A M A Z I N G. I just moved to Maryland and my husband (a Maryland native) brought me to this restaurant first. I normally hate coleslaw, but the coleslaw here has a sweet flavor to it that I'm in love with. The chicken is cooked to perfection and don't even get me started on the yucca fries. Everything here is delicious, 0 doubt. 10/10. read more

I absolutely LOVE this place! Great chicken, food, and sides! Best Peruvian place I've been to.

This place is known as 'crack chicken' for a reason. Seriously, this place has lines out the do' during Sunday Mass. Shit is serious! You won't find another bird that's as juicy or flavorful. The only reason other reviews are less than 5 is b/c you're not getting tortillas & platanos as a side (noobs). Also, horchata is crucial. Anthony Bourdain stopped by for crying out loud. Make sure you mix the green & white sauce onto the tortillas. Thug life. read more

Perfect chicken. My wife frequently go here and split a chicken with slaw and fries. Now, the sides are not that great, but who cares! The chicken is just fantastic. Not too spicy, but not bland, either. I love watching the chickens rotate in their ovens. I drool like Homer Simpson, while waiting to get our order. The restaurant does brisk business, so they are constantly putting out fresh chickens. That is one secret to how good this chicken is. It would not be as good, if it were sitting around in a warmer for an hour. Have gotten the chicken to go or sat in the fairly new restaurant on Univ. Blvd. Used to go to old Wheaton Triangle location, but a fire gutted it and the building. The new location is easier to park and much more room to sit down. (lines used to overflow outside on the sidewalk at the Wheaton Triangle location). read more

Best peruvian chicken in town. I was distraught when this place burned down a couple of years ago. They moved to a much nicer location, where you don't have to wait outdoors anymore. The yellow sauce is key, and their plantains are getting much better. read more

They need to franchise this place, it would be a goldmine. Terrific Peruvian chicken, excellent sides, and the best chicken empanadas in the western universe. Cash only. Typically a line out the door even at 3pm on a Tuesday. Legendary. read more

The best Chicken place everrrrr. Super Chicken and Sardi's (Gaitherburg) no match for El Pollo Rico. There is time I have seen the line straight out the door. Who ever said that Crisp and Juicy is good you are full of crap that place made me and my wife sick quite a few times. read more

Straight up... I love this place. I work down the street from here so my coworkers and I have really frequented this place. I find there food extremely yummy. I have had the quarter chicken, half chicken, fries, rice and beans (with the cilantro mixed in) and the yellow and green sauce mixed together (more yellow than green otherwise my mouth will burn). I love all that I have mentioned. I don't eat yucca but my coworkers love it. You can get dark meat or white meat (you have to tell them). You can get a half chicken and get all dark meat. At work, we have gotten whole chickens for potlucks. Great place! read more

Didn't get my order right from the start, I asked for rice and beans and yuca fries with my half a chicken . I took it home and opened it to see I was given very greasy steak fries, and semi bland, semi hot half white meat chicken. The salad I ordered was tossed under the hot chicken. I asked for two green jalapeño sauces as my sauces and was given one jalapeño and 2 mayo. This place was nothing like I remembered eating at their old location back in 97( I know it's been 17years) this is when I used to manage the Marchones deli right there. I've been going to sardi for years now, and I'm really sorry to say the food is so much better. Chicken always flavorful, smoky and hot on point. In fact all their food at Sardis is good. I will not be returning ! I would reccomend Sardis !!! read more

I love this place. The chicken is Great and the family deal is absolutely a great value. You get a whole chicken and sides. the seating is the greatest by we live close by and can carry out. Staff is mainly spanish speaking and sometimes looks chaotic behind the counter but the food is amazing . read more

Cannot say enough good things about Pollo Rico! This is a standby takeout place for us whenever we need a treat for ourselves, guests, we've even done delivery for a party before. Everything is consistently delicious. The chicken will last for leftovers (sandwiches, etc.) for a few days as well. read more

I lived in Silver Spring from 2000 to 2007. Then, I moved to New Mexico for three years (still miss that green and red chile!!) but returned to Silver Spring in 2011. I kid you not, people-- El Pollo Rico is one of the main things that I missed about the MD/DC area while I was gone!! The food is addictive. It's a good thing that I'm not rich, because if I were, I would probably be eating here so often that I would be too big to carry myself!! The chicken is so nicely spicy and also juicy (especially the dark meat), the fries are wonderfully thick, the coleslaw is good on the side, and the sauces! Oh, the sauces! I love both the mild and the spicy (yellow and green, respectively). There are also great, refreshing, distinctive drinks to go with your meal, such as Inca Kola and Chicha Morada. I'm a mono-lingual gringo, and some (not all) of the workers at El Pollo Rico don't speak much English-- but I tell you, they have been so very friendly to me! Even after being away from the area for more than three years, the first time that I came back through the doors of El Pollo Rico, one of the main men at the cash register happily recognized me and pointed out to his friends that I was back! That's warmth in service. Good food, good people. I love this place! Gotta have some of that chicken soon! read more

