Exactly what I was looking for in a chicken place. Bit pricer than the places back home, but I got a nice sized salad and half chicken for $13 (along with free bread+butter). Wait staff was friendly and fairly attentive even though I was by myself. The chicken was a standout; ranks among the top I've ever had. It came hot off the grill, with the skin awesomely crisped and the insides juicy. It was sealed up so well that even upon starting my last piece, it released a delicious steam of chicken juice! Needless to say, I finished every nibble on the bone. Eating with hands encouraged. Overall, Il Pollaio was the best restaurant I've tried this week, since it's unpretentious, authentic, reasonably priced food. read more

One of these days you will be in North Beach looking for a solid meal at a solid price. A meal where you aren't just loading carbs. That is the time to think of Il Pollaio. The service is warm and caring. And the food isn't cheap; it's inexpensive. There's a huge difference. This past Saturday I got a half chicken ($10, can you believe it?). When you order a main here they give you a break on soup ($5 for a bowl) and salad ($5 for your choice of salad). Do the math. I got out for twenty seven dollars including tax and tip. Here's the rundown on the food: A bowl of split pea soup was what you want in a vegetable soup: It was thick and I could taste the peas. The soup wasn't loaded with salt; just peas. I got the mixed salad with blue cheese dressing. It was composed of fresh greens, tasty tomatoes, mixed beans, and cole slaw. It was large, varied, and good. The half chicken came last. They charcoal grill the bird here and they do it well. Seasoning is subtle but right on. This is where you get loaded up on protein. The butter is sweet, the bread is fresh, and they bring it without your having to ask. As I walked down to City Lights Bookstore I felt like a king with a few extra bucks in his pocket. read more

Il Pollaio is mainly known for its grilled chicken, so that's what I ordered. I got the half chicken with fries. It was more than enough food for me and tasty. The fries were thick cut, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicken had a flavorful seasoning and was very tender. No complaints, priced right and tasted good. I would consider buying a whole chicken to go in the future and using it in salads or other dishes. For the full review with pictures, please visit: http://consumingcolumbus.blogspot.com/2013/03/il-pollaio-is-more-than-ok-aio.html read more

Yes, the chicken was excellent. I'd say that the chicken actually rivals Zuni's chicken for half the price. But, I'll say the same thing I said about Zuni: it's still just chicken. I honestly think that a hot, fully cooked chicken from a supermarket like Albertsons is almost as good. The fries (fat steak fries) were okay, and the roasted peppers sat in olive oil with some spices and were passable. This is a great place for a decently cheap meal when you want some chicken and comfort in North Beach. P.S. - as far as chicken goes, I wish the Zankou chain in LA would open a spot up here in SF. Now, *that* is great chicken plus so much more! read more

Glow's *The chicken was yummy, crispy skin and tender meat *Quick service *Relaxed setting *Simple and to the point menu *Two sides, one cup of soup, one whole chicken, bread, two ice teas = $33 Grow's * If you are looking for more than chicken this isnt the place for you NB=two people do not need a whole chicken! Maybe if they are big read more

You're hungry. You don't feel like spending a ton of cash but you want something GOOD. You DON'T want Italian food but you really don't want to travel far from the hood. (Just bc you're in Little Italy doesn't mean you're destined to a diet of pasta noodles.) No worries...go to Il Pollaio. Holy smokes I love their chicken! It is so delicius and yummy and so affordable, considering the neighborhood. My friend and I were starving one day. We walked into Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store and the prices for their sandwiches were way more than we wanted to spend. Also, they looked like the same regular sandwiches it you could get any where. A moment later, we were across the street, drinking wine, eating chicken, splitting a salad and having the best conversation ever. In fact, that's where I think I'll be for dinner tonight :) Hope to see you there! read more

hands down the absolutely most perfectly delicious grilled chicken i have ever had in my life. and the grilled onions were the best grilled onions ever, too. i mean grilling in itself is fantastic and the right seasoning on it makes me drool thinking about it. the price for a whole chicken is economically right on for me as well. my bf tried getting the recipe outa the chef with no luck. not only was the skin crispy salty savory, but the chicken itself was JUICY. bf needed some meat so he got a rib eye, cooked exactly right, very flavorful. potatoes that came with it were simple but heavenly. server was sorta lame. but the other server helped us out once in awhile. salad was crunchy and fresh. minestrone was good, but my bf did add about a cup of parmesan on it :) almond torte was pretty delectable. flakey crust, crumbly inside. we were utterly stuffed and will definitely be heading back! read more

