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

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. read more

Natural Style Chicken - Half Rotisserie Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

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. read more

Natural Style Chicken - 1/2 & 1/2, BBQ chicken & BBQ beef, with double rice instead of rice & veg - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is quite interesting as it is Asian and Mexican influence. The food is simple clean and tastes great. The food comes out quick and everything tastes healthy. I would recommend a combo plate with kalbi and a whole chicken combo that can be shared with 4 people. Their Mac salad is solid! read more

Natural Style Chicken - Whole Chicken Combo - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

See all

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! read more

Natural Style Chicken - Storefront for Natural Style Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

Natural Style Chicken - Menu April 2025 - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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. read more

See all

Great place. Lots of food for the price. #11 has a ton of chicken and the sauce is amazing!!! Small little place to eat in or take out. Fast service and friendly service. read more

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. read more

See all

I would like to try this place again. Apparently their most popular menu is the Teriyaki chicken. I was too tempted to do the rotisserie white and black. My thoughts on the rotisserie. Very good. The white meat was not, falling apart like it was almost.at the beginning stages of overcooked. But black meat was on the spot. Rice, to me was a perfect match, and I was super duper happy one of the condiment was soy sauce. I got greedy and added the butter meant for the corn, and put it on the chicken to get it the butter soy sauce flavor. It's my favorite. Great thing for me is, the menu here is what my kid wouldn't refuse. So it's good and convenient. read more

Love this place! N love Doris, she has great customer service and always takes care of me! Chicken plate is the go to and discovered the potato salad cause of her and it was amazing! read more

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

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! read more

Natural Style Chicken - Chicken and Veggie Soup - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

Amazing food but the service is pretty bad. The portion size of their food is very good and their chicken is juicy, not dry. The only reason it's not a 5 star is because most times I go here, the employees look bothered and unfriendly. read more

A true gem in San Diego the #11 and #12 are our go to dishes. The service is always wonderful. Been coming here for decades and now that we live in another state we had to come back and get our fix! Absolutely delicious! Till next trip \m/ read more

See all

Ok so the amount of food you get here is crazy. I shared a plate with my friend and we couldn't even finish it. I asked for chicken breast instead of dark meat because I wanted a healthier option. It had no flavor and just seemed like it was boiled breast lol. Edible with the sauce but not very good. Next time I'm gonna try the dark meat read more

It's pretty basic stuff. Pulled rotisserie chicken with rice and veggies. The teriyaki sauce comes on the side. Personally, this isn't what I would call teriyaki. I was pretty bored by the chicken and sauce options here. I ordered takeout though so maybe in store would've been better. The ingredients were fresh and the portions were good. read more

Recently discovered this place near my work and I said to myself, where have you been all my life Natural Style Chicken. Fresh cooked chicken, rice and salad, I mean you cannot beat that. Service is quick, sometimes a little too quick but that is never a bad thing. Ambiance is indoor and outdoor seating, a little too warm for me inside if you ask me, but the outdoor seating is always a winner for me, cool breeze and free cold water station. I like to switch up the rice for cole slaw or fresh veggies but you can customize as you choose. My favorite is always the #11 chicken plate. read more

Really good food. Really good portions & prices. The teriyaki chicken with salad and rice lasted for 3 meals. Very nice people. They roast the chicken onsite. I've returned 3X now. read more

Not bad, but not great. It is rotisserie chicken, and it wasn't overcooked and dry, but it wasn't very exciting. As for sides, the potato salad was decent, but the corn on the cob was bland and flavorless. read more

I've been coming here for over 20+ years. Friendly staff, big portions, priced right! Inside is cozy with a few seats. Plenty of parking. read more

