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    El Pollo Loco

    3.2 (107 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order El Pollo Loco Takeout or Delivery

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    EL POLLO LOCO ATMOSPHERE

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

    Recommended Reviews - El Pollo Loco

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    classic tostada salad

    I just got home and disappointed to see the amount of chicken they put on my classic tostada salad...

    4 pc w/black beans and rice
    Rich M.

    Say what you will, but personally I've been digging this place for decades! 3.5 stars for me. But it is still fast-food grilled chicken. You might tell me it's not the most authentic ever, and I won't listen. Look, I'll take it any day since I know what to expect. They seem real consistent at all locations. Service is typically quick too. Very good value- price/product ratio. If you're a sucker for coupons like me, that value just got sweeter. They arrive monthly sandwiched in my junk mail but I won't dare call them junk. Saving a few bucks enables the frugal soul. Over the years they have expanded the menu, improved their salsa bar and added a self-serve drink station which includes horchata! Get that green avocado salsa and the diced pico de gallo that they don't give you normally. At the salsa bar. Makes all the difference to me and hopefully you too. We prefer the flour tortillas also since the corn ones taste processed(and are). Knowing from previous visits of course will allow you to make the minor changes to maximize your experience here. And they now have Horchata too!

    Lunch time
    Adnan F.

    I love going to this location because of their food but customer service is horrible. I always go through the drive through but the lady makes me repeat my order three times to get my order right. Food is average not the greatest. I sometime crave a avocado chicken salad and decided to eat the double chicken Avocado tostada. The avocado on my food today had some black marks and definitely was not fresh very disappointing. Will make this my last visit to this location. Definitely will find a better location to make the drive instead of coming here.

    Double Chicken Bowl
    Amira S.

    Used their curbside service in the app with a $5 off coupon. Service was prompt. Pulled up. Parking lot was a little crazy to no fault of their own. Clicked here in the app. Parked in the curbside app spot my food was brought out immediately in a sealed bag. The server was nice and polite. Utensils and condiments were in the bag and the food was good. No complaints whatsoever. Would definitely eat here again.

    Very Dissatisfied - Never Buy From This Food Chain Again & will share my experience

    Pretty disgusting taco I've ever seen or had. The order was missing the burrito special Shredded beef Birria Entree. I had hand surgery so my friend ordered in the store for me with complete photos of my 2 sided colorful coupon including the scan codes & numbers. Alejandro said only one coupon could be used for the Entree special @ $7.00. Another coupon was Free chips with the order of the burrito. I got those but NO BURRITO & Wanted 2 of the Entrees. Not 1 or 2 burritos In the order. My total bill was an outrageous $$$$26.36 & WAS CHARGED FOR THE SUPPOSEDLY FREE CHIPS & Guac. poor customer service in this transaction by 58 Alejandro who could have worked better & checked with my friend on the final order!! yes, I'm upset! That's not Pennie's spent! I'll never darken their door again.

    A lack of filling

    I've been coming here for months now and got what I always order (a bean and cheese burrito combo- basic I know) but this time they gave me a tiny little wrap that I don't even think can be called a burrito. I went thru the drive thru and didn't even notice until I got home and started eating. I've never had an issue with this location before but literally what is this. I've already taken two bites but you can see in the picture just how tiny this thing is. I'm so annoyed.

    Quality control is lacking! Open faced quesadilla... Definitely not a menu item.
    Alexandra C.

    My visits to this El Pollo Loco have become increasingly disappointing. Customer service is almost always good. I typically order at the drive thru. It is apparent by the food served that quality control in the kitchen is almost non existent at times, more often than not. It is unacceptable to advertise food one way and serve differently than pictured. During my visit to the restaurant several days ago, I ordered 2 chicken avocado overstuffed quesadillas for my boyfriend and I. Both quesadillas were served open faced- this is something I have ordered dozens of times and know should not be served this way. During our last visit, I ordered the same thing, but my boyfriend received a bacon chicken and avocado quesadilla and I received a chicken avocado quesadilla, despite the receipt clearly stating " 2 Quesa Chk Avo". During another trip, I ordered 4 crunchy chicken tacos. The employee in the drive thru let me know there was only enough meat for 2 tacos, which gave me the opportunity to choose something else; however, after arriving home, there were a few pieces of shredded chicken and hardly any lettuce. I made the drive back to the store on that occasion and presented the food to the Manager, who did not seem phased by it. On another occasion, I was given what seemed like half of a quesadilla. Hopefully quality improves.

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    4 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    Jessica B.

    Helpful 10
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    2 years ago

    It's the best pollo loco in town. Excellent food, exceptional service. It's fresh every time I stop by. I highly recommend!

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    1 year ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    Helpful 10
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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Just another "healthy" fast food place chicken salad was super filling and tasted fresh.

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    8 years ago

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    Melissa A.

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    14 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was great, service was good and had a nice experience. Would come back while visiting San Diego again.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food and fast service. The team is very friendly and restaurant is always clean.

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Olivia R.

    We appreciate you, DeShelle. Thank you for your continued support!

