My husband and I ate at this restaurant many years ago and never forgot how delicious the real Santa Maria BBQ was.  We stopped in and had lunch.  We shared a #5 combo, which came with tri tip, chicken pinto beans, salsa, and flour tortillas.  OMG!!!  It was even better than what we remembered.  The chicken was our favorite out of everything.  It was to die for!  This was our first day and first meal of a 10-night road trip.  We ate at many restaurants throughout California and Nevada, and we both agreed that this was the best meal we had on the entire trip!  If we lived closer, I'm sure I'd stop in at least once a week.  If you are in the area, stop and check them out.  You will not regret it! read more

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Amazing food, especially the tri-tip burritos -- packed with flavor and cooked perfectly. The service was friendly and fast, and the ambience was relaxed and welcoming. Definitely coming back! read more

Best Tri Tip Burritos in town! My husband showed me this place on one of our first dates; they're urgent and precise. Real hard working caring employees. feels like family. The atmosphere was also fantastic! read more

Food is always delicious! The prices are a lot higher now days, but the food is always great!

Even though I picked #4 which includes tri-tip in a plate with beans, salsa, and flour tortillas, it was quickly assembled in the kitchen, and the order came out in a short time. True that there was no line in the restaurant, but from the time that I ordered, it was not even 15 minutes! I have been before to this restaurant, and I decided to take my order to go instead of sitting down at a booth in the restaurant! I took a picture of the menu so that the prices are current for the time that I ordered today! The place was quiet due to the limited customers inside. read more

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The food was ok, but not what I ordered when I called them to complain the manager said that they are not perfect but once I explained that that was the second time that they had made a mistake he didn't even offer to give me any credit or refund for the mistake food ordered. read more

Me dijeron que no ahí pollo pero se llaman "pollo norteño " no recomiendo venir !!!!! ‍

A hidden gem just around the corner in Santa Maria! El Pollo Norteno has been serving great flame grilled chicken, tortas and burritos for over 40 years now. If you're looking for something healthy and delicious, look no further. They have marinated, mesquite grilled chicken and tri-tip that is diet-licious and will have you coming back for more. A combination plate can be ordered with your choice of flour or corn torillas, fresh pinto beans, rice and the valleys best salsa. They also have pickled red onions that are sliced very thin and are so delicious. If you're tired of the same, come to El Pollo Norteno for a healthy and tasty dining experience! read more

older guy who i assume is the manager is always incredibly rude and short every time i try to pick up a doordash delivery order. half the time he'll give me the wrong order after waiting for him to make it or he'll just give the order to whoever asks for it and then tells me there's nothing he can do and refuses to remake the food. as far as customer service goes, i would give half a star if i could read more

I've been coming here since I was a little girl. My mom would take us here whenever we would go to Santa Maria and we would always get the combo plate. This place is old school and a gem! The ambiance is for functionality while the food will speak for itself! I've never had an issue with service here in the last 20 years I've been coming here! Highly recommend read more

I usually come early for my take-out lunch order. The food is always great as well as the service. Friendly staff always makes your day!

First timer FOOD: I ordered the #5 which was the combo of tri-tip and chicken with (usually comes with the beans but I substituted it for rice), salsa and tortillas (your choice of flour or corn). It was delicious that I had to order another to go. The meats were cooked simple but tasty and not overcooked/dry. A good hint of smokiness in the meats but not overpowering. The rice was also tasty and not over-seasoned. Although it was a perfect amount of spicy for me, a fair warning for those who do not do well with spicy there were chunks of serranos in the salsa so beware. LOCATION: Plenty of parking in the parking lot. The sign on top of the store is clear and easily read. The store itself might be a little tucked in among this strip mall so it may be hard for first timers to find this place unless it is looked up. AMBIENCE: It is a quiet area outside but on the inside it must be a slow hour when we came so it was fairly quiet. As we were leaving the line for orders got longer so I'm guessing it depends on the time of your visit. There are a couple of arcade games for the littles ones to enjoy as well. An extension was made with more tables to accomodate the customers so space is not a problem in this place. PROS: Delicious food for a reasonable and affordable price. Plenty of parking and space inside the restaurant. Service was quick at the order line. CONS/SUGGESTIONS: I wish the portions for the sides were a little bigger (more rice or 3-4 tortillas at least). Menu is a little basic but I know some people like food/menus simple and straight to the point. The wait time for food had a tendency of being lengthy. We waited for our to go orders for about 20-25 mins but as they say good food is worth the wait. Highly recommend this place for people who like their food simple and reasonably priced. Delicious and affordable. If moms dig it then it must be good right? ‍I mean they are our biggest critics. read more

