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

UPDATE. Well, it's been just over 2 years since I wrote my review. I was going over some items tonight and I felt I needed to give a final update on this one. I never did hear back from anyone about the problems I addressed in my correspondence, as mentioned in my review. Either at the local level or corporate. That says a lot to me about how a business is run. If you are sincere about customer service and satisfaction, you will address any and all concerns, no matter how trivial they may or may not sound. At this point, in my daily travels, I occasionally pass by one of these stores. The key word is PASS BY! I will NOT patronize any Pollo Tropical at any time in the future. Do all the advertising you want, build fancy stores, If you can't commit to customer service, you will always be lagging behind the field, in my honest opinion. read more

This place is sooo unorganized!! All orders wrong all employees all over the place. Nothing being done correctly. Do not recommend this location. read more

Food is good but the service is extremely slow. This place gets really busy at lunch time and the line can get long. The slow staff seems to be something that is at all the stores I've been to. Seems like a corporate training problem. read more

This place is very good. I am a California native and this is more tasty than El Pollo Loco. I like the options of sides you get and the fact that it has a drive through. read more

Good food but they say they are open until 11pm. My wife just stopped there, starving, at 10:45pm, and they said they were closed. If they are getting lazy with their closing time who knows what else they are getting lazy with? I wonder when the last time they deep cleaned? read more

The food is great, but is it worth waiting an hour for? Don't, under any circumstance, order carry out. It won't be done on time, and it will be cold. There's usually a line in the drive through, but it does move, so save yourself the hassle and realize you will trade 20 minutes in the drive through for an hour waiting on take out orders. They definitely prioritize the drive through over online orders and the food will be fresh. read more

Visited this location 50 minutes prior to closing and was told all I could order was a shrimp skewer or chicken skewer. When is asked why (this is the 2nd time this has happened at this location) I was told "because our policy changed." No apology, no explanation. Your business will slowly die out, as you're wasting money paying a full night staff who clearly prioritizes "getting out early" over sales and guest satisfaction. If you want to close at 10, close at 10. Don't waste people's time driving here! Highly disappointed. Will not return. read more

I ordered online the Special Grande Family Meal, and the service was pretty good, i even got the sauces i asked for unlike some other pollo tropical locations. Although the service was great, they forgot a part of my order (Mojo Pork) and they didn't answer the phone. We passed by here as we were on our way to a city that didn't have a pollo tropical location so we couldn't do anything when we got home. Pretty dissapointed. Update: The owner actually contacted me and gave me a compensation to make up for the mistake. It's nice that they read these reviews and keep customer satisfaction a priority. It was a really pleasant surprise. Thank you! read more

We decided to go to Pollo Tropical today because although we typically go to Chick Fil A right across the street we figured we get something different today. We love the Cilantro Garlic sauce from there and was a big reason we went there. We ordered two meals, the beans were in flimsy, thin, plastic containers and the lids came off and poured out of both as soon as we left I stopped in the racetrack right next to Pollo Tropical just so we could fix the mess. It was all in the bag. I ended up throwing all their napkins, bags and utensils away because they were covered in the beans. I went in racetrack (got two drinks) and asked for a bag so I could re-bag my stuff. When leaving the drive thru I specifically asked for extra sauce saying we really liked it, when she handed me the bag I asked her to make sure it was there. As you see, it's only two containers for two large meals?!?! I am never that happy with their service, I even made some comments before we received our food how I hoped they actually gave us enough sauce and the order was right. So I'm done. They lost a customer, I won't be back. We should have just gone to Chick Fil A. I don't like writing bad reviews but this was ridiculous I was really unhappy with this service. And maybe you are wondering why I didn't go back to complain. I am avoiding, (as much as possible) going inside anywhere right now with the Covid 19 and I would have gone back through the drive thru again but it takes forever. I had to fix the problem before that time because it was becoming a huge mess quickly anyway. So I took care of it myself and wrote the review. Two stars instead of 1 because the food is pretty good. read more

See all

Food was very flavorful. It was quick and cheap food. The corn soufflé was good. Staff was friendly. The inside was spacious. read more

