Great hickory cooked chicken - ordered a whole chicken and sides and ate it all there. Chicken had great flavor (not the biggest chicken) beans were great, rice - just okay, onions crisp and great strong flavor, whipped salsa - good flavor, corn tortillas (which come from the shop across the street) were fabulous and plentiful. I made tacos from all the fixings (except rice that I ate separately). read more

It's been a while, and they cost a little bit more, but the wings are still spectacular. They're among the best in town and a nice change of pace. read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

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After having visited back in 2023/2024, I decided to come back with friends as they heard of the recent national headlines. It was notably more busy and the inside portion of the line, about 15 people deep, was standing the the heavy smoke from the grills. Had to sit outside due to the smoke, even though it was close to 100°. Food was very good but took 40min+ (was quoted 30min). When we paid, the server conveniently DIDNT mention that they are out of beans, until AFTER the tip screen during the checkout process. read more

Oh my gosh. I think this is the absolute best chicken spot in KCK and in the US!! They have great service(speaks both English and Spanish). They charred the chicken to perfection and they complete the food with salsa, rice, and charro beans. The place is very family friendly and the vibe of the restaurant is very nice!! This is will be a regular for my family!! read more

El Pollo Rey - Half chicken, on the side is charro beans, salsa, and rice - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

As soon as you stopped you can smell grilled chicken.charcoal grilled chicken. I wished the chicken is a bit bigger. I got a lot of tortillas.. half or whole chicken or chicken wings the menu is very simple. A few places to sit outside and inside. Quick service has to wait for the wings a little bit. I wished we can order white and dark meat choices. I don't mind going back again. read more

Amazing food. Quick service. Staff is nice. Unreal chicken. Made my day. Honestly, made my week.

New York post calls this top 41 Mexican restaurant in US. If you like smoked Mexican chicken this is your place. Food was good whole chicken with Mexican rice Bean whole with I believe hotdogs in it? $ read more

First and last time here. I have heard so many great reviews about this place. I read it was rated one of the 41 greatest Mexican restaurants in the United States by The New York Times. Somebody LIED. It's basic at best. Chicken was dry and hardly any flavor. The salsa and onions also had no flavor. The place it hot and it smelled like heavy smoke (from the grill). Service was ok. Not bad. It's a run down hole in the wall place with very basic flavored dry food. Won't be back. read more

I'm not sure what they do to these chickens, but I'm convinced they infuse them with crack My husband and I eat here once every couple of weeks. YES. It's THAT good. Make sure that you order extra salsa so that you can have plenty to dip the chicken in. In everything is so simple, yet so delicious. read more

Food was great but menu is limited to chicken 1/2 or whole and buffalo chicken wings. Service is at the counter and very fast. Ambiance is extremely casual. It is definitely a place where most customers get orders to go at least while I was there. The chicken is great. read more

Still my favorite chicken in the KC area. Plenty of seating. The menu is simple but effective. The staff is friendly. The chicken is delicious and moist. The frijoles charros are authentic and very flavorful. read more

El Pollo Rey - 1/2 chicken - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

I don't write a lot of reviews, but we found this place by accident just cruising down Kansas Ave... the wings were just amazing! Really unique flavor and sauce... small side of rice and small side of beans. We will find our way back there soon! read more

When I am in Kansas City this is a must stop spot! They have the best grilled chicken I have tried, it comes with frijoles ranchos and rice! Service is quick and the place has a low-key vibe to it. read more

We were doing our day of taking various items to recycle (electronics, styrofoam, household, etc) and were in the vicinity of El Pollo Rey. It was 3:30 and the place had a steady stream of people dining. Like the other reviewers have stated - this place does one thing really well and perfects it - - CHICKEN. You are drawn in by the wonderful seasoned smoke from the grill. They have whole and half chicken and wings. The chicken is served very quickly & very hot! The skin is crispy not burnt and the white & dark meat is very moist. I am not a bean person so I cannot attest to that side. You also get soft corn tortillas, rice and sauce. I would have liked a little more flavor on the sides, but that won't detract me from coming back in the future. Clearly this is the place to go and wish them all the best. read more

El Pollo Rey - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

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After getting tacos across the street, came straight to this place for incredible service and the best chicken around with some wings!

