Was looking forward to a great Mexican meal at around 9 o'clock in the evening. Looked up el pollo loco and thought to myself "wow a nice little slice of Mexico to enjoy and they stay open till 10 o'clock" I arrived to the location at 9:20 and as I walk in the place is a damn ghost town. I walk up to the counter and say"hello?" A man walks up to me, eyes bloodshot red (probably from smoking the devils grass) and says sorry we are closed. I was infuriated and could not believe the poor management at this establishment. Avoid if you are able to. read more

Absolutely horrible service! After the employee working the register made us wait to order almost 5 minutes while he stood and starred at a KDS monitor. Obviously not busy. The food was the nastiest most dry food I have ever eaten from any Mexican food establishment. I mean Taco Bell is better than this crap lol read more

This 5 stars is based on the one meal I've had here. We'd never been to a Pollo Loco before but stopped here while running errands. I'm glad we did! I got the Mexican cobb salad, and it was incredible. Lettuce, flavorful grilled chicken (chopped small, not huge dry slices you often see, which always annoys me), a bunch of semi-crisp bacon, really good avocado, black beans, etc - and this AMAZING cilantro dressing. I could eat that salad every single day. I was amazed to find food like this in a fast-food place. My daughter got a giant grilled quesadilla of some sort. Also, they have unsweetened iced tea, which is hard to find in fast-food places. Lastly, the person who waited on us was intelligent, and extremely cordial and helpful. Whoever this was, they need to keep him; you just never see someone like this in fast food. Anyway, i'm a huge fan now, and will find reasons to get down that way. Only will I ever order anything beyond that salad? Hmm. read more

Pollo loco has the best chicken in town..yum yum yummi. Great customer service fresh, healthy and delicioso. Churros are yum yum yummi

Had to leave a positive review when I saw that it only had a few stars. Drive-through people were super friendly, courteous and accurate. Food was delicious. What more could you ask for. read more

By far the tastiest location I've been to. Avocado salsa was great as well as flavor in the quesadillas

We went here tonight and the food was good but there was this crazy guy sitting near us who was screaming about not getting enough black beans with his meal. He was complaining extremely loudly and he was crudely swearing. He finally went up to the counter and didn't seem happy with what they were willing to do for him. He went back to his seat and started yelling obscenities even saying nasty things about the manager. Not once did any sort of employee come out and confront this person. I was extremely disappointed that the manager never showed his face. We were scared because this man started confronting us as well. I will NEVER visit this location again. They let this abusive customer stay which was a very bad experience for the other customers. read more

I try to visit the local establishments and support as I am able , However Customer service should be #1, Unfortunately the person taking the drive thru orders didnt make it to that meeting , At first after I drove up he takes my order and then tells me to wait ,Then after five minutes of waiting he comes back on the mic and asks me if im ready to order, I should of left then but i wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt so i pull up and he seems upset ,I pay he hands me a bag and closes the window ,i check no Salsa No Salad dressing no napkins no fork ,How are you going to sell salads with no dressing is the question I ask him, He is more upset by now , He gives me a generic dressing , not the homemade kind that comes with the salad ,and says they are out , so I ask him why he didnt make that known when I was ordering ? Blank Stare .Last time i will ever go there and everyone I know will stay away also read more

Super management. You get your food quickly after ordering . They seem to really cater to their customers. Best location. In the canal next to the dump . Near the 580 & the 101 . This place rocks & I'm sure it will do we're well . Everyone worked all day so , why cook . read more

Showed up for their grand opening and had a fantastic meal. I had never been to an El Pollo Loco before, and was quite impressed. I got a chicken avocado black bean bowl, chips and guac, and a pair of churros for $10 and change. The chicken was tender, and the bowl was generously sized with plenty of meat and avocado in addition to beans and veggies and rice. The chips tasted fresh as did the guac (of course, "fresh" is a spectrum. I love guac, and I've had a lot of it, and I can't stand the awful packaged stuff at cheap grocery stores, and I love making it at home. This guac wasn't unbelievable, but it was quite good for the price and given my expectations for this type of fast-casual restaurant). The churros were great - crispy and cinnamon-sugary on the outside and tender on the inside. Not like those gross fried twigs they sell at baseball games and fairs. I'll definitely be back. read more

I remember El Pollo Loco being great. Last I was here the chicken tortilla soup had barely any flavor and the quesadillas were very soggy and not very welcoming. The presentation was mess and it took forever for them to even get our order ready. The place was not even particularly busy. I believe El Pollo Loco has definitely lost their charm and the kid friendly aspect that they boast of is not really true. My kids were so over the situation at some point that we ended up going to another place. Get yourselves together El Pollo Loco! read more

hey, the chicken is actually quite good. just get a bunch of tortillas and salsa and enjoy something that is worth the money; unlike most places serving "Mexican" chicken. read more

Loved the chicken avocado burrito I had today but the chips that came with the combo tasted old, like old oil.

