Slaps slaps slaps. Chicken flaming on the grill, staff moving a thousand miles per hour and still slanging orders. First time in because I heard their California Burrito is the truth and I can now confirm. Large size, delicious seasonedand cooked to perfection, regular size French fries, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and they asked if I wanted pico de gallo salsa I chose yes. Also ordered 3 chicken rolled tacos just to taste, also the truth. Crispy all the way thru. Topped with sour cream, guacamole, cheese, and lettuce. They are what you want when ordering rolled tacos. All the salsas were delicious too. I tried green and two red styles. Definitely returning to explore menu read more

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Good food, but Long wait times. Only go here if you can wait it out especially during peak hours. Normal waiting time can be anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes due to their popularity and reviews. There are other places to go in Lemon Grove :) read more

I've friend the 1/2 chicken grilled meal, carne asada fries and Cali burrito from El Pollo Grill. 1/2 grilled chicken meal can like be shared for 2 or 1 very hungry person! It comes with rice, beans and tortillas. So good, the marinade is delicious and the chicken isn't dry. Carne asada fries are so generous! And it isn't greasy! It comes with guacamole, sour cream, cheese and a side of pico. I enjoyed the fries as they were thicker than other spots have it. The Cali burrito was also v generous. Lots of beef, no skimping here! Half burrito fills you up well. All in all very tasty! read more

The last two times they have messed up my order the receipt matches perfectly what is supposed to be on the order Carne Asada burrito, guacamole, cheese, and salsa. The last two times they have not put the salsa on. The second time I decided to call and file a complaint, their solution is for me to drive back so I can pick up a side of pico de gallo or I can get a pico de gallo on the house next time What a joke why don't you get the order right the first time or why don't you drive and drop me off the pico de gallo you didn't have a problem charging my card. Your cook has a problem reading receipts, obviously. So send him on over with my pico I shouldn't have to drive back over there read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Burrito and receipt - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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Si, por favor. El Pollo grill is a staple local spot with all the flavors and choices. I've been going here for years and it's always good. They feed you a lot in large portions and it's the type of food you dream about. The food taste fresh and the salsa isn't too hot. The service is order at window and there are ample tables with an outside patio. For a taco shop it's better than most but shy of a nice sit down restaurant. A great place to take your kids for quick eats. It's a local favorite. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Rolled tacos with asada on top. Yes, there are rolled tacos under there - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Came here yesterday for the first time. I ordered the titan burrito which is basically a California burrito with chorizo. It was different, it was really good. Was about $15. They had a salsa bar. The habanero salsa was really good, so was their green sauce. The place was pretty busy so you know it's well liked in the area. I think they're really good Mexican restaurant/ taco shop for the area. I'd come back for sure and recommend it. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Titan Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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Always delicious- great value on the burrito. Many options to customize. Love the basic salsa and tortillas are so fresh and legit. The chicken salad was also so big- lots of chicken and enough for 2 meals. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Giant chicken salad and chorizo breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Love this place! we get this at least 1 every two weeks. We get the whole pollo combo with rice whole beans, and mix tortillas; definitely recommend! read more

2/21/26 - My third time here and 5 stars in this trip. Brought 2 friends. We ordered the following 1 Special A - Quarter Chicken for $12.99 w/ Flour Tortillas and Rice & Refried Beans; 1 Pollo Asado Bowl for $12.99; then 2 Carne Asada Taco for $9.00 w Guacamole. Ordered at the register. The cashier was very friendly and helped us. Took the number and sat down. About 5 minutes later they called our number and picked the food up. Fresh, hot and delicious. Lots of real guacamole in the salad and the tacos. The chicken was banging good and flavorful. Check out the photos. Total was about $38. read more

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So glad my friend told me about this place and recommended it. My second time here and I'm always blown up away by the quality of the flaming grilled chicken. Great customer service, sometimes there's a wait when there's a lot of customers ordering and so worth it. Whenever I'm in Lemon Grove, I make it a point to stop here and eat. This place blows away El Pollo Loco in every way. read more