See all

Pollo Tropical is the Cuban version of KFC. Only the chicken is grilled, not fried. And you can get rice and beans. And other latin goodies too. I love Pollo Tropical as it is one of my "safe places" when I'm on my Weight Watchers lifestyle. As with any other restaurant, there are good decisions to be made, and there are bad decisions to be made. When I am behaving, Pollo Tropical provides some very yummy options. Today I had the good old fashioned Caribbean Chicken Soup, better know to us Latinos as "sancocho". Its a hefty soup with a lot of "verduras" (vegetables) and a little bit of chicken. The broth is very flavorful, and the healthy serving of vegetables is very filling. That recipe was obviously created by someone with Latino blood. A small soup is 3 WW points, and a large (which of course is the one I recommend) is 7 points. Since the soup is a little bit on the skimpy side when it comes to chicken, I added two boneless breasts of their great grilled chicken. They don't have any skin and they are breast, so flavor-wise they lag their thigh and leg cousins, but at only 3 points per breast, it's a no-brainer. The dark meat and the skin is where the flavor and the calories are at. :( So for 13 WW points I have a very hearty soup with lots of vegetables, chicken, and flavor. I sometimes mix it up with small servings of rice and beans instead of the chicken when I have more points to spare. Beware the Tropichop meals. They are delicious but at over 30 points each, they contain almost a whole day's worth of calories in a single serving. Yummmmmm.... read more

Pollo Tropical is a safe bet for a quick bite whenever I'm in the area. It's not fast food, but it's definitely fast, and nice enough to sit down inside and hang out. The tropichop bowls here are delicious with plenty of flavor. A small bowl is plenty big enough for a single meal. They can also be somewhat healthy if you pick the right ingredients (salad, grilled chicken, etc.) Of course, I'm more into the less healthy stuff, and the guava cheesecake does not disappoint! Definitely a good choice before you hit the theater or when you're on the run. read more

Drive through is so slow. Sat at speaker in silence for 8 minutes before anyone acknowledged me. Took half hour to get through with 3 cars in front of me read more

My first visit and the line at the drive thru, had a minimum of 10 cars. First impression, it must be good. It did not disapoint. I went inside rather than wait in that rediculous line. I selected the chicken breast & blackbeans. The chicken was well cooked. It was moist and flavorful, with hints of citrus. The black beans, we're average for Tampa, nothing noteworthy, but substantial. Overall a dinner, not full of empty calories for a decent price. What's a girl to do? Ya gotta eat, so try something healthy, even if it is fast food. read more

Okay if ur looking for some Spanish food. Their black beans are pretty good and the grilled chicken breast is moist . Nothing to rave about. It's a quick and inexpensive meal if u don't feel like cooking. read more

Every time I go to this location the customer service is absolutely horrible. It's as if they tell the employees "do whatever you want" and they proceed to give customers the worst service possible. Half the time something is missing and then you get a crazy look if you tell them about something being wrong with the order. This is an extremely unprofessional, poorly run location and I would advise against going here, especially around dinner time. read more

Pollo Tropical is not your typical "fast food". Slow simmered black beans served over fluffy rice. Grilled, marinated chicken that is juicy and tender. I love the Tropichop meals - meat over your choice of rice, beans, or salad - and they often offer bundled deals for a Tropichop and a drink for $5. They also have a salsa and sauce bar so you can spice up your meal as you see fit. The food is consistently good, fast, and at a good price. One down side - I have never had a to go order come out correctly at this location. When I ask for sauce on the side, I usually have to go in and prep it myself so I started just ordering inside. Nice staff but they always seem a little lost and disorganized. read more

As a frequent visitor, good food at a great price. Tropichop bowls are great for lunch. Much better than fast food. The Waters location has similar food to the Hillsborough Ave store, but the Waters store just seems cleaner. Service at both is hit or miss, but within expectations for counter service. Called in order was a waste of time, it was wrong and not ready the one time I called in. Salsas are nice and fresh tasting, these locations push out a ton of food, and it's always really good. See ya at lunch time! Tropichop and a drink for $5? Love it... read more

What ever you dont order Churrasco, "flank steak" you will be disappointed very disappointed the portion they give is for a 5 years old kid. Its my 3rd n finally time 2nd time i got along peace of meat idk wa it was look like ribs but it was churrasco. Never ever again will i go or buy any churrasco in this location Dont do it. Stick to chicken. Worst ever... Never again in my life.. And im telling everyone i know not to eat no churrasco from Pollo tropical. Horrible then they wanan charger 8 dollar and some change wen you can buy a pound of chucrrasoc for 7.49 ans make it your self and have left over for the next day. read more

This is the slowest counter-to serve your food....but that damn bread roll, Mojo Pork, 1/2 Chicken with the plantains are worth the price of waiting. read more