If I wanna enjoy good peruvian chicken this is the spot best in town , high quality and tasteful food for awesome prices never fails expectations. The bom read more

The chicken was good as always. The service was not so good because they haven't set a convenient and organized system for people who order carry out. I came and had to wait to get in line and pay because the cash register was crowded with three customers who didn't call. The whole point of calling for carry out was to avoid the line. I'll be back. Their chicken is probably the best after popeyes/kfc. And one of the girl workers looked dreamy as usual ;) read more

Delicious chicken, lots of pepper on it. Get the rice and beans on the side.

Great chicken! A very well balanced seasoning and the sauces were delicious. Chicken was moist and juicy and very flavorful. The bonus is the price. The family meal, a whole chicken and three large side dishes is a great value and you can feed family of four for about twenty dollars. We need more more restaurants like El Pollo Rico rather than national fast food chains like KFC, Taco Hell, and McDonalds. El Pollo Rico offers healthy and delicious alternative for health and budget conscious consumers lil me. Enjoy!!! read more

My favorite Peruvian chicken place! Their chicken isn't bland like other places I've been and I love their beans.

My favorite chicken place because of food, price, and service. The chicken is super juicy and crispy, the plantains are always perfect, the rice and beans are really flavorful, and the chicken empanadas are crazy addicting. It's always super busy but they do a great job of keeping the line moving quickly. You can't argue with the price. The only drawback is the parking. read more

Still the best chicken available, the best fries, although I love that yucca. One small quibble - if you go during off-peak hours, the fries may be a bit stale. Not bad, just not as outstanding as when they come off the full-steam conveyor during peak hours. read more

This place never disappoints-consistently amazing chicken and crispy fries, we've been going here for over a decade (starting with the location in NOVA). I wish I knew the secret to their mayonnaise because it's the freaking bomb. Worth a drive up to Wheaton for sure! read more

THE BEST BEST BEST BEST Peruvian chicken in the area. Super moist, well seasoned all over chicken parts even the bones are tasty!

This place is amazing. Food is consistently very good The chicken is good The fries are more than good All the food they have is good The little yellow sauces mixed with the green sauce are extremely addicting Last but certainly not least The price per person is around 7 bucks read more

Best chicken in town. Have been coming here for years. I order delivery and food comes so quickly to my house. Worth every penny. The rum cake is always great!! read more

I have been eating here for the past 15 years, i remember when they were in the other spot that burned, this is the best chicken in MD for now and all time. read more

Amazing yuka so good! thier beans not even my mom can beat pollo ricos beans and yuka

Extremely unreasonable service. Ordered delivery and they double charged for 1 order. Okay I understand the part that they require my bank statement as proof and walk there to get my refund back for the double charge, but double charge me as a mistake and no compensation at all? Like what the fuck is wrong with these guys? Holy shit read more

Not like it use to be but still good. 1/4 chicken, fries and slaw with 2 yellow and 1 green sauce thats the way to go. Still the best in the DMV area read more

Fast service and delicious food. My roommate loves this place, so I tried it. You can never go wrong!

So let me elaborate on why this place earned one-less star: CUSTOMER SERVICE. The service is TERRIBLE. My partner always picks up the food after I call it in - he's Peruvian and HE finds the place creepy. Today, he told me he may never go back because once again, our order wasn't ready and it was done incorrectly. The reason we DO go back is the chicken. It's the best chicken we have ever had and we drive out of our way to go get it. Its always juicy, never dry, and the seasoning is on point. We always order just the yellow sauce and then get extra - the sauce portions are WAY TO SMALL. How do you eat a whole chicken with 4oz of sauce?? NO. Other sides I like are the red beans - delicious. The fries are hit or miss. Our last order of fries MELTED THE BROWN BAG it came in. Sorry for all the caps, but there are some serious flaws here that need to be fixed. But its the Peruvian chicken place and they do that well. So please, I beg you, have our order ready when we call it in and ramp up your customer service in store. It's a huge failure on your part. The chicken deserves it ;) read more

