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    El Pollo Real

    4.4 (46 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    El Pollo Real Photos

    Business Info

    EL POLLO REAL ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Pollo Real

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    Half of chicken
    KELLY M.

    Came here for a dinner takeout. We order half of chicken with side of rice and bean soup. Let me say the chicken is delicious! I love how they made the chicken. We also order flautas which are fabulous. Crunchy and delicious. The salsa is not bad either. There are street park so you can run in to get the order.

    The best in Chicago
    Augie M.

    Second to none, El Pollo Real is not only the best place to get Pollo Asado, it is also the best Mexican restaurant in Chicago. Right off 31st between Kedzie and Pulaski, you'll find this diamond in the rough. If it helps, follow your nose and you will not struggle to find with the delicious smells of the smoke. A few other notes: An order of Arrachera (skirt steak) with a side of beans and guacamole; half chicken with two sides; whole chicken with two sides: under $50 and feeds about 6-8 easily. For takeout, 25 minutes to prepare with cebollas (grilled onions) and salsa (hot sauce). **While you're waiting, I strongly recommend grabbing some pan dulce (Mexican pastries) to go from Bakery La Paris just down the road towards Pulaski. I might be screwing myself with this review, but it is too good not to share. I hope you do not find this review cynical, just trying to help others get out of their confront and immerse in our culture. Good chicken should never be ignored. Char Broil Chicken Pollo Asado Arrachera Carne Asada Grilled Jalapeno Guacamole and Chips Adobado Grilled Chicken

    Seasoned grilled whole Pollo
    Jose C.

    El Pollo Real serves some of the best chicken in the city. You can get a whole seasoned chicken with 2 sides for only 14.99. That is a huge steal. Nowadays it's hard to feed a whole family for under $20. The seasoned chicken is of course well seasoned and grilled to perfection. I ordered rice and beans as my wife's and they give you tortillas. Some chicken rice and beans in your taco with their home made Salsa and that's all she wrote. The chicken is very juicy and they are vice welcoming in there. Can't wait to go back!

    Pollo rostisado y adobado combo
    Señorita Rodrigue Z.

    Pollo real is located on 31st in Little Village, 2 blocks east of Pulaski Rd. On a busy work night, I can rely on Pollo Real to deliver me a delicious meal right to my home, extremely fast. I called at 8:15pm (3-25-15) and placed my order as I arrived home, my food was delivered at 8:37pm. Now thats fast delivery!! Of course, they deliver within the community but you can also dine in, they have plenty of space. They have different specials and today (wednesday) is buy a whole grilled marinated chicken and get a half chicken for free. If you order the combo, for 5.00 more, you will get huge rice and bean portion along with a pack of tortillas. The chicken is so juicy and is adobado meaning it has been marinated and spices have been added to the chicken before it is placed on the grill. If you dine in, parking is available via street parking. As of one month ago, credit cards are NO longer being accepted for deliveries. For dine in, credit cards are accepted.

    Chicken!
    Valeria G.

    Wow! Just ordered for the first time from this place and it is absolutely amazing! So amazing, I want to come back and order again from this place to share with my friends. We ordered 2 boxes of chicken, rice, refried beans, and charros beans. It was reasonably priced, flavorful and just great! I can't rave enough on how delicious it all was. Wow!

    Adriana Kruzty A.

    So far the best pollo al carbon ive had around the area. Great taste ,salsas are delicious pickled onion good. reasonably price(cheap) over all good .

    Charcoal grilled chicken
    Melissa C.

    Oh my goodness this place really hit the spot. The chicken was packed with flavor, it was juicy and tender inside and the outside had a slight crisp to it. I must admit the white meat pieces were dry. I loved the salsas it came with and the rice and beans were good as well. Just thinking about this place makes me want to go back.

    Do you think I could get a seat at the grill?

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    1 month ago

    Service and food are amazing and everyone is so welcoming. The restaurant is also super clean.

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    9 years ago

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    7 years ago

    The chicken is some of the best I've ever had, moist and delicious. Friendly staff, this place is worth the drive.

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Amazing food!! Highly recommended. Great place to take your family & enjoy some pollo! ‍‍‍

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    13 years ago

    This place is good a little price on the weekend but if you come on Tuesday Wednesday or Thursday price is good

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    13 years ago

    One of the best Char-broil Chicken spots that Chicago has to offer.... Go hungry!

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Barrio

    Barrio

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    Cinco de Mayo at Barrio was EVERYTHINGGG…read more We fully committed to the holiday and ordered honestly the entire menu and somehow every single thing that came out was better than the last. Starting with margaritas (because obviously ‍), queso and chips that were dangerously good, and the chicken empanadas that came out perfectly crispy with so much flavor. We kept looking at each other after every bite like "okay wait... THIS is the best thing here" and then another plate would arrive and prove us wrong again The carnitas fried rice??? I genuinely cannot stop thinking about it. So savory, flavorful, comforting, and packed with crispy carnitas on top with the eggs and pickled onions... literally unreal. And then the skirt steak tacos absolutely stole the show. The steak was cooked perfectly, packed with flavor, and paired so perfectly with all the toppings and sauces. Every single bite tasted fresh and homemade in the best way possible. And can we talk about the ambience for a second because WOW. The music, the energy, the vibe inside, everyone celebrating, the drinks flowing -- it felt like the perfect Cinco de Mayo dinner spot. The service was also AMAZING from start to finish and made the entire experience even better. One of those dinners where you leave already talking about when you're coming back If you're looking for the place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, date night, tacos & margaritas, or honestly just an incredible dinner in general... this is IT

    Came for brunch and would not come back. Ordered the peach and guava mimosa and they were warm and…read moreflat. Plus the server mixed them up when bringing the drinks. When we tried them we realized she accidentally gave us each other's. No big deal but it happened again with the food when a different server brought it out. We ordered chilaquiles; one with chicken and one with carnitas. It was not bad but way spicier than anticipated, and we like spicy food. Service was also not great. She stopped once to take our order and once to bring the drinks. That's it. We did not get checked on until we were already almost done with our food. Cute patio. Inside seating wasn't busy at all.

