The service is a bit slow, but the food... its worth it. And they are a really nice staff and very family oriented. I am a fan. The chicken is amazing. read more

Pollo Bacano - Mexican Near Me - Zion, Illinois

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This was a perfect stop for a quick dinner. The server came to our table within a few minutes of arrival. After placing the order, the food was delivered timely. Good food, very tasty and well seasoned to taste. The portion size appeared small but it was filling! The restaurant is inviting and tranquil. read more

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Pollo Bacano where Columbian food meets Mexican. The set up inside is sear yourself and you will be provided table service but they also have a drive thru. We dined in and their establishment is kept clean and it's well decorated. If a place serves horchata you know I have to try it and they pass the horchata test (not too sweet, hint of cinnamon, and no chalky aftertaste). They bring out chips and salsa to start. The salsa had a slight kick to it but nothing unbearable for my tastebuds. I had their chicken tacos minus the Pico. They still put the Pico. But besides that the chicken was well seasoned and nice and juicy. They really fill their tacos. I got double the rice instead of pinto beans. We also tried their beef Empanadas which were delicious but they will definitely fill you up. The bowl holds a lot of food and the flavors were good. The chicken by itself wasn't my favorite, they may have overcooked it but since everything else was good Ill give it a pass. Overall a good place to stop and get a bite to eat. read more

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Offering a fusion of Columbian and Mexican cuisine, Pollo Bacano is THE restaurant Zion has needed! I went on a Saturday morning for their brunch menu and it did not disappoint. It wasn't very busy so we were able to seat ourselves, I'm not sure if it is like this every time but perhaps on slower days it is seat yourself. Our waitress was very kind and attentive to the patrons inside the restaurant. We were offered complimentary chips and salsa to start. Right off the bat, you could tell that they use fresh ingredients. The chips were freshly made in-house and the salsa was made of fresh ingredients with vibrant pops of cilantro and onion. You can't have brunch with mimosas either! We ordered the passion fruit and orange-pineapple mimosa. The drinks didn't come in champagne glasses (not a deal breaker), but they were filled to the brim and very refreshing. I haven't tried any of the cocktails, but the menu is quite expansive for all tastes. For our meal we ordered the Parce Breakfast and OMG let me tell you about that Chicharron on the plate. It comes with 3 pieces and it is so fresh and crispy with the perfect amount of fat to make the bite savory. Some places make their chicharron too hard, but not here! I believe it is an appetizer too so if you didn't want it as a breakfast item, I would definitely recommend it to share as an app (or your meal). The pico was also the perfect balance to add some freshness to the plate. I know it may not look like much, but overall this meal was very filling, especially with the arepitas. This was a must try in my opinion. For dessert we ordered the chocoflan. Presentation was gorgeous and something I would expect at a higher end restaurant. It is quite small, but it was still delicious! The cake was spongy and the flan was buttery smooth. Again, the fruit for that hint of freshness paired so well with the chocolate sauce. Overall, I was super impressed by this restaurant. I'm so glad the community finally has a modern, delicious and reasonably priced restaurant to go to. The space is very family friendly and I hear that on some nights they do karaoke! This place is awesome and I would recommend it to anyone in the area. They got a lot to offer and I genuinely wish their new business success. read more

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The depth of flavor is awesome! I'm sorry I waited to order from here. I will be going back again.

Overall, this is a pretty remarkable chicken, so I'm giving it a truly deserved grade of 8/10--what can I say? This eatery hits the mark in what it specializes in, and I am all the more intrigued to order from it again and be a regular. The downside in this review is a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things: the rice wasn't memorable, nearly flavorless. But I digress. The chicken, on the other end, is the true star of the show, and the marinade to the flavor profile makes up for it in terms of the outstanding taste the side lacked. The salsas also added another layer of spice, and even the beans accompanying the meal had some added meat chunks, adding smoky charro vibes. Another notch I would give is that the portion of the chicken is a bit smaller in comparison to the other charbroiled chicken joints. Therefore, docking two points, yet again, for added flavors and the bonus of homemade tortillas, I'll give it a grand total of four stars out of five. read more

