Third time to try Pollo Tropical on Fruitville Rd in Sarasota. 1st visit was opening week and the dining room was dirty and unkept. Food was so-so. After opening I thought I would give a2nd try months later. Service was horrible. After waiting for over 29 minutes to get my food the counter person told me they ran out of rice to complete my order. I demanded a refund and had to wait another 5 minutes for the manager to process with no apology's. So now comes my 3rd and final visit. The pulled pork I ordered was dryer than saw dust and tasted like left over food. The men's room was dirty. I used to eat weekly at Pollo Tropical in West Palm Beach and never a complaint. How does this place stay in business? Take you money someplace else to fill your stomach. Strike 3 for me and never again. G. H. Sarasota read more

Love pollo tropical but this is the worst location ever. Each time we go there there is something wrong. Our last visit my husband stopped off using the drive tru. He asked for 2 trop chops, asked for the bigger and got the small, none of the order was correct either, my husband asked for things that required up charges and the employee informed him of this but then didn't even ring them in so nothing we ordered was correct. My husband also mentioned the employee wasn't the friendliest too. I think we have give too many chances to thing location. It needs a major overhaul and training. read more

Great tasty roasted chicken and yummy sides. Get several sauces to kick it up a notch. Healthy options!

This place was filthy and they were out of the Caribbean chicken soup I went in for. All of the food we ordered had zero flavor and made 3 out of 5 of us sick to our stomachs. read more

The food is great, but the service sucks. I'd like to think it was just growing pains, but they've been very busy and open for several weeks so should have the bugs worked out by now. Went through the drive-through and less missing half my order. Had to go back through and go inside the store to get the rest of the order, ask for receipt as proof, manager gave me attitude.got back into the car open the bag and realize they give me the wrong thing again. Not worth another truck back in. Perhaps a management change, or better training program which almost to the problems. read more

Good stuff! Did a large order for here for a staff party and they did an excellent job. Highly recommend the plantains, so good! Jessica you were on the ball! I called the restaurant to let them know that they had forgotten something from our order she kindly said she would make it right and I'm impressed by that you stepped up to the plate! You guys definitely deserve five stars. We will definitely be back and when we do I will have to get the mac & cheese it looked so good. read more

I am very familiar with this chain and was very much looking forward to having some fast Cuban food on our trip to Florida. But this place was so disappointing. First of all, we were there for a late dinner and THEY RAN OUT OF CHICKEN. In a restaurant that serves mainly chicken, this is a problem! Also, the whole system of taking orders and serving was quite disorganized. The girl at the cash register made several mistakes and it took forever to get our food. They were clearly understaffed. And the food was not as great as I've had in other Pollo's. read more

How is the place even open. The place was disgusting, the staff didn't know what's going on. I remember when Pollo Tropical first launched and it was a respectable place. I definitely felt sick after eating here. read more

I went there for the first time today. I had the Tropichop small size. The portion size was good, I had brown rice and it was dried out The chicken was flavorful and the order was right. My daughter had the same but somehow she got broccoli mixed in and it was not part of the order. The sauces available were varied. The line was out of the door and luckily we got there before that happened. There are only two registers and it took a while for the second one to open. The menu was full of choices. It was a good experience but not great. I will probably return but it would not be top of my list. read more

Absolutely the foulest, dirtiest, most unsanitary restaurant in Sarasota. The sauce bar was dirty, ladles for dispensing the condiments were handled with no regard to cleanliness. I watch a customer sneeze, wipe his hand on his pants, pick up the ladle and pour sauce. Yuck ! Trash on the floor and staff kicked it around rather than picked it up. Management turned a deaf ear to suggestions. This "pig sty" will not see me again. read more

This pollo tropical in particular needs to close down for a week, if not a month, to better train their employees on how to give proper customer service. Service is beyond slow, employees are rude. read more

Cuatro leches is probably my favorite item on the menu because it's consistently good each time I go but the other food and service in general is NOT consistent. I just waited 25 minutes in the drive thru and then my order that I received wasn't even correct. I think this place needs better management or some sort of corporate intervention. The food is really good on a good day but there aren't many of those anymore. read more

Good but service is AWFUL. So freaking slow. In line with 3 people in front of me for 15 minutes. This place will surely close.