Hmm, unlike the other reviewers, I found the famous chicken to be not just a little dry, but quite dry and not all that flavorful. The skin was quite crispy and even chewy. I would have rated the place and the chicken as slightly above average, but I went with a large group and they raved about their food. It seems like my dish was the worst. Theirs certainly looked better. I should have gotten the rabbit but since this place is known for chicken, I figured that was the dish to get. The lamb chops looked juicy and they give you a huge plate of them. Mom said they used the cheaper cut (fattier) but that they were really good, like the ones her mom used to cook. She also said the accompanying potatoes were great. Though my chicken was dry, I liked the concept of the place. Not fancy food, but good, homestyle grilled meat with your choice of salad or fries. And the portions are generous. They have a selection of wines to choose from as well. The server was great, very accommodating. Seems like you can have a cup of soup instead of the salad or fries if you ask. It's nice that you can choose from 4 or 5 different side salads too. Very helpful tip: most of the tables are for 2 - 4 people, so try not to come with a large group. If you have more than 6 people in your party, I don't see how you can sit together. read more

OMG, this is the most amazing chicken ever. The meat is so tender and flavorful. The skin is super crispy and oh so juicy. It's amazing that a restaurant can be so good at one item that they can get away with just serving that and still do super well. Definitely get a whole chicken because you'll want more. We also got the roasted peppers (good), the salad with everything (fresh tasting) and the fries (average). Everything else is just fillers for the chicken. It's all about the chicken here and it's definitely the best in the city!! read more

I'm on a North Beach restaurant tangent - and this place def rocks the feathers off a Foster Farms chicken. For some reason, I hadn't been craving chicken in awhile, so was quite disappointed with myself for waiting so long to check this place out when I've known people living in North Beach for years. Juicy chicken from a rotisserie with option of salad or french fries is fine by me. Zach and I each got a meal, so we could have both fries and salad and it was WAYYY too much food for 2. But priced so well we were down for leftovers :) I can do some amazing chicken salad sandwiches with leftover, roasted chicken. But I'm dithering - waiter offered to split our salad plate into a combo of bean salad and green salad that was what I call top notch service. Definitely a great meal, affordable and will have you doing the stereotypical finger licking chicken action! read more

I can only speak for the chicken sandwich that I had here for lunch one day. Actually, it speaks for itself and it says, "I am a huge, dry, flavorless chicken breast. Mmmmm." Bleh is more like it. I may have gotten a little heartburn eating the darn thing. There was no saving grace to this meal other than the fact that I was super hungry and scarfed down more than I normally would have eaten. So, yay on portion sizes, but boo to everything else. read more

Chi... chic... chicken... chi... chic... chicken... That is what you must order when you come to Il Pollaio!!! Everything else pales in comparison to, what's the name - oh yeah... The restaurant says chicken in Italian. So it cracks me up when I see people order rib eyes here. A whole roasted chicken, salad and fries, can feed a big family of 4. Fries are fries, salad is just a salad, but you can wash it down w/ some good cheap sangiovesee or chianti for an extra $16. Mama Mia!!! Now that's Italian... read more

Il Pollaio's chicken possesses such a narcotic quality one friend actually speculated as to whether they "put crack in it." On a block of ever changing Italian bistros, pretty foreign girl greeters crooning for your business, small town hipsters, drunk kids and wandering tourists, this place is the real deal. Order the half chicken, combination salad, half liter of house red (and if you're decidedly famished, the thick cut fries) and watch the passing foot traffic on Columbus Avenue. The chops and steaks come in ample portions as well, and while not always the most tender cuts they fill the plate and stomach nicely. Il Pollaio is also a great spot for the solo diner, particularly if you procure one of the coveted window seats where you can sit, dine, and imagine a North Beach of days gone past .. completely and happily devoid of the latest overpriced pasta bistro in the old Columbus and Broadway Burger King location. Have an Irish Coffee or an Anchor after at Specs or Vesuvios and return home or to your hotel knowing you did North Beach right. read more

