El Pollo Loco

My girlfriend and I walked into el pollo loco to grab dinner to go for the family. From the time we got there to the time we left I must say that Wyatt hoping I spelled his name correct has really excellent customer service. He made sure our order was correct and was very helpful. I’ve been to different el pollo loco location and I will say that I’ve been treated with poor customer service. But thank you Wyatt for treating us with kindness and respect.

This El Pollo restaurant has some great employees they’re very welcoming. They also offered me a wet napkin and a toothpick before I left. The chicken wasn’t dry so you can tell it’s made to order.

Been here a handful of times for a quick chicken. Their chicken has good flavors and the salsa bar is usually pretty stocked. The workers are pretty quick to take my order and food comes out quick. The only thing that bothers me is the inconsistency. Sometimes my chicken is saltier than usual and sometimes its overcooked or just right. Either way, it’s quick to go food.

Although I strongly believe the quality of the food is consistent with this franchise and most enjoyable! What really burns my toast is the inconsistency of policy! I love Black beans not pinto beans and when I want to «Substitute ‘» on a Tostada Salad some stores want to charge .30 cents for that customer preference, Really? Black Beans cost them more than Pinto Beans? Then I get oh it depends on the franchise! Hey it’s not the .30 cents it’s the principal, hear this Pollo Loco, please the dam customer! Buy less of those darn noisy chairs and make up your .30 cents! Ok I’m done

When you order something so specific because of allergies you expect it to be EXACTLY what you want… right???
Not here. went through the drive-thru.ordered a somewhat difficult bowl, I admit, BUT it wasn’t busy! And they got my order completely incorrect! I didn’t know till I got home. Allergic to onions and absolutely HATE cilantro. Two items you can’t really just «pick» off…
Maybe if they spent more time listening to the people order and didn’t push extras, didn’t talk so fast my order would have been correct.
Guess I should just stick to my usual location in Carmel Mtn, they never get it wrong!
I attached pictures for proof!

I have been going here for years and that last 2 times I came the service was kind of off… I felt super rushed in the drive through, I like to try new things so I was checking out the menu… Give me a second… I also had 3 kids with me so it takes a second to figure out what everyone wants… and the chicken pieces are getting smaller… You guys have me a wing that was basically burnt skin with hardly any meat… You guys can do better… Don’t lose customers because I want you guys to stick around because it’s gooood chicken!

Chicken was good, tortillas a bit cold, salsas good tasting. But, I was told half chicken was enough for 2 individuals! When order came up, I was disappointed… Barely enough for 1 person to enjoy.

I’ve ordered catering from this location several times for my office of about 25 people. They never disappoint. Their salads come in very big portions and they have several catering options available. We typically order the 24 piece chicken meals and then add on several of their mexican platters. Their tacos are very delicious along with their variety of burritos.
They never disappoint our office. Delivery is fast or pick up they always give discounts.

I didn’t realize that this place gets pretty busy during dinner time. I don’t think I’ve been here since my high school days… My friend told me to sign up for their eclub and I was able to get my free chips and guacamole and my free carne asada taco here last night! Obviously that wouldn’t be enough food, so I also ordered the half chicken combo– it comes with 2 sides, tortillas and a drink for only $ 10! We chose the corn and broccoli for our sides. The food came out super fast! Everything seemed fresh and I love their signature citrus-​marinated, fire-​grilled chicken. I didn’t know that was the standard flavor, so I made sure they got my order right LOL. The taco was okay and the chips were a little stale though. The only complaint is that their tables are a little dirty, but you can always do drive-​thru or get it to-​go. You can’t go wrong with their crazy chicken!

Wish I could give this place NO stars. Went through the drive through.
Avacado Salad: HAD NO AVACADO! Salad was sloppy; very little meat.
3 piece leg and thighs: Had one thigh and 2 DRY breasts!!! Beans had no flavor. Got rice instead of mac n cheese.
Requested green salsa only: One green salsa and the rest were red.

I come here occasionally. I usually do drive-​thru. Most of the time I get salads. The other times I get the roasted chicken with sides, or chicken tacos. Sometimes they have specials that are not in the usual menu. The prices are reasonable, especially if you have their coupons. Their food is pretty good for fast food. Service is sometimes alright, sometimes ehhh. Good for on the go! :-)

Think they remodeled. Place looks nice inside and sauce/​side area is kept clean. ONE PROBLEM: Right when you walk in until you reach the ordering area, the restaurant smells like DOG FOOD… pretty disturbing…
Love the company’s chicken here. So savory and juicy plus grilled!
The mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and rice are tasty sides also.
I also prefer to go inside than drive thru because you can go the condiment area and get as much sauces as you need.

