It's no surprise that I end up at El Pollo Loco about twice a month--especially when I want something quick but don't want to eat trashy. My absolute go-to is the grilled chicken bowl with grilled chicken, pico de gallo, cilantro, beans, rice, plus the salsa fresca and green verde sauce. This combo is EVERYTHING. I usually eat half before the gym and half after, or save it for those nights when I really don't feel like cooking. And let's talk about the price--under six bucks, filling, flavorful, and actually leaves you satisfied? Yes please. I stopped by around 2 PM after missing lunch, hit the drive-thru, and the experience was smooth. I was greeted properly, my fresh food came out promptly, and I was even able to scan my phone for reward points (major plus). Rack up enough points and you get free food--who doesn't love free food? Would I recommend El Pollo Loco? Absolutely. Their chicken is grilled, it doesn't get much healthier than that, and it's perfect if you're trying to stay on track with your health or fitness journey. I didn't dine in this time, but when I have in the past, the lobby has always been clean, presentable, and chill. So if you're ever in need of a quick, affordable, satisfying, and healthier meal, definitely give them a try. read more

The chicken was very dry. It was one step away from being chicken jerky. The service, sides, and cleanliness were all OK, but the main reason for going was not edible without taking a sip of water between bites. We got the order to go and we will not be back. With the high cost of food, you would expect better. This is the second time the chicken was dry so it is not just a one time issue. Our advice is to get there when the chicken has just been cooked by someone who knows what they are doing. read more

I got the two-leg kid's meal with unsweetened ice tea. My side was a salad with extra dressing on the side, chips instead of tortillas, and avocado salsa. Here's where it went wrong: the extra dressing wasn't on the side; it was added to the alad. which made it soggy and overdressed. I didn't get the salsa or any salsa. The worst was the ice tea - simply gross; it didn't even taste like tea. The two stars are for the actual food - hot, juicy, and altogether delicious. I was trying something relatively healthy for me, but all I could eat was the two chicken legs, which isn't a meal. read more

The 1 star is for El Pollo Corporation SHAME ON YOU!! Charging $5.99 for a combo and if you don't want the drink and chips, they only take off $.06, so it's $5.93!!!! Completely unacceptable. This is Highway robbery at its finest. Shame on you, I will take my business elsewhere. read more

It's been awhile since I've been to a Pollo Loco since I feel like they've gone downhill, but tonight I gave them another chance to grab food for my elderly dad, I'm super happy I did. It did not disappoint. Ordered a 2pc chicken breast combo with side salads. My dad is such a picky eater (so annoying) but he loved the food. He cannot stop talking about how juicy and flavorful the chicken was and the salad hit the spot. The salad had a nice creamy green dressing I think it was avocado. The staff (2 young ladies) were sooo polite while talking my order and helpful and patient with my order since I had my dad on the phone while ordering. they gave me extra green salsa and made a big effort to ensure I had everything in my order, correct. Great job Pollo Loco for hiring these two professional ladies and keeping the quality!!! read more

I wish I would have checked the reviews for this location before ordering from here. This location should be shut down and staff overhauled until their get their act together. I came to this location for the first time because I recently moved and this is the closest location to me. I did an app order for more than $60 worth of food, and not one thing was made correctly. Every single order with requests to remove ingredients had those ingredients on it, like staff didn't even check for modifications. The burrito tasted like it was undercooked or spoiled, and it was thrown away. The lettuce in the salads and the avocado/guacamole on certain items all looked like they were several days old, and they didn't include dressings for any of the salads. The only things they got right were the tortillas and the churros. I used to go to a different El Pollo Loco in La Mesa all the time and they always got it right. It's further away but I'll gladly be sticking with that location from now on. read more

That was my double chicken tostada salad. It looks horrible, the avocado is grey and ugly. Service was bad. They gave me a regular salad. All they did to change it was, they took a tostada shell and dump my salad over it. That cost me over $12. What the fuck. That does not look like a double chicken tostada for salad. I would never go there again. read more

El Pollo Loco - Double Chicken tostada salad. - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

