As I tour the Peruvian options in the area, I was surprised it took me this long to hit Chicken Rico. I walked in for lunch at about 1PM on a weekday and the line wrapped around the side of the restaurant. That's a good sign. Aside from the line, the other immediate observation is the smell of the charcoal used in the rotisserie. The line moved pretty fast and I ordered 1/2 charcoal chicken, plantains, and lentils. I got my plate and stared at it - can I do this? The chicken was pretty big. It was a late lunch so before I knew it, the chicken was gone, as were the perfectly cooked plantains and the small cup of lentils. The chicken was tender, in part because it was brined. A little less salty would be preferred, though that may make it drier when cooking over charcoal. The plantains were sweet and the right balance between soft and firm. The small cup of lentils were forgettable - I should have stuck to fried yuca. Next time. Service is friendly and the line moves fast. The only other improvement I'd recommend is to make it easier to get tap water, given that the chicken is a bit on the salty side. I'll be back! read more

Visited one afternoon when I had a serious chicken craving. They did not disappoint. Portions are large; chicken is tasty; and the store is clean. I had a half-dark meat chicken with yucca and plantains. The yucca was some of the best I've ever had -- seriously... not sure if it was the preparation or the food itself, but it was the stand-out of the meal. The chicken was delicious. There are lots of Peruvian chicken joints in the area, and this holds it own. I have a few personal favorites that I'd rate higher on chicken, but you still can't go wrong with these folks. read more

Food was amazing. amazing service as well. the restaurant decoration and environment is perfect for a chill hang out

Best Peruvian chicken in town. I am eating from here at least once a week for the last few years. The yellow sauce is the best. Just combine it with some garlic and you will have the perfect combination. read more

I dine at this location for the first time, came here looking for different establishment, anyways I was looking for Peruvian chicken, so I decided to try it out. the food was good, but the disapointmen was after I have finish eating. a baby mouse was crawling around in the dining room. I brought it to the managers attention, but her reaction was not even a surprise, which leads me to believe that it was pretty normal to see a creature crawling around, on their premises. I work in the industry and the least I would have done is to apologize, No apology the result is this review, which I hate to do, but in order to serve food, this establishment must be clean and clear of mice, that means there a rat living in there. how else will a baby mouse will be crawling there? read more

I had just arrived in Herndon for the weekend and I was looking for a simple, unpretentious restaurant for the first night's dinner. What do we have here? A place that looks like a fast food joint but seems to be Latin American? I'll give it a shot! Actually, I'm glad I did try it. It's simple, fast and inexpensive. I didn't expect much but service was okay. As for the food, I don't know much about Peruvian and I didn't even know it was Peruvian, but I thought the rotisserie chicken was pretty good and the sides weren't bad either. read more

Chicken Rico - Quarter chicken especial with salad and beans - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

Chicken Rico exemplifies the adage "Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover!" I have driven past Chiken Rico for months and never even thought to go in. The exterior looks just as you would expect a bad roast chicken place to look like, nondescript, a little smokey inside, bad signage, etc. After reading a few Yelp reviews I finally decided to give it a try, and damn this chicken is tasty! When you go in, just do as the Romans do an get in line to order. You'll see some large commercial scale ovens full of hot charcoal roasting all that delicious chicken. While I was there the guy was moving around the coals to make sure the heat was roasting the chicken evenly. When it was my turn I ordered the 1/4 chicken (you can choose between white, dark, or mixed). They then pass your plate down the line and you can choose two different sides. It seemed one of the most popular was the chicken fried rice, so I ordered that and a side of lentil soup. For $6.49 including a can of soda, this was a tremendous value. The chicken itself was superb. The rub that they used was a bit on the salty side, but was peppery, smokey, and flavorful. The meat was tender, juicy, and not oily at all. If you've ever bought roasted chicken at a grocery store or Costco you know the chicken is incredibly oily. This chicken was quite the opposite, and the skin was crispy and mouthwatering. Overall the chicken was excellent! If you are in the Herndon area looking for a great lunch spot, I would highly recommend Chicken Rico. It was fast, cheap, and simply delicious. My favorite hole-in-the-wall Peruvian chicken restaurant in the area so far. read more

This place serves some of the best chicken that i have ever eaten. Add a couple of there amazing side like Yucca and Plantains and you will be in haven! read more

The Chicken at Chicken RICO is perfectly seasoned and I personally love the fried rice side. The sauces here are amazing as well. The only thing that bothers me is that the fries are not always fresh and crispy but that is expected. If you don't ask, they only give couple sauces. Sometimes depending on who's working, they give attitude/ look irritated if you go ask for more sauce. I wish they just had unlimited yellow and green sauce in the front so I wouldn't have to ask for more. Overall, I've only had great experiences here. read more

