Went to Inca Gardens on San Fernando in downtown San Jose tonight. Two hours later we left knowing far more about their rough night than we needed. Two new waiters, one new cook, and one pretentious Peruvian-wannabe waiter managed to deliver the wrong foods to the wrong tables at the wrong times. Brian, who picked up a fake Spanish accent during a vacation in Peru, never actually took an order (and didn't even remember that he hadn't taken our order) or delivered a meal, but wandered the restaurant interfering with the non-service of the other waiters. One of the other waiters was more helpful; she clarified that all of the seafood soups did indeed have seafood in them. A third server came by with two soups, one of which we ordered and the other we didn't. She gave us the one we ordered, but it later turned out that both soups were ordered at another table. (But the chupe de camarones was good!) When the rest of our food arrived, the rice dish -- which the menu claimed is "so famous that it has a place in Peru's culinary history!" -- came without the prawns I ordered. When all was assembled -- I hope the prawns weren't from someone else's plate -- it wasn't much different from Chinese fried rice. The seco, a moderately spicy beef dish, and the arroz con pollo were enjoyed by those who ordered them. As for an explanation of the delays, our waiter said they were training a new chef, but Brian blamed the other waiters. We didn't get the chef's side of the story. Meanwhile, a buffet seems to be served from a table on the side. It's not mentioned in the menu, however. One couple, who arrived about the same time we did, were having seconds by the time our food arrived. In summary: food's OK, service requires patience and much time.
San Jose, CA