I haven't been here in a long time because the poor quality of food. Specifically this location. For some reason there are some el pollo locations that are better. I was nearby and just needed something small and ordered pollo bowl. Barely any chicken. When I went in to return it I was told the burnt pieces were from grilling and its dark meat. That wasn't my point. The point was the quality and quantity of chicken. Very few pieces and those pieces looked like leftovers. Instead I got one piece of chicken breast. I took a bite and almost vomited from the smell. Very thick piece that needed to be cooked more thoroughly. I'm sure it hit an internal temperature safe to eat but I thought I was eating raw chicken. Sorry this is definitely my last time here. read more

El Pollo Loco - Pollo bowl burnt tiny pieces of - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Be careful eating here the chicken is always undercooked. I'm not sure if it's because they're in a rush or what but it's to the point where the skin is thick and hardly comes off. The other locations the skin is crispy, has the dark orange look of the Pollo Loco pictures, and the inside is all white with no pink. Pollo Loco is great, just not this one. read more

I have gone 2 times in the lathe last month and both times forgot something in my order tortillas and salsa the first time then our cole slaw the second time the second time my husband drove back to pick it I the looked like there was one person in there working she was doing the counter inside and the drive thru short handed and no one in the line behind me In the drive thru at dinner time the lady was nice I told her about the items missed and she made sure I got my tortillas and salsa but forgot my slaw people will stop coming it this keeps up read more

Very stupid workers, I did, and I do order every day the double chicken, tostada salad with no salsa Fresca and every single time I do tell them(NOOOOO SALSA) And today as well, they did confirm it twice when I did ordered and over the window when I was paying and the lady asked me twice and I said yes no salsa Fresca and look at the picture. What the hell is going on with you guys? This a branch needs to be shut down. Every time is a headache. read more

El Pollo Loco - Chicken Tostada (no dressing) - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

The el Centro restaurant continues to sell poorly cooked chicken! I have given them numerous opportunities to no avail. Save your hard earned money and go elsewhere ! read more

Horrible customer service , dirty place and cook so gross . The lady took forever to serve my food and she didn't washed her hands

Horrible, lemons were spolied, I ordered an extra packet of tortilla that they "missed" and I ordered beans and they gave me coleslaw instead, manager or supervisor tried to be nice but the staff do not know what they are doing. Never coming back to this location read more

The bowls are good here but the tomatoes seemed pretty soggy and the chicken is a bit dry. It's not horrible and the customer service we received was good. They don't have shrimp anymore which was the best thing they had. Kids menu is also lacking. read more

El Pollo Loco - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

I will never ever go to this location. The supposedly manager Nancy R. was rude. We stopped by to get dinner, when we got to my grandma's house we noticed that the rice wasn't well cooked. I called the store and asked for the manager. The lady that answered the phone didn't want to provide me with any information. She told me to look at my receipt and that that was her name. Rude answered!!! I told her I could send pictures, to please provide me with an email. She said that they didn't have one. If she is the manager, she should of first apologize out of courtesy. But never did she showed on the phone per our conversation that she cared. Never again will I buy from that location. read more

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I really enjoyed the ultimate double chicken bowl. Comes with rice, beans, avocado slices, lots of chicken, some cheese, sour cream and cabbage. I got without sour cream and pilled on some onions, fresh cilantro and the chunky mild salsa. For a little kick I added a dab of the avocado salsa which has some heat but not too hot. For the price and portion, one defiantly has left overs. And don't forget the flour or corn tortillas!!!! Hot and fresh. Tasty. The restaurant was clean, staffs friendly and everything was hot and ready quickly during the lunch hour rush. 03/12/18 update - another great meal!!! Friendly staffs and it was nice to see more divers staffs behind the counter. He knows who he is!!! ;) my food was hot and as I ordered. read more

El Pollo Loco - ultimate double chicken bowl piled with salsa etc - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Thought I'd try one of their new tamale holiday bowls - and was disappointed so recommend sticking with whatever you usually (would) get here, instead. If you are in the mood for some Mexican hot chocolate, this is NOT the place to come: not only is it only so-so in taste, but they charge $4 and only give you a SMALL cup of it. read more