Chicken Rico - Roasted chicken, fried rice and steak fries - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

This place is sooooo the bomb. Got the chicken rico special which is half chicken, 3 sides, and a drink. If you get chicken combos, you can see everything laid out cafeteria style, so you can inspect and choose what you're visually comfortable with. Oh and if you ask nicely they'll give you a sample. Chicken was delicious! Not dry and the meat was perfectly seasoned. The skin was very crispy but on the salty, probably why the meat tasted perfect on it's own. They ran out of plantains so we had to wait 10 minutes, but oh was it worth the wait. The plantains were perfect! So delicious, and not all mush but perfectly soft. The garbanzo beans were yummy, slightly curry tomato like. And one patron recommended the beet potato salad, and boy am I happy I listened. When I first saw it, a pink mess, I thought it was fruit salad, which I tend to stay away from. But this was pink because of beets and I LOVE beets!! It was a simple salad with from what I could tell to only contain beets, potatoes, peas, and probably mayo to combine it all. That platter with the drink came out to $15, without the drink I think they would have charged $14. They were definitely generous with their sides. Good deal for what turned out to be 2 meals with of good food. My leftovers were still delicious the next day!!! Definitely coming back!! read more

Place went downhill from four years ago. The guys got lazy and lost their touch. Customer service is rude as hell and prices went up. I am done with this place. read more

Ordered the Fish Fillet which on the menu is advertised as 2 fillet pieces and 2 sides. What I actually got was 1 1/2 fillet pieces of fish. When I complained about this all they said is that it's 2 pieces. This is a BOLD LIE and a cheap way to scam people !! Would not recommend this place cause if they are willing to cheat you like this, what other things are they willing to do to cheat people !! Don't recommend this place many other places to go to instead. read more

Ordered: 1/4 famous chicken with 2 sides (yucca and plantain) Good portions Chicken is juicy Fried yucca reminded me of fries with minimum potato center and lots of crunch (the way I like it) Plantain was okay Green sauce is better than the white sauce Green sauce is spicy White sauce tastes like mayo Their chicken seasoning was okay Liked Korean fried chicken or Nando's more Best part of the meal: Fried yucca Would you come back? Probably not read more

The chicken is OK but the sides are gloppy. The best part is the bright, clean seating area.

My husband and I always order their well seasoned Family Special of Chicken with two sides and a can of Inca Cola. Their foods tastes consistently the same each visit and it's very filling. I don't know why I always torture myself with their green sauce but for some odd reason I enjoy over spicing my food by adding the mouth burning green sauce. Their Alfajores cookie is very soft, dry but mouth watering. Plenty of seating and their bathrooms are clean and well maintained. $13 feeds two people quite well. I might order their whole chicken for Thanksgiving this year. read more

Chicken Rico - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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This is probably the best Peruvian chicken in the Herndon area. Some things that make the place better than other Peruvian chicken places is that there don't charge extra for white meat and have a larger selection of sides (about 10 I think). I normally get the quarter chicken combo, which is a quarter chicken, 2 sides, and a can of soda for 7.99. The chicken are sides are always great. read more

Chicken Rico - Quarter chicken white with yucca and tomato salad. - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

First time ordering from this place. I ordered thru their website the lomo saltado though I come back to work and open the bag and realize they didn't add any of the sauces. As a restaurant efficiency it's only right to add two sauces per order without the need of the clients to having request for some sauces. Second I go on Yelp to read reviews and all and I come across $16.99 if i order thru Yelp whys that? I'm disappointed over all with my entire order and experience. read more

Chicken Rico - Versus ordering thru Yelp $16.99 - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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Best. Chicken. Ever. So. Cheap. Sides too. Green sauce OMG You should eat this stuff. read more

This is the best pollo a la brasa in the area.The chicken is so moist and the helpings are huge. Everyone who works there are very friendly. read more

Food is good. I picked this place thinking it is the same as the one in Waldorf md. I found the food in Waldorf md chicken Rico to be much better tasting read more

This was delicious!!! Granted... Living in Guam, it had been a while since I had Peruvian Chicken. The Lomo Saltado was great and nicely flavored. The portion was enough for 2 but it was so good, I enjoyed it all myself. We ordered the Lomo, the Chicken, Yucca fries, rice, and regular fries. Between 11 people we devoured it. We called ahead and good thing we did because when I went to pick it up, the line was wrapped around the restaurant. That should tell you how good it is! The service is fast and friendly. They saw me standing to the side and had the food ready hot and ready to go. The yellow sauce is my favorite with the chicken. Get it. Enjoy it. Love it. read more