El Pollo Norteno - Combo plate and it was delicious - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Ordered a tri tip burrito and a combo plate. The burrito wasn't folded at all and everything fell out when I picked it up. The salsa cups suck and when they get moist the life didn't go back on. The tritip was though and flavorless. The chicken tasted different than usual. read more

We went today and ordered the chicken and tritip dinners. The chicken was fine but the tri tip was overcooked and very chewy to eat. We called the restaurant just to inform them, we weren't asking for a refund or anything else because we didn't want to drive across town, only to be spoken to very rudely by the worker on the phone. We told them the meat was dry and he immediately accused me of lying and calling me a liar. He was raising his voice and questioning me as if I was stupid. He ended up yelling at me and eventually hung up the phone. Completely rude service, definitely do NOT recommend read more

Food has always been good but tonight the cashier guy must have had a really bad day treating me poorly. VERY RUDE. He asked me if it was for here or to go and I told him here and changed my mind right after he rolled his eyes and seemed to get upset because I bothered him. He was flipping off the tv. He was something else. They need to find someone else that guy needs to GO and he's working there in the front!?!? All bad he looks miserable!!! Just him in general was a dickhead. I told him I won't be coming back (I know he doesn't care) just lost business with me and my family read more

The customer service is lacking. Dude at the counter, let's call him teeth, seemed very hostile. Eyes bloodshot red.. No kind of respect. It's not like the establishment was busy.. I could have helped him with his teeth issue, but I'm trying to be a better person, and he could have been inebriated, so I took my food and left. The tri-tip was decent. The chicken was dry. I'll take my business elsewhere.. read more

The best chicken and tri-tip my dad took me every sunday and I now bring my kids good atmosphere, and excellent service.

Great food . Customer service not so well . Guys cashier communications skills need improvement the game was more important .

I forgot to get pictures but this is a short and straight forward review. We got the family pack with all chicken. Chicken was delicious, the wings were a bit dry but everything else was great. Flavorful and well cooked chicken. Rice and beans were good too but I wouldn't say amazing on their own. The pickled onions were amazing, the grilled serranos undercooked but very nice. Tortillas were ok though they didn't feel fresh homemade, not that they claim to make them so. Overall a great package for the family and definitely recommend it! read more

Best Tri Tip in town off the char-broiler. The Chicken is absolutely delicious That seasoning a taste of Santa Maria style BBQ. Guaranteed authentic Santa Maria style BBQ taste Call ahead if it was under construction last few days weeks went 02/10/2024. Overall satisfying (90sbaby) till' read more

They don't have good customer service here but the tri tip torta is really good. There isn't a long wait and the food is done fast.

Great simple Mexican bbq chicken and tri-tip. I personally enjoy their beans and rice but some say they are a bit underwhelming. I've been a fan of their Chile Colorado for a long time. 4/5 stars due to ambiance and the prices seem to have gone up a lot lately. Employees are always friendly and welcoming! read more

Want some bbq tri tip/chicken plates and burritos in super affordable price then you have found the spot. The burritos are huge, simple and delicious. They come with a side of chips and salsa included. Salsa is hot which is super delicious. The tri tip and chicken plates are tasty. The ambiance is alright nothing fancy , service is super fast. read more

This is the 2nd time they forget to add everything I paid extra for (sour cream, cheese, rice etc.) The new guy who takes the order is always angry and extremely Rude!!! I used to be a regular there but I longer plan to return. They could use improvement on customer service. read more

Killer tri-tip, above average flour tortillas. The char grilled Serrano peppers are a nice touch too.

We got the combo which is our usual when we visit Santa Maria, it's honestly the best char-grilled chicken and Tri-tip and I always look forward to coming to Santa Maria for this meal. Homemade tortillas and salsa are equally yummy! read more

El Pollo Norteno - Combo plate - Barbeque Near Me - Santa Maria, California

This was advertised as Santa Maria style BBQ. It is more like El Pollo Loco. I was disappointed.

