It had been awhile since my last visit to El Pollo Loco. Ordered two three piece dinners. How can you go wrong? Well let me tell you, you can. The two sides were rice and beans, old standbys. Rice had zero seasoning and tasted flat. The beans tasted like they came from a can and were nowhere close to authentic. Very disappointed with sides. Asked for corn tortillas got flour. Doesn't anybody listen anymore? Now for the chicken, what was left of it was barely edible, it was way over cooked and dried out. Could not chew through the skin, I believe the chicken was held over from the day before. Out of six pieces of chicken, one was fairly decent and had some moisture. The legs could have been wings for how little edible meat there was. The skin was too tough to get through and if you did the rest was dried out and stringy. I don't want to hear that this is a supply chain issue, handling what you have properly is the real problem. If only once El Pollo Loco can serve something as good as it looks in their advertising the dining experience would be a good one. Looks like another long time before I ever go back. read more

They can't get an order right. Always missing something, never anything extra but always missing something. Ridiculous at this point.

I'm normally a fan of El Pollo Loco chicken but, that day, it was NO BUENO! I wanted to cash in the free bowl coupon I received for downloading the app. The young man behind the counter was clearly not thrilled to be at work that day - no smile, barely heard the standard greeting, and his head was face down. I told him I wanted to cash in the coupon and asked if it applied to the other bowls advertised and he responded, "yes." So, I ordered the one I wanted, he scanned my coupon, and charged me money. Huh? I reminded him he told me those bowls were included; he countered and said they weren't - only the "standard" bowls. So I ordered one with chicken and he asked me for money again! What the what?! I repeated what he told me and he repeated the coupon only applied to the "standard" bowl. I was tired of the back and forth so I just asked for whatever he was talking about. He rang it up and then asked me for the coupon again. Since it had been used, it disappeared from the app - he had to figure it out. During this whole ordeal, he was clearly getting frustrated with me and the situation and his demeanor showed it. He and a manager figured my order out, my mom ordered something, and we could finally leave. Here's the kicker: The bowl was gross. It was gloppy and like wallpaper paste. The tasteless chicken resemble nothing of the juicy, yummy chicken off the grill. My mom said the same of her burrito. I wrote the company (on the company website) about the lousy customer service issue and, unfortunately, nothing was said about addressing it. I won't be back to this location EVER. oor customer service; gross El Pollo bowl. read more

That was soMe really dry chicken. Not good at all. This was our first time here. Maybe it was a one-off. But it wasn't a great meal this time. We enjoy Boston Market and Greek Chicken. read more

I just order the worst double chicken tostada salad, the only reason I visit this place is for this tostada and the chicken was not cooked all the way!!! Also the dressing for this salad was very little for auge a huge tostada overall very bad!!! Not usual that I write a bad review but this was a very good reason to do so!!! For the owner and managers of this place you have the work more with the staff to give the best customer service. read more

Every once in a while I go eat at El Pollo Loco. This one is my favorite location. I always order the Nachos and they are always made fresh and always taste great! I've only ever dealt with friendly cashiers so I always have a good time when I go. The burritos are also a plus! They are nice and thick! read more

Where do I start, I was at Pollo Loco Saturday late afternoon, I never eat at any fast food places but I happened to be in Santee and did not have time to cook. First the Cashier acted like she did not want to be there she looked miserable and gave me attitude, food omg awful awful! I threw it away after one bite. Chicken was dry and the rice was not cooked all the way. Never ever will I go back. Very disappointed. read more

Came mid-lunch, there were 5 people ahead of me and the seating was full. I saw pagers being handed out which made me feel like this was going to take a long time but had some time so figure it's ok. The cashier was fast, attentive asked the questions and burned through the line. I took my change to a table to put in my wallets before I had a second to even fill my beverage the pager went off. My order was correct, the expediter was kind and engaged me. Food was hot and prepared consistently with other times I've visited other locations. The entire establishment was very clean, a very nice worker was waking the floor picking up trash, engaging customers and even walked a tray of condiments over to me to be sure I didn't need anything. A flawless execution in my very picky opinion. Good job! read more