2 adults & child ate here for lunch on Saturday. First visit & we were very happy! Had a shrimp & a chicken TropiChop bowls (small) & the kids chicken meal. I thought good sized portions & fair pricing. Food was good, served fresh & loved the options. Now that I have been inside to understand the process I would probably try the drive thru next. read more

Save your money food was here at best was sub par , service was horrible, wouldn't recommend this to anyone

For fast food, it's decent. The problem is the service. It continuously takes them 4 to 5 minutes per car in the drive thru. If you're the fifth car in line, expect to sit there for 25 minutes. read more

The food is good. But unfortunately the men's bathroom thrash bin was full so the floor was covered with dirty paper towels. It obviously had not been serviced for a very long time. Makes one wonder about the cleanliness of the kitchen. read more

Willing to try new restaurant, no not a good idea. It has been open a few months I should have waited till it closed. Wasn't greeted as I walked in, that was my first clue that I should leave. Placed an order for take out, pulled pork sandwich was offered on a 4 in bun, that was correct the bun was 4 inches across, unfortunately the pulled pork was 2 big chunks, one piece was meat the other was all fat and a gross thing. The chicken bowl thing was all rice not much of anything else. Sorry but my opinion is keep on moving on to McDonalds! read more

I should have looked at the reviews of this place. My first and last time going there. We needed a place for a quick bite and decided to try it. Wow. Totally unimpressive. It's so noisy in there trying to order is a challenge because when you ask questions you can't hear the girls answers. She is a quiet talker. $19.00 later we walk around the corner to get napkins and drinks and whole area is a mess of trash, ice and straw covers so we found the cleanest dirty table. Then the food came. Ugh. The chicken has been in the warmer for so long it was inedible. Could not eat it. Had a roll but no butter. She showed me. There were a few packages in the bottom of cold water in a sauce type holder. Unlabeled. I looked at the receipt to discover that our drinks, although identical, cost differently. One was $1.00, the other $1.99. The one and only salvation that was edible were the corn nuggets. They were pretty good. As the girl came around to clean up the mess in the eating area I tried to tell the girl, the same one that took our order, just his awful the meal was but the corn nuggets were good but she acted as if she didn't hear me. Turns out when she turned around she had ear buds in. She didn't hear and never once made eye contact. Foot the slop they put out I'm sure she was embarrassed and I'm positive she had no training in customer service. Ever! I can't say enough bad things about this place except don't waste your money. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, I don't know but if were the owner I would have my butt in there fixing all the huge problems with this place or preparing to close it. read more

Used to love this restaurant when it first opened. Last winter we ate there 3 or 4 times a week. What hapoened?This year we went the first day we were here and the place is filthy. Sauce table was so messy I couldn't take any, told the manager, he just shrugged his shoulders and said he just checked it. Dirty tables all over and the ladies room was disgusting. How can this happen to what could be a great place? read more

I ordered the pork platter and I will say it was excellent and my order was ready before I even got my cup for soda so the service was spot on.... some what... as I walked over to get my drink I noticed trash all over the floor from the trash can at the soda machine but didn't think anything of it picked my soda and went to get my sauce and the ladle had so much dried bbq sauce stuck to it I couldn't even scoop the sauce if you wanted to and when I went to find a seat in the nearly empty restaurant every table was dirty with either trash or sticky sauce on the table tops... every pollo I went to on the other coast the food was always good and even at lunch rush hour the dinning room was presentable I hope this one can get it together.... and I should have walked out when I went to the bathroom and couldn't get any soap that should have been a sign to leave right away!!! PLEASE I love pollo but if more than one person is saying it's dirty you would think that it would be corrected not just given a generic response.... just do a better job of cleaning the dinning room and you would get better reviews..... read more

Call me crazy but I like this place. Great value for good latin/Caribbean food. I get the TropicChop with brown rice and chicken. I like the sauce Bar especially the guava barbecue sauce. read more

I'm posting this because it seems that my other review did not save. I was very disappointed when I got dinner earlier tonight at Pollo tropical. My fried yuca was so dry I couldn't even eat it. And my containers of sauces, mashed potatoes, and my bowl were so greasy. And the pork in my bowl was mostly fat. I was so disappointed. I barely ever eat there because usually I end up leaving unsatisfied. read more

The food is always great and unique for fast food. But, fast does not fit this location. Their drive thru is really, really slow. I have never gone inside to order, but I have waited 30 minutes in the drive thru. I would have left, but I was boxed in by other cars. Love the food, hate the wait. Staff is friendly. read more

Probably because they just opened but this place was insanity. I ordered black beans. And rice. To go. That's it. It took 15 minutes to get my order. Realized I forgot to order the balsamic tomatoes (my fav thing at PT) so I went back through drive through. Took another 15 minutes. Just crazy. read more