El Pollo Loco - Holiday Tamale and Taco (Carbon) Bowl - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Always check your bag when leaving this place not bad food but they constantly forget items in orders I live near by so it's convenient for me to go but it's not worth having to drive to get an item they forgot this place needs to pay more attention when bagging food. read more

They should have a 0 star rating cause this place does not deserve even 1 star.The service at this El Pollo loco continues to disappoint. The drive thru person was rude as hell. Kept rushing me to order repeating "Thank u for coming to El pollo loco can i take your order " I had already said one moment please. Then she didn't give me salad dressing for the salad I ordered. I found out once I got home to eat my dinner. How am I supposed to eat my dinner now when it's not complete. Thank u for yet ruining another dinner. I don't know why the hell I keep coming here. read more

terrible. salsa all over the bag and they didn't take my order right, asked for an extra pack of corn tortillas and they gave me flour + no extra pack read more

I just ate here 30 minutes ago. I just threw it up, Im not usually sensitive to foods but i genuinely think i just ate something bad. I had chicken i believe to be undercooked. Update next day i have been throwing up all day and night havent even been able to keep down water read more

Chicken avocado burrito with the green sauce is bomb.1 pm on a Friday, drive through no wait.

El Pollo Loco is one crazy chicken, that's for sure. It's beyond cinco estrellas, big time. I have said often that peeps waste time and money by going to yuppified Mexican restaurants. EPL is far superior to most any of these restaurants and is a fraction of the cost. The only draw back is the potential lack of a festivus atmosphere and a wait staff. But let's face it, most restaurants are loud AF and the service is most always forgetful and screws up your orders, etc. So what's the diff? No diff. I got the Holiday Bowl Chicken Tamale Combo con frijoles y arroz. The condiment bar is clean as hell and had mega-spicy whole raw jalapeños and salsas and stuff too. The combo was 7.99 bucks and totally hot and steaming and VERY flavorful and cooked perfectly. No maggot-like mushy rice or mealy old beans. The tamales had a good amount of pollo and were sabroso AF and the sauce was wicked good. They topped this delight with cotija to boot. Additionally the counter lady was smiley (almost emoji-like) and nice. She thanked the customers for coming and welcomed them. She even went around to peep out the customers at their tables and asked, "How is everything?" Palabras can not describe the extreme yumskiness and quality of the food. EPL is not just some janky fast food that is slopped around carelessly. In fact, there is absolutely nothing "fast food" about it whatsoever sans the fact that EPL is a fast-food set-up with a drive through and fast-food interior, etc. EPL has VERY HQ foodstuffs, YELPers, VERY HQ. Trust me. Hit up The Crazy Chicken! Caio! read more

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Food was hot employees were pleasant, and the place is clean. Done that's all I got post

I ordered a wing lover special and requested clip, and 6 Pico de Cao and no tortillas. So here we go git my order and I didn't see the Pico dee ci read more

The service from cashier emilia was very good and fast service and good food i was very happy with the service I really recommend to everybody to visit the store thank you emilia for your service read more

The place seems to be a little smaller than some that I had visited previously, the food portion also shrinking somehow, the taste still the same, I still in love with the cilantro lime cauliflower rice, the employee seems to be a little rude from time to time, the rudeness not directly toward me but to some elder lady in front of me, I overheard their conversation, the vibe inside the dining room a little off putting, I saw a bucket of disinfectant chemical on the table left unattended while people around were eating, an old couples across the room kept staring at me like I'm from another planet :) just kinda weird to me, and my food order was packed as togo instead of dining in, I guess I have to tell them next time or they would assume I was just leaving lol read more

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We love pollo loco! Go there once a week at least! Love the Tortilla Soup, Posole, all the dishes. But today we got two bones in our tortilla soup. Very disappointed read more

El Pollo Loco - Two bones from delicious tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Horrible food! The potatoes were lumpy with flour-like lumps. The macaroni and cheese was runny. They even messed up our order. We will never go back to the Avocado Avenue, El Cajon location. read more