You'll need to go with someone. The portions are huge. You can get the best value ribeye steak in town for $16, plus it comes with a very large salad or fries. The only time I finished everything on my plate by myself was at the end of the North Beach Beer and Oyster festival, after I had already walked into a tree. I sometimes call in a half chicken and pick it up on the way home. Don't get me wrong, the salad is nothing special, the fries are good not great, but if it gets cooked with flames, they know what they are doing. Great value and a great alternative to pizza when you need to feed people fast. Nothing special on the inside, never take a vegetarian here, but they way I see it, it's superior canteen food at canteen prices and that's a sorely under exploited market niche in San Francisco. I can't give any place where they mop the floor while you eat 5 stars, but it's great value for money. read more

Nice take-out and (small, oddly-shaped) eat-in restaurant specializing in chicken. Apparently they sometimes have rabbit too, which I missed. Cooked on a flat-top grill and heavily-spiced with oregano n stuff, the half-chicken was juicy and really tasty. The fries were steak-cut and not that crisp by the time I got em home, but still quite edible. And the coleslaw was really crunchy - you apply the dressing your own self right before eating. It was very nice. The wait-staff was friendly and you could watch the chef make your chicken. Decor was okay; nothing special. Overall, a fun place for a super-casual chicken dinner. I'ma come back soon and try the rabbit - if it's up to spec I may give this joint another star. read more

This is real North Beach. Let the tourists go to the fake Italian joint next door. Try the Rabbit with the 3 bean salad and it will change your life (for the better). Prices are very reasonable (very important in my rating system) read more

was looking for a place to eat in this neighborhood and my friends and i decided to check this place out mostly because a few of us wanted to eat some rabbit. the restaurant itself is small but cozy. i ordered the chicken and combination salad, since chicken seems to be their thing. the portion for the salad was very generous. i couldn't even finish it. and i actually thought it was pretty good. the chicken, on the other hand, was a disappointment. the skin of it was good, but once i got past that, it seemed a bit dry for me. one of my friends ordered the chicken sandwich and let me say this - that thing was HUGE. she couldn't even fit it in her mouth! don't know how it tasted though... read more

Nice, simple Italian food (but no pasta, FYI). Brief menu is basically composed of chicken and beef with a few sides and salads, definitely a good place to take indecisive people because the menu is rather brief. I split with my friend the grilled peppers (want the eggplant but they were out), the small combination salad, and a half a chicken. Peppers were good, if a little over cooked to the point of being a touch soggy. Combo salad was alright (it is 1/3 each green, cole slaw, and bean salad), green bit was fresh but bland, cole slaw was also fresh but a little slim on dressing, bean salad was very good though. The chicken is, of course, the focal point here. It was tender and juice with a slightly crispy skin. The meat was really delicious and very good! Service was excellent as well, the waitress was nice, quick, and very honest. The amount of food we go was more than enough and the total came to only about $10 a person! The main detractors here was the somewhat bland salad(s) and the fact that they seemed to be out of a lot of things. The eggplant appetizer was no longer available and the flan has apparently 'not been made at all recently.' If those had been available, this would have been a four star review. read more

I had been wanting to go here forever...and a day. When I finally went, I was impressed by the quality of the chicken - the seasoning and crispy skin had me sold on this place. The fries were delicious too! For being in North Beach and being served cold, hard butter with my cold bread, I was disappointed to have to ask for olive oil but they did have it so that was a plus. Other than that, it was great! I'll be back. read more

Vegetarians beware!! There is little for you here. I love restaurants that focus on less than 8 dishes on a menu. We don't have a lot of them in San Diego, so I had to come up to San Francisco for it. My friend and I ordered the chicken, salad, fries, and spicy sausage. Everything was well made and tasted perfectly. read more

I love Italian-Argentinian food and I believe because there is not as much cream/milk that it is WAY healthier than Italian-American food which is normally really heavy. The chicken is moist, charred, and crispy and before eating here I never knew chicken could be all three! Even the rabbit here is so Yummy! It is also budget friendly in terms of the pricing, but it is NOT fancy - so if you are looking for that move along... Good Food at Good Prices (especially considering this is in the middle of tourist trap central). Also it's near the city owned garage near the cop shop. read more

Could this place get any better? NO. The answer is no. Just go and find out for yourself. I can't even tell you how great it is.... read more

This place is wonderful...no it is not "fancy"...it is your classic "hole in the wall" with excellent food.