Cash only after I'm in line behind 2 other trucks, Can't get out and I'm on My lunch hour. Have someone tell us before we waste our time. read more

I like the Crazy Chicken and this time around I decided to try one of their under 500 items, specifically the Mango Grilled Tostada with tossed chicken, sliced avocado, black beans, and cotija cheese. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-pollo-loco-santee?select=cGCiU8sG-EgDzvsjw-cb8A#Y3Kh65LumQlRej7crfGyCA) The salad was good, but when they advertise as a "tostada," I expected a crispy tortilla on the bottom, not a cold soft tortilla. I was a little bummed, but I made the best of it, and ended up rolling up the wheat tortilla in the form of a burrito. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-pollo-loco-santee?select=cGCiU8sG-EgDzvsjw-cb8A#2AzzJSEiTFAAtjGdzfL8Vg) The chicken was all and tender, but lightly flavored (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-pollo-loco-santee?select=cGCiU8sG-EgDzvsjw-cb8A#7OFZ6enswJjTqwKOqEjWsg). All the other ingredients, including the greens, sliced avocados, and sliced mangoes were fresh and tasted good. I liked the tender black beans that were layered at the bottom of the so called tostada (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-pollo-loco-santee?select=cGCiU8sG-EgDzvsjw-cb8A#NgU9NRxu1wGbAS5EA-nDIA). The cilantro dressing was mildly sweet and tangy. It was a good choice for this meal. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-pollo-loco-santee?select=cGCiU8sG-EgDzvsjw-cb8A#UtZRSznIsuHj1WZgOTmaMA). Oh yes, the meal needed more Cotija cheese....could barely taste it. Service at the counter was very good, humorous in fact. The shift manager came by a few times to make sure I was good and needed anything. I did comment about the tortilla not being crunchy, and he said that's the way it comes. Again, why would you advertise it as a "tostada" when the word specifically means: a fried tortilla.... I would suggest they change the name, so that it's accurate. read more

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I'm not sure that was chicken... We ordered a family meal there and upon opening our boxes the "chicken" wings and legs seemed so small it could only have been from a pigeon, a bat, or perhaps one of those flying squirrels. I attempted to extract what little meat I could get off of this animal that they gave me (still unsure I'm betting pigeon). There was barely enough mystery meat to put in the tortillas they gave me to make two small taquitos. My guess is this was unintentional on their part. My theory is a small pigeon unfortunately flew into the wrong processing plant and ended up on my plate. For what little meat there was on this pigeon it tasted OK somewhat like chicken but all together not the best dining experience. In Santee there are many places to get chicken El Pollo Loco is the best place for pigeon. I guess you have to focus on its strengths, last time we attempted to go to El Pollo Loco they legitimately told us over the speaker system through the drive-through that they were actually out of chicken, Chickenless we drove on and began joking that the name should be "no Pollo loco" or perhaps "El Pollo Nada". Either way it seems to be an important item to have purchased enough to serve people in the restaurant, so this time we went back and they served us pigeon or flying squirrel I'm still not sure about that. Won't likely be back unless I have a craving for overpriced grilled pigeon. read more

You know, I've had great experiences here before. But what the hell happened this time? Customer service wasn't amazing but it wasn't awful either. Ordered the shrimp and chicken bowl (6.99 by itself). Literally got FOUR tiny MORSELS of shrimp. Tf is this????? And that avocado.... Wow. It's obviously NOT fresh and been sitting under a heat lamp. Parts are black and still have spots of the peeling on them. Ordered CORN tortillas. Got flour. Eh I am very unsatisfied with this visit after spending over $15 on fast food (ordered other meals).... It's highly unlikely I'll return. On the plus side, on my last visit, Carlos delivered exceptional customer service. He executed a great use of manners and respect. Props! read more

El Pollo Loco - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I work nearby so I visit this location often and this time the costumer service was not good. There was one person working both drive thru and the front counter so the wait time to order was long and not one person was acknowledging us while we waited. Not a simple "we'll be right with you" or "thank you for waiting" or even a "hello." There is a woman named Luz who looks like she may be the manager that was all over the place and appeared very disorganized. She was right in front of the counter and did not acknowledge a single person waiting in line or help take orders. I understand being busy but as someone who works in costumer service, that was highly disappointing. read more

customer service was not adequate, manager did call me back to follow up, need better training for the staff, sometimes they ask to much from the worker handling the window. read more

Don't care for the rudeness of a couple of the employees, and when brought to he attention of the manager, she did nothing about it.

