Has anyone checked out "El Pollo Loco" yet? Today was it's grand opening. Curious if anyone had a chance to partake in some flame-grilled chicken. Sounds good to us!
I went through the drive-thru tonight, got an 8 piece meal with mashed potatoes and coleslaw, 2 caramel flans, and they threw in a free taste of their chicken tortilla soup. I was very happy with everything. The chicken was tasty and more moist than I experienced at the Logan Square store. I also really enjoyed the soup. The Sides were OK, not great. Generally, I was very happy with my meal.
I went there on the way home from work tonight - the place was packed! Plenty of helpful and courteous workers there, as you would expect on opening day. I have been going to El Pollo Loco for years in CA, so I'm happy that there's one right in our neighborhood now. I got a 2 piece meal and 2 sides - everything tasted great! Also, they handed out coupons - a couple of them were for free food with no purchase required. One of them was for the 2 piece combo meal that I just got - so it was like getting 2 for 1 : )
Just got back from the Crazy Chicken. If they keep up what I went through, they won't last very long. Hold off on judging me until after my story.
I went in around 1:30 and they were very busy. Good to see :) I looked over the menu, and decided on 2 pc meal, leg and thigh, fries, spanish rice, and flour tortillas to go. $5. Nice price! As part of the grand opening, they threw in a small chicken tortilla soup too! Wait 10-15 min (I looked at my watch at one point, so I am not exaggerating) and they call my name. I thought the bag looked a little big for one order, but as I have never eaten here before, I figured that they have some extra packaging for the soup, tortillas, etc.
So I get home, grab the styrofoam container, open it up... and inside is the chicken I ordered, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and corn tortillas. So out of 5 items on my order, they got 3 wrong. Well they have only been open for 2 days now and were really busy, I will cut them some slack. I don't mind corn, and my wife can have the potatoes.
So I eat the chicken, I have to say that it rocks. The corn left a lot to be desired, and I thought the corn tortillas were terrible. Alright, well I didn't even order those, so I will let it slide.
Then I look into the bag that all the food came in. There was a burrito and chips! I got someone else's complete order! They didn't screw mine up, they just gave me a meal for someone else! So for $5 I got a ton of food! I haven't tried the soup yet, I am hoping that it reheats well.
Sorry for the Tolstoy post, just thought that my first Pollo Loco experience was pretty amusing. I will go back, especially with the free food coupons they handed out!
I'm pretty happy with the meal I got at the drive thru. Three piece leg/thigh/breast with pinto beans and spanish rice, plus a warm corn tortilla. The sides and tortilla were OK, nothing special, but the chicken was better than I ever thought "fast food" chicken could ever be. I haven't bothered to look up their nutritional info, but this stuff, unlike Popeyes or McDonalds, is REAL food with looks, flavors and textures that your great grandmother would recognize (to borrow a concept from Michael Pollan).
Ate there last night - man, those are the nicest and most grateful employees I've ever seen at a fast-food joint! Food was great too! Great addition to the neighborhood!
I went this afternoon. Crazy busy, but really friendly employees. I was sitting at a booth looking at the menu before I ordered and an employee came over to see that I was okay. Gotta love the first week of business.
Counter service was a little dicey. The kid who served me was confused, forgot to give me my cup until I reminded him, gave me the amount of the order in change (instead of the change amount). All pretty minor and he'll be fine in a day or two. Lots of managers behind the counter supervising.
Food was good, although spicier than I remember it being in California. My taste buds must have gone Midwestern.
There were a ton of El Pollo Loco suits sitting around watching everything. On my way out, I went over and spoke to a couple. I thanked them for opening in Uptown. I also asked them to make sure they had adequate security, as the McDonalds across the street really stepped up its performance once security got its act together. They assured me that they had taken care of security, so that's good. I used to be afraid to go to Mickey D's and I see such a change now that they've gotten good security keeping an eye on things.
Just managed to get over to Crazy Chicken yesterday.
It is muy delicioso. Or very good in my corrupted Ingles.
Flamed grilled chicken is great. Had two breasts and a wing and I gotta say I luv dose breasts!
Counter people still trying to figure out what is going on, but the service was good. Security guy in the back and two employees doing nothing but cleaning the restaurant constantly.
Seems like a nice addition to the barrio......I mean neighborhood. Makes me think of the old show "Chico and the Man". I always wanted to say "barrio".
Did I mention breasts?
Ok, the food is good. I had mashed potatoes as both sides as I grew up on mashed potatoes and alcohol.
Also had a corn tortilla.
I give it 4 ARRRRGHS on my fast food rating scale. Slightly more expensive than a KFC, but the food is healthier.
Not that I need healthy food. Hell my last physical gave me a total cholesterol of 142 which is better than the average Chinese gymnast.
You can't kill a man born to hang and my chances of a "cardiac event" anytime in the near future is less than the chances of Eliot Spitzer surviving his hooker scandal. In other words ZERO.
Go to El Pollo Loco immediately. Then the next day stop at Jakes for some broasted chicken.
anyone know if they have a drive thru?
ReplyDeleteYes they do!
ReplyDeleteNot only do they have a drive thru, they have someone standing on the corner handing out what I'm assuming are coupons.