One of the most popular Latino fast food chains that I loved when i lived in Miami is now finally here in Sarasota!!!! Black beans and rice with salt & black pepper. Simply perfect. Fried plantains with a crispy dark caramelized crunchy exterior are always a must have w beans and rice. Yucca fries are good too. Key lime pie excellent. Just remember for the sake of the planet, the importance of minimizing greenhouse gas & carbon dioxide emissions and pollution of our waterways with the billions of gallons of blood, and concentrated fecal and urinary and the animals that used to inhabit it before all sludge dumped into our rivers, lakes and oceans each DAY- skip a meat-based meal and have the traditional black beans, rice and plantains. Also, less cruelty, lives of tortured endless filth and pain, stop eating cruelty and murder. You easily can here. Just beware the crematorium horror site of a hundred chicken carcasses spit roasting as if a scene straight out of Dante's Divine Comedy portraying Hell, don't look over your cashier's shoulder. read more

Don't get take out or use their online ordering. It says it'll be ready in 12 minutes but they don't start making your order until you get there. Its takes at least 15 minutes for any order to come out. It's also obvious there's no quality check. They forgot the chicken on my bowl. The place has chicken in the name but gave me an overpriced bowl of lettuce. The containers and even the receipt had food (looked like the sauce from black beans) all over it. We won't be back. read more

Went in tonght i was amazed with it a step up from what it used to be clean the sauce island need to have covers though people stick fingars in it byt cant do nothing about that just keep cleaning it the girl with glasses and green shirt very helpful and on her toes came out and cleaned. Up tables . allways doing something.she was very informative about the menu and nice thank you for being nice read more

Went here today on Saturday, May 6th They ran out of Ribs so we ordered chicken And pork The chicken was dry and a bit over cooked, the pork just tasted poor We noticed the condiment area was not well-kept low on items and quite dirty We have been many polo Tropicals here in Florida and I find this rather new one very poorly run and will not recommend it to anyone Sorry find someplace else...... read more

Their food is amazing. Portion size, not too happy. $2.50 for a side salad smaller than my palm. Need to work on service. Seemed to be Lindt crazy in here today. read more

My coworker & I went here to get food & the lady in the front was very rude & giving us a major amount of attitude. Her name is Annie, & I was VERY disappointed. Never coming back here again. read more

Went on a Wednesday evening around 6 pretty crowded nothing crazy massive feast for 2 with drink for $17 yes please service was helpful and very fast hot and fresh will be coming here whenever I am in the area highly recommended read more

Terrible experience yesterday around 1pm. Ordered at the counter and waited...waited...everyone before and after us received there meals and we never did after 20mins we asked for a refund or our food, the manager gave us the refund and watched us leave no offer of making the food now, just handed us the money and watched us leave. I am in the customer service field and that was not the great service I expected. I have ordered twice before online and twice thru drive thru with no issues. Seems very disorganized and uncaring towards making sure customers are happy. read more

This was the first time I went here and I was not very impressed... I got a chicken bowl and i was expecting more after hearing good things. The chicken didn't taste very good, almost like it had been frozen or old or something and I got 1 price of broccoli. Also the tomatoes tasted old. All around just not very good. Probably won't be returning especially with a chick fil a across the street! read more

Very good food for a fast food restaurant but service was VERY slow. I hope they get faster and quick.

I have dined many times at a pollo tropical. I am so happy to have one in Sarasota. They are a bit overwhelmed bc they are new. And staffed with new people. The food is so good. I mostly eat the tropical chop bowls. The chicken sandwich looks small compared to the yummy big bowls. read more

I stopped in for dinner this evening and no chicken! 30 minuets for chicken at a chicken joint. Needs new management!

It was really good. The chicken seasoned just perfect. And healthy food at a very decent price.

Went there for dinner on my way to work. i didn't open my plate until i arrived at work. There was 1 tiny chicken leg and 1 tiny thigh. I was very disappointed to have paid $7.27 for this meal. I won't be going back. read more

went to this store b4 mid day an it was amazing but then i made the worst decision ever to visit this place and hour b4 closing. i've worked in fast food and i know a little of how the food industry works. but only having brown rice, one kind of pre made chicken, and "black beans" (which btw ended up as 80% liquid) as the only options was ridiculous . i paid 10 bucks to get freaking condiments instead of a meal. i bet y'all could have cooked some more selections if you weren't so damn quick to close up and hour early. read more