I just moved into the Herndon area. I went to Giant and saw this place within the shopping center. I decided to go and try their food. The food spot had a community-like feel to it, which is always a refreshing atmosphere. I ordered the half chicken with yucca, mashed potatoes, and chickpeas. Please don't judge me for the amount of food and carbs on carbs... I love to eat.. okay. Anyways, the food was really tasty! The chicken was moist and nicely seasoned. The yucca and sauces it the spot. Their mashed potatoes tasted like boxed mashed potatoes but they put cheese one top. I love cheese... Also, their chickpeas are really yummmyyyyy! I think there was a hint of curry in them? It was initially a taste that was unexpected but very, VERY gooood. This place seems to get busy often but the staff are very friendly. This is definitely a great place to pick up food to go or dine-in. I'll be back for more pollo soon! read more

They are fast and have convenient hours. And that's about all they have going for them. First off let's start with when I walk in I always feel like a piece of meat gringo that everyone stares at. Staff or customers. Awful feeling. Second, the cashier will tell you they don't take Amex but when you tell her you will have to leave if she doesn't, she changes her mind. I understand high fees for American Express, but dude, pick one or the other, ok. Most importantly: chicken is horrible. Overcooked by like 5 hours maybe. Sides are ok I guess.. It's close to my house, but I don't go there... So.. You shouldn't either. read more

Ordered to go, person was nice and food was ready quick but...a little too quick apparently because I got home to eat with my family and the chicken was bloody inside and undercooked. Big no-no with chicken so we didn't eat it. Also I sadly found a hair on my piece. Was already home and tired after a long day so didn't go back to inform them but we just won't be back. read more

Chicken Rico always hits the spot every time I go, if your going with two people go ahead and just buy a whole chicken to be split.. I personally think the pollo Arrozo is the best side that they have followed by the black beans read more

Oh, hey there, Chicken Rico! Thank you for being so unbelievably affordable, fresh, and casual-yet-inviting. Why didn't I try you sooner, especially when you're so close to work? Can we get together again soon? Love, Megan I was pleasantly surprised with Chicken Rico; I was expecting "just another generic pollo asado" joint, but Rico made a difference with its staff, and the size and juiciness/freshness of the spit-roasted chicken. Personally, I loved that the gentleman behind the counter greeted me in Spanish; be still my heart (it's as though he knew this blonde haired/blue eyed girl was fluent)! Although the sides are not as mind-blowingly good as those from two of my other local favorites, Waku and Pollo Peru, I found the 1/4 white meat chicken portion I enjoyed to be superior in that it was thicker, juicier, and fell from the bone with nary an effort. Also - as a bonus for a semi-health nut like me - their steamed vegetables as a side item are just plain, delicious, and steamed, sans butter or oil. I doubled up on those with my 1/4 chicken, and added some chick peas. The chick peas were oily and pretty lackluster, so I wouldn't order them again. My husband did enjoy his yucca, and the yellow sauce was just his style. I was definitely a fan of the spicy green sauce here, as it was heavy on the spice and light on the oil/mayo. They give you two sauces per order, and charge in the neighborhood of 25 cents for extra ones. Chicken Rico also has a selection of Peruvian items such as Saltado as well as sub-style sandwiches with fish or chicken. However, for less than $7 for a chicken meal with two sides, I'm in! There's ample seating inside, and a couple televisions playing Univision Deportes and/or the news. There's also air conditioning, although it gets pretty hot and smoky inside when the rotisseries are going full-tilt to feed the lunchtime crowd. read more

So my colleague insisted that I try this place out, because he knew I was a huge Guapo's fan and he swore that I would like this place better than Guapo's. Well I finally decided to go with him and a few other coworkers. And let we just say that I was absolutely impressed by the place. Now since going to Chicken Rico I have yet to make a decision as to which Peruvian restaurant is better. However, I will say that if you do go here you will not be disappointed. Also the servings here are very generous, more than Guapo's. I honestly feel that both places are great and I'm not going to choose one over the other. I'll just split my Peruvian Chicken fix between the two.....lol. If you're in the area and haven't been here before, give it shot, I think you'll be pleasantly satisfied. read more

Chicken Rico is always my first choice to stop and get a meal when I'm in Herdon. Their chicken is perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy inside plus they have a nice assortment of sides, including healthy options (salad with the choice of 2 dressings). I recommend asking for extra yellow and green (the spicy one, if you like spice) sauce because they Come in tiny containers/goes very fast... that stuff is great dipping sauce for everything; I dip yucca, chicken,plaintain, rice, my finger lol, etc). read more

First time coming saw the good ratings and now regret it since our whole dinner was ruined with raw chicken burned dried plantains definitely not coming back read more