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Review for DoorDash. The California Burrito - Carne was probably one of the best. Good taste in the meat. Very filling. The delivery of the 5 Chicken Rolled Tacos was not the best. Only two tacos had cheese on them. The guac and sour cream were packed on the side. 3 of the tacos didn't have cheese. I'd order the burrito again for delivery but not the tacos. Store are probably better. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - 5 Chicken Rolled Tacos w/ Carne - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Dare I say the best California burrito in town? ... it's possible. Chicken is good but if you're looking for a burrito in town this place oddly enough is one of the freshest, most consistently delicious I've experienced (not to mention possibly most reasonably priced). Cali Burritos at 13.99 as of 2025 with everything included: fries, guacamole, sour cream, pico optional. Salsa bar is tasty. I like to grab all options and switch it up each bite. There is seating indoors, bathroom with lock code (try to skip), and it takes roughly 15 minutes for food. You can see all the pollo in the back grilling away. Definitely a fan. I wish I could keep this place a secret but they deserve recognition. read more

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We're not in Lemon Grove often, but happened to be after lunch hour and decided to pick up California burritos to go. The place has clearly been there for a while, and it's comfortable and not too bright inside. Even after a 20 minute drive, the burritos were fantastic. Tortillas are not too thin and have great chew. The ratios of ingredients were exactly how I prefer - ton of carne asada and guac, not too many fries! Their carne is seasoned heavily which I enjoy, some might find it a tad salty or too garlicky. The three distinct salsas are also an indicator of a good spot in my opinion. Standard red and green, but my favorite is the emulsified orange. Self serve so you can load up. Price is a little steep (like everywhere these days now though), came out to a little over $30 for both burritos after tax and tip. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - California Burrito - Carne - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Always fresh ingredients and delicious food! Customer service is always nice. I believe Wednesdays kids eat free which is actually a big meal with rice and beans! It requires you buy 2 drinks but definitely worth it! Keep up the great work and delicious food El Pollo Grill! read more

I ordered a burrito for my husband and a bowl for me for delivery. I opened the box and my eyes got big. It was full..pollo asada, cheese, guacamole, lettuce, rice, beans and sour cream. Both the dishes were delicious. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Pollo asada bowl - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Wow. This was the perfect hole in the wall find. Their roasted chicken was perfectly seasoned with a beautiful char, served with their rice and refried beans... YUM. I'm still thinking about this meal right now! This spot has decent parking and seating, but it is not a fancy place. You order at the counter and wait for them to call your number. There's a salsa bar and drink fountain. There's also more on the menu than roasted chicken but with chicken this good, I don't think I'll be venturing out anytime soon. The prices are reasonable, the salsa is fresh, and the food kicks ass. I can't wait to come back! read more

Great! I mean great charbroiled chicken with a Mexican twist. The seasoning is unique and different than the competitor. Loved the Mexican beans and rice tasted like my grandma use to make. Normally not a bean girl but these beans were delicious! There is a small dinning area. Street parking only. I'll be back next time I'm in San Diego. Friendly staff. Great salsa. read more

My family and I visit this place every 2 to 3 weeks. I really like that the staff is very friendly. They always make you feel like you are family there. The food is arrives fast and it is always fresh and warm. I highly recommend if you enjoy eating chicken. The place also offers calm background music and it is usually empty most times, not too crowded. read more

Best pollo asado, ever. Love the rice and refried beans. Been coming there ever since I was a kid and now pass down the tradition to eat there or take out to my kids and the love it too. Highly recommend this place for realz:) read more

