We haven't been to this location for over a year because we had been so disappointed several times. We tried it again last night and it was amazing! The chicken was well cooked, juicy and not overdone. Jesus took our order and he was friendly, engaging and really made us feel welcome. I didn't get the name of the gentleman that gave us our order, I think it may have been the manager. He was also very friendly, thanked us for coming in and made sure to ask us if we needed anything else. We will definitely be returning. They have regained our business. read more

From the moment you walk in, you're greeted by friendly staff and the amazing aroma of flame-broiled chicken. This El Pollo Loco is hands-down my favorite location thanks to its spotless environment, fast service, and genuinely warm customer service. The freshness of the food is top-notch especially the salsa, which hits the absolute perfect balance of acidity, cilantro, and spice. The 12 pieces family meal with three sides always my first pick. A huge thank you to Daniel and Wilson for going above and beyond to make today's meal extra delicious!" read more

El Pollo Loco - Ample parking lot, fast drive thru - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

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El Pollo Loco is doing better with their chicken these days. It's not as dry as it used to be the last few years. Salad, however, needs to have fresher lettuce and not old and wilted. Churros are good and not hard as most places. read more

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Honestly, I have never had a El Pollo Loco and a YouTube short caught my interest to try it lol. i'm a big fan of grilled Mexican chicken and was craving some so I thought I'd drive to the nearest one and surprisingly it was very busy! The cashier and service was nice and friendly even gave me a discount when I was chatting in it up and telling her it was my first time. Inside the restaurant, it was very clean bathroom and trashcan, salt, clean and maintain well. Definitely do not have any complaints, especially for some fast food restaurants I've seen in the past. Food was pretty good, but you've got to set your expectations. For a fast food place that's quick and convenient. Give it a 4/5 - chicken was juicy, sides are OK salsa OK as well. Would come back in a pinch. read more

El Pollo Loco - Three piece meal - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

I waited a half hour before I got my chicken plate. It appears they hadn't cooked enough chicken and were telling customers it would be another five or 10 minutes. In fact, it took way longer than that. A customers came inside after being in the drive-through after a long time with no car movement. Some tables hadn't been cleaned and some of the napkin containers were empty. Toward the end of my stay, they were telling customers that they no longer had chicken wings! So I'm not sure if it's a management problem or whether they had issues with shipments not coming in, but it was a bad experience for anyone who came in expecting a quick dinner. I'll be looking for another El Polo location to frequent. read more

The best El Pollo Loco out of all the rest I've gone to over the years in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Anaheim. I didn't know there's levels to this! Haha! Have eaten here twice now and been impressed every time. The ambiance is spacious, clean and very inviting with good lighting in the evening. Every staff member have been super friendly, smiley, helpful, quick service. The food has been consistent every time with moist, tender chicken and fresh produce for their salads. read more

Always been a big fan of El Pollo Loco. Was our first time dining in today, food came out almost immediately. We usually get leg and thigh family size for a group of 2-4. Super tender grilled meat, our go-to's are corn or coleslaw or rice for sides. Self serve salsa bar and kind service! read more

El Pollo Loco - 8 8pc Family Meal - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

Taste is relative, but I'm just not a fan. My family absolutely LOVES this place though! Even my visiting in-laws loved it so much that they ordered it 3x a week the whole 2 weeks they were here! I will say that the food is always freshly made and hot, every single time. I think what I don't like is the seasoning. It's just not my cup of tea. But as far as quality, it's exceptional. So this is one of those places you either hate or love, with no in between. read more

Though I miss the salsa bar at old El Pollo locations, the decor is still nice. The manager was really on top of making the customer experience excellent. Oh yeah, and food was great. Completely mogs the abysmal McDonalds across the street. read more

By far the best quality El Pollo Loco in the entire United States! Ellie the Manager definitely knows how to run a great experience. The restaurant is always super organized, clean and provides the best customer service. 10 out of 10!! And all the food is always fresh, flavorful and the chicken is always juicy. Ellie literally makes us feel like family when we visit. Definitely recommend to all our family and friends. Thanks Ellie! - Edward read more