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    El Pollo Loco Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Pollo Loco

    Quixote

    Quixote

    4.0
    (679 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$$

    Loved it here. Things to note 1. Parking is bad so plan…read moreaccordingly and be prepared to walk a block or 2 to get to the restaurant 2. It is very dark in here. I had to take photos in night mode so it looks a lot brighter than it actually is. If you are going with someone older or who has trouble seeing in the dark, they are not gonna see anything lol 3. I heard reservations were required months out but i went in the same day. It was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend around lunch time but they took walk ins left and right so maybe just dinner is what needs to be booked in advance? The decor was immaculate and everything that came out was delicious and it came out very fast. It is connected to the Lafayette hotel which has the jungle room, bowling alley, pool and multiple bars. You can easily spend the day here. Mmmm not if you have kids though. 10/10 recommend

    Very trendy, friendly, evocative dining experience! It's located inside the Lafayette Hotel, but…read morethere's also an outside entrance to the restaurant. Beware there's only street parking, no valet service (unless you're a hotel guest), so that can present a challenge. Reservations a MUST on weekends, especially with a group. Now for the food reviews. Everything we ordered was delicious from the squash blossom and smashed tuna tartare appetizers to the El Festin platter (made for groups) . Since the main dining area is kept dark for the dramatic gothic effect, it's tricky to rely on your sense of sight for the presentation of each of the dish. The highlight for me was the chili garlic shrimp tacos. So full of flavor! The only drawback is that many of their dishes are made with nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, which one of us in our group did, the menu was limiting. Overall, it's an incredible place for first timers and out-of- towners. I might return for a special celebration, but not repeatedly. Once is good enough experience, especially with so many other special dining options in our fine city.

    Photos
    Dramatic dining space!
    Dramatic dining space!
    Chamoyada dessert, the mango sorbet was the highlight!
    Chamoyada dessert, the mango sorbet was the highlight!
    Cool and dramatic setting!

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    Cool and dramatic setting!
    California Burritos

    California Burritos

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    5.1 mi
    $$

    Overview: very quick and friendly service, yummy California Burrito according to my bf…read more ---- We placed an order through the phone for a California Burrito ($13.90) and a Fish Taco ($5.50) and they said it would be ready in 5 minutes! We left right away to pick up the food and sure enough it was ready waiting for our arrival. One quick drive back home to dig in and the aroma was so enticing. California Burritos is very apt for their name, my bf rates it a 10/10. As a California Burrito connoisseur, he liked the addition of sour cream in it and said the flavors were delicious. He topped it with their green salsa for a little bit of a freshness to cut through the richness and fattiness of the meat and fries in the burrito. He didn't care for the fish taco that much and rated it a 4/10 but said the restaurant overall was a 10/10, as he thought there was too much lettuce and tomato throwing off the ratio of the taco. I, on the other hand, am a huge fan of veggies and liked the ample amount they provided. ---- There's a couple benches outside in front of the shop and seating at booth tables inside as well. It's a bit smaller to sit inside, I recommend sitting outside to enjoy the fresh air and the sunset is beautiful. ---- Overall: if you're in the mood for California Burritos come to the place rightly named California Burritos!

    They do things a little different at this place. The California had guacamole and sour cream. Makes…read moreit more like a carne asada burrito adding fries. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this burrito. It's large, filling, but their sauce had an almost artificial red color to it. Despite the weird look of the sauce, it had decent spice, wasn't overwhelming but wasn't weak either. Parking is very difficult here, and seating is limited. It's a small tack shop style place, made more for to-go orders. Service was fast and friendly. Their horchata is where they really lose a star, it's from a fountain and tastes like it, watered down artificial flavor. However you don't come here for the drinks, you come here for the large tasty California Burritos, hence the name. They've definitely won me over and I'll be back when in the area. That's this critic's review, until next time, I'll be eating.

    Photos
    California Burritos
    Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, and Potatoes Burrito
    Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, and Potatoes Burrito
    California Burritos

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    Puesto at the Headquarters

    Puesto at the Headquarters

    4.1
    (5.7k reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Private events

    The name might be Puesto but the food was PRESTO!!…read more Never been here before but I will ABSOLUTELY return in the future. From start to finish, everything was wonderful and I will NEVER forget my experience. We were met immediately with great service as well as continuing to receive it from every member of staff including our lovely server. Every other member that brought out our food & drinks was just as delightful. The weather was perfect to be seated outdoors in their patio, it matched the relaxing and enjoyable vibe we had. The food, I mean, the FOOD was undeniably delicious and full of flavor. I've literally never had a better taco anywhere else. The Al pastor was exceptionally juicy and tasteful and I'm so glad I went with my go to because it's a meal I'll never forget. The Agua Fresca were so refreshing too, sweet but not overly sweet, just the right balance. Overall, I have another new favorite when I come back out again.

    * catching up on old backlogged drafts so this review may be a bit out of date…read more Booked a big group dinner here as they had lots of spacious seating. We were split into two tables outside. Overall the experience was pretty underwhelming. The food was not very flavorful - it wasn't authentic Mexican food or even good California fusion Mexican food. There are so many better Mexican restaurants in San Diego, it was disappointing to have wasted a meal here. I believe it's a chain so not sure if the other locations are better as I've only tried this one.

    Photos
    Ribeye Taco
    Ribeye Taco
    Puesto at the Headquarters
    Puesto at the Headquarters

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    El Pollo Loco - hotdogs - Updated July 2026

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