Best menudo I east county. Wish they had metal spoons. A quiet Sunday. Almost like home made. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Clean place - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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This is Not my first time eating at El Pollo Grill... I have eaten here many times over the 25+ years and I can say confidently that their grilled chicken is always GREAT! We always order the same thing which is a number "C" meal. This meal consists of: 1/2 of their famous marinated chicken which has been grilled over and open flame and cut up into 4 pieces; rice, beans, choice of corn or flour tortillas and fresh salsa. When I say famous chicken, this is TRUTH! There is a reason why this restaurant has stood the test of time and is a favorite in Lemon Grove... because they consistently put out an excellent product. The chicken is moist, flavorful and the skin is nicely charred (see pic). The rice is moist and flavorful as well as the beans. I have tried both the corn and flour tortillas - both are fresh, served warm and yummy. There is a self-serve chile sauce bar that I recommend you try, spice levels; medium, hot and muy Caliente! This complete meal was $15.99 and was plenty for 2 people. I can also recommend their chicken taquitos as well. The taquitos are topped with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, fresh salsa, and a huge amount of fresh guacamole on the side! So good! I usually order take-out but you can eat in as well... extremely casual restaurant with a couple of big screens. This is family style restaurant, you self order and self seat. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - 5 Chicken Taquitos - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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Food is exceptional. Lots of variety. The pollo is amazing and the tortillas are all handmade. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Breakfast Huevos Rancheros Plate - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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Best Mexican food I've had in San Diego this is my 2nd visit here will be back whole family loved it read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - 5 Beef Rolled Tacos w/ Carne - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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When my sister and I went to San Diego, we had a bit of a late dinner when we got there. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of choices open near where we were staying in Lemon Grove. So we went to this place that was in our area and I am glad we went. Definitely one of my favorite places now in this area. Tortillas are definitely homemade and delicious. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito and it was good. The refried beans were perfect and there was a good amount of cheese inside. Man, if they would have put Chihuahua cheese in the burrito instead of the Mexican cheese blend... I totally would have been in Heaven. Lol! My sister ordered the cheese enchilada plate and she said it was good. I sampled her rice and it was good. We also sampled their grilled chicken which came with a side of tortilla (we got corn and flour). It was really good. Juicy and full of flavor. Everything tasted good, fresh, and homemade. Lastly, this place has a self-serve drink machine and they have my favorite! They have Jamica/Hibiscus Tea! That made my night! read more

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I asked for no pico on my burrito, receipt said no pico, I got home there's pico. I had to call, wait and drive all the way back for the remade burrito and they took the other burrito with pico back. Overall terrible experience. The burrito was also 16.30. read more

Not to be confused with El Pollo Loco, this is a family owned and locally run business, 100 X better. Came here and got the Special D combo ($16), a half roasted chicken, fries, and salad. The chicken is moist, flavorful and has a nice crispy skin from being slowly cooked over a flame. The salad is very tasty and has multiple components like feta cheese, red onions and dried cranberries. I don't think I can recall a better roasted chicken in San Diego except at a high end restaurant where you pay twice the price, even then its very close. It also comes with tortillas and there is a salsa bar if you want to eat it taco style. If you prefer that, I'd suggest Special C which comes with beans and rice instead of fries and salad. They have a regular tacos and burritos menu but oven never tried it, they are really well known for their flamed chicken. I'd go with a family deal or individual plate combo. Its not a fancy place just, your neighborhood family owned type of establishment. Service was prompt and friendly. Theres lots of street parking in front of the place but I could see how they might get taken up quickly by some of the other business near by too. I've gotten meals catered from them multiple times before and they are excellent. The chicken travls well, the rice is flavorful. Id suggest the flamed chicken with salad or the beef and chicken fajitas with beans and rice. Don't do the Italian, the noodles just soak up all the sauce and the breading on the parmesan just gets bready and falls off, it isn't that good. Why would you order Italian food from a Mexican establishment anyhow? For catering I feel its very reasonable and the quality is good. Easily the best flame roasted chicken in San Diego read more

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Food was filling and great, cant wait to come back and try more. We wanted soup but they only do it certain days. Lots on the menu and the chicken plates are great. Shows Padres games on tv and Padres love shown here. Go Padres!! read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - meal with two pieces of chicken, rice &beans.619 Mysterio Burrito i believe - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

Whoa! I gave this a shot bc the picture of the carne asada fries looked good lol I ordered some asada chips and I was pleasantly surprised! They weren't stingy with all the toppings and it all looked and tasted so fresh! (Except for the chips but idk if they make them there themselves or not) but the meat and other toppings and the amount were on point! If they had nacho cheese and the oil from the chips didn't taste off I would do 5 stars but I will still go back! I'm sure the chips thing isn't the norm read more

After visiting another business that specializes in flame-grilled chicken (not El Pollo Loco), we came to El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove. There was dedicated parking behind the building, but plenty of diagonal spaces were available out front along Broadway. The inside was long and narrow with sufficient seating for close to 50 customers. The service counter was to the right when you walked in with the menu screens hanging above the grills. The left screen displayed the chicken that was offered as family or individual meals. On my first visit, I picked the Half Chicken with Mexican rice, charro beans, and flour tortillas. The chicken was noticeably juicier here than the other place I recently tried. The kitchen likely monitored the cooking more closely to ensure a consistent sear over the flames without overdoing the meat and drying it out. The other two screens listed standard Mexican fare like breakfast plates, burritos, tacos, etc. The next time I came, my choice was a Carnitas Plate that was served only on weekends. Mexican rice and tortillas came with the order, however the beans were refried while guacamole and salsa were also included. The cut of pork had plenty of fat which made the meat very succulent and flavorful. If you asked me to choose between the two proteins, then the pork had an advantage over the chicken. The serving size of the plates was solid for the price although I am sure the value was even better during pre-pandemic times. If it wasn't for the long driving distance, then El Pollo Grill would have my patronage more often. read more