There's a lot of room for improvement at this highly anticipated location for it to match the quality of the LA chain I grew up with. First and foremost, cook the chicken right! It's over cooked to a crisp, dry and not flavorful like it should be. Blah! And, never, ever run out of churros. Please, please work out the kinks. read more

Omg! What the heck are people looking for? Michelin Star dining? It's good, clean, simple Mexican food at very reasonable prices. It was a hot Marin day and I drove threw honestly for a fountain Diet Coke! Weirdly, their soda machine was out of order. I decided to try some chicken el carbon taco!!! And a bottle of water! I also had an order of guacamole! I actually would be proud to pass it off as my own! Fresh, good food. I'd recommend! read more

Clean good atmosphere. I have great experience on my visit. Good service and food taste really good. This place make really good chicken tasty delicious. Love the rice puding. read more

Been here a few times for lunch, very mediocre. Their chips are not good, and they are very stingy on the sour cream. Won't go back again. read more

Walk in and you see all of the cooked chicken just sitting on the grill because it's not needed yet. Employee picks them up occasionally one at a time to chop up for salads, etc. The meat doesn't taste great and the beans don't either. Employees are uninspired; can understand why. read more

Generally, I like EPLs food. 'Most' of the staff are friendly and accommodating. HOWEVER... I have a physical disability that makes it hard to climb the poor design of their handicap access entrance; I prefer to order through the app so I can use the drive through to pick up my meal. BUT NO! Not at the San Rafael EPL! This location does NOT allow orders made in the app to be picked up via their drive-thru. You have to go into the store, wait on line, fumble with the app, just to get some food. Excuse me? What the heck kinda service is this? I don't know what their problem is for not allowing folks to use the app to pick up their order via the drive thru (like every other fast food joint in Marin), but this has caused me to avoid doing business there due to the lack of accommodation. There are ways to work around this EPLs stupidity, but then I get attitude at the window if I do so. Cannot recommend the San Rafael EPL in their lack of consideration for handicapped clients and poor choice not to honor app purchases in their drive thru. read more

We lived in Las Vegas for 12 years (2003-2015) where EPL is all over the place. We were ecstatic when we found out about this place opening in Marin. Anyway, I first hit the restroom to wash my hands. The floor was wet all around. Wetness was uneven and the odor was unbearable so it definitely wasn't just mopped! Who would urinate all over a fast food restaurant's bathroom floor like that is beyond me, but that's not the point. There were used pieces of paper towels all over the place and the urinal was out of order - obvious by the large plastic bag with red tape covering it and the brown water that was still somewhat visible through it. That's when we should of left, but we were hungry and were really craving their chicken. My son and I both ordered the same thing, with the exception of the sides. Three-piece leg and thigh with two sides. When the order arrived, the chicken pieces in one plate were considerably larger than the other. They were at least 80% bigger in size. Normally, that wouldn't bother me because I could never finish all three pieces anyway. But I had to show them my disapproval as I thought it was very unprofessional. I was quiet and polite about the situation when the first person approached the counter to see what my issue was. The Latino lady that first approached me at the counter barely understood what I was saying and seemed like she was about to panic and have a breakdown. She immediately got the manager. A snot-nosed kid, I'm serious! I'm telling you, he was barely inching 17-18 years of age. He was a bit cocky and smug. He looked at the pieces and gave me a belittling, stupid answer like I'm a 3-year-old. "It may be because of the way they were cut." He then just stood there and waited for my reaction. Okay...I knew I'd get nowhere with him. I told him "maybe," and just went to sit down at our table and eat. Now, I'm not an Ivy League professor, but is that really a way to respond to a customer who's not satisfied, especially if you're new in town and in one of the worst locations imaginable? I mean Waze probably doesn't even know where they are yet. An extra piece of chicken would cost them what? Maybe 25¢-50¢ tops! Don't you think that would of solved the issue? Let's even go as far as to say that maybe I'm wrong (which I'm not), but let's just assume so for s**ts and giggles. Wouldn't it be a smarter investment than just giving me a stupid answer and waiting for me to leave? What a complete and utter moron. read more

This review mostly covers a visit that I had today. I ordered tortilla soup and a tostada salad and a burrito through the drive-through. I didn't check the bag before I drove away feeling that it felt sufficiently heavy to contain all three items. When I got home, the burrito was left out of the bag. So I tried to call the phone number and it just rang and rang and didn't even go to voicemail. So I went to the website and through the contact us link, I left an email within 15 minutes of my visit hoping that the young lady that gave me my items was still working at the drive-through and could verify that the burrito was not put in the bag. This was 10 hours ago and I still haven't heard back. I normally would just write this off as one of those small priced items that I'm just gonna lose. But El Pollo Loco's items are a little pricier than other fast food Mexican themed restaurants. In general though I am always satisfied with the quality and taste of the food. I'm just a little disappointed in the customer service that I didn't receive today. Update: (following day) I heard back from El Pollo Loco this morning and they are making it right. Star added. read more