Coupons have to be printed, cannot just show them on the phone. Who the hell does that anymore. Do they not have respect for the environment ???

Fast and friendly service at the drive thru.
I live a couple minutes from here. My son is obsessed with beans and one day I ran through here to get something small to share. They were quick, gave me tons of salsa, and I felt overall it was a good value. I’m sure we will be back.
The drive thru is kind of hard to get to, from one direction you have to do like a 3 point turn and from the other there are people driving crazy, so just to note, but it seems that way at a lot of drive thru places in SD.

I want to like El Pollo Loco. I like the name, I like the concept, I like the salsa bar, I like that they have plenty of menu options, and I like that they have a family meal deal.
The thing I don’t like at this place? They can’t seem to get my order correct to save their lives. A tostata is a tostada, not a bunch of stuff thrown on a soft tortilla. My salad that was supposed to have cilantro dressing came with some orange sauce. Not a fan of this location, maybe I’ll give the spot in Carmel Mtn a whirl instead.

Wow. I like El Pollo Loco a lot. Grab some white meat chicken, steamed broccoli and some pinto beans and I feel like it’s a tasty, healthy option, especially for fast food. I live nearby so I hit this place for dinner about every other week. Service has been friendly each time.
Well, I ventured off the beaten path and ordered some crispy chicken tacos on Tuesday night (Taco Tuesday!). I also tried one of the chicken taquitos. What a friggin’ disaster! They must fry the taco shells and taquitos in the exact same batch of oil they make churros or some other menu item with cinnamon and sugar. The taco was absolutely revolting. It was sweet and the shell was undercooked to boot. The taquito is what made me sick. I took a bite and it too was sweet and cinnamon-​y, and a ton of grease squirted out the bottom. It looked like motor oil spilling out.
I’ll still give the place a star if you stick to what it originally set out to make, fire-​grilled chicken. Stick with that and you’ll be fine. As I said, the service at this location is good. Just stick with the basics though. I’ll probably come back and kick it up another star, but the memory of what I ate three days ago just made me gag, and I cannot bring myself to call this place 3-​star A-​OK right now.

This location is steps away from my boyfriend’s house. It is our go to spot for lunch or dinner if we aren’t looking to go to a sit down restaurant. I honestly had never been to an El Pollo Loco before I met my boyfriend (I am not very adventurous when it comes to fast food). I am totally honest when I say that I think the food is delicious.
I usually choose between three things: The stuffed chicken and avocado quesadilla, the nachos or the leg and thigh meal. I am a sucker for their mashed potatoes and flame grilled corn (so spicy!). Definitely ask for their house salsa because it is pretty yummy! I also love the fact that they have Coke Zero since a lot of places don’t carry it if they have Diet Coke as an option.
This El Pollo Loco has always given us exactly what we order and in a timely fashion. It is also a hybrid Foster Freeze so if you’re in the mood for something sweet they have many options for that too!
I have only been through the drive-​thru so I can’t comment on cleanliness of the store or restrooms, sorry!

Believe it or not, this year was my first time ever trying pollo loco. I got the avocado chicken burrito with rice. bomb Shit son! Employees here are friendly and always have a smile :)

I actually like El Pollo Loco. The one on Mission Gorge has definitely got it down… service and food… great!
Can’t say the same for the Mira Mesa one. I never get greeted when I walk in. When I order through the drive-​thru, the workers always seem disgruntled. The funny thing is, the last time I went through the drive-​thru, I was the only one in line, and after I paid at the window, was abruptly told to go park and wait for my food. I looked inside and there were no customers, yet my food still took 10 minutes. Wtf were they doing in there?

It was out of convenience.
Generally, I like EPL. I walked in and wasn’t greeted. I was (awkwardly) standing at the register as employees bypassed me. Finally one of the managers came up and took my order. He made conversation with me regarding my day and where I worked as I was thinking about my order.
Ordered an 8 pc meal (with tortillas) and an order of churros (with extra sugar). The salsa bar looked really sad. With the establishment being so slow, the salsa bar should have been immaculate. Not the case here!
The chicken I felt was overdone. How long had it been sitting out?
Have they always charged extra for tortillas?
Churros were pretty good. (2 for $ 1.19)
Note: Located in the Target shopping center next to Hometown Buffet on Camino Ruiz.