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I ordered the menudo and was pretty disappointed. The broth was very oily and lacked flavor, and there was no hominy at all, which really took away from the dish. The place itself was clean, which I appreciated, but there's no table service--it's more of a self-serve setup. On the positive side, the prices are reasonable. I might come back to try something else on the menu, but I wouldn't recommend the menudo. read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

I recently was able to treated myself to the most incredible ham breakfast burrito, and I can't rave enough about it! Adding The sliced avocado! Creamy and perfectly ripe, really brought the flavors together beautifully. If you're looking for a morning feast that will leave you satisfied than el pollo grill is your spot. Get there before they sellout of breakfast potatoes. You'll have to sub French fries instead which are still nice. Best burrito in San Diego read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Ham Breakfast Burrito with Avocado Slices - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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This was my first time here. All I wanted was a really good carne asada taco and that's what I got -- a really good carne asada taco This place is a lively, colorful and crazy hole in the wall with a busy open kitchen that serves delicious authentic Mexican food The staff is cordial and helpful. Let's support this family run businessIt's a fantastic place for lunch, so don't miss out read more

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My brother in law just dropped off some carne asada fries for my wife and me, now this is the second time me having food from this place I had mulitas last time. So far this place aint miss a beat, them carne asada fries crispy fries seasoned meat chared everything compliments even the pico de Gallo is good and I never put pico on my stuff. My brother in law like their carne asada salad so I might have to try that next but as for now. New spot in going to when I need my fix. read more

Ordered the chilaquiles. The menu on their board clearly states that breakfast plates come with tortillas. The cashier asked if I wanted to tortillas or would be .50 each. I showed her the menu and she said the chilaquiles plate did not include tortillas (even though it's a breakfast plate) she also charged me .95 extra for sour cream, which chilaquiles should already have. Not the best chilaquiles, not the best service, and prices have definitely increased. I understand "inflation" but restaurants also need to learn to be mindful that most of us didn't get a salary increase that matched the inflation. Hate to judge them on this experience alone. I'll give them another shot with their chicken one of these days. read more

All their food is awesome. The 619 burrito is the bomb chicken steak and shrimp. Can't beat it.

10/5 stars -- no notes. I've been coming here a few times now and they never miss. I usually go for the regular fries (extra crunchy, like I like 'em -- and yes, they actually listen to weird lil requests like that! ). But today I accidentally ordered the carne asada fries and OMG... I'm not a carne asada fries girly usually, but this place? Changed my whole perspective. Sooo good, not chewy or weird, just straight-up delicious. The baked chicken? Best I've had anywhere. Still thinking about it. The rolled tacos? Bomb. I always get everything on the side and they don't even judge me for it. And don't get me started on the guac -- tastes like someone's abuelita made it with love in the back kitchen. Like yes, I feel the generations in that avocado. Service is always super sweet, fast, and friendly -- like walking into a hug. Support your local spots, y'all. This one's a gem. Love this place forever. Highly recommend. -- Your local crunchy fry connoisseur read more

El Pollo Grill - Lemon Grove - Mexican Near Me - Lemon Grove, California

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The best chicken in town and the OG recipe from their original location! Fast, friendly service and great prices, especially on the family meal combos! Highly recommended read more

So many great options, I can come here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I usually get the burritos, which you can pick out your own fillings! read more

it was two female workers talking to one customer as I was standing there, the one who wasn't involved with the female customers order, just was not trying to take my order and she just picked up the phone when it rung and I was standing there trying to order, so bottom line she ingnored with was very unprofessional! she really has a bad attitude! I wanted to speak with a manager which as always none was available! any to top this all off, I was told it would be fifteen minutes for my order! got home one block away, ALL my food was cold!! If I could I still would like to speak with a manager regarding the worker that ignored me! 619 846-6215 Jerome read more

Great food! Don't be impatient. Everything I've tried is awesome. Mexican food is the best