The ladies in here don't know anything about customer service. They seem to not know how to smile and look like they are bothered by their job. The food is ok. The rice taste like white rice, the beans are slightly sweet, the al pastor taste like almost nothing, the tortillas were good, the ahi was insanely sour, the red salsa was good spicy, the pineapple on the taco was not grilled or cooked green salsa was good but not spicy the chicken was mid it needs salt and seasoning. The ambiance would be great but they didn't have music on. Nothing special unless youre white. read more

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The decor and patio are so cute. The margaritas are what sealed the deal. The plantains and pork were a little dry and the guacamole wasn't creamy. It was more watery with big pieces in it. I would try something else next time. read more

I've been wanting to try this place since they opened... Here's my take on the steak taco dinners pros and cons: Pros: authentic flavor and feel... The green sauce is fire... similar to the poblano cream sauce at El Camino Kitchen.... not quite that good but similar!!! Steak flavor is great... Seasoned very well...balanced perfect with the onions and cilantro. Cons: portions are very small... 3 tiny street size tacos... Tiny portions of rice and beans for $15 is a little pricy for me...it was more like a $10-$12 meal...we got 3 of these dinners and one of them was filled with fat chunks in both the beans and the tacos... Very unacceptable at any price!!! So to wrap it up I'd say it has potential and I will go back to try other menu items but they could definitely do better in multiple categories... Communication was a little sketchy but I'm a white dude from Waukegan so I can spanglish my way around that!!! 6.3/10 read more

It was.. okay. Service was friendly and fast. Chicken was tender. Food itself was fine, but not particularly memorable. However, both members of our party developed upset stomach and diarrhea about an hour and a half after eating here. Coincidence? We ended up tossing the leftovers. Not sure if we'd risk trying it again. read more

This was a pleasant surprise in Zion. I loved the theme with the modern take, lots of greenery, and pops of pink/purple. The staff was helpful and gave us recommendations to try. Everything sounded good so we ordered a variety of things to share. The restaurant is family friendly and has high chairs available. They had plenty of juice options and they make allot of their own juices. Passion fruit juice sounded good but I wasn't sure if I would like it. Our waitress was so sweet, she let me sample a little before I bought a cup. Which I did! I recommend getting the passion fruit juice. The beef empanadas were delicious, the chicken was very well seasoned, and the star of the show was the homemade tortillas. We actual used the tortillas to make our own mini tacos and we used the homemade salsas on the table. I can truly say, there is nothing like this in Zion. This place is a must try. read more

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Excellent food! We all enjoyed it. We have never had any issues with it. I will keep coming back.

It's such a beautiful and spacious location the decoration is very beautiful. The food was also very tasty. The bandeja paisa had a bit of everything. The drinks were also super good. They do warn you that the spicy watermelon margarita is spicy and believe me it's spicy!! I will say the only thing that I did not like was that everything came out as it was made. for example if two people ordered alcoholic drinks one would come out and then the other one would come out 5 minutes later. Same for the food. No one wants to eat in a table while everyone just stares at them cause they don't have their food. This was a birthday dinner and they were very kind to give me a dessert (not pictured) Overall I do plan on coming back again. Great food and vibes! read more

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Foods have great flavor. Fresh ingredients. Free chips and salsa with dine in. Chicharon can be a little salty, just ask for less salt when ordering. Big food portion for the price.Nice staff. They serve alcohol too. They serve brunch on the weekends. Lunch and dinner on weekdays. Family oriented, everyone feels welcome here. They also have a karaoke night , not sure if it's Thursday or Friday ? Fun night. read more

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Everything was excellent, the clerk at the drive through was very friendly. The chicken flautas were very good.

