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    El Pollo Loco

    2.8 (108 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order El Pollo Loco Takeout or Delivery

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    EL POLLO LOCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

    Recommended Reviews - El Pollo Loco

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    Discussing. Go to take the last bite and pull out a cute corner of a plastic bag

    Discussing. Took a bite into a crunchy taco and bite into a cut corner of a plastic bag

    Amy O.

    6/13/2024- In the area and decided to pick up a quick lunch.. Honestly-I don't care for fast food chicken.. However, today I went with the chicken burrito bowls.. The drive thru is super fast.. The bowls were decent size.. and the food was hot..chicken was decent .. a little too many pinto beans for me.. Glad I stopped in..

    3/6/23 Dinner; 8 piece family meal
    Lee D.

    I have been craving El Pollo Loco for a long time. But they never send me coupons in the Bay Area. When I got back to Reno today, they sent me coupons!!!! Here I come! Quality/Quantity - 8 Piece Chicken Family Feast. Avocado Family Salad - Underwhelming; just lettuce and 3 slices of avocado. 4 pieces of Thighs and Drums - Good flavors, but these are some small chickens... Must be free range, LOL. I ate 3 thighs myself and I am a light eater. Side of Corn - So good. Side of Rice - Craved rice, which is rare for me. If my daughter was here, we would get the mac and cheese. Atmosphere - Typical drive thru fast food business. Good size, plenty of indoor seating but no customers. Plenty of parking. Open 7 days a week from 10am to 9pm, see picture; Yelp and website hours differ. Service - 5 stars. The "kid" was young and perfect; patient, polite, and nice. Price - $22, good deal. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1974 (1980 in the US) and your +/- 500 locations! 1983 Acquired by Denny's. 1987 Denny's was acquired. 1999 El Pollo Loco was acquired again. 2005 Ditto. 2014 Got on the NASDAQ. Wow what a story.

    Mel J.

    This is my favorite location because they are fast and the food is always yummy. Indeed, I haven't had a negative experience at this location and it's the one I usually come to - via the drive thru only. My only complaint is that the El Pollo Loco chain took the chicken nachos off the fire grilled combo menu! I know that has nothing to do with this particular location, but it's a concern for me. :) Recommend? Yes Return? Yes

    Small imo,  4 piece (half chicken) meal with 2 sides.
    Tabitha E.

    I mean, it's fast food. It hits the spot when I'm craving a sort of brick chicken when I don't have energy to do my own or don't want to spend double the price at a restaurant. I used to frequent the North McCarran and Mae Anne location, and at least a couple years ago, that was actually a better representation of the food imo. This location can be hit or miss, so far my orders have never been 100% correct, but not enough to truly complain. Don't go close to closing obviously, you'll get dry dry end of the day chicken. The 4 piece meal feels like a rip off at first glance but it ends up being a lot more chicken than you think. Not mexican but I love their mashed potatoes and gravy (pro tip, dip the chicken meat in it). Also enjoy their corn as it has some red peppers in it. I believe most of their sides are a-OK! My husband likes that for fast food, their salsa has a bit of kick to it. If you get fresh chicken it's even more amazing. I like their spice rub and the flavor it gives the chicken. If I'm in a mood for chicken, I tend to stick with raising canes for fried texture and el pollo loco for grilled. Like I said, it's fast food, not going to be a gourmet experience here, but it gets the job done. Be prepared for wrong orders, but I've noticed that is sort of just how things are these days. Like most places, they have an app with rewards and deals. Pro tip, set up a separate spam email account to sign up for the million things that require accounts now. Then check said email when you want that food for the latest coupon release. Even better of you use an alias.

    El Apollo Loco in Reno
    Julie A.

    Great Delicious food, nice and clean restaurant, service with a smile. Nice atmosphere and this was a Five Star lunch for me. Thank you El Pollo Loco. You make fantastic chicken. Julie A

    Linda H.

    Good consistent "fast food". Not too far down South Virginia. Had a craving for that familiar taste as we had an El Pollo Loco not too far from our home in SoCal. Got the family combo, mixed dark and white meats, beans, rice, and macaroni. Staff were very friendly and at 4 pm, we barely beat the dinner crowd. Easy access. Consistent fast food.

    Incompetent worker who can't count to 10 and I was CHARGED $26.99. The manager is a thief and the chicken is horrible.

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    12 years ago

    They were out of wings and breasts. Kind of ridiculous that a chicken place runs out of chicken.

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - El Pollo Loco

    Review Highlights - El Pollo Loco

    Indeed, I haven't had a negative experience at this location and it's the one I usually come to - via the drive thru only.