I ordered a chicken burrito with no tomatoes. There was only one tomato so that's not too bad lol. The burrito was pretty enjoyable however I had a horrible stomach ache following and I vomited. I'm unsure the cause because I didn't order anything with too much going on, but I did get sick. read more

First of all, whether I'm going through the drive-thru or dining in, I always get the best customer service here! The employees are always so friendly and helpful! What I love: I love their chicken. I could eat it all by itself, but it's even better pulled off the bone and put in a tortilla with beans, salsa, onion and cilantro. Yum! I love their green, avocado salsa and the pico de gallo salsa. My kids love the Chicken Roll-up, which is basically a chicken & cheese quesadilla rolled up. It's easy to eat and doesn't make a mess! The guacamole is good, but a tad too salty. The Mexican Ceasar Salad is awesome. They have really decent prices too, so I can feed my whole family inexpensively. Plus, kids love it. Win-win-win. What I don't love: Their regular salsa that you get in the drive-thru is really bland and to me, just looks and tastes like smashed tomatoes. While super tasty and delicious, the Skinny Chicken Quesadilla is a fail. It's a little too skinny because it has so little cheese, all the ingredients fall out when you pick it up. Next time I'm gonna see if they will make it into a burrito instead because it did taste really good. read more

El Pollo Loco - Skinny Chicken Quesadilla (It's delicious, but falling apart everywhere) - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

I am a firm believer that great customer service can change anyone's opinion. My boyfriend REALLY wanted el pollo loco so I picked it up. When I got home, he let me know that his order was completely different than it usually is. I drove back to el pollo loco ready to raise hell to either fix the plate or get my money back. The woman at the drive through seemed annoyed that I was complaining.. (I was actually looking forward to being bitchy after that) To my surprise, she wasn't the one that helped me. Eric (I think his last name started with a D or F? Sorry!! I only glanced at the name tag haha) was compassionate and understanding from the start and did absolutely everything he could to ensure we had a great experience. He even let us know the best times to avoid the dinner rush so we are able to get the correct pieces/cuts. Thank you Eric!! You definitely changed my mind about this location (: read more

El Pollo Loco is this shit! I seriously don't understand what's with the negative reviews, cmon! It's a fast food restaurant, how high can your expectations be? El Pollo Loco is by far my favorite fast food place! I really don't think they get enough credit and everyone always forgets about them. I don't really eat a lot of fast food, but when I do, I always choose El Pollo Loco. Why? Because their food is fresh and REAL!! They literally cook the chicken right in front of you, and it's fresh off the bone. It's insanely cheap and amazingly delicious. I'm obsessed with their green avocado salsa! I could literally drink it! I've been eating here since I was a little girl, as long as I can remember, and I have always been a huge fan of the "Classic chicken burrito". If this is your first time, I always recommend ordering this because it's just heaven in your mouth and has a little bit of everything. I also love that they have lighter options if you are trying to avoid carbs. They have an amazing chicken salad, or a veggie bowl. I also love that you can go through the drive-through, and get your food within minutes. read more

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Santee, CA location. I placed a phone order for a two piece meal breast and thigh. The employee on the phone asked me how long it will take me to get there, I said 10 minutes. I arrived to pick up my food, when I opened it at work the tortillas were cold, there was NO chicken on the thigh AT ALL and the breast barely had any meat. The side salad I ordered did not have any dressing. The food was horrible. read more

My last visit will literally be just that! My drive thru experience was bad, then I found a bug cooked in my food. I almost thought it was a weird grain of rice but no! I email the customer service and submitted a survey, only to receive a generic response. How disgusting! If there's one bug, there's more! Never again! read more

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Kinda expensive, keto taco was good. My Wife loves the BRC burrito. Customer service was good.