Got sat and waited 10 minutes for the waiter to tell us that she forgot about us... even though there was only 3 other tables. Food was good!! Service though was terrible, server brought our drinks at the end of the meal when it was requested in the beginning. The tables were sticky so that's the ambiance, overpriced alcohol. 06/21/25 read more

Been here only a couple of times so my opinion is still developing on it. Honestly would leave three stars but it's a new business and even though some things may not be right I think everyone should give it a shot. Zion needs more nice restaurants like this! I've had the chickens few times and it's good. Not a fan of the seasoning myself but definitely juicy, fresh, and not reheated. The guacamole is really good! Someone said it's store bought??? Yea if the store makes it fresh lol! Definitely try the loaded tostones! Also the chicken empanadas...delicious!! Also, the tortillas that come with the chicken, they're handmade!! Someone else complained and said they're gross?? This is literally what a real tortilla should taste like, not store bought. Wish more Mexican restaurants served actual tortillas...totally worth it. The actual restaurant and decor, really beautiful. Like the inside is really nice and well decorated. They have a gorgeous and spacious patio with lots of seating. Also the property itself is nicely maintained. Definitely give them a shot! read more

The staff here truly cares about their guests. They were attentive, courteous, and polite. They made us feel like VIPs. We hosted our Friendsgiving dinner with roughly 25 people. The menu offers a wide variety of options, and everything we tried was delicious. I especially loved the guacamole. read more

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chicken dry. little meat, a lot of bones, rice was hard, cold food. The soap dispenser in the bathroom did not work. guacamole was runny and no flavor. the tortillas are very good but not worth it. I would have rather gone next door to Culver's and spent my money. read more

too much expectation! appetizers (empanadas) awesome, everything else not even good! menu says arepa has a salad and when it came it was dry, when requested it was told it doesn't come with it anymore, requested chuzos of steak and chicken, only chicken came, again when asked for it they said they weren't cooking steak that day!!!! we had to ask for tostones missing in the order! server was polite but didn't communicate changes or lack of availability on time! Bacano chicken dry like dirt!!! never coming back read more

The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. I felt right at home! The chips and salsa was great. The burrito bowl was truly flavorful. Will definitely return OFTEN! read more

The place was very clean. The empanadas were delicious and the rice was too. However, the chicken was really dry, and it has a taste that I couldn't seem to like very well. If the chicken was better I would have gave them a 4 star. read more

Well this place was s very new and we waited a very long time for them to open so we were excited about it but our expectations were high but they were not met the place inside is beautiful , the ladies are so nice and polite, The Food was not great and they have a extremely small menus of items there very set and extremely over priced for what they give it you it has a blandness to the food the tostones with guacamole and chicharrón where bland none flavored and over priced for what you received I order beef empanadas they gave me chicken the burrito dinner was to come with a choice of chips fries or rice and beans they did ask me what I wanted they gave me flavor less rice and not tasty beans and they charge 1.30 for guacamole in the burrito guess what there was none in the burrito,so hope they get more menu items and work on what they have read more

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We 1st tried Pollo Bacano about a month ago with our daughter. Our 1st visit blew us away! It's a cute, nicely decorated and comfortable restaurant. Their chips and salsa were AMAZING!!!! So much so that we got an order to go after our meal. We ordered their steak tacos which came on homemade corn tortillas. The steak was seasoned perfectly! SO much flavor! Their beans were delicious and I'm not necessarily a beans fan. Their rice was ok- nothing special. The beans were the star of the sides. Service was nice and friendly, no complaints at all. Excellent experience. Since that 1st visit we've been back 2 more times. The ONLY thing that was negative for me was our last visit we ordered the chicken dinner. The chicken was cut SO BIZZARLY. It was hard to even figure out which was the white or dark meat. None of the pieces were recognizable. That turned us off of that. It won't stop us from going back...but this time, only for the tacos. read more

The restaurant is beautifully remodeled. The staff was very welcoming and friendly! The empanadas were big and delicious! Steak quesadillas were really good and green sauce was just the right amount of spice. They were almost like shredded but not at the same time. I've been waiting to try this place, and I was not let down. I'll definitely be back, that was only a snack to see if we liked it! LOVED! read more