Dear El Pollo Loco Customer Care, I am writing to submit a formal complaint regarding an incident that occurred at your Irvine location (5501 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92618) on August 23, 2025, at approximately 10:17 PM. I placed an order through the El Pollo Loco mobile app, which confirmed that my order would be ready for pickup at the counter by 10:19 PM. When I arrived, I was already parked in front of the restaurant. I made my online order while sitting there, not at home. I then walked inside to pick up my food. At that point, the employee in charge, Daniel, immediately told me, "No, no, no, we're closed" and gestured with his hands as if to "shoo" me away--treating me like an animal. His tone and body language were extremely rude, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable. When I questioned why the app instructed me to pick up my order at the counter, Daniel lied and claimed the doors were open only because an employee had just left through them. This was false I had been parked directly in front of the entrance the entire time, and no employee ever exited that door. The only person I saw leaving was another customer carrying their order after I had already walked inside. Later, when I went through the drive-thru to request a refund, Daniel changed his story and said he didn't allow me inside because the floors were wet and he didn't want me to fall. This directly contradicted his earlier explanation, showing that he was not being truthful. If safety had been the genuine concern, why did he not say that from the beginning? And why dismiss me with a degrading hand gesture instead of politely explaining? To make matters worse, Daniel told me that he could not issue me a refund because I had paid through the app. That is unacceptable. As a customer, I should not be forced to pay for an order I was not allowed to properly receive. I am requesting a full refund for my order. This is also not the first time I have had an unpleasant experience at this same location with this same employee. This is the second time I have been treated disrespectfully by Daniel. I strongly believe that if I were a man, he would not have spoken to me in such a condescending and hostile way. In addition, I want to point out that your staff appeared to be shutting down the restaurant well before closing time, with employees mopping and closing things down before 10:30 PM. If mobile orders are not accepted past a certain time, then the app should reflect that clearly. Otherwise, customers are being misled and disrespected, as I was. I am extremely bothered by this entire situation and hope this complaint is not dismissed or "swept under the table." The behavior I experienced was unprofessional, unacceptable, dishonest, and disrespectful. Your employees need better training, and customers deserve honesty and courtesy, not lies and hostility. I expect to receive my full refund and a follow-up confirming that this complaint is being taken seriously and that corrective action is being taken at this location. Thank you for your attention. read more

This is a complaint for this exact location. I bought a polo bowl for exactly $6.45 yesterday and today it's $7.41 on the app today it's saying price is $6.45 tax included. I asked the boy for a receipt he faked putting it in the bag then told me the receipt was in the bag when it was not. Did he give himself a tip? After he handed me the bag he hid himself in the corner of the register. Pretending to be busy. Very disappointing. 6:30 Pm drive-thru 04/19/26. read more

This spot is always maintaining a steady crowd during lunch time, and for good reason! The associates always seem to be on top of preparing orders, and although I wouldn't say it's the friendliest service, it's definitely efficient and the food quality is on point. I like that they sometimes include chips (I have no idea if it's actually part of the combo meal) when ordering bundles, as the chips seem freshly fried and well salted. I also appreciate that this location actually puts 10 sauces into our order when I request for 10 sauces online, whereas some other stores may only pack 2-4 sauces because they can't be bothered with the requested amount. The pricing is starting to get higher and higher, but we are willing to pay a premium to get freshly grilled chicken with plenty of sides. The dining room seems relatively clean because there is no more sauce station where people make a mess or accidentally spills. It's a great location with consistent legs and thighs, and I definitely would return in order to pick up lunch or dinner. read more

The past few times I drove here I ordered thru drive thru. And always before busy time. I used to always get napkins , forks or spoons. But the past few times I never got any thing to serve with. read more

Black cashier is very rude and unprofessional. She should not work as cashier. Other people are great and friendly. But she is NOT

Great staff. Good well prepared. If staff not too busy they even kindly bring to your table. Clean place. Great location!!!

Wow blown away everything from condescending attitude from the worker at the window all the way to the food so I ordered the shredded burrito à la carte when I ate it I choked on it because there was nothing but bone and wing ends so the tips of the wings I wanted to go back but I started choking on a piece of wing and I was so shocked and shaking from surviving it that I just wanted to go home. The mac & cheese was super watery and not as good as I remembered it from other previous Pollo Locos. This message is to whoever is a lead or is in charge. If you wanna keep me as a customer, I would be willing to come and try again correctly, but none of that was done right I didn't receive any shredded chicken at all every bite had bone or wing Unbelievable I've never seen anything like that. Please make this right and refund me the money or make it again for me thanks. read more

Solid El Pollo Loco!! Fresh food. Cool staff. Fresca pico is on point. Wish the one by my house was owned by this one.

