My mother and I decided to eat-in for this review, despite some on-site construction. The place was spacious and clean inside so that was great. Service at the counter was stale, no real smiles and a few old man stares from behind the counter made it just a little creepy. No harm at all tho. The food was ready quickly and I was happy about that. Was also happy at the heaping avocado included, along with some cilantro lime condiment. The food however was lacking flavor, except for the crispy chicken which tasted good. However since I got a bowl, I wanted the rest under the chicken to taste good also and it was maybe 2 star (mushy and unappealing). So to answer the magic question if I'd return or not? Yes, but not for the bowl. I am in love with their crispy chicken sandwich, which IMO beats ChickfilA hands down... that to me is a 4.5 star chicken sandwich. But for today, overall giving this place a 3 star. read more

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Ordered family meal for dinner and told the cashier to make sure my plantains are not burned or black, guess what when I got home, all my plantains were all burned and black. This is not the first time I had this issues with burned plantains, the people that are working don't care about the quality of their food they serve to the customers. read more

Pollo Tropical - Burned plantains - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I ordered today chicken soup Yellow rice,black beans, chicken 1/4 Flan For my soup I got broth, 1sm pc of corn, 1 sm pc yuca,1 sm pc pumpkin, NO CHICKEN. NO FLAN This is the second time I've ordered from here. I thought my order was simply. You need to do better. I should have looked at your reviews before ordering. read more

The food is fantastic and the service amazing Alberto and Christian are the best !!! read more

Absolutely a Dieter's dream! only real and fresh ingredients, seasoned to perfection. My favorite is the mojo pork

Overall, I had a pretty good experience at Pollo Tropical. I haven't gone to one since my undergrad days, so I figured I would re-live my college experience. I got the crispy chicken tropichop bowl and it was a solid option. The chicken was nice and crispy and went well with everything in the bowl. I especially like the garlic mojo sauce. It really does go well with everything. The ambiance of the store was decent. About the same as every other Pollo Tropical that you go to. Service was generally pretty good, with friendly people working the counters. It was a tad bit on the slow side though. For fast food, it definitely took longer than I expected, even for a bit so busy afternoon. So perhaps they need to work on efficiency a bit. But overall, a decent place to pick up food for lunch :) read more

Pollo Tropical - Crispy Chicken Tropichop Bowl - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Not my typical Pollo Tropical. But decent. Flavors and quality not the same as in SWFL or central FL. Less flavorful and not as tasty.

I ordered a delivery and they barely gave me any food. I also ordered rice with beans and salad and only got the salad with some meat.

If I could leave 0 stars I would! Prices through the roof for a quarter of the amount of food they use to give. read more

Pollo Tropical - Churrasco Steak - With Rice and Beans and 1 Additional Side - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I order from the Waters Avenue location in Tampa quite often. I usually put in a catering order for a large group 10 people or more, and they always do a lovely job. Liliana, the manager is amazing. Today in particular, I went in to pick up a catering order, but we quickly realized I had put it for the wrong date and was actually scheduled for pick up tomorrow. She quickly hustled to get it ready for me in 10 minutes or less so that I could still deliver it to my practice today for lunch, the entire staff work together with a smile on their face to help me. I can't say enough about them they always do a great job and my Offices always rave about their lunch. Fresh, healthy, flavorful!! read more

Whenever I come to Tampa for the winter season, I love coming to this location because of their quick drive thru times and amazing customer service! This location is physically hard to get my truck into, but other than that I've never had an issue here. They get my order right every time with no problems! My favorite menu item is the tropichop with pork and all of the toppings, with cilantro garlic sauce on the side and jalepeños with their flavored sweet tea. This meal is large enough for lunch AND dinner for me, all for less than $10. Their workers have the place cleaned very nicely given COVID-19 safety measures, and I am highly impressed! read more

Pollo Tropical - Drinking their flavored sweet tea - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Ok.. I have eaten at several Pollo Tropicals, and this is as good as any I have been to (better than some!). It was clean, staff was friendly, and the food was as expected. It was cooked properly, nicely prepared, and tasty. Exactly what I would expect here. Beans and Rice are pretty good... the crispy chicken BLT was ok... and for the price, actually not a bad deal! Need to come back and try the marinated grilled chicken here, as I love it. read more