After a day out watching whales at the Farallon Islands we wanted something good, fast, and filling. We all had chicken and salad and it was delicious. The chicken was cooked so that the meat was tender and tasty and the skin was crackly crispy. The server brought out bread first with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then came our salads. Finally the chicken arrived. For $11.25, you get half a chicken and a huge salad. Definitely a lot of good food for the money. read more

This is one of my fav places.. THEY DO CHICKEN PERFECT HERE!!!! Combination Salad, Half Chicken. This Place Does chicken Right!!!! FIRE!! read more

Hands down this place has to be one of the best restaurants in the North Beach! From the menu options, staff that is more than accommodating, and what has to be the best grilled chicken in town...you can't go wrong. We made a point of going back to the restaurant the minute the phase of the Corona-19 was lifted for outdoor dining in the city. They are only able to offer five tables on the sidewalk, but still offer take-out for those that prefer to eat at home. read more

I've been coming to Il Pollaio for years. It's a nice little family-owned joint that serves up some pretty tasty food. The chicken is always great off the grill, with a little squeeze of lemon, but I generally go for their burger or their 3 sausages. The burger is good meat and I get it medium rare. It's kind of a longer shape than the typical patty and they usually serve it on a scooped-out piece of baguette or sometimes ciabatta(which I don't like as much). The 3 sausages meal is interesting because I guess you can get it as a sandwich on the baguette, but I've also gotten them uhhh...not as a sandwich. The sandwiches come with hella tomatoes, lettuce and raw onions, but I uusually take out the lettuce and tomatoes and eat that separately as my salad. The rabbit I've had a few times and it's great, but a bit too pricey for me to get regularly. Salads are good and filling, but I always get fries on the side of everything. Just a bad habit I guess. Service is pretty friendly here and unlike some places, once they've seen you coming in a few times, they'll start to remember you. Always a plus to me. I like this place because it's always remained pretty much exactly the same for the past decade I've been coming here. Go by yourself, watch some soccer, drink a Peroni and sometimes you can have some interesting conversations with some cool people around. A great place to just hang out, eat and people watch. As far as atmosphere, I greatly prefer it to the other restaurants on that strip. It's actually probably the only restaurant on that strip I feel comfortable being in. No douchebags, not too many tourists and no hipsters. It's pretty much a locals kind of joint that serves good, unpretentious food. read more

This place is a little hole in the wall in North beach with some of the best grilled chicken in the city. Very affordable and they have a hand full of other things on the menu that are amazing as well. I'm a fan of the combination salad & French fires Great lunch specials read more

Eating here took me back to being in Italy! The decor is unpretentious and the food is tasty and affordable. I ordered the half chicken and salad which hit the spot, but I think I would have liked it more if the chicken hadn't been cut up into pieces already. My boyfriend ordered steak fries and we could barely get through a small plate of them because the portion was so generous! I am a sucker for good fries and I will certainly order those for myself the next time I'm there. read more

Err... I'm Italian. I don't understand people claiming this is an "Argentinian" place. Did I miss something? There are a number of things that indicate that this place is Italian: - It's called *Il Pollaio*, not "El..." That is an Italian name. - There are autographed pictures of Juventus players on the wall (arguably Italy's most famous soccer team) - There are a number of Italian advertisements hanging by the cashier - The food is pretty Italian (roasted chicken, pork, sausages, soups, etc.) Italians have been roasting chickens for centuries. Is there something unique about this place or the food they serve that makes it Argentinian? Please forgive me if I missed something obvious. Anyway, they have excellent food, especially for take-out. I had a half-chicken with soup and a salad, and I was quite full and very happy for less than $20. The chicken was great, which didn't surprise me. The lentil soup was also excellent (nice, smooth, and rich, and NOT too salt). I enjoyed my dinner, and suspect I will return if I want something tasty and easy on the ol' stomach. read more