My favorite pollo restaurant is a strip mall dive in Tempe, AZ -- El Pollo Supremo. I ate at this place twice a week during my last 2 years of college. Alas, when I moved on to work for the man, I never found a place as good -- nothing but imitators. That is until one of my wife's co-workers recommended El Pollo Norteno. Norteno and Supremo must have been separated at birth!!!! PROS: We've done carryout twice, and both times a quick inspection indicated the establishment was clean. The gentleman working the register was friendly and engaging. The chow? Marinated onions are sweet and just a little tangy. The pinto beans are excellent, not too soft nor too hard, served in what can only be described as a tasty broth. The homemade flour tortillas are excellent, and the chicken is charbroiled goodness, chock-full of flavor, not to mention moist! The best part? The homemade salsa . . . man oh man! They have the Supremo recipe down: fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and some jalapenos that will make your lips quiver and put sweat on your brow! Superb!!! CONS: "Aesthetically pleasing" does not capture the facilities habitated by Norteno. Clean, yet it appears they scored some discount Subway booths. Also, this type of chow will likely clear out your system . . . beware. A note about salsa: I'm picky about salsa, but I have found that with salsa, what one person finds outstanding, another will find mediocre. As with religions, I try not to judge a person based on their salsa preference -- but El Pollo Norteno makes some damn fine salsa!!! I'm just saying! Norteno provides a homemade quality goodness to their food -- beats the major chains by a few laps. Chicken is very good, and the condiments/side dishes are excellent! Next time, we're gonna give the tri-tip a try. read more

Great food, can't be beat in flavor and wonderful salsa also! Great fast service too, goodprices! Chicken is nice and moist, not dry!. We highly recommend there establishment!!! Stella and Jerry​ read more

Chicken is really great, steak is a little well done but very good with the beans or in a burrito. Love this place.

Ordered the combo plate, very good! The salsa and onions hit the spot every time! We will be back!

The absolute best tri tip burritos in Santa Maria! I wouldn't have one anywhere else. I also tried the vegetarian burrito which is a delicious balance of rice, bean and cheese. It is too very good. I enjoyed it very much. The only problem I have is that I always swear I will eat only half of a burrito but I end up eating the entire thing anyway! The prices are great. I would pay more but I'm not telling them that. This is a must stop by if you want the best burritos in Santa Maria. read more

This place has some damn good tritip, and it makes me wonder why they named the joint after a chicken. A regular, bless his soul, guided me the right way when he suggested the tritip sandwich. Between the sandwich and the burrito, the sandwich is tastier, but the burrito seems more filling, though you can order extra meat on your sandwich. Either way, you can't really go wrong, especially with the prices so affordable. read more

The chicken was dry, Tri tip also dry. I asked for salsa he changed me $5.00- 1oz. They thought I didn't speak Spanish so they were making negative comments. Be for I left I confronted the man that was at the cash register and the look on his face was priceless. Over all over priced, rude, the worst food I've ever had. If I could I would give it negative stars. read more

Picked up takeout a 1/4 Tri-Tip plate. Very tasty BBQ Tri-Tip, mild beans and a wonderful salsa with just enough picante in it! Takeout included a plastic fork and knife, and this Tri-Tip was tender enough for them. Steaming hot tortillas came rolled in foil. They made wonderful tacos with the Tri-Tip. This was my first visit to El Pollo Norteño, and I'll be back for more takeout! read more

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This place is a bit of a dive so proceed with caution. Cleanliness, customer service and organization need A LOT of help. So you're wondering WHY did I give them 3 Stars?! And WHY do they get a steady stream of customers walking in?! I'll tell you why...it's their grilled chicken aka The Pollo Norteño which is Very tasty, yummy, flavorful and so many other great words. Their Tri Tip is ok. Other locations have been tasting Tri Tip. There's a weird after taste with this meat. So to have a great experience here, close your eyes until reach the counter & order the chicken to go. In fact, to get more for your money, order the FAMILY PACK A which includes 16 pieces chicken, 16 oz beans & rice, 1 oz salsa & tortillas. read more

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My boyfriend has been coming here since he was younger, he introduced me to this place and every-time I'm in the area I go ahead and get this for dinner. Prices and portions are great. The chicken and salsa is absolutely delicious. 100% recommend!! read more

Best chicken around. Their tri tip is a little more done than I prefer but it's still good. Prices are good as well. Give them a shot!

no se si es dueño o que pero el señor que está atendiendo en frente tiene cara de pedo y es muy sangron, pero lo bueno es que la comida está bueno read more

Have heard good things about this place and finally stopped in. Don't let the humble surroundings food you - what comes off the grill is amazing. Had the tri-tip chicken combo plate and it was tasty and flavorful. Will return for sure. read more