Another alternative for El Pollo Loco. Great prices for chicken and chicken meals. Got the whole chicken which was 8 pieces with mild salsa, tortillas and two large sides. The chicken was pretty tasty. I liked how the skin was thin and the meat was pretty juicy. I couldn't decide what to get for the sides so the lady let me get two half sizes of macaroni salad and potato salad and a full size of rice. The rice was the best of the three, with bits of tomato. The potato salad and macaroni salad tasted like it was from smart and final, store bought, not made in house. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed my meal. The parking lot is small, but you can always park on the street as well to run in for a quick take out. read more

El Pollo Unico - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cash only place! Chicken was okay. I definitely like El Pollo loco better. Wasn't impressed with the sides my order came with. And not the location. Too small. read more

We were a little worried about the comments about lines and wait times, because we went right after church at prime lunch time. No worries! The grills were full of chicken and the wait was minimal. We took a family size dinner home (3 chickens, 4 sides, 2 salsas, and tortillas) and everyone raved about it. We fed 7 people with plenty of leftovers. The chicken was juicy and tender and had more meat than Pollo Loco. We tried the rice, beans, coleslaw, and potato salad, and all were very tasty. We felt it was great value for the price and would definitely recommend. read more

I ate off of the 11 piece combo for 2 whole days. That's 4 meals! Great deal! Great, fast service! Definitely do not get the mild salsa! The rice and beans were a bit bland but it's ok, the chicken has enough flavor to make up for it. Plus hot salsa = yay. If you're thinking about eating here, YOU CAN. It's airy and bright. Only about 4-5 booths though. read more

There are many other good to great chicken place beside El Pollo Unico, but none in Pasadena area. So, this is definitely a 4 stars by itself. Pros: 1. Juicy and crispy chicken, a lot better than El Pollo Loco. 2. Cheaper by the dozen. 3. They have Orange Bang!!! 4. Decent hot salsa. Cons: 1. It takes a long time, wait time approx. 15-20 mins. 2. No salsa bar. 3. I don't think that you want to eat at the restaurant, beat up table with lotsa people waiting for their chickens. 4. Parking is a bitch!!! You gotta give it a try if you live around the area!!! read more

People really love the chicken in this place. And for the most part, I can understand why. It does its job very well--it's juicy, evenly cooked, tender, and has crisp, well-seasoned skin. It's a pretty spartan arrangement; your choice of a few sides accompanies the bird, so all in all you get a meal's worth for a handful of change. But does that make it Pasadena's best Mexican restaurant, according to Yelp ratings? It's a one trick pony, and the chicken, excellent as it is, may not be enough to carry the whole experience. But that just depends on who you ask. I recommend taking some chicken home and using it in some concoction of your choosing in order to inject a little variety into the proceedings. Those long rows of splayed-out chickens on the grill? Very impressive. A chicken powerhouse to be sure, but only a pretty good lunchtime experience. But maybe I'm just bitter I didn't get a fork. read more

Surprisingly amazing. It is just a hole in the wall kind of place and they sell only one thing. Roasted Chicken. But dang, do they do their chicken right. Their chicken is amazingly flavorful and ridiculously juicy. You cannot find dry chicken here, doesn't matter how hard you look. I don't think I have ever cut into a roasted chicken breast and find juicy flow out of it and starts to pool on my plate. It's just... not possible. How do they do it??? You get a completely meal for less than 7 bucks, 1/2 chicken and 2 sides + fresh tortilla and salsa. The sides are okay, normal stuff but the chicken are really amazing. Did I mention the chicken are super good? Sorry, I can't stop talking about it. Parking is terrible but shouldn't be bad because it's not a sit down place. People move in and out quick. It's crazy because they only make one thing so it literally only takes 1-2mins between the time you order and when you can pick up your food. Cash only! Bring the greens read more

This place is a local favorite dive, but it seriously serves the best chicken in town....consistently! Meals are served with a selection of sides including rice and beans (which are awesome), tortillas, salsa (amazing!) and a few others that I haven't tried such as coleslaw. We have ordered party trays on multiple occasions and everyone, adults and kids alike, enjoys it EVERY time. For catering, they are SUPER CHEAP! We can feed 25 people for under $100 bucks! On Friday, we fed 250 people for $500. Unbeatable. FIVE STARS for the food (for what it is....take out chicken); 1 star off because they only take cash, the parking is difficult and there is not much seating. For party trays, you have to go in and pay cash a few days ahead of time. read more

El Pollo Unico ROCKS....great value and great taste. One thing SUCKS: living in Long Beach, too far to grab lunch there in Pasadena. read more

Dinner special that is around 7 bucks for half a chicken, two sides, salsa, tortillas, and drink is amazing. The chicken taste is different than the 5, yes count them 5, chicken joints in like a quarter mile radius. Downsides have been pretty much stated in reviews before mine: small seating, cash only, bathroom is in the center of the place so it kinda wafts when someone goes in and out, and the parking is utterly horrible. Just grab it to go and you will be fine. read more

Honestly better off sticking to el pollo loco! The lady here is super rude. Definitely never coming back here again. Would not recommend.

