Q'ero | Our Story

A Family Table on the Pacific Coast

Q'ero was born from a family shaped by a Peace Corps father, a mother from Zurite outside Cusco, and a lifetime of journeys across the world. Since 2000, their table has been set on Pacific Coast Highway in Encinitas — and you're invited to it.

Where the Family Began

A Peace Corps volunteer met a woman from Zurite outside Cusco — and from that multicontinental love story, Q'ero was born. Their family's journey across four continents is the reason this kitchen exists.

A Name Worth Honoring

Q'ero takes its name from the indigenous Q'ero people of the Andes — believed to be direct descendants of the Inca. No matter how many countries the family called home, the soul of Cusco was always where they returned.

Cooking From Scratch, Always

This kitchen has never treated shortcuts as an option — the tres leches is soaked to order, alfajores are dusted with powdered sugar by hand, and every bowl of ceviche is built on fresh rocoto and leche de tigre.

The Room Itself

The dining room — orange walls, hand-collected Andean artifacts, mismatched textiles that somehow feel exactly right together — looks like someone built it slowly over decades, because they did. It's the kind of space that makes a Tuesday dinner feel like an occasion.

A Table for the Community

For over twenty years, Q'ero has been Encinitas's table for anniversaries, post-beach gatherings, and Passport Dinners that travel the world through food. The table is always set — pull up a chair.