So tired of coming during supposedly open hours to find that they have locked their doors with no signs to explain why, although the assumption is that they are out of chicken. If you are supposed to be open until 10pm, dont lock your doors at 9 and put a garbage can in front of your drive thru to block cars because you cant keep enough chicken to make it through closing. Doesn't the Pollo in your name mean chicken? Otherwise, change your closing hours to 7pm so we can at least be assured that you will still have food when we go out of our way to drive here. read more

I was really excited for an el pollo loco near us but the only 3 times we have been here the drive thru person forgets something from our order. They never offer salsa so you have to remember to ask and asking for it is always difficult because they give you a bag and then they close the window and ignore you immediately. This last time my tortillas were hard on the edges and cold and the forgot to provide utensils and napkins and after asking for salsa, he only gave me green salsa. I asked for red but he said they were all out. At least tell me that when I ask for salsa... this guy just wanted to get me moving along as fast as possible with zero concern for our order. I had to park and get out of my car (and through the hassle of getting my kid out of the car seat) to get what they forgot to include. Hoping they get better at their customer service and maybe we'll try again in a few months. read more

I've been here twice since the grand opening, months ago, in both occasions they were out of chicken breast to complete my 12 piece family meal! Both times I ordered a smaller family meal & ended up with scraps of over cooked chicken. I will not be coming back until their service gets better. read more

This place has the worse customer service. Every time I go they don't have one thing or another. They gave the the wrong order. I been to other Pollo Locos and had never had a bad experience like I did at this one. read more

My wife and I both have food poisoning since eating here on Friday night. I will likely contact the corporate office about food handling and storage temperatures. We have never had any problems before last night too. Such a shame as I really liked this location too. read more

I'm so happy that El Pollo Loco has opened in Marin. I love their fire-grilled chicken, and their chicken avocado tacos are delicious. I also really like the Farmers Market burrito. It's so nice to have a healthy choice for fast food, with sides like steamed broccoli. I stop by several times a week. I highly recommend it read more

I love EPL. I mean LOVE it. So I was pretty excited when one popped up in San Rafael. But I certainly won't be going back, at least until they work out the kinks. I ordered crunchy tacos and chicken tortilla soup at the drive thru. Issues: 1) taco shells were burned and pretty much destroyed and broken into several pieces. Could have been because one was already severely misshapen. Fryer dude needs to go. 2) I didn't get any of the cheese/cilantro/tortilla chips with my soup. I'm pretty sure I didn't order chicken tortilla soup, hold the tortilla. 3) I figured I would call and tell the manager about these problems instead of Yelping it, since they are new and need to know what needs fixed. But..their phone number goes to a generic voicemail saying "leave a message." I checked the number and called three times to make sure I was dialing right. No live person, and not even a message stating that you've reached EPL! Unprofessional and un-customer service-like to say the least. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to keep getting my EPL fixes in the East Bay. read more

Came here because it has just opened up.. super slow service and my salad was super sad. Kids bean burritos weren't cheesy... don't expect anything to great. read more

I really appreciated the fast and friendly service. My order was ready pretty quickly and it was correct. The restaurant was very clean. I love the decorations and lighting. read more

I work nights close by. It was great having this place close by for when I wanted to stop and grab dinner before my shift started. They use to be open until 11 like every other location in the Bay Area. I pulled up at 9:59 one evening, all the lights were on and the menu was lit up and I was greeted by the automated speaker. I wouldn't be served I was told because they close at 10 now. Know big deal. A week later I pulled up at 9:55, all the lights were on and the menu was lit up and I was greeted by the automated speaker. I wouldn't be served I was told because they closed early. I really took issue with this. I had to go to work hungry. A week or so later I tried again. I pulled up at 9:45, all the lights were on and the menu was lit up and I was greeted by the automated speaker. I wouldn't be served I was told because they closed at 9:30. I really hope this place closes up shop soon and is replaced by a restaurant that doesn't close early and has better food read more

Very pleasantly surprised by my first visit to this new location today. I had the double chicken avocado bowl. Everything was fresh and prepared well. Service was efficient and friendly. I'll be back. read more

Great to see EPL come to Marin. Hadn't been to one since leaving LA many years ago. Fantastic quality and fresh, healthy alternative to regular fast food. Kills KFC on quality of ingredients and flavor. Muy bueno. read more