ReplyDeleteI went through the drive-thru tonight, got an 8 piece meal with mashed potatoes and coleslaw, 2 caramel flans, and they threw in a free taste of their chicken tortilla soup. I was very happy with everything. The chicken was tasty and more moist than I experienced at the Logan Square store. I also really enjoyed the soup. The Sides were OK, not great. Generally, I was very happy with my meal.
ReplyDeleteI went there on the way home from work tonight - the place was packed! Plenty of helpful and courteous workers there, as you would expect on opening day. I have been going to El Pollo Loco for years in CA, so I'm happy that there's one right in our neighborhood now. I got a 2 piece meal and 2 sides - everything tasted great! Also, they handed out coupons - a couple of them were for free food with no purchase required. One of them was for the 2 piece combo meal that I just got - so it was like getting 2 for 1 : )
ReplyDeleteI like the Wilson Avenue mascots and currency exchange ballon! They're just fun on an otherwise dreary street.
ReplyDeleteJust got back from the Crazy Chicken. If they keep up what I went through, they won't last very long. Hold off on judging me until after my story.
ReplyDeleteI went in around 1:30 and they were very busy. Good to see :) I looked over the menu, and decided on 2 pc meal, leg and thigh, fries, spanish rice, and flour tortillas to go. $5. Nice price! As part of the grand opening, they threw in a small chicken tortilla soup too! Wait 10-15 min (I looked at my watch at one point, so I am not exaggerating) and they call my name. I thought the bag looked a little big for one order, but as I have never eaten here before, I figured that they have some extra packaging for the soup, tortillas, etc.
So I get home, grab the styrofoam container, open it up... and inside is the chicken I ordered, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and corn tortillas. So out of 5 items on my order, they got 3 wrong. Well they have only been open for 2 days now and were really busy, I will cut them some slack. I don't mind corn, and my wife can have the potatoes.
So I eat the chicken, I have to say that it rocks. The corn left a lot to be desired, and I thought the corn tortillas were terrible. Alright, well I didn't even order those, so I will let it slide.
Then I look into the bag that all the food came in. There was a burrito and chips! I got someone else's complete order! They didn't screw mine up, they just gave me a meal for someone else! So for $5 I got a ton of food! I haven't tried the soup yet, I am hoping that it reheats well.
Sorry for the Tolstoy post, just thought that my first Pollo Loco experience was pretty amusing. I will go back, especially with the free food coupons they handed out!
I'm pretty happy with the meal I got at the drive thru. Three piece leg/thigh/breast with pinto beans and spanish rice, plus a warm corn tortilla. The sides and tortilla were OK, nothing special, but the chicken was better than I ever thought "fast food" chicken could ever be. I haven't bothered to look up their nutritional info, but this stuff, unlike Popeyes or McDonalds, is REAL food with looks, flavors and textures that your great grandmother would recognize (to borrow a concept from Michael Pollan).
ReplyDeleteAte there last night - man, those are the nicest and most grateful employees I've ever seen at a fast-food joint! Food was great too! Great addition to the neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteI went this afternoon. Crazy busy, but really friendly employees. I was sitting at a booth looking at the menu before I ordered and an employee came over to see that I was okay. Gotta love the first week of business.
ReplyDeleteCounter service was a little dicey. The kid who served me was confused, forgot to give me my cup until I reminded him, gave me the amount of the order in change (instead of the change amount). All pretty minor and he'll be fine in a day or two. Lots of managers behind the counter supervising.
Food was good, although spicier than I remember it being in California. My taste buds must have gone Midwestern.
There were a ton of El Pollo Loco suits sitting around watching everything. On my way out, I went over and spoke to a couple. I thanked them for opening in Uptown. I also asked them to make sure they had adequate security, as the McDonalds across the street really stepped up its performance once security got its act together. They assured me that they had taken care of security, so that's good. I used to be afraid to go to Mickey D's and I see such a change now that they've gotten good security keeping an eye on things.
El Pollo Loco is open until 10 p.m.
That place is still packed everyday around noon. You can't even get a parking spot in their lot.
ReplyDeleteThe Chicken and manager are still outside handing out coupons during the midday hours. And you get more with your drive through meal.
Just managed to get over to Crazy Chicken yesterday.
ReplyDeleteIt is muy delicioso. Or very good in my corrupted Ingles.
Flamed grilled chicken is great. Had two breasts and a wing and I gotta say I luv dose breasts!
Counter people still trying to figure out what is going on, but the service was good. Security guy in the back and two employees doing nothing but cleaning the restaurant constantly.
Seems like a nice addition to the barrio......I mean neighborhood. Makes me think of the old show "Chico and the Man". I always wanted to say "barrio".
Did I mention breasts?
Ok, the food is good. I had mashed potatoes as both sides as I grew up on mashed potatoes and alcohol.
Also had a corn tortilla.
I give it 4 ARRRRGHS on my fast food rating scale. Slightly more expensive than a KFC, but the food is healthier.
Not that I need healthy food. Hell my last physical gave me a total cholesterol of 142 which is better than the average Chinese gymnast.
You can't kill a man born to hang and my chances of a "cardiac event" anytime in the near future is less than the chances of Eliot Spitzer surviving his hooker scandal. In other words ZERO.
Go to El Pollo Loco immediately. Then the next day stop at Jakes for some broasted chicken.
Belch.