AVOID THIS PLACE WHEN ITS BUSY. I was served undercooked chicken today. Not just a little undercooked. Literally pink chicken with pink juices running. I didn't get to that part until I was closer to the bone. Am I going to die now? Maybe not, but probably suffer a great deal.... Probably won't be back for a while. read more

Chicken Rico - Very undercooked chicken. Pink meat and juices - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

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Great food! Good for carry out or dining in. The chicken is super! It's cooked rotisserie style over hot coals. The Peruvian Pollo Rice was to die for... I will be back for more real soon!!! read more

The chicken, probably the best we've had so far in NOVA. The sides, so mediocre, but the chicken is kick ass. We split a half chicken, plantains, yuca fries and beans and rice. As always the yuca is a boat for that white/pink sauce. The plantains weren't as mushy as I enjoy and the beans were not as flavorful as many other places. Such a bummer the sides don't live up to that chicken. The spices are so great, thinking about it makes me want to drive over and get another meal! As some other reviewers mentioned, sauce is kinda meh, I wish I could get sauces from other locations. We will definitely be back and try their other sides, but regardless chicken is totally worth it. read more

Delicious chicken! Sauces are great. Knocking off one star because the yucca was dry... however not a deal breaker! We will be back :)

Food was excellent. I enjoy trying new peruvian chicken places, and this establishment had some of the crispiest skin, while maintaining a juicy tender chicken. Yuca was very crispy and not dry either. Price point was also cheaper than other places too. read more

1/4 white chicken, steamed veggies, yucca, red beans, home fries(looks like), and chick peas... Chicken was flavorful and pretty well cooked... not too dry, good level of flavor and smoke. I would say their chicken rivals Super Chicken (pollo) but Super Chicken still has the best sides and El Pollo Rico still has the best chicken. Their Green and white sauces were good. Steamed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower carrots) were ok and nothing to rave about. Yucca was pretty decent. red beans tasted about average to me. Home fries were pretty good and had some flavor. Chick peas had a 'pork and beans' taste. Definitely the best bang for your buck in this Herndon/Reston area so far. Its cafeteria style (my favorite style (unless its something like steak which needs to be made-to-order). The people were pretty nice and observant. For close to $6, I'll be back again and again. Definitely a nice lunch option and dinner too. I've been here twice so far so hopefully they are consistent. Credit cards accepted (less than $10 and they tack on 50 cts) read more

All I have to say is move over Guapo's, there's a new chicken place in town! And their yuca is WAY better than yours, because it's the real stuff (not smashed and reshaped) I give them props on the flavor, price and quantity served. The bad: they use styrofoam whether you order for here or to go, the sauces are not readily available for you- wish they were in a pump container in the dining area. read more

Wanted to try some new places and I saw this. Ordered the 12.99$ lomo Salgado and roti chicken. The lomo is OK, the meat is tender. It is just right but not special enough to crave for and come back. The chicken tastes good but once you bite deeper it seems to be not marinated throughout. read more

Chicken Rico - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Herndon, Virginia

MY FAVORITE CHICKEN PLACE!!! I usually get the half chicken but I've also had the chicken taco salad, a burrito, the chicken soup & the beef soup.The beef soup is also a favorite but only served on Friday & they sell out of it FAST!!! I LOVE THEIR GREEN SAUCE TOO I've never been disappointed eating here! The maracuya juice (passion fruit juice) is amazing & the horchata is good too! Only thing I didn't care for was the cookie they offer as a dessert but other than than no complaints! The restaurant is always clean & I always see a variety of people in there. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!! DELICIOUS!!!!!! read more

It's not the the best Peruvian chicken around Herndon/Sterling but not the worst. PROS: The food is good -- but it is a hit or miss. When it's good, it's good. But when it's not so great, the fried sides are over-cooked and the chicken will be too dry. Another pro from my personal preference is the lemon dressing for my salad. I personally like eating my chicken with their salad (drizzled in the lemon dressing). In addition, they definitely hook it up with the extra sauces at your request. CONS: the quarter pieces are really small and not worth the amount they charge compared to the other Peruvian chicken places I've been to. Customer service? Meh... Could be better but I don't expect superb service from them anyway. read more

I've been coming here for few years now. I was surprised how SO FREAKING popular and busy this place had gotten. They are super friendly, accurate ( checking orders) and QUICK. Awesome chicken and TOO many choices/selections for side dishes (over 10)... they gave you two sides and they give you ALOT. I can never finish any of their sides at once. They are SUPER fresh too. I am not saying it's the best Peruvian chicken ever I've had but it is THE BEST in this area. Please do not go to Wagu or Guapo(?) omg those places are overpriced! You will know what I mean after trying out this place. read more