Pollo Bacano - How cute - Mexican Near Me - Zion, Illinois

The food and drinks were amazing. Definitely a great vibe. The service was top tier and quick. read more

Pollo Bacano - Passion fruit margarita - Mexican Near Me - Zion, Illinois

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Really good experience for the first time. I ordered the pollo/roasted chicken dinner two piece. Oh! Love the beans (flavorful gravy; beans cooked well with other bits of veggies, meat) and rice. It was nice to have real grilled or roasted chicken with tasty seasoning; beautifully blackened. The food was well presented. Plan to go back today and try the burrito dinner. Glad they chose to be located in Zion/Beach Park area:) read more

A gem right outside of Illinois Beach State Park. It's a much nicer place than you would expect to have a drive through. The menu had a good variety, including options for the kids, and we enjoyed everything we tried. From Columbian shish kebab and arepa to tacos to a kid's (surprisingly large) hamburger- it's worth a try! read more

We stopped in here with out-of-town guests shortly after they opened. My husband had previously been told the food was Colombian and we were intrigued. We started with appetizers of their chicken and beef empanadas. When they arrived, on two separate plates, the waitress could not even tell us which were chicken and which were beef. On the positive side, it was very clean and nicely decorated. read more

The food was great service was amazing and the ambiance was very cute! Definitely recommend people trying out this restaurant if you are in the area read more

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5/5. The food was great, please never change your homemade chips- they are delicious. Hubs and I split the half chicken which was deliciously seasoned, juicy, and cooked perfectly. The rice and beans were good; enough food for two with leftovers. The drinks were fabulous; had the sangria (dangerous), watermelon mojito w tajin, and the cucumber mojito. All were fabulous, tasted fresh, and weren't overpowering. Were so lucky to get this type of establishment in our area! I couldn't believe how clean and nice the building has become. It looks brand new... the outdoor seating is a plus and looked really fun! read more

I'd leave a photo...but the food was so good all you would see were empty containers. We ordered a whole chicken, chicken tacos, empanadas and rice and beans. EVERYTHING was delicious! My wife is half Belizean and I'm from Zion myself. Zion needs businesses like this. Great ambiance inside as well. Please support!! read more

Love the staff and the flavor of the food is delicious! Definitely recommend. Very beautiful restaurant. read more

Pollo Bacano - Beef empanadas. So good! - Mexican Near Me - Zion, Illinois

I was super excited to try this place because the closest restaurant that serves Colombian food is in Chicago so to have something close to home would have been great. What a utter disapointment... we ordered the loaded tostones, Arepa Rellena, Bandeja Paisa and a 1/2 chicken with home made tortillas. The tostones were good and so was the chicharrron(pork belly) the guac was the premade kind you buy at the grocery store. The arepa was disgusting Im not sure what masa they used to make it but it was not the one it was crumbly and greasy the filling was ok but the arepa was inedible. The bandeja paisa was the worst. It was served with ground beef which wasnt great 2 hockey pucks they called arepas, pico de gallo which what?!? And the chorizo was super dry it was basically sand. The 1/2 chicken was okay but the tortillas were gross. The only reason I left 1 star is because I couldnt go lower and the waitress was nice. We paid 80.00 for dinner with tip and we left hungry and disapointed. Dont waste your money and travel to Chicago to get Colombian Food. read more

I love plain ol steak tacos with only cheese! With this place I decided I needed to try the REAL way. Cebolla & cilantro. First time they were AMAZING! Second time I dared to ask if they could fry my tortillas for the tacos. They gladly appeased my wants despite it not being an option on the menu. I appreciated the extra gesture! With that the tacos were by far thee BEST tacos I've had in a long time! I'll be going today for TACO TUESDAY!!! read more

Terrific food and value. Enjoyed the vegetables grilled with my chicken and the chocoflan.

We were really happy to see them open. The food is great, especially the burrito. Service is prompt and polite. The atmosphere is good music and the patio should be open soon for outside dining. We eat there at least once a week. Get the tostones, highly recommend! read more