Best Peruvian chicken in the area, yes beats out Sardis and don pollo. The chicken from El pollo rico is very flavorful and juicy and CHEAP! the sides are also good, except I wish the serving amount for yuca was more... and also came with more sauces! The service is quick and the workers are friendly! Would recommend 100% if you have not tried it already. read more

Very good good at a very good price. The one thing they do different is serve red beans versus black brand but don't be fooled, they are amazing. read more

I love this place! The chicken is divine and really reasonable and healthy for takeout. I wasn't a fan of the tamale or the yucca fries, but I think the beans and rice are excellent. They even deliver for $2 within a 4 mile radius. Thanks, Pollo Rico! read more

I look forward to coming here every time I come home from college! I love the two sauces that comes along with the chicken. I wish that the sauce portions were larger though... read more

This place is always great, but the parking is somewhat horrendous. My dad first took me to this place when it was in the old shopping center. I kinda miss that slightly grimy and smokey place, but having a clean place isn't so bad either haha. My family always get two whole chickens, coleslaw, and fries. You can NEVER go wrong with that. I've taken friends there over the years and it's either you love it, or you think it smells like armpits; there's no in between haha. But this place is always near and dear to my heart, and I'm glad it was kept the same after they moved. Also, inca cola; you're welcome. read more

Great delivery option. Chicken is always tasty and sides are great! Watch the ratio of rice to beans, however. I order two beans to one container of rice. :) read more

we live in the area and found this place at random. we have been fans since the first time. we always get a whole chicken and two sides of the potatoes for two of us. the two condiments that go with the potatoes is excellent. the spices on the chicken are to dream of. the only time we were disappointed was prior to dinner. i think the chicken had sat too long. usually we go in there and it's packed with people. read more

Meh! Just ok. This place was getting so many good reviews, I was eager to check it out. Especially since it delivers. Really there are so many more flavorful peruvian chicken options in the area. The chicken was really big and the skin was good but the meat was very bland and flavorless. The combos do not include the fried plantains nor the yucas which are the staples in terms of braised chicken sides. This to me was kind of a ripoff. Overall, nothing to rave about. Don Pollo is still the winner in my book. I don't think I'll be back. read more

Why did the Chicken Cross the street? To goto Pollo Rico to sit in their ovens....The best peruvian chicken in DC. This place is orignal, but they've moved to a new location. No place can compare. The chicken is juicy and seasoned perfectly. The two side sauces (green - spicy, yellow - mild) are both great. Wished they offered more sides, but once you dig into this chicken you will forget about everything else. read more

This is THE BEST pollo a la brassa I've had in the DC area. Of the literally dozen or so places I've had Peruvian chicken, no place manages to nail all the right flavors in their bird so perfectly. You have a hint of smoke, you have the wonderful marinade and rub, you have the perfectly browned skin, you have the overall excellent taste of the moist chicken, and you have the spicy green sauce perfectly prepared. Parking can be tough, especially on the weekend, sometimes seating can be non-existent, and lines on the weekend are often permanently 10-12 people long, but oh, is it worth it! The fries aren't that great and the cole slaw sucks, but the beans and rice are good for what they are. I usually just skip the carbs altogether and get a double order of beans (surprisingly good) and a quarter chicken with a cup of water. The whole thing is delicious, filling, and comes out to less than $7. Seriously, I know the pollo wars in this area of MoCo can be as bad as arguments over the best BBQ joints back in my home state of NC, but as someone who lived in Silver Spring for seven years, I found the legendary Pollo Rico to be THE BEST pollo place around, and one of the things I miss the most now that I live in the District. read more

Was super excited to try this based on the reviews! It was okay. Service was fast and nice. Atmosphere is not good, this is definitely a to-go place... Though it was cool to see the kitchen staff shoveling actual charcoal into the ovens. Now, down to the food... The chicken flavor was good. But the skin was soggy and limp, had obviously been steaming somewhere. Maybe sitting in a pile of done chickens? The bottom 1/2 (thighs) was tasty, the top 1/2 (breasts) was dried out. Beans were delicious. The rice was just rice and had one little hair in them, which kind of grossed me out. I get that things happen, but still! The coleslaw was warm, which meant I didn't try it... I'm guessing it was sitting out or minimally refrigerated? I'm super picky about eating warm mayonnaise. Sauces were okay, again I would have preferred the mayo sauce to be chilled on pick up, so that I could know they were stored in a cold fridge. We had cookies for dessert, forgot what they were called? They were okay. All in all, not a bad experience, but disappointing based on the hype! I'm not sure I would eat here again... If I did, I'd get the dark meat and a side of beans. I'd make my own sauce at home. read more