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1st time here and I am pleasantly surprised on how great this place is and now I'm upset with myself that I haven't been eating here for years. I will be returning read more

Pollo Tropical - a plate of food on a tray - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This was the worst experience I've had a a fast food restaurant. I stood at the counter and NO ONE waited on me. There was no one else in line. I saw workers doing nothing. One person looked at me. A female with long dark hair. She stared at me and said nothing! I had to ask for service!! Good grief. She waved a hand and spoke in Spanish. I told her I didn't understand Spanish so she repeated herself. What a TERRIBLE experience!! She needs to go for customer service training! I left and went to Chik Filet. Got service and food in 5 minutes. I didn't even have to get out of my car. What a shame. I really liked the food at Pollo Tropical read more

They didn't have the vegan picadillo, and gave me a vegetarian bowl with pieces of chicken in it. Also, the service isn't good if you only speak English. The rice was also hard and the chicken looks unappealing and undercooked. Don't go here!!! Also the server touched the inside of the cup in which he then put water in. read more

Pollo Tropical - Kids TropiChop Bowl - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Food is always great but you will always have to triple check your order at this place. They will forget something 90% of the time. They need better quality control. Word of advice, Do not drive off without checking your order. read more

This location is terrible. Like they don't care what they serve you. Last time i went there the brown rice was burnt and some of it hard obviously not cooked in some areas and burnt left over scrap in the other side. I go back after several weeks and ask if they have fresh rice this time which they say it is. I get my order and low and behold, the rice is again bottom of the barrel scrap bur t rice which is tooth- breaking worthy. Never will i go to this location. read more

Pollo Tropical - Burnt scrap Brown Rice - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Second order in a week that has been wrong. This time items added have dairy and I am allergic. Awesome getting home with my dinner after driving 20 min and not being able to eat it. Won't be returning to this location. I was also not given a receipt, so this should be fun trying to get a refund. read more

While I was waiting for my order to be ready I looked down on the Dining room floor and there was a German Cockroach crawling on the floor. I can only imagine once the staff leaves and the lights are turned Im sure these roaches are crawling on the countertops where they prepare the food we eat.. DISGUSTING!!! I WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN AND I HOPE YOU DONT EITHER. This review is for the location on Waters ave. Mientras esperaba a que mi comida estuviera listo, miré hacia abajo al suelo del comedor y había una cucaracha alemana arrastrándose por el suelo. Solo puedo imaginarme una vez que el personal se va y las luces se encienden. Estoy seguro de que estas cucarachas se arrastran por las encimeras donde preparan la comida que comemos... ¡¡¡ASQUEROSO!!! NUNCA VOLVERÉ A COMER ALLÍ Y ESPERO QUE TÚ TAMPOCO. Esta reseña es para la ubicación en Waters ave. read more

If you are looking for a healthier alternative to traditional fast food, stop here. Their rotisserie chicken is always moist and flavorful. Lots of options in the sauce department. Their white rice is always cooked perfectly. I do miss the red beans they had years ago. The black beans are good, too. Sweet plantains compliment the chicken well. Sweet rolls are similar to Hawaiian bread. The chicken bowls are pretty good as well. read more

Amazing service and the food is delicious!! Very clean restaurant!! Menu offers a variety of choices but the TropiChop bowls are my favorite. If the have the mango cheesecake, it's a must try!! They have many locations around Tampa. Definitely check them out!! They do dine in, curbside pickup and delivery!!!! Love this place!! read more

Pollo Tropical - Create Your Own TropiChop Bowl - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Online your Hours of service Say you operate till 11 PM it is now 10:07pm and the man at the drive-through said since Covid we close at 10 pm .. So, two years into the pandemic you can't edit your details online.? The associate who was working the drive-through could've kindly asked the car that was waiting for their food to move forward. So, I could have left the drive-through... KNOWING they didn't want to take my order. Instead I waited patiently for the customer to receive their food so I could leave as well.. Nowadays things are pretty instantly with the internet. I wouldn't have wasted my time coming here if it had stated closing time is at 10 PM. read more

closes at 9pm not 12am like it says online. they should update their hours. closes at 9pm not 12am like it says online. they should update their hours. read more