I came for dinner this evening and ordered their special for $5 which consisted of 2 pieces of chicken, rice and whole beans, a couple of corn tortillas, and a small drink. The chicken was very good but a little skinny. Perhaps these birds were on a diet. I used the thigh piece to make a couple of tacos with onions, cilantro, fresh salsa, and with a hit of lemon juice. The tacos I put the together were awesome. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/QeXf4VddSUAxzyry2GKWzA?select=MK9ZAreBPTF1TemuXuD5Xg). I especially loved the one I made with their avocado spicy green salsa. The beans needed a touch of salt and the rice was good and properly cooked. The chicken drum I ate was tasty but like I said earlier, it sure was one skinny minnie chicken. I like the salsas the had, but the house one was rather bland. The food gets 3 stars, but when I include the great friendly service, this place deserves a four star rating. It is nice when a place makes you feel welcomed. Thank you Mitzy! Que Curiosita. The Skinny Crazy Chicken is Back! read more

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Service was really bad and the manger was rude and they didn't get my additional toppings

INELA is awesome.. she is just great. Didnt get my chips but thats ok Went to the one on Broadway and Ballantyne because its 5mins from my house. HORRIBLE experience. CYNTHIA the so called manager needs to hang up her shirt and just get a desk job, rude ass person.. THANK YOU AGAIN INELA for your perfect customer service. read more

Ordered from here through Postmates today received our three orders with only one container of salsa per order. Postmates doesn't let you ask for more than one but it would be nice to get more than one container of salsa for our order. Our orders were even supposed to come with chips and salsa and we didn't receive salsa for the chips. This is not the time to be stingy with your salsa. read more

Staff is lazy to the extreme. They don't read the receipts for alterations and just make you whatever it easiest for them. Shitty food and shitty service all around. It's hard to fuck up a BRC but they managed to. read more

I came here for dinner. I have the application on my iPhone 7s. If you purchase something you get the drink free. I came hungry. I typically don't eat late. I got the chicken bowl with a drink. The bowl was very filling. It had rice, beans, corn, salsa, sour cream, chicken pieces and some cabbage and on top were two avocado slices. Food was descent. It had a lot in the container. To drink, I had a fruit punch. Service was quick. They give you a buzzer once your food is ready to pick up. Mine came out pretty quickly. There's plenty of tables inside. There's a salsa bar and drink station right next to it. I loved the salsas. All were pretty flavorful. Free refills if you dine in. To use the restroom, you need to ask for a key. There's plenty of parking up front. read more

El Pollo Loco - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

Ever since new ownership took over this Pollo Loco it has significantly gone down in quality. I have been coming here for years and although the service is always good with nice and friendly staff, the prices have spiked and the portions have gotten much smaller. I have been ordering the chicken chipotle avocado burrito for at least five years, it used to come loaded with chicken and cost just over $6. It was a fat burrito. Now it's over $8 and the portion has been reduced to almost half the size. Ridiculous. Sad to say they have lost a customer. The past couple of months the portion has remained the same, really small so it wasn't just a one time thing. Won't be coming back anymore. read more

El Pollo Loco - Chipotle Avocado Burrito - Mexican Near Me - El Cajon, California

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On July 18th 2023, my wife and I went to El Pollo Loco located at 1145 Avocado Avenue in the city of El Cajon Ca. My wife found a small chicken drumstick which appeared to be raw. Terrible service and ambiance. My wife was accused of placing that piece of chicken in her salad bowl. read more

Dry ass burritos. And when you ask for a new one gets made fast and get a dry ass cheese burrito on your chipotle. Asked for a refund and they said burrito couldn't be refund because it's eating three bites out of it. Okay el pollo loco. I paid $20 for a meal didn't eat anything but left with Mac and cheese and one drink. thanks for dinner No I don't want no contact support shit or survey And no link to any thing more detail about this visit. Honestly I love in lemon grove I used to live up in avocado ave I came from lemon grove there's two or three different el pollo locos on the way but I know how good the service was to this location I wanted to come here. read more

Today's order wasn't fresh the chicken overcooked burnt too dry. i should of returned it.