El Pollo Loco

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CLOSED NOW - Opens at 10:00am

Despite the tantalizing ads, the main event here, the chicken itself, doesn't quite translate to a satisfying meal. Perhaps it's the way they cut the pieces up, but the product one ultimately gets is often more bones than meat, and frequently dry as leather despite the marinade they boast of. I have had wings here that are basically skimpy burnt offerings with no chicken to speak of. (Pollo Loco needs to re-define "piece" of chicken!) Some of their other items are actually better than the chicken: the tostada and burritos, while not the best, are at least more filling than the 2 piece combo meals. The side orders are blah, except for the tasty black beans and tortilla soup. (Their version of chicken tamales is just god-awful.) This chain is selling the "healthier" angle of flame-cooked chicken, which is indeed a step up from the endless grease vat of places like KFC, but you still need to deliver the goods. I would rather bake chicken at home than bother with this leathery version of chicken. Another mild suggestion: enough of the annoying Pollo Loco ad substituting the words "El Pollo Loco" for the lovely song, "Guantanamera." Try something new.