We have take out often...no tortilla nor churro today when we arrive home. For the first time someone forgets to follow their protocol, it's bad for the business. We were just handed a bag of food, where they always show you what you ordered before they are bagged...right in front if you. My husband had to go back to the restaurant. read more

El Pollo Loco - Our latest grand boy, Chevy. - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

It's funny really. But every single time I go they forget some item in my order and by the time I notice it's just not worth going back. I say its funny because if I know why do I go back. 2 stars because they are friendly and fast but I rather wait than having missing items . read more

We recently stopped in and ordered food to go. When we arrived home and began eating, my friend discovered what looks like pieces of a pill in her food. Called poison control. Called the store and advised them to 1) pull the rice because it was contaminated and 2) ask the employees who had pills on them so we would know what my friend just ingested. She said nobody had drugs on them and tried convincing us it was just cheese. Emailed their corporate office. Called the health department and thankfully they're investigating this further. Their general manager asked us to come in. We took time out of our busy day to stop by. Spoke with an employee and told her who we were there to see. She stepped away for a moment and came back saying the GM would be out in 2 minutes and would we please have a seat. 20 minutes later, he still hadn't come out so we left. He then called and tried saying he didn't know we we were there, nobody told him and implied we should go back. Clearly, food safety and accountability are not priorities. read more

El Pollo Loco - This isn't cheese! - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Great customer service! The family meals are out favorite, the chicken is always perfect and don't forget how good the rice is. My family loves eating here! read more

Thank You Darwin for excellent service and nice smile. You took my order perfectly. You're Efficient and friendly. Enjoy the holidays and New Year! read more

I don't usually write reviews for fast food places, but this particular El Pollo Loco deserves to be noted. Whoever runs or manages this location should be applauded. The staff is friendly, they're helpful, and they are very professional. The inside is very clean and well-maintained. The staff goes above and beyond to help the customer and make them feel taken care of. In this day and age, good customer service is hard to find... ESPECIALLY at a fast food chain! read more

El Pollo Loco - Mexican Near Me - Santee, California

Can't give more power than 3 stars. Restaurant is nice comfortable and clean. Staff is nice. Food is pretty good, as expected. Chicken pieces are tiny. If know for chicken why not serve a normal portion. Sides were also small. My chicken leg was about 2 inches. read more

Me gusta mucho venir a comer a este Pollo Loco, siempre esta limpio y la comida muy buena

I come here often and I always see the manager Alex working and helping her staff. Great manager

Shout out to Juan! Speedy service with a smile (: The chicken tostada salad is my fave. The people who work here are very accommodating and pleasant. Good job, crazy chicken!! read more

Check your online order when you pick it up. Twice when I got home my order wasn't complete. First time I went back to get the burrito that was missing. This time I didn't go back but 2 salad dressing's, napkins and utensils were missing. The prices have gone up considerably and I assume the missing items are included in the price so I do expect to get my complete order! One redeeming factor, the food is good. read more

The food was delicious & the staff was so helpful and nice. This store has great management & you can tell the team cares about its customers. Love this place compared to other Pollo Loco's! read more

amazing service and food manager alejandra is doing a great job at keeping this store perfect. the employees are amazing read more

As far as each separate location goes, this was somehow way better. The difference was the food. The broccoli wasn't overcooked, the chicken was grilled perfectly and overall, everything tasted great. Although there was a funny smell upon walking in (I think they had just cleaned out the grease traps or something), the food was awesome. read more

Best pollo loco in SD! Service was fast which was great, the manger Alex, made sure our meal came out great! She was super patient and extremely nice. Love this place, definitely recommend it. read more

Drove through this afternoon to take home a 4 piece combo for my boyfriend and I. Immediately after eating I had terrible stomach cramps, a fever and was running to the bathroom every 5 min. Called manager. Don't go there ! read more

This pollo loco is great. The chicken burritos are awesome and I love the staff. They always greet me with a smile

Alex is awesome. Great staff and management. I always come to this place right after work