This location lost a lot of money tonight due to their decision to close early. The gentleman in the vehicle in front of us waited a long time as no one was operating the drive thru. Eventually someone spoke on the mic when they noticed a line of cars outside. It was evident they were trying to close early because the team inside had all of the chairs stacked on the tables and were cleaning. I don't mind at all that they wanted to close the inside 30 minutes early. It was the fact that the drive thru closed 30 minutes early too. When someone eventually came to the mic, she said "sorry our system isn't working". This location either has some careless employees or needs a new system but honestly, seemed like a lie to me. Mostly seemed like they were trying to close early. Ended up going to Chick Fil A across the street instead. Seemed like all the cars behind us had the same idea. read more

I'll have to agree 100% with Pablo C.'s review. Everything he said was on point. I'm not sure when they began this and if it was included in Pablo's estimation of the place, but Pollo Tropical has now begun serving you your food and picking your plate up afterwards. I liked this place before they started this, but since they have it goes a long way at feeling comfortable and happy eating there. It's still fast food, and they haven't changed the way you get the food because they serve any slower. They seem to merely want to add to the already great experience it is to eat at Pollo Tropical. The food is great, and cheap. It's sort of a Boston Market, with more options, a Hispanic/Caribbean flavor and theme, AND CHEAPER! What more can you ask for!? Since it is still a fast food place, I imagine the quality of the employee's service will very with different stores. But at the one Waters and Veterans in Tampa, FL, I've only been treated well. Definitely something you should consider. read more

Once again, I came to enjoy Pollo Tropical and the place is filthy!! it's 4:40, there are three tables and still the tables, floor, condiment area etc are filthy and no the in the containers. For a place where all the stores are corporately owned how on earth do you have such inconsistencies?!?!?!?! read more

I've past this place numerous times and recently was with a friend who suggested it. I'm kinda new to the Cuban / Latin food scene so upon entering I wasn't expecting much more than a fast food Latin theme. There is a wide selection of items to satisfy any craving or palette. Prices were reasonable with most options in the $5-8 range. I went with a safe option considering most of my Latin food experience is limited to a Cuban sandwich. I chose the Cajun Grill which was a grilled chicken on a bun with a side of Caribbean soufflé and drink. The sandwich was good but on the small size it was kinda more a 3 bite sandwich at least for me. The side was essentially a enhanced corn bread soufflé which was moist and flavorful. The Fix In's bar offered various types of sauces and toppings to add to your meal. Overall I did enjoy the place and will keep it on my repeat list. read more

Grilled Chicken is great... The grilled 1/2 chicken w/ one side is a great deal at Pollo Tropical. It also tastes great. I haven't found a side I Love yet. I'm a big fan of Black bean and rice, but Pollo's just isn't that tasty; IMHO. But you still can't beat the value and taste for fast food. I've eaten at this location 4 or 5 times and they do a good job. Recommended... read more

I'm uncertain how this place has a 3 star review. Everytime I come here something goes wrong. Once, several years ago I ordered inside and the cashier messed something up so the manager came out of his office to deal with the register. He came to the register with a wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek and a spitting cup. That's how he came to the register. I stopped eating there for years then went back. Always something wrong - people who can't repeat your order back to you mere seconds after you've placed it, overcharges, tonight there was something missing from my take out order and I didn't realize it until I got home. I'm done for good. I like their food but it's like they purposely go out of their way to provide terrible customer service. Shame on me - while there was hardly anyone on line at the drive through here, just across the street at Chick-fil-A, the drive through was backed up. That should've been the tip off. There's a reason people will eat microwaved chicken sandwiches over real grilled chicken. Never again. read more