I've been to Mexico numerous times and this chicken definitely captures the flavor. I did get it to go, and it was still delicious and juicy when I got home. In addition to authentic Mexican flavor, this place is truly a street scene from it's motherland. I didn't find the place dirty, but run down. I didn't try the sides, but the Salsa is pretty good. read more

I don't know what they put in their chicken but you can't help coming back for seconds! Crack chicken indeed. I am not a big fan of chicken on the bone... or really chicken in general but this place is soooo good. When you're eating it you think "eh, its just chicken" but like crack a little while after you've had it you start NEEDING to eat it again. For 3 days. It's that good. read more

You know what would make Pollo Unico more 'unico'? If their sides didn't taste *exactly* like Pollo Loco's. I'm guessing they use the same food supplier, which is a shame because the weird puffy rice and gushy beans should be discontinued -- from the planet. Being a one-off Mom and Pop place, a big selling point would be if they set themselves apart by making homemade rice and beans -- the delicious, authentic Mexican kind, with the tomato-ey, chicken bouillon-ey goodness of red rice, and slow-cooked frijoles de la olla (stewed beans). And, if only they made real Mexican-style potato salad -- no sweet relish, please. Now *that* would be unique and irresistible. As it stands, Pollo Unico is a serviceable place to get a quick, cheap meal, and the chicken's pretty tasty. It has a deeper flavor than Pollo Loco -- the way it used to taste before they sold out to corporations. An added plus to the value meals is that in addition to rice, beans, and tortillas, you also get a choice of either potato salad or corn, and a small drink is included -- all for less than $10. Even a 4-piece chicken meal is less that $8 (as of 9/14/12). So, for a family of four on a budget in these times -- you can't go wrong. However, the eatery doesn't allow you to customize your meal -- no "all white" or "breast and leg" options allowed. You gotta buy "as is." Parking is tight, so be creative. And relax about the "rough part" of town nonsense -- the location is just fine and next to a busy street. read more

Great Food! Cheap Prices! Only down side is their cash-only policy. I had to leave before because of it. No way I'm paying a near $4 ATM fee. Excellent chicken and huge portions for your buck. read more

Ordering online is easy. They always have my order ready for pickup and it's never cold. The chicken here is better then pollo loco, it's not as dry in my opinion. Most definitely recommend this place. read more

This place has been around forever! It's one of the best places for chicken. Forget about El Pollo Loco. This place is the hot spot. They have different combo deals. The sides are similar to El Pollo Loco. The only bad thing about this place is the location. It's in this small plaza so parking can be a pain. You should go before 12 o'clock lunch rush. I love this place and the owners are so nice! read more

El Pollo what? Don't even dare trying to compare Loco to this place. For 5 bucks you get 2 pieces of chicken, tortillas, beans, rice, a side (coleslaw is pretty legit), and drink. What a steal! You can't even get a full meal at IN n Out for 5 bucks anymore. The only downside would prolly be the parking, especially during the lunch rush. read more

Eat your heart out El Pollo Loco. This chicken is waaaaay better than any other chicken place I've been to. Tastier, juicier. All they have is chicken, tortillas and sides. Perfect for grabbing on the way home from work or for an impromptu get together. It's fairly healthy too. I live down the street and don't know what I'd do if I moved, because I pick up from here at least once a week. The rice is is great too. The other sides are just sides. They have no real set hours, but remember to get there before 8pm M-Sat or before 7pm on Sun because when they run out of chicken, they close for the night. And they sell out every night! Who wants to franchise one of these with me?? :) read more

The chicken here is much bigger and better than El Pollo loco. I usually get a 4 piece meal and make 2 meals out of it. Great value! read more

I didn't expect much from this little place in the wall. But the chicken was pretty amazing, nice and tender and lot of flavor. I wish I lived closer to have it more often. read more

El Pollo Unico - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

For three generations my family has gone to this place for their chicken and it's amazing! Best chicken ever! read more

Best fast food chicken. Thank you for saving me from El Pollo Loco's horrible service! Decided to give this place a try after El Pollo Loco made me wait over 30min and I left. I don't regret it! This place is better, cheaper, and the staff is actually competent! Good job guys! Keep it up. read more