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Bertha Miranda's Mexican Food Restaurant and Cantina - Chicken Taco and Enchilada

    Bertha Miranda's Mexican Food Restaurant and Cantina

    4.0(836 reviews)
    5.1 mi
    $$

    Hands down the BEST MEXICAN FOOD I have had in FOREVER!!! I wish I would have gotten pictures. I…read moreordered The Masterpiece. Chili Relleno, cheese enchilada, chicken taco, beans and rice, and a regular Margarita. Each of the dishes had its own distinct flavor profile. The margarita had a very light refreshing taste that was very enjoyable. They go down easy so be careful The service was incredible DENISE is not only the manager but a server too. She was cheerful, kind, and very attractive to all our needs. We had a party of 8 with 3 small children and she was a CHAMP! The ambiance was amazing. Like a old mexican cantina with raw bric and painted family portraits of the Matriarch of the family that started the restaurant. All in all I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!!

    Ordered the masterpiece…read more Chili relleno was rather bland. There was no seasoning and the outside fell off of the chili while the cheese inside fell out of the chili. So maybe a 5/10. The enchilada sauce was again rather bland though creamy. Likely a 6/10. Just did not appeared to be seasoned in any way. The taco was a 5/10. I liked how they achieved the crunchy corn tortilla, but again it was very bland. The rice was soggy and flavorless. The refried beans had some cheese . But once again, no seasoning of any kind. The flan was pretty well made, though they didn't bother giving me the whipped cream. Our waitress was hostile to us and we ended up having to go up to the register to pay at the end after 1.75 hours. I had ordered the flan after somebody else ordered and it had come out. I wanted to see what it looked like before deciding. The waitress looked at me like "really" like why did I not order it earlier. When I asked for silverware after getting it she just about snapped. She hadn't cleaned up the extra silverware on the table as is normally expected so she grabbed it and slammed it by me like she was losing it. The air of the place kind of gave off a toxicity like nobody wanted to be there, everyone was miserable, and the customers were treated as annoyances that needed to get out. The food came across as the kitchen having lost all passion for cooking and doing the absolute bare minimum. Felt like I was at a restaurant from kitchen nightmares and Gordon Ramsay was going to walk in at any second. I had terrible gas and pain after getting home even 5 hours later so I am pretty sure the chili relleno had gluten, though that's my fault. We ended up here because there were not many decent options open at 3:30 pm. It was a place nobody really wanted to go to and I do not imagine that we will ever find ourselves here ever again. Rather not feel like our waitress is about to attack us and the people at the register look at us like go away.

    Photos
    Bertha Miranda's Mexican Food Restaurant and Cantina - Wes our server

    Wes our server

    Bertha Miranda's Mexican Food Restaurant and Cantina - Number 8 shredded beef Taco & cheese Enchilada Plate.

    Number 8 shredded beef Taco & cheese Enchilada Plate.

    Bertha Miranda's Mexican Food Restaurant and Cantina - Bar area

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    Bar area

    Mi Ranchito - Gorditas de carne asada

    Mi Ranchito

    4.2(276 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $

    I love this place! I…read morehave lunch here at least every other week, service is good and food is fantastic! The student special is cheaper than food on campus and the quality is much better.

    Rarely do I write a review after just 1 visit, but I'm making an exception for this little gem!…read more I've known of this place for years, but never stopped in before. I was glad that I did finally drop in. Located in a little strip mall on Valley Road, it's an unassuming place from the outside. The inside is small, but comfortable and it felt very "homey". When I walked in, the first thing that hit me was the smell of delicious food wafting through the air. The tastes did not disappoint. We were greeted and sat promptly by a personable young man that brought us water. The owner then brought us our drinks...a margarita for my dining companion and a Mandarin Jarritos for me. My sip of the margarita tasted amazing! Great balance and flavor. We also received a basket of chips and salsa. You could tell that they were made fresh to order. The chips were crispy and hot. The salsa was outstanding...fresh cilantro...balanced combination of flavors with a nice, subtle kick of spiciness at the back end. Not too spicy...just right. I usually have to ask for something hotter...not in this case. The food was amazing! My dining companion ordered the Chile Relleno plate and I got the Molcajete. The prices are outstanding and the amount of food? Huge plates! My Molcajete was sizzling hot and overflowing with chicken, beef, shrimp, nopales and ground beef mixed with veggies. A large plate of refried beans and spanish rice also accompanied this presentation. Fresh, hot, delicious corn tortillas rounded out each of our orders. We were also given a couple of squeeze bottles of sauces...green and red...to add to our meals if we wanted. Freshly made and the bottles were presented in a plastic tub filled with ice to keep them cold. Great addition to the already amazing food! There's also a nice selection of Mexican hot sauces on the table for you to choose from. We both took to-go boxes...so much food! Mine lasted for 2 more meals! I plan to return on a regular basis...this is now one of my favorite local places for great Mexican food. As always, I suggest that you visit to see what YOU think...