Oftentimes my spouse and I casually joke about boring choices for dinner by asking each other, "chicken or chicken?" Turns out, chicken is no laughing matter at El Pollo Rey; it is the "king" for a reason. You get 3 options: whole, half, or wings. It comes with corn tortillas, beans, rice, pickled red onion, and fresh salsa. It took us two tries and a bit of strategy to make it before they sold out but that's basically what days off and weekends are for, right?!? The sides are good, for sure, but the star of the establishment is the chicken (duh). Come prepared to eat with your hands and you will be glad you did because you will get to smell the lingering aroma even after you drive away. So when you find yourself asking, "chicken or chicken," you have your answer, Kansas City. read more

El Pollo Rey - Whole - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

The chicken was a 10 out of 10 rice and beans all and the pickled onions were amazing. That is my second time there I will definitely be back. I just wish it wasn't so far from where I live but the food is absolutely a 10 out of 10. read more

5/5 This food was so good. Simple, tasty, and amazing . Simple vibes, simple menu, great hospitality, and food read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

Great food! Awesome grilled chicken that's delicious! I strongly recommend it. Half chicken and whole chicken meal options.

This place is a gem - solid food, good prices, what more could you want? I got the whole chicken, which was grilled to perfection and served hot to the table. It comes with tortillas, beans, rice, salsa, and some pickled onions. Simple meal but tasted fantastic. Food came out pretty quick which I appreciated. Plenty of tortillas for the meat, and I didn't think that there was anything missing. Definitely the highlight was the grilled chicken, which had a good smoky flavor without being burnt or overcooked. Will definitely return (and there's also plenty of other authentic Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood too). Keep in mind the hours, since they do close a bit earlier than other places. read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

I am from out of State and was referred to try this place out. Glad I did. Their menu is simple... whole chicken, half chicken, or buffalo wings. I got an order of the half chicken that came with rice, beans and tortillas. The chicken was full of smokiness flavor. I enjoyed it. I wish I ordered their wings though!! read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

Bought 3 all dry!! Terrible service no compensation! Wouldn't recommend this place to anyone unless u go and sit down and check if it's good.. read more

Delicious flame grilled chicken, authentic sides and super fast & friendly service. Highly recommended! read more

El Pollo Rey - Restaurant Front - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

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They do chicken and they do it well!! First time visiting and am already thinking of the next. Friendly service from the time we walked in until we walked out. read more

Out for a drive on a Sunday afternoon when I saw smoke billowing out of a chimney on a random building on a random corner. It smelled Devine so we decided to stop and check it out. ElPollo El Rey is simple bbq. You have your choice of chicken or chicken. Couldn't t be any easier. The simplicity of their menu is excellent as they have perfected their products. We ordered whole chicken it comes with beans, rice, tortillas and salsa. The chicken is cooked perfectly and has a great flavor. Everything was really good and they were pretty busy so I'm not the only one who enjoys the food. Mind you 1 whole chicken order feed 2 adults and 1 child. Great deal for a meal for the family! read more

El Pollo Rey - a tray of food on a table - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

El pollo está muy bien sazonado y con buen sabor. Viene con acompañantes de arroz, frijoles, tortillas, salsa y cebolla morada. Lamentablemente el arroz no estaba cocido al 100% y se sentía crujiente al comer. Cuando hablé para comentarles, la señorita que contestó no sabía que decirme, me puso en espera y luego me colgó. Al llamar de nuevo me contestó alguien diferente y dijo que lo sentía pero que su arroz siempre lo checaban. Espero su servicio al cliente mejore, gastamos $65 en dos ordenes de pollo entero con arroz y frijoles extra :/ read more

I came here to catch up with a friend and grab lunch. We knew right away that we were looking for this restaurant from the smoke on the rooftop. It was a tough choice because there are lots of great Mexican restaurants in KCK. We walked in and it was fairly busy. My friend and I both ordered half chicken because it comes with sides versus if you order a full chicken, it is the same price with only one set of sides. The sides are a great addition because it helps elevate the tortilla tacos you make. Some of my chicken was really tender while other pieces were a little dry but they cook it over a wood fire so you get the crispiness and smokiness from woodfire chicken. They are usually making a lot at a time so you get served your food really quickly. I like how they don't overcomplicate things and you get exactly what you order. I would definitely check it out if you have not been. read more

No frills, technically two different styles of chicken but it's all excellent. Real barbecued chicken, no flame broil or gas. Sides were great, the salsa was amazing and not spicy; very simple but the perfect compliment. The corn tortillas are amazing, actually typically dislike corn tortillas but these were very fresh. I would sincerely highly recommend you give this place a try. read more

Best wings ever!! The wings tend to be really small but the flavor of the sauce is amazinggg read more