The wait is horrible (20-30minutes minimum) but my wife loves this place. Yes, I'm currently waiting for my checking while I'm updating my review. The chicken itself is always moist. There are times when it's a bit salty but it's usually good..even the next day. I do recommend this place but do not come during peak hours...(11-2) or (5-7). read more

My friends and I call this place "crack chicken"! Simply the best roast chicken I've ever had. Great side dishes; fresh salsa, corn, rice, and beans, with flour or corn tortillas. This place is not visible from the street. It's in the 7-eleven lot, next to kragen. Parking can be a hassle, but it's worth it! There's not a lot of room to eat there, we usually get it to go and eat it at home. read more

Definitely some of the Best Tasting Chicken I've had. You might get impersonation of "El pollo Loco" after ordering and receiving your plate. But this is a notch better than that franchise. The meat has more flavor. The rice & beans on point. You'll be satisfied. read more

They have good food at reasonable prices it sucks they are so outdated they only take cash. They need to get updated

This place is crazyyy delicious!! The sides aren't my favorite, but the chicken is the best in Pasadena!

Don't confuse it with El Pollo Loco. The chicken here is so much better the breasts are always moist and all the sides have really good seasoning. Only negative, parking lot is so small and parking sucks. Along with the wait time that is the only thing that screws things up butt it is worth the wait. read more

This place is a good alternative to El Pollo Loco. Flame grilled chicken comes out moist, juicy, and hot. The salsa is a bit watered down, but that's a given for most places. Prices are very fair. Parking isn't the best. But you can always park across the street and take a little walk. Overall, nice place to come and binge on grilled chicken. read more

How did it take this long for me to come here? Perfectly crisp chicken, good beans and rice with a side of steamed tortillas. And a drink?! You're too generous. This place serves the perfect meal for a perfect price. read more

If your looking for juicy chicken dinner/lunch come here good portions. Salsa is hot which is always a plus side had the corn on the Cobb tasted fresh! Definitely will be my go to blows el pollo loco and del taco out of the water Update went back and the rice was a big let down tasted like water :/ order extra and tasted awful read more

What can I say this is the best chicken bake chicken in the world El Pollo Loco don't have nothing on these people keep staying good & you stay clean you guys are doing the most sales in Pasadena read more

cash only. The chicken is ok. very small piece. Chinese owner selling Mexican food. Having hard time understand the owner who also as a cashier. The lunch special is the same price as the two piece meal price. So, there is no lunch special read more

El Pollo Unico - 2 piece meal or lunch special, $6.44 with tax $7.00. Cash only - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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If you are looking for a fancy place in Pasadena this it isn't but if you are looking for awesome price was great hits of grilled chicken this place is a must go read more

I randomly saw this location after stopping by Auto Zone. I'm so glad I tried it! The old cashier lady is so cute. Very honest pricing. Just simple chicken with selection of sides. The neighborhood was a bit riskier than I wanted though. They should move the store to Colorado Blvd! or DELIVER please?? read more

The chicken is so much better than Pollo Loco. Pollo Unico's prices are also more affordable than pollo loco. I live across the street from pollo loco in Highland Park but I rather drive to Pasadena for Pollo unico. The down side definitely is the parking. It stinks, oh and by the way so does all the pan handlers that swarm the place. Take it to go the seating is also very limited. The chicken is tasty and worth the price. read more

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! RUDE OWNERS! Ordered the family 2 whole chicken combo. Wings were burnt that I literally can snap them with no effort. I asked the owner if I could have less cooked wings, she continued to say that she will give me a refund for the whole meal, mind you my nieces were already eating. She couldn't give 4 wings because the chickens are cooked as a whole, which is a lie because they sell 2pc combos. I said fine then give me a refund for the 4 wings, the owner began to say she'll refund everything not the 4 wings. Then she continues to come out and follow me back to my seat as if she is going to grab the food from the table that my nieces are sitting on. I tell her how rude she is and how she has no customer service skills, she retreats and goes back behind the counter. It's a shame because my family and I have been coming to this whole in the wall for decades. That will be the last time we go. read more

Foods good no frills and only a few tables. Its better than el pollo loco but not as much selection I stick with the rice, beans and corn bc the mac and potato salads are not very nice. The mac and potato salad remind me of something you would get at smart and final. read more

My boyfriend and I shared the dinner combo that was 1/2 a chicken + 2 sides for $7. That included a drink! The little old lady was super nice and cute grandma like personality. Now the chicken moisture test, the chicken breast.... it passed! We were both satisfied sharing one meal, good deal! : ) read more