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    Natural Style Chicken

    4.0 (467 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Natural Style Chicken Takeout or Delivery

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    NATURAL STYLE CHICKEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Natural Style Chicken

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    Half Rotisserie Chicken
    Omar S.

    I've lived in San Diego just a few years less than Natural Style Chicken has been in business, but had never dined there, and, given the recent spate of restaurant closures in the County, it made sense to try the place before it, too, shutters. The service at NSC was pleasant and helpful. All fast casual restaurants should strive to offer such service. That was the best of my experience. As others have reported, the air inside the restaurant was stagnant, and the seating made me wonder if the owners had purchased heavily-used Taco Bell tables, with their fixed banquettes and chairs, 40 years ago, when the place first opened. But I wasn't there for atmosphere, and so, expecting to take home leftovers, and so that I could get a good idea of the tastes available on NSC's somewhat limited menu, I ordered a couple of meals: a half rotisserie chicken with potato salad and a flour tortilla, and the oft-recommended #11 - Chicken Teriyaki - subbing Beef Bulgogi for half of the chicken, with rice and mac salad sides, plus a couple of extra teri sauces and tortillas. I'd like to say clearly that nothing I ate was bad. You could live for a while on the things I ordered, and probably nothing bad would happen to you. But... and this is a very important note... Every bit of food I was served was bland to the point of dullness, as though I'd been served not a meal crafted to please and satisfy, but large piles of ingredients warmed to a safe temperature, and nothing more. As I ate, I thought of hospital food, but less exciting. I was surprised to find that the wood-fired rotisserie chicken tasted neither of wood smoke nor char from fire. My local grocer makes a more interesting rotisserie chicken, and he uses an electric oven. And look, I get that mac salad is usually plain, and that rice is a palette, waiting for the flavor of whatever it's served with, but potato salad should be something more than cooked potatoes and mayonnaise, and how on Earth do you make boring bulgogi? Perhaps the owners and their many enthusiastic and loyal customers have confused "natural" with "tasteless." Seasoning isn't unhealthy, and it wouldn't kill the restaurant or its patrons if the kitchen used some, somewhere in their food. I said at the top that the service was good. I mean to stress that these are nice people. It's a shame that that's not enough to make me want to return to Natural Style Chicken.

    Forgot to take picture before
    Lisa P.

    We got here early in the lunch hour. The service was average. No real Greeting just took our order. We drove there from Los Angeles. There is no customer restrooms for the customers. Actually the parking is good but no restrooms from the whole strip mall. The food is good. The ambiance is satisfactory. We asked a question and they reply I'm really business right now. Which from our perception there was one other customer in the store.

    Storefront for Natural Style Chicken
    Eliko S.

    I've been enjoying the Chicken Teriyaki Plate from Natural Style Chicken for almost a decade now which is only a fraction of the time that they've been open - 40 plus years! For $12.99, the plate is a great deal and it comes with a huge pile of juicy wood-fired rotisserie chicken, a large scoop of Japanese white rice & iceberg lettuce salad. The portion is enough for two people to share. They have other choices for sides as well, but I always stick with the usual. They also make a delicious ranch dressing which I end up putting on everything & their teriyaki sauce is tasty. Natural Style Chicken is unapologetically humble in appearance. The owners are not worried about vibes, aesthetics, or great looking photos for the 'gram. The interior was painted a year or two ago, but otherwise, it looks like the dining room may be original to when they first opened. The place is clean and welcoming though & that counts! The service is friendly and efficient, too. Most importantly, NSC is focused on making delicious rotisserie chicken, and other entrees like Kalbi and Beef Teriyaki that are affordable, fresh and tasty. You can also buy whole, half or quarter portions of rotisserie chicken! They have tons of appetizers and a large selection of bottled drinks. Two people can casually dine here and get beverages (non-alcoholic) for the well under $40, and have food left over! Notes: tons of free parking in the lot Bonus: Grocery Outlet is around the corner & so is the Cravory cookies & ice cream!

    Chicken Teriyaki Combo Special
    Phil S.

    If you're looking for good food and a great deal, this is the place. The service is fast and friendly. The food is what you come for as it taste so well made and slowed cooked. You'll have plenty of leftovers too! The ambiance is nothing fancy but it's the charm and food why you come for.

    Mark C.

    Natural Style Chicken Review: 40 Years Later... and the Stoke's Gone Flat By Captain 619, San Diego's Sultan of Saltwater and Saucy Bites Yo, flavor seekers! Buckle up for a tale of time travel, teriyaki tragedy, and a 40-year-old chicken shack that lost its golden wings. Flashback: 1988 Dudes, picture this: Young Captain 619, shreddin' the gnar on a neon boogie board, stumbles into Natural Style Chicken after a marathon surf sesh. Their teriyaki chicken bowl? FIRE. Juicy bird swimmin' in sticky-sweet sauce, rice fluffier than a morning offshore cloud. That meal imprinted on my taste buds like a perfect barrel--chef's kiss to the max. I vowed to return... someday. Fast-Forward: 2025 Spoiler alert: Someday was a letdown bigger than a flat spell in July. Walked in hopin' for a nostalgia tsunami. Instead? Got a dribble. The Damage Report: - Chicken: Dryer than a Santa Ana wind. Stringy, chewy, zero juice. Felt like I was gnawin' on a flip-flop strap. - Teriyaki Sauce: They charged extra for it?! Brah, that's like chargin' for ketchup at a burger joint. Criminal. - Rice: Bland as a landlocked lake. No vibes, no flavor, just... sad. Silver Lining? The place was packed--shoutout to the loyal regulars keepin' the lights on. But for this salty dawg? Nah. The magic's gone MIA. Final Take: Natural Style Chicken, you're a legend, no doubt. But 2025 you vs. 1988 you? It's like comparin' a vintage longboard to a soggy cardboard box. I'll stick to my Cali burritos and wish you smooth sailin'. For me? One-and-done, brah. "Out with the old tide, in with the new grind." --Captain 619, paddlin' onward to greener (juicier) pastures.