See all

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

Natural Style Chicken has an interesting menu. In addition to chicken they also have some Japanese and Korean dishes. I tried the kalbi ribs with rice. Rice was moist and garlic infused. I don't like the bitter flavor of garlic and that's all I could taste of the rice so I didn't eat it. Ribs also had that bitter garlic flavor but not as much. Ribs were kinda chewy. I would not order the kalbi or the rice again. It took awhile to get the garlic flavor out of my mouth. If you are a garlic lover this is the place for you. Cashier was nice and my order didn't take too long. read more

See all

We have eaten here for over 30 years. Every time we are in this part of town, we look forward to a teriyaki chicken combo with mac salad. Worth stopping here. read more

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

I wanted something yummy and basic, and this definitely checked those boxes for me. I got the chicken teriyaki- tons of chicken, rice & salad- the teriyaki sauce was delicious. The lady who helped me was sweet. I'll definitely be back. read more

Natural Style Chicken - Chicken Teriyaki Combo Special - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

You ca not go wrong with Natural Style Chicken. The chicken is always cooked so well and the sides are good. I've tried their fries, cold slaw and macaroni salad. They were good but out of the three I would go with the cold slaw. The restaurant is very clean and there is a lot of ppaspace. I did notice that the majority of the customers are to go orders. There is usually a lady that is taking care of the front. Taking orders and doing everything else. I suggest having two people to assist with the front desk, the last two visits have not been the best when it comes to service. She seemed bothered when customers walkes in or placed their order. Very short with the customers but having a conversation with the cooks, didn't look good to me. I understand feeling overwhelmed, maybe another person may help with the stress. Overall, if you are in the area try the food...Best chicken in town! read more

Food was delicious and tasted so fresh ! The service was great and very nice ambiance! Would rate the food 110/10!! Will definitely be back here when I'm in San Diego read more

Natural Style Chicken - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

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

This place is pretty great! The food is perfectly flavored and delicious, and the chicken is out of this world good. The service could be a little better, but I did come in towards the end of the day, which I would hate if I was a worker. Seating is limited so I took my food to go, but it's got great vibes! Definitely recommend! read more

Natural Style Chicken - Chicken Teriyaki Combo Special - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is a hidden gem for quality, quantity, and taste. The teriyaki chicken and rotisserie chicken is yummy. They give you full plates with sides. They definitely do not skimp out on the chicken either. The chicken tastes fresh and is moist. Prices are reasonable as well. Service is always pleasant. Yes, the inside can use a revamp. However, this place is a hole in a wall. I've never been to a hole in the wall that is fancy. I usually go for the food and not interior. If you're in the area try it out. read more

Piece of plastic or other packaging fried onto a spring roll, incorrect side given even though they charged extra. Whole chickens are miniscule for the price read more

My family has been eating at Natural Style Chicken for years. Off the top of my head I can't recall how many years, but I know it definitely has to be more than 15 years. Ton of food for a great price, Teriyaki is always so tender, sauce is always on point and their soup is soooo good. During some cold/flu seasons, we ordered soup daily. Definitely recommend for big families. Really good bang for your buck! read more

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

Tasty and moist whole rotisserie chicken with soft dinner rolls. Garlic steamed vegetables and potato salad were standard. Service was friendly but slow given limited staffing and the no frills ambiance makes carry out the better option compared with dining in. read more

I'm genuinely confused about the negative reviews of this place. You get a great meal, LARGE portions, for an amazing price. I mean, you can't beat the prices here, especially given how exorbitantly expensive San Diego is. My friend and I were just shocked with how affordable this place was. Cashier was nice, and the food came out very quickly. The place isn't fancy or showy. You just come for the chicken! Will be back. read more

Natural Style Chicken - Half Chicken Combo and Chicken Teriyaki Combo Special - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California

I love this place ! I had the teriyaki chicken plate ! Delicious ! All dark meat chicken with white rice. I added the sauce myself . I had the side salad with blue cheese ..yummy . This is my new chicken spot ! I'm gonna get a whole chicken to take home next time. Looks like a dive but damn it's good ! I highly recommend! read more

Natural Style Chicken - Yummy ! - Barbeque Near Me - San Diego, California