    Photos
    Mi Ranchito - Inside

    Inside

    Mi Ranchito - Chicken Super Nachos

    Chicken Super Nachos

    Mi Ranchito - Margarita

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    Margarita

    Chihuahua's Cantina & Grill - Carne Asada Platter

    Chihuahua's Cantina & Grill

    3.9(1.1k reviews)
    0.5 miSouth Reno
    $$

    I'm updating my original review because it's only fair to give credit where it's due. Our other…read moreexperience wasn't great, but we've been back several times since then, and they've completely redeemed themselves. The service has been consistently friendly, and the food has been amazing every time. It's actually becoming one of our go-to spots when we're craving Mexican food. As someone who's used to Southern California Mexican food, I usually find a lot of the Mexican restaurants in Reno to be a bit bland. Chihuahuas is one of the few places I've found that has those bold, authentic flavors and reminds me of home. We're really glad we gave them another chance!

    Update: This place is still as amazing as I remember. We…read moredecided to come during the Connor McGregor vs Max Halloway UFC fight since every place in town was full so I called Chihuahua's and they said they weren't busy and was showing the fight. We got right in and I asked to sit at the bar right in front of the tv. The staff were super friendly and the bartenders chatted with us the whole time while also enjoying the fight themselves in between making their drinks. The food was super delicious. We ordered Aguachile (really good but super sour), pineapple jalapeño wings (too sweet and not my fave), ribeye chicharron........be prepared to cough and have the people sitting near you cough non stop lol. It was spicy and a bit dry but good. My favorite was the roasted bone marrow with garlic bread. Insanely good. We had a great time and will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Chihuahua's Cantina & Grill - Margarita flight

    Margarita flight

    Chihuahua's Cantina & Grill - Ground Beef Enchilada

    Ground Beef Enchilada

    Chihuahua's Cantina & Grill - Área de bar

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    Área de bar

    Carnitas y Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara 3 - Tacos de canasta (chicharron)

    Carnitas y Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara 3

    4.2(104 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    I've been to (almost*) every Mexican restaurant in Reno and this is the one I keep coming back to…read moreand keep recommending. The torta ahogada with the carnitas is a culinary delight! The bread is somehow soaked in a sauce but still crunchy just beneath the sauce, and springy/chewy in the middle. The flavors are rich and amazing. Finally you can add the spicy hot sauce if you want and you will be sweating bullets but happy about it at the same time. I also love the tacos de canasta as a fun and delicious appetizer. The food is always comes out super fast, and I leave super happy. The only gotchas are that only some of the staff speaks English so be ready for that, and that they have live music at night on the weekends, and it tends to get a little loud in the building. *I haven't been to 1 in Reno yet because it's hasn't been open the 3 times I've tried, and I haven't been to all the places in the valleys yet.

    Coming from SoCal, so far this is the best Mexican restaurant we found in Reno. We tried a few…read moreothers but they didn't measure up to this place. Here they serve free chips and salsa and they make homemade tortillas. The ceviche and shrimp cocktails are delicious. The carne asada and carnitas is also delicious. I had the aguachile was refreshing and had a good level of spice. Their agua frescos were also clean and refreshing. The restaurant was spacious and clean. The service was good even with a full restaurant one time we went.

    Photos
    Carnitas y Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara 3
    Carnitas y Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara 3 - Torta Ahogada

    Torta Ahogada

    Carnitas y Tortas Ahogadas Guadalajara 3 - Chavela

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    Chavela

    Tequila Catador - Chips and salsa

    Tequila Catador

    3.8(87 reviews)
    4.6 miMidtown

    When it comes to tacos and tequila..Tequila Matador don't play…read more The carne asada tacos were straight up juicy, flavorful, and cooked just right. I don't do raw onions, so I ordered grilled onions and jalapeños tatemados and avocado slices on the side... BEST decision. That smoky, charred flavor took the tacos to another level. And the drinks?? Gina the bartender is a tequila guru periottt....She knows exactly what she's doing. The fresh watermelon margarita was my favorite--super refreshing and dangerously good. The coconut lime one surprised me... SO good. They really went above and beyond here. The vibe can be chill and relaxing, but I've also heard they turn it up with a live band (not sure on the schedule, but I'm coming back to catch that). Great food, great drinks, and a spot that hits both vibes. Gina has to be the best bartender ever!

    Wow... the food, service, and ambiance was amazing! There were soooo many different tequila's that…read moreI didn't even know existed! It was a bit overwhelming, but the bartender was so helpful! Which by the way, that pregnant bartender needs a raise! She was so pleasant, knowledgeable, and running around serving everyone there with excellent service! I'm very picky about my Mexican food and boy oh boy was it delicious! My fav was the street corn, I got 2 orders! Would recommend for ANY occasion! Will be back there soon with more friends!

    Photos
    Tequila Catador - Inside

    Inside

    Tequila Catador - Molcajete bowl

    Molcajete bowl

    Tequila Catador - Strawberry margarita

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    Strawberry margarita

    El Pollo Loco - mexican - Updated September 2026

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