvian dish is Lomo Saltado. Pio Pio’s Lomo Saltado did not disappoint. My favorite side dish is a heaping pile of ooey gooey maduros. Nice place with friendly and efficient servers. I will visit Pio Pio again if I’m in the area.

I have a severe shellfish allergy and never have to worry about cross contamination. My go to Peruvian spot and the green sauce is money!

I have been going to Pio Pio since the original opened in Queens on Woodhaven Blvd in 1994! The Matador special is what we always get. Comes with a great large selection of food that can easily feed 4 people. Great food and great service!

Ambiance: casual but nice enough for parents or guests. Family friendly, lots of tables and space. Friendly servers, well lit during the day.
Food and drink: We had red sangria which was delicious and a pitcher was a lot for two people! We had the tamal, empanadas, and shrimp curry. They give you green sauce on the table which I put on everything, not sure if that’s the right thing but it was great. The tamal were yummy, the corn part was flavorful, more than I’m used to. The chicken inside was a little dry so the sauce helped. The empanada crust was crunchy and satisfying. The chicken in there was also a little dry, aided by the sauce. The shrimp curry was the best! It was definitely the highlight and would get it again. The sauce was creamy, almost cheesy! So delicious.
Bathrooms: okay, not notable

One word: memorable. Peruvian chicken is unlike any other style of chicken — it is superbly juicy, flavorful, and tender, outshining the standard rotisserie chicken by miles. Best of all, Pio Pio makes it spot on; if you’re here: you must have the chicken.
Like any other popular New York restaurant, this venue is tight on space, so come early, or be ready to wait in line if you want a table for a group!
Tips: come with friends, and split the combo deals — particularly the Matador. The side dishes are a nice complement to the chicken. (We love the hot dogs and fries combo!) And please, don’t forget to slather on the green sauce.

I’d hate to say it, cuz I’m afraid that the DEA will raid this place and shut it down, but I honestly believe they put crack in the chicken and the green sauce. Ever since discovering this place after moving into the neighborhood, I find myself getting the shakes if I don’t get Juanita’s chicken at least once every three to four weeks.
On a Unilocal rating scale from 1 to 5:
5 — Juanita’s Chicken. Seriously… the chicken is seasoned with crack along with the green sauce that is also laced with crack. Juicy rotisserie chicken that has never failed to disappoint with a blend of herbs/​spices that the Colonel would sell his first-​born child for. The green sauce provides an additional kick with just the right amount of spiciness. I honestly think this sauce could make anything taste better.
2.5 — Chicken Empanadas. I would say pretty good, but didn’t really stand out. Probably because we were eating it with the Juanita’s chicken and the filling is essentially Juanita’s chicken.
Everything else on the menu is just for show. Nothing really would make me come back again except for the chicken, green sauce and my crack dependence. Although, I must admit the ceviches look interesting, but have not tried theme yet.
2.5 — Ambience and service. Simple and nice. Waiters are attentive. It’s holds up well enough to take visiting friends from out of town there, but we mostly go for the food vs. the experience.

AMAZING chicken & food overall.
Staff is not the friendliest, SPECIALLY the girls at the front counter.
I go here for the amazing food not the poor rude service.

Everytime I come to this restaurant, I always come to this location. I had been here quite a few times before and remembered everything to be good. Last week, I decided to come back here for a family meal, after not coming here for a long time (maybe a year or so). Luckily, I was able to be seated after a 5 minute wait and got to sit in an extra big table for a party of four.
We ordered the Matador combo, which came with a rotisserie chicken, yellow rice, beans, tostones (fried plantains), salchipapa (french fries and hot dog) & avocado salad. It was not as great as I imagined it when I had it a while back. It seems like the yellow rice was not as flavorful, the chicken was semi-​dry, and the tostones (fried plantains) were okay. The plantains were definitely changed up, from the way the restaurant originally had it… instead of the soft kind, it’s now more fried and crispier, and it comes with a lemony kind of sauce.
This combo was enough for a party of four, despite the fact that we had to order additional yellow rice. If I would to come back again, I would rather substitute the tostone with yellow rice.
This experience is based on the moment of being extremely hungry.

I’ve been coming here for years, but I’m reviewing this based on my meal today.
Usually I would give Pio Pio 1^st ave a 5star rating, but this time I have to say 4stars. The Tostones weren’t as Good as the usually are. They were not thin or crunchy; they were thick, dry inside & tasted old. The chicken here always taste great, mine was just a tad bit undercooked for my liking. The Sangria was Great! Rice & beans were good as well.
I highly recommend this place.

Pio Pio definitely exceeded my expectations! I’m giving this restaurant five stars even if the place is a bit small because it has been awhile since I tasted delicious Peruvian food!
Things I want to point out:
The meals are huge!
OMG the hot sauce — SO GOOD!
THE FOOD:
(DISCLAIMER: I’m at my cubicle and it’s 12:05 — lunch time basically so I will probably ramble on how good the food was because 1. It was amazingly good and 2. because I’m starving right now)
Matador Combo
One whole Mama Juanita’s rotisserie chicken. Served with rice, beans, tostones, salchipapa (I ordered fried yucca or for you non-​spanish speakers cassava instead) & avocado salad.
IT WAS SO GOOD!!! It was more than enough for two people and the food was just so delicious.
The chicken was juicy and the skin was just mouth watering. The yellow rice came with beans which were the red kidney type looking beans — I’m not an expert in identifying beans but yeah that’s what it looked like to me — just know that it tasted good.
The avocado in the salad was so soft and creamy — just felt like they were so fresh.
Ceviche Limeno
Fresh corvina marinated in lime juice. Mixed with red onions, cilantro & Rocoto hot pepper. Served with sweet potato and Choclo corn.
I wish they had the Peruvian white corn but they have the regular yellow corn — but still pretty good.
I don’t know what else to say but just that it tasted so good!
BIG PLUS THAT MADE ME JUST LOVE THIS PLACE:
The green hot sauce was just amazing. It was just perfect — as if they brought it straight from Peru haha.
The service: They had a lot of clientele but they still were very serviceable and always had a smile on their faces.

Le poulet Piopio est un régal! J’habite à côté et parfois, avec mon épouse, on s’en prend un à l’emporté. Une petite salade verte avec ça et c’est parfait!