Very last time I come to this restaurant they close at 10 but never have dark meat at 830

Only reason this place is getting any stars is because I have to choose at least 1 Star to leave a review. However this place deserves ZERO stars for the level of service and more importantly the quality of food and drink being served. I am ABSOLUTELY beyond disgusted!!!! I visited this location for my lunch break today and ordered the tropichop along with a mango sweet tea through drive thru. I specifically ordered the tropichop to have half brown rice and half lettuce. Of course upon opening my food once getting back to my desk, this was NOT at all what I received....so STRIKE 1 -- food order incorrect! Okay, whatever no big deal I GUESS...but then I discover a bug floating around in my Mango tea after I had already consumed about half of it. Absolutely GROSS!! This is STRIKE 2,3,4 infinity!!! So disgusting that this completely KILLED my appetite and any desire to ever return here. This was such a waste of money...and don't want to even give the food a chance to possibly find a bug in there too. UGH. Given the irritation level with my food and drink I wanted to make sure I called to share this experience and seek a refund of my $10 spent on lunch since my appetite is ruined and I'm afraid that extra protein (bugs) may be included in my food since were in my drink. I tried to call the location and their phone rang three times then hung up on me. And I tried this a few times. Tried calling about 30 minutes later, thinking perhaps they were busy but same thing happened. At this point I am beyond frustrated so I call their customer service phone number, spoke to a gentleman who was no help at all and basically told me that the location would have to "research it" ....ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? WTH is happening to our customer service with companies or should I say lack there of. I cannot believe there is no desire to help the customer in making this experience right. So I'm doing what I do best and taking to Yelp to share my experience! I will also be leaving feedback on their Facebook and company website. This is absolutely ridiculous!!!!! Recommend NOT trying this place. I will never return here. But would expect management or corporate to reach out to me and offer me a refund given what I've outlined in this review. read more

Pollo Tropical used to be an actual fast food restaurant with healthy food options that tasted great. I feel like while sometimes this is still the case, that is more of an exception than the rule. This used to be one my favorite locations to go to, but over the last year or two it has become very hit or miss. After trying the salads (boring, with mostly just bagged lettuce), and the chicken breast platter (without fail the chicken is super dry), now I almost always go with half chicken white meat with two sides: the balsamic tomatoes and the yuca with no mojo sauce (I hate garlic!). This is consistently good, although sometimes the pieces of chicken I'm given look like they've been under the heating lamp for awhile. Portion size of the sides has also decreased dramatically. The balsamic tomatoes now come in what must be a 2 oz ramekin, so there is approximately 1-2 small chunks of tomato, with the rest being just vinegar and onions. If you get a good person taking your order in the checkout line, you have a very good chance of getting all the sauces you request, and your order like you ordered it. If you get a bad person - good luck! Either way, I highly recommend that you check your order before you pull away from the drive through window. read more

Their food is always dry. I usually get the yellow rice and chicken with black beans. The rice is hard and the chicken barely has any meat on the bones. Overall disappointing experience. read more

I have dine in before so it's just OK! Typically I'd order through the drive thru but today my kids and u ate there. Food was good - service was ok and overall cleanliness of the place is ok too! read more

Pollo Tropical - 1/4 Chicken Combo with Two Sides - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Low review because portion size can be from bone' to juicy, you must ask for refills and condiments no self serve stations still (does not reflect review but its time to get back to the norm like all restaurants). Fast service time, always accurate just need quality assurance on portions of chicken.. read more

Avoid at all costs. Ran out of most of the menu by 9:30pm (they're open until 11pm). 30 mins in drive through. Rude staff.