    Photos
    Interior views
    Interior views
    Chicken fajitas
    Chicken fajitas
    Margarita time!

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    Margarita time!
    XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant

    XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant

    4.8
    (361 reviews)
    8.9 mi
    $$

    My second time here, the first time for my dinner companion. Everything was incredibly good, from…read morethe greeting we got when we arrived, to the service and the food...oh my, the food! Appetizers were quac and chips, and shrimp ceviche. The guac was really good, but the ceviche was the star. Served on a bed of cucumbers, it was visually beautiful, and the flavor was fresh and complex. There was also a LOT of it. We ended up taking some home. Entrees were steak and shrimp for me, and Tampiquena for my friend. In both dishes, the steak was done to perfection. The sauce that came with my shrimp was spicy and deep--lots of flavor layers there. Both of us took home portions of our meals because there was a lot of food on the plates. Finally, the service--the servers are attentive without hovering. If we needed something, they were there, but never intrusive. It is hard to believe this is a little neighborhood spot, given the service and the quality of the food. It was not too busy tonight--we ate early--but I recommend reservations. It is very popular with the neighborhood. Bottom line, we each had 2 margaritas, appetizers, and entrees, and our bills with tip were around $105.00 each--totally worth it! Try this little gem--you won't regret it.

    One of my favorite places that I and my friends go for dinner. The food is fantastic, the service…read moreis fantastic and there are never any hot spots for street parking. I should note that we depart around 7:00 PM. At that time it's very quiet. I don't know about later.

    Photos
    Dining Room
    Dining Room
    Pineapple special. Simply the best.
    Pineapple special. Simply the best.
    Pollo en Mole

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    Pollo en Mole
    El Xangarrito

    El Xangarrito

    4.8
    (217 reviews)
    9.2 mi

    Phenomenal food, staff and service. We have come back many many times with close friends and always…read moreleave happy.

    Thanks to Yelp El Xangarrito has been on my list for sometime, and I was not disappointed. It is a…read morevery small family-owned Mexican restaurant but the seating does not make you feel cramped. We did make reservations/wait list and was seated immediately. We started off with chips and salsa, and the salsa was a bit too spicy for me, but everyone else enjoyed it. We started with the Chicken Poblano - a savory dish with creamy poblano sauce mixed with chicken and sliced poblano peppers topped with corn. We all enjoyed it. Most of the reviews recommended the enchiladas and we ordered a variety of them. The Enchiladas Poblanos stuffed with chicken and cheese. The poblano sauce was rich and smoky. We also had the Enchiladas Morita. They were filled with shrimp and cheese. It was so flavorful and the morita chile added so much flavor. Each dish was served with a side jicama salad. Their special was a shrimp pasta with lobster. It came with full lobster tail. The sauce was creamy and flavorful. It is also BYOB, which is a nice option. Service was excellent, friendly offered recommendations. This is probably one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and highly recommend.

    Photos
    Veggie Pastor Tacos
    Veggie Pastor Tacos
    Traditional Pastor Tacos
    Traditional Pastor Tacos
    Steak Enchiladas Mole. A generous portion to share or to take some home with you for a late night snack.

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    Steak Enchiladas Mole. A generous portion to share or to take some home with you for a late night snack.
    5 Rabanitos

    5 Rabanitos

    4.2
    (840 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    A short walk to the northeast from the National Museum of Mexican Art, we had excellent service as…read morewell as food. It was a hot, humid day, but apparently it was warmer inside than on their sidewalk seating, so we dined outside. My wife ordered the Vegetarian Torta ($13.75) and I chose the Shrimp Torta ($14.50). They were each quite large and filling. My shrimp torta was good, but a little one note. The vegetarian torta was an awesome combination of flavors and I would order it again in a heartbeat. Only real negatives were that they did not offer any draft beer options and the Chips y Salsa ($3.75) had a meager quantity of chips to eat their tasty and generous tomatillo and 3-chile salsa options. Would actually go 4.5 stars based on those 2 factors, but gave the benefit of the extra half star due to how good our service was and the excellent flavor of the veggie sandwich.

    I really don't even want to make this review because I feel like I'm sitting on a goldmine…read more.. but FINALLY, we have found a Chicago Mexican restaurant that fulfills every craving. From the queso fundido (we got ours with chicken) to the Mole enchiladas, to the tacos... everything was so good and fresh. Tortillas handmade. Meat is juicy and flavorful. Rice was delicious. I'm so happy we found this place and can't wait to go back!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Chips & Guac
    Chips & Guac
    This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

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    This bright mural on the side of 5 Rabanitos drew us is for refreshing Micheladas!

    El Pollo Real - mexican - Updated July 2026

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