El Pollo Rey - Wings - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

Eight years after my first review, I ventured here. Big deal, right? Yea, well, first time with ANYONE other than my wife in the car. As in, 3 other friends we stayed close to but socially distanced from on our patio for dinners through the past shitty 14 months of pandemic seclusion. Now, all fully vaccinated, we celebrated by picking El Pollo Rey as our destination, because fine dining celebrations call for BBQ chicken, right? Heady stuff, being in the car with other humans after being secluded from others for so long. For some of us, our first dine at a restaurant in awhile, and we were prepared to eat inside, but, well... if you've been here, you know that's not always such a good idea unless you like that thick smoke that sears the eyes. As on cue, the clouds parted, the sun shone, the rain stopped, an angel choir sang--eh... some guys drove by on Harleys without mufflers as we dined on three full chicken dinners among the five of us. Enough to feed a small army. Mango Jarritos washed down the smoky, succulent birds. A fine meal it was. Still as good as the first visit, and maybe because of being outside and the weather perfect it all tasted just a little better. And so more than a visit, it feels like it'll be fun again to be visiting new dining spots and favorite old ones on Yelp again and sharing those experiences. Lets just not do that thing we're still passing through again. Ever. Burp. Be careful out there. read more

Wings! Customer service! We'll be back Love that they do what they do so well! Value for taste is right on time! read more

El Pollo Rey translates to "the chicken king" and that worthy title is definitely deserved. The menu is INSANELY simple: you only have three options to choose from. There is the half chicken plate, whole chicken plate or buffalo wings. Each entree comes with a side of beans, rice, salsa and tortillas. Let's start with the star of the show: the chicken. It is grilled to literal perfection. When you walk in, you can see a massive grill that lines the back of the kitchen. Rows of chicken pieces are sizzling and cooking and the aroma fills the small restaurant (*be warned that the chicken smell will linger on anything you bring into the restaurant: clothes, purses etc; had to go home and do a load of laundry ). The chicken is seasoned well and very tender. I especially liked how it was perfectly charred so that you get a nice smoky flavor. The sides were decent; the rice was flavorful and the beans went well with the chicken (I made soft tacos with the meat & beans). The half chicken plate is honestly enough food for two people (or one VERY hungry person). I had a hard time finishing it, and that's saying something. The food is also very cheap (the half chicken plate is only $7) so you definitely get bang for your buck. I sat in the restaurant, but a lot of people came and did takeout too. read more

El Pollo Rey - Half chicken plate with Mango Jarritos drink - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

My new favorite spot! The chicken has great flavor, tender and juicy. Rice is good. Staff is friendly. Honestly would eat here everyday if I could afford it. read more

I'd say my review is probably about 4 1/2 stars but overall, why not give 5? This place is amazing. I've been meaning to get there for a long time and I finally made it. The smells are insane good. SOO GOOD. It's like summer camp, back yard cook outs and an amusement park smells and tastes all rolled into one. They are WOOD FIRE cooking chicken.. That's it. And they have it perfected. The cook on the chicken was perfect. SO good. The crispy bits were just amazing, and the dark meat still retains it's juice. You can see by the other reviews how it's done, but just quickly. Order a half or whole chicken. Done. It comes with corn tortillas, salsa (very different), pickled onions, beans and rice. That's it. Get to it. I'll say, you really don't need the extra stuff, it's all about the chicken. It's VERY good. Here is my MINOR complaints. I wish they would season the chicken just a touch. That's just my preference. And, as I've seen other people say.. SALSAS.. You have fire there, roast some onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic, peppers and make a fire roasted salsa and serve that. That would really take this place to the next level for me. The salsa they give you is this really odd mushed up mixture, while tasting okay does leave a bit to be desired. Excellent chicken, super busy, excellent business model, extremely fast delivery of your order. I will be back, this place is amazing! read more

El Pollo Rey - Fire roasted absolutely perfect chicken - Mexican Near Me - Kansas City, Kansas

I've been here several times and it's always excellent! I was on a KC page with thousands of members and everyone agreed. If you haven't been there yet please give it a try. It's worth a trip from anywhere in the Metro area. read more

No complaints, great food at great prices. Chicken has yet to disappoint. If you like smoke flavor and grilled chicken this is the place for you read more

Heard about this from a local. They were right! Buffalo chicken wings were slightly spicy but slightly sweet and fabulous! They were not crunchy because they are soaked in the sauce.Tortillas had a light fluffy texture and taste. The chicken you can see being grilled. The chicken is perfectly cooked and the skin in crunchy but not hard. The salsa looks like apple sauce but it is a fabulous salsa. The beans were wonderful and had some type of pork in it including what looked like a hot dog. They were out of rice but we were there right before they closed. I would come back again and again! All for $20. read more

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Delicious food! Very healthy. It's nice to be able to swing by and pick something up for dinner that's actually homemade. Their smoked chicken is out of this world. read more

What once was a family favorite has now become very overpriced under quality........ ..............,...................,..................................................................#expensive dry chicken ....................... ...,.........,.................,............. Save your money read more

Best restaurant in Kansas City. Best buffalo sauce to ever be created. The fire roasted chicken breathes life into you like a phenoix rising from the ashes. El Pollo Rey is a 10 out of 5. Do yourself a favor and buy enough chicken to last a week next time you go. read more