Great place for meat lovers! I'm not a big fan of chicken, but decided to try this place out after my roommate grabbed some take out the other day. OMG... so good! The skin (a part which I rarely eat) is so tasty and crispy! You would think if you're getting that on the outside, there's no way it can still stay juicy and moist on the inside right? But boy, was I wrong! On top of this, the place has great service! The staff is very friendly, and loves to joke. Our server left the bottle of wine after he poured my glass, and when he came back to pick it up, I decided to joke around and said that he should definitely top me off again before he goes! He smirks and actually does it. How cool is that? My party also had the fries, sausage and the rib eye. The rib eye was good, but why would you pick anything else besides the chicken?! Oh, and did I mention the prices? Half a chicken with fries for close to $10! You can't beat that! read more

The reviews were spot on! The chicken is the best so delicious! Great food, great service and nice wine selection! A low key and well priced restaurant that feels a like a local hang out spot for good reliable food that is light and carb-free! read more

Ok, first off, this is listed as a Latin American restaurant which it is NOT. WTF, Yelp? (I did not factor this error into my rating) Second, don't go here if you're looking for anything other than meat, cause that's all they have. Plain meat. My dad and I got the italian sausages and my stepmom got the chicken sandwich. It was good, but nothing remarkable at all. Stepmom wondered why there was so much bread on the chicken sandwich ("It was like they stuck a piece of chicken and some lettuce and tomato inside a loaf of bread!"). Pricey, considering the quality, the atmosphere, and the extremely limited menu. The only thing that really stood out was the marinated eggplant (delicious) and the french fries (piping hot and fried to golden perfection even if obviously from a freezer). Third, the waitress seemed really crabby. She only had 6 tables but hardly paid any attention to us, seemed really frantic, and when we did request something (like ketchup or a water refill) she seemed hurried and pissed off. We figured she was having a bad day for whatever reason and still tipped her very well (25%), but come on, be more professional and courteous, there's no excuse for such an attitude in a service job in this economy. If you want meat and potatoes that are nothing more than the italian sausage, chicken, and frozen fries you can get at Safeway, and to pay 5x more for it, in a shabby atmosphere, and served by a waitress that isn't very nice or attentive THIS IS YOUR PLACE! (I really, really tried to understand why this place has so many five-star reviews. Is it because the places around it are even worse? Who knows, but your money is better spent at dozens of other places in the city that are a much better value.) read more

Delicious chicken. Like, so good that I'd like to use expletives to emphasize my point, but have to avoid doing so. The whole concept for this place is so simple and so well done, particularly for those times you're in the mood to switch off the bougie SF foodie persona and go casual with some food like grandma makes (if my grandma were Italian). Take out and eat a half chicken at home while catching up on your DVR, or dine in with a bottle of wine and some tasty bread w/ oil and vinegar, and people-watch the tourists through the big windows facing Columbus. read more

I had Rabbit, it was tender and juicy. Although I expected it to be a bit more tender. The Tomatoes and Salad I had was fresh as expected. My waiter was patience. She even pour the olive and balsamic vinegar for me. I did have to say check please a few times to get notice. No biggie. read more

Great food and great service. The chicken is deliciously moist and tender, and they don't go overboard on the spices. It's simple and amazing. Also, the pork chops they served were very tasty - it's hard to get pork just right without drying it out, but they do a good job here. Overall, definitely worth a try read more

Best damn breast in SF Family run buz. sausage sandwich roxoz love the BBQ sauce great service, You'll see people that have been eating there for like 50 yrs that live in North Beach read more

Many yelpers claim Pollaio to be the best chicken in the city. I was looking forward to having my poultry mind blown. I must have gone to the wrong place. Things started well with an impressive execution. You go from ordering to a box of chicken in less than five minutes. What's in the box, however, is disappointing. Good? Sure. Didn't have to make it myself? You bet. But for $9 it was expensive and far from the best. Closer to bland. Dry. Underwhelming. Meh. Safeway chicken is just as good. Grandma's is even better. read more

Great casual spot for roast chicken. It's pretty down to earth, a good value, and quick. The eggplant dish is also very good (and recommended to go with the bread). read more

You just can't escape the aromas! We turned around to go back, following our nose! Boiled potatoes A MUST HAVE! Rib eye excellent! Thin but cooked perfectly! read more