STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — When it comes to professional Peruvian cooking in New York City, one name stands out — Inca’s Grill Peruvian Kitchen in Grant City. This decade-old sit-down spot at 126 Lincoln Ave. has quietly earned its place as a cornerstone of Staten Island’s international dining scene. Led by longtime owner and executive chef Cesar Franco, who began his journey as a waiter and rose through the ranks, the restaurant draws diners from Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Manhattan for authentic dishes crafted from generations-old family recipes.
To Franco, Inca’s is more than just a restaurant — it’s a living tribute to both his perseverance and South American heritage. Franco honed his culinary skills under the guidance of his mother and grandmother, who once ran bakeries and rotisserie chicken shops in Peru before bringing their time-honored recipes to Staten Island. Today, he carries that legacy forward with a menu that’s deeply rooted in tradition and infused with global influences.
Inca’s Grill Peruvian Kitchen in Grant City has become a tri-state destination for authentic Peruvian cuisine, where executive chef Cesar Franco serves up generations-old family recipes that have flourished for over a decade at 126 Lincoln Avenue.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Franco’s menu reflects the rich tapestry of influences that define Peruvian cuisine — a vibrant fusion of Japanese, Chinese, and indigenous traditions shaped by centuries of immigration and farming. A standout appetizer is papa a la huancaína, featuring tender boiled potatoes draped in a velvety sauce made from ají amarillo, a yellow Peruvian pepper, blended with tangy, briny queso frescoand creamy Peruvian dairy. Franco finishes the dish with hard-boiled eggs and olives, adding color, contrast, and comfort to every bite.
“People ask why we have so many potato dishes,” Franco said. “It’s because Peru has over 4,000 types of potatoes! We’re truly blessed by the richness of our land.”
A popular starter at Inca’s Grill, papa a la huancaína features tender boiled potatoes topped with a creamy, peppery cheese sauce and olives.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
At the heart of the restaurant is its signature dish, pollo a la brasa — rotisserie chicken prepared using his mother’s 20-year-old recipe that includes 18 ingredients. “That’s the only chicken that’s very juicy. Even the breast part is very juicy,” Franco said, emphasizing the care and precision behind the dish.
Inca’s Grill serves up vibrant Peruvian ceviche — fresh seafood marinated in lime juice and peppers, paired with sweet potatoes, choclo (jumbo white corn kernels), and a bold splash of house-made leche de tigre. Note the “leche” of the sauce which has a milky look. That comes from juices that macerate, or cook, the fish. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Other offerings include papa rellena, a stuffed potato filled with ground beef, olives, and eggs made from Franco’s grandmother’s recipe. The restaurant also serves ceviche, a staple of Peruvian cuisine, made with fresh fish, scallops, octopus, or mixed seafood marinated in lime juice and Peruvian peppers. It’s served with sweet potatoes and choclo, a large-kernel white corn, and features Franco’s house-made leche de tigre, a citrusy, peppery marinade that brings the dish to life.
Known as “tiger’s milk,” leche de tigre is considered an aphrodisiac — or at the very least, a healthful tonic — made from macerated citrus juices and infused with fish, delivering bold, creamy bites packed with flavor.
For the rotisserie, guests can enjoy their own personal barbecue grill at the table with assorted proteins including the succulent chicken for which Franco’s place is known. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
A must-try on the menu — whether as a main or a side — is the seafood fried rice, a wok-tossed medley of scallops, shrimp, calamari, octopus, ginger, scallions, peppers, and oyster sauce. It’s a savory nod to the Asian influences woven into Peru’s culinary story.
To complement the enormous range of flavors, Inca’s Grill offers a full bar featuring frothy pisco sours, Peru’s iconic cocktail, and a selection of Peruvian beers including Pilsen, Cristal, and Cusqueña. For those looking for something non-alcoholic, the restaurant proudly stocks Inca Kola, Peru’s top-selling soda. Its cotton candy-like sweetness cuts through the briny richness and succulent textures, offering an unexpectedly delightful contrast to the bold, savory flavors.
Another standout is papa rellena, a golden-fried potato croquette stuffed with a savory mix of seasoned ground beef, briny olives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs — a comforting, flavor-packed dish made from Franco’s grandmother’s cherished recipe.(Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Franco’s commitment to authenticity extends to his ingredients. He imports Taylor Bay scallops andhuacatay, a grassy, aromatic Peruvian black mint leaf used in his signature green sauce. One day, Franco and his mom will bottle it for commercial distribution, he said. For now, all sauces are made in-house by the mother-son team, shared only with regulars and catering clients.
Fries are hand-cut and fried to order. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
Inca’s Grill also offers unbeatable value. A $12.50 lunch special includes soup or salad, a main course, and soda. The $25 family combo feeds four people with a whole chicken, hand-cut fries, and salad — perfect for sharing. The restaurant is open daily, except Mondays
Sauces for the table are made from various herbs that add an unusual smoothness and kick to dishes. (Advance/SILive.com | Pamela Silvestri)
“I worked in restaurants all over Staten Island before opening Inca’s Grill,” Franco said. “Now, people come from Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Manhattan to eat here. We try to bring Peru to the Island — and to New York. We’ve been blessed with a community that really loves our food.”
Inca’s Grill Peruvian Kitchen, located at 126 Lincoln Ave., is open Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m., and Sunday until 9 p.m. The restaurant can be reached at 718-448-0488 or via incasgrillnyc.com.
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