    1/2 & 1/2, BBQ chicken & BBQ beef, with double rice instead of rice & veg
    OLdweeb G.

    Natural Style Chicken: Weekday parking was good at 3pm. I ordered 1/2 bbq chicken & 1/2 bbq beef combo with double rice instead of rice & veggies. It was uncrowded. A few people picked up orders. My takeout was ready in about 5 minutes. Back at the hotel I was pleased to see that napkins & utensils WERE included. Big portions! But the rice was cooked with too much water and was congealed halfway to mochi. I had to break apart the chunks. The sauce was the best part of the meal. The 2 tubs were delicious on the meats. The chicken was a mixture of pulled-shredded & thick bite-sized pieces. Taste-wise, the beef was good. Unfortunately, it was very chewy. Some mouthfuls couldn't be swallowed & had to be flushed. :-( OK, beef isn't their specialty. Next time I'll order all-chicken & use my own microwavable Japanese rice at my hotel.

    Menu April 2025
    Jasmine P.

    Best for to go orders to eat at the beach, at home, or a picnic. We ordered a whole chicken as well as a chicken teriyaki plate with the sauce on the side ( so I can choose how much sauce I add). It was all pretty tasty but the prices seem a little high for the services offered. There were only plastic utensils and napkins so if you're planning to eat the chicken with your hands, bring some wipes. (Note: there is no public restroom or hand washing station.) The teriyaki chicken came in small enough pieces to eat with the plastic utensils. Parking is available right up front and it is close (driving distance) to the beaches and highway exit.

    Ryan N.

    Green Lantern 2011, teriyaki combo, comfort, you got it. I ordered the half chicken, half beef teriyaki plate with rice and potato salad for $17.77 with tax. First off, portion size is great. Those around me just got the chicken, which was the same huge portion for only $12.99. Chicken is juicy and has that roasted flavor I enjoy. I don't get much of the smoky flavor which I like in teriyaki chicken, but it still tasted good. The beef teriyaki surprised me, and I actually enjoyed it more than the chicken. It was tender, had nice pieces of fat within the meat (not too much so it wasn't nasty), and the sauce paired with it perfectly. The potato salad was pretty standard. For lunch, you can't beat this price and portion. More importantly, this meal tastes clean and healthy. Next time, I'll just get the rice and veggies for a more balanced meal, and it's cheaper. Come through if you want a quick service lunch with good value and good health.

    Kalbi Combo Special
    Samantha W.

    I'm sorry but no. Not only does the place need a serious ventilation cleaning/upgrade but the food is so incredibly subpar... The corn tasted like it was originally frozen for a long time and then way over boiled. It was watery and wrinkly with no flavor. The chicken was SO dry. And tasted like it was cooked at the beginning of the day and been sitting out. The galbi was tendony and tough in a lot of spots and it ended up gaving my husband a super bubbly gassy stomach. Never again.

    Chicken and Veggie Soup
    Jesus O.

    Their chicken soup is amazing. For the same price and amount you'd get at Barrons, this place blows it out of the water. If you're sick or want a comforting soup definitely give them a try!

    fresh as can be

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    5 months ago

    Always great tasting chicken! Friendly and convenient. My go to spot for lunch and great for gains.

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    7 months ago

    I love the simplicity of the menu. It's short, straight to the point, and yummy! The staff is nice and service is quick

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    7 months ago

    The chicken was very bland and needs more seasoning. There are no options to compliment it, just some bottled hot sauce.

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Native San Diegan who has been a customer for 30+ years. Great for lunch or dinner. My family loves it.

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    2 years ago

    Update. Top 3 in San Diego for healthy. It's no nonsense, just straight up good food.

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food always fresh and quick service if you need protein agarre the gym this is your spot!

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    Page 1 of 12

    Ask the Community - Natural Style Chicken

    Are you opening a new location in Hillcrest?

    Yes, we are opening new one at Hillcrest! We will announce as soon as possible!!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We walked into a moderate Saturday night shift. The place was recommended by a close family member…read more The walk in felt like my familiar home town New York deli vibe in SoCal. We ordered Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, tenders and seasoned fries served with a signature house MC sauce called (Main Chick sauce). The sauce of choice range from mild to very spicy. We opted to place our sauce on the side for take out. This was a great idea and we highly recommend you do the same for take out to avoid soggy bread. You'll get the build experience by drizzling on yourself at home. The paper box food containers are vented properly which preserve the integrity of what we ordered. The sandwich build had a pickle which gave a nice textured crisp along with the crunch batter of the fried chicken. The sauce spice is intense. We had extra spicy, medium and mild versions. Fries remained crispy in the take out box and well seasoned with a perfect shake of flavor. Overall, it was a delightful treat poolside which bursts with flavor. I highly recommend this spot. The value and food flavor profile are great.

    Overall the foods not bad, but it's not great and doesn't match the prince in my eyes…read more Positives Tenders hot, crunchy and juicy Sauce is pretty good Fries are crunchy and hot What I didn't like was my level 4 spiced sandwich wasn't spicy at all, the chicken sandwich itself was maybe half a tender on the bread which was super disappointing. Fries are way too over seasoned and not my sandwich or tender. Would I eat here again if someone else paid or it's free? Absolutely but for the price and the cost of everything being additional, nah I'll go to one of the other places in the shopping center

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    Natural Style Chicken - bbq - Updated September 2026

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