Used to be my dads favorite spot before he passed away but my sister still gets food here she ask me to pick her up something and oh man this place has gone down hill. From small portions and being over charged. I ordered no avocado in my burrito and got avocado. Ordered a small rice- cost is 5.56 very small portion. Ordered queso small was charged for avocado and chips. Over charged. Called in and the manager Maria said she could give me a refund in person but couldn't do it over the phone even with my receipt... Kinda of wild... if I'm getting charged this much might as well eat a restaurant forsure. read more

I feel like El pollo loco is underrated really. The chicken is honestly amazing for such a simple place. Everything else can be a hit or miss but the chicken is always spot on, if you come here, you definitely have to try the chicken, if you try anything else then you can't complain or else your just a Crazy Chicken. The service is great, they are fast and efficient and generous. The ambiance is casual with some good music playing, the music is played at a slightly above average sound level. Seats are cushioned and well lit with some outdoor seating is some nice weather. read more

El Pollo Loco - 3 piece meal, always tasty and delicious! It is way more filling than it looks! - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

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I live nearby, so I decided to walk there, have a nice dinner and walk back home. I checked online for the opening hours and it showed they close at 11:00pm. To save time I decided to use their app to place an order ahead of time, and paid in advance. I arrived at 9:20pm, they were already mopping and they refused to let me in, they said they are closed. After "simulating" being a car I got my food, but that was definitely not the eating experience I was looking for. The workers were just as confused as me. I believe the root cause of the problem is that they close the in-person dinner at 9pm, but that is not visible to online customers coming in. read more

Still affordable and Food was fresh. Customer service was ok. The cleanest El pollo Loco I have been too! Bathrooms was spot on. Felt like a hotel. The only thing I did not like was this location did not have a salsa bar. You would have to ask for salsa from the cashier. Overall. Good location. read more

El Pollo Loco - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

First time visitor to this location in a very long period. Special shout out to the Manager, Elie. Didn't have a clue what or how to best order to my needs. Elie displayed supreme kindness, patience, and hospitality. The meal was delicious and you have a new and regular customer. Please make sure that your Manager gets recognized for amazing Customer Service and great food. Good job! read more

Place is doing really well. Service is superb these days. The food is great. Definitely head down here.

I've been to 4 El Pollo Locos in SoCal. This is numero uno because of the leadership such as Elie and staff such as Patrick

Made me extremely late due to the order being 15 minutes over the expected time to be completed. When I asked the cashier they stated "it's almost ready" meaning 3-4 minutes right? Nope. Barely gets two stars because the food was great read more

Fresh Mexican food, simple, but at a cost. It's a great idea to serve fresh, grilled chicken and tortillas. Their burritos are healthy and tasty. It's convenient and fast, but at a cost. Today, the chicken burritos at El Pollo Loco are almost $10 each. I had a queso blanca burrito for $8.99. It was less than spectacular. My son's burrito had guacamole, but mine did not. There was a lot of beans and rice, some pico and a few spoonfuls of chicken. I"m sorry but money does not fall from the sky, so I need to spend my money carefully. In my mind, that is a good five or six dollar burrito. I feel ripped off. I"m spending nine dollars and not getting much chicken in my burrito. I rather go somewhere else where a chicken burrito has mostly chicken. read more

I had a great experience at this location. It was busy, but the service was so excellent the line never became too backed up. And I arrived at the peak of the lunch rush. I ordered the chicken avocado burrito and it was very good! The chicken was a tiny bit on the dry side but I was just happy that it was white meat chicken in the burrito. The avocado was plentiful and the sauce was perfection. There is plenty of seating inside and outside. It was a very nice day so we grabbed a table outside. There are lots of umbrellas so most of the table was shaded. I will definitely be back here again soon! read more