Like most Pollo Tropical's this is a decent place to grab a quick meal, but not a restaurant I will ever crave. If you want something different from the usual burger and fries fast food joint, this is a great alternative. read more

Not sure what the deal is, Second night in a row I get a forgettable meal. Usually a fan of PT, the Dale Mabry location is pretty solid, but after this experience I may never go back. Wings were boring, tostones cost a premium and are not even good (this coming from a hispanic), even the kids mash potatoes tasted bland. The maduros were good but how hard can maduros be to cook. I give up. read more

They forget to serve you after you've paid here. Always forget items in your order. They don't ask you if you want sauce. Worst location. They lost my business for good. read more

Pollo Tropical is Caribbean fast-food deliciousness. They started in South Florida as a place to order citrus-marinated grilled chicken with rice & beans, but quickly expanded into a restaurant which also offers grilled chicken wings, mojo roast pork, Caribbean-seasoned ribs and salmon, sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, and their famous TropiChops bowls. In addition to their fabulous rice and beans, you'll also find boiled yucca with garlic sauce, assorted veggie options, and their new Caribbean corn soufflé which is a baked sweet corn casserole. Pollo Tropical is a fast food eatery (with a drive-up window), but there are no greasy burgers or overly-salted fries inside. Instead you'll find a healthier selection of grilled and roasted foods, seasoned with a lot of citrus and spicy flavors - but nothing too spicy hot. The restaurant has it's version of a sauce and salsa bar where you'll find cilantro garlic, curry mustard, guava BBQ, pineapple rum, and several different tropical salsas to enhance the flavor of your meal. I had the roast mojo pork platter with yellow rice and black beans for my dinner, and then added a hot salsa onto the pork, together with the cilantro garlic sauce over the rice. Oh yes, and extra grilled onions on top, please! You'll find this Pollo Tropical along Waters Avenue, just east of the Veterans Expressway, and next door to the big RaceTrac gas station. Definitely worth checking this place out! read more

Pollo Tropical - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I've eaten here several times and have had nothing but good experiences. What's not to like about Caribbean fast food? Rice, beans, chicken, roasted pork, sancocho and sangria at the ready! I remember when this chain was around back in the 90's, and I was a sad face clown when they all went belly up. So I got really excited when they began cropping up again several years ago. One of my favorites is the Caribbean chicken and spinach wrap, but heed my word, it's really small. The menu picture is very misleading. Other than that, I pretty much stick to (and recommend) the rotisserie chicken. It's got great flavor and the sauces at the bar are awesome for dipping. Very fast. Very CONSISTENT. read more

Pollo Tropical - Caribbean chicken spinach wrap. Very good but small as hell. - Latin American Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Absolute pure shit, cold food, flat soda and no sauce. I complain about the food being cold, they said that's how it's supposed to be.

Ordered curb side pickup. Drove to the store. Called the number on the curb side carry out sign as directed. First call, phone rang 15 times with no answer. Waited a few minutes, called again, someone answered finally. She said "you have to come inside". What is the point of curb side carry out if I have to walk into the restaurant? Thanks but no thanks, next time I'll go to the Chick-fil-A drive thru across the street. read more

I used to live around this Pollo Tropical 4 years ago. It had a bad reputation then for, sloppy orders, wrong orders and bad customer service. I was in the area and I was initially going to Chick-Fil-A but saw the long line so I settled for Pollo tropical. I knew I made the wrong choice when I hear how they greeted, they just sound like they hate to be there. Had to change my order a few time because they didn't have certain items on the menu. Then, once I reached my destination I realize they gave me the wrong order. It is sad that they have not improved. It's a little embarrassing since this chain is representing Hispanic food. read more

Y'all the worst pollo tropical. The soup never got meat in my bowl. I ordered the pork cubes then you got none. So I ordered regular pulled pork... YOU TRIED THE F*** out of me. TWO LIL AS* pieces of meat. Never again will I give you my money. Every time I go to this location y'all is sorry. read more

First time ever coming here. On yelp and on google it says they close at 11. I get here at 10. Fair enough. I wait in the drive through. Huge line. I get to the speaker at 10:09, lady then tells me sorry were closed. Like come on. I drove all the way over here and I get this "were closed" crap. Not cool. I then back up. I see another car pull in after me and it seemed to me as if they took their order. Now Im not 100% sure that was the case but oh well. If I was the owner, I would be PISSED if my employees were turning down customers before closing hours. Great first experience. read more