El Pollo Loco - 2 piece meal! - Fast Food Near Me - Irvine, California

Recently we visited this El Pollo restaurant. We were very surprised with our experience there. The restaurant was very colorful and clean. Even the restrooms were clean! The service at the counter was excellent. The manager was at the counter and he was very courteous and helpful. The food was delicious. We had a quesadilla and a three piece white chicken dinner. The chicken was fresh and moist. Overall we couldn't be happier with this restaurant and we will return soon. read more

Chipotle's my usual go-to, but I was in a hurry so I decided to do drive thru. Never again! On the plus side, the service was fast. On the not-plus side I was shocked at the prices. I got the double chicken tostada and there was a fair amount of chicken, unfortunately it was dry. It was skimpy on the pinto beans and rice and they were kinda tasteless. Chipotle, sorry I strayed...will you take me back? read more

Did a large catering order and the manager on duty was very helpful and accommodating. Pick up was seamless and food was ready on time. Ordered catered lunch boxes with the following: chicken avocado burrito, chicken avocado quesadilla, and pollo bowl. The chips were a little too salty for my liking. The pollo bowl had a lot of beans that I wish were chicken instead. Overall still good! Inside was clean and plenty of seating. read more

Good food and great staff! I enjoy coming to this place for lunch or dinner. Highly recommended.

Service is kind and fast! The chicken pollo bowl and family meals are delicious and hearty. I love their salsas, esp the avocado one! Chicken is so tender and juicy! read more

I'm quite surprised with the low rating here on yelp for this location. It was my first time ever trying this fast food chain, and boy did I wait too long. I honestly really loved it! I ordered 3 piece (dark meat) chicken meal with a side of rice and macaroni and cheese. When I was called for my order, I was so surprised at how fresh it was. It didn't feel like I ordered from a fast food chain. I thought that it reminded me of a homemade cook, except not. That really says a lot about the food. The chicken were juicy and flavourful. Their sides were also a stellar! I'm definitely going to be back there again, especially when I don't want to cook, but want a home cook meal lol. One last thing, I did ask for gravy for my chicken and they gave it to me no problem. I highly recommend! read more

I ordered their 3 piece dark meat with a side of Mac and cheese. Just a small and quick snack while I drive from work to PT. I like coming here because staff alway friendly and service is quick. read more

Quite possibly the worst managed pollo loco I've ever been to. Last month I had placed an order through their app to pick up and when I'm pulled up to pick up my order, I parked in the "pickup lane". I walk in and asked for my order and in front of other customers, the manager in a loud and disrespectful way tells me to move my car and not park there. Long story short, he had assumed I was an uber eats delivery guy picking up an order. Yesterday, I place an order at the drive thru and asked for a chicken and shrimp bowl and one extra salad dressing. The young lady replied that it would cost me $.60 for an extra dressing which was shocking because I've order extra dressing before many times and never been charged for it. But with today's high prices with food and gas, I wasn't surprised of the changes. But I asked the girl when did they start charging for extra dressing because I was never charged before. She replied with a snarky attitude "We've always charged and if you were never charged before that's because they weren't doing their job." The. Gives me a serious stare. Easy, lady... It was just a question. When I got home to eat, to my disappointment, there was no shrimp! I checked my receipt to verify I was charged for the chicken and shrimp and yep, it was on there. This place is whack, with a bunch of angry workers that starts from the manager down. read more

The food is ready in 30 seconds so you know it's fresh. The chicken is burnt every single time. Whoever is working right now should be fired. This is disgraceful. McDonald's is waaaaaay better than this trash sadly. Whoever the manager is, you need to be there watching your employees. They have no respect for this job. read more

Spent $30 and after we've left the drive thru, we found there are no forks or napkins! How the F are we supposed to eat salad, sides, or mango habanero chicken breast without forks. We went back to ask for forks & they proceed to tell us they don't have any. Might as well just close, as there is no point. Also, maybe tell people that when they're ordering, just might affect what or even if they decide to order. 9:45 on a Friday night (1.7.25)... absolute trash. Will never be returning to this location. read more

Got my drive thru order. Asked for extra salsa which I didn't get. They hurried me off and after I got my food, got so far down the road I didn't recieve my large drink I paid for. Definitely never going to this or any other el pollo loco again. Burrito and taco meat had no flavor. read more

This location is consistently great. I haven't had any dry pieces in a while. Food quality has been consistently great, and the workers are friendly. read more