I am extremely unhappy with Customer Service at one particular "Pollo Tropical"location(6276 W. Waters Ave. Tampa,Fl. 33634)today.I had placed my order Online as well as paid for it already. Once I arrived at the designated parking spot for Online orders I called the number that was posted outside to let the workers know that I had arrived to pick up my order. I was not even greeted in a friendly manner nor did the girl identify herself or the establishment that she was working for. All I got was a "Hello" when she answered the phone. After I had told her that I was outside to pick up my order and I identified myself she finally said "Okay". Within a few mins. I finally was given my order. By the time I had a chance to check my order once I got home I discovered that I was missing items that I had ordered and paid for already byt was not included in my order.The Chinichurri Platter that I ordered didn't even have the Chinichurri Sauce that was suppose to be included as part of the meal itself. The two other sauces I checked on Online to be included were also missing and instead I was given two different sauces that I didn't care fir with my Order. In Addition the "Two Desserts" I had ordered and paid for as well were also missing. I have tried calling this particular Store's phone number((813)880-7167)) but will automatically go to voicemail each time until I git fed up and left a message with my name & number for a manager to call me back.I never did get a call back. This is really "Poor Customer Service" as anyone can imagine. How does an establishment like this even know how to recover their Customers. If there was a choice to give no "Stars" at all then that's what I would likely choose. Pollo Tropical needs to teach their workers proper Customer Courtesy: 1.)when answering the phones and 2.) Double-checking a Customer's order before bagging and sealing the bag prior to giving it to the Customer,3.) Reading the order back to the Customer would help as well. read more

Pollo Terrible! Food was just alright but after spending $52 for Dinner I expected better service. The Manager was extremely Rude and Disrespectful. I placed a curbside order on-line, arrived 5 minutes before my pickup time and called the number listed on the sign. 15 minutes later my food came out ice cold. Went home and realized I was missing 2 sandwiches. After driving back they found my food and said I left it on the counter. Now how could that be if I never went into the store? The manger didn't even offer to re-make my order. I demanded fresh food and after a few minutes she did remake only the sandwiches as I did not bring the rest of the order back. I will never go back to Polo Tropical even if the gave me free food. We have many other family owed places near by. Please go somewhere else and forget about going to such a place that does not appreciate their customers. Service is downright pathetic. read more

The food was good but they didn't bring any condiments as far as eating utensils and the sauce that I ordered. I actually brought the rest of the uneaten food back the next day and they replaced my whole order. I'm very satisfied now. read more

Came here yesterday to give this location a try since it used to be really good at this location and my carrollwood location is always a waste of money. Well seems to be that it was also a mistake. Our family chicken dinner was black charcoled burnt. It was absolutely disgusting. Our 2 nugget dinners were overcooked and fried were old and cold. Should of just took my $30 and went to grocery store. The girl cashier was also very short on politeness with what else do you want questions. And is that all then just pull to the window. It blows my mind how the manager allows her to talk to customers this way. Not to mention she told us they were out of all sauces and gave me 2 guava bbq only. Not even the one we wanted. Disappointing as this brand was good when it first opened. read more

They have horrible customer service! I come through the drive tru and a worker on the speaker goes "yes" and "yes order" in a very rude tone. But the food is always great and delicious. read more

Sadly, is there another Latin chicken place in Tampa that is better than this? I haven't found it.

First time here. Food was very good (wife & I both got the BBQ Chicken Tropichop) and a side order of plantains. I've eaten quite a bit of Cuban food and found Pollo Tropical's food a little better. More flavorful & both my wife & I enjoyed the side sauces (I got the mild salsa & she got the garlic - which I tried & found very tasty). The service was very fast ( we got there @ 1:30 on a Friday) & the restaurant very clean. The waitresses were friendly & had some recommendations on what other diners find are favorites. I will definitely go back. read more

As much as I like Pollo Tropical, I would avoid this location if you can. I am rarely in this area, but they've messed up my order 2 out of the 3 times I've been here. The first time, I ordered a couple of regular sides and ended up paying for someone else's $12 meal. I didn't realize until that evening and I didn't go back into the restaurant to complain. The second time, I ordered and got charged for a side of fried yuca that I never received. When I stopped in a few days later, I was told she could not give me the food I'd paid for without a receipt. As though my time and integrity were worth less than some $2 yuca. Unless you like paying for food you don't get and then being accused of lying about it, avoid this location. There are lots of other options nearby. read more

This place serves very good food, but its super cold inside, like 50 degrees. Its so cold that you can see water dropping from cealing. We can never eat inside, and if we do, we have to do it quickly. If you get there 2 hours before they close, you will see all chairs on top of the tables, lights at drive thru off. They start cleaning hours before business closing. There is always a feeling that they aren't happy with people coming through the door, like you are bothering them and they are doing you a favor every time they help. Even though we love Pollo Tropical so much, we have decided not to come here at this location anymore. If you want Pollo Tropical try at different location. Pollo Tropical at W Hillsborough and N Lincoln ave is so much better. People here could learn a lot from them. read more

First the employee on the other end of the speaker is barely understandable. Then I order a famIly meal with a whole chicken and I'm told they don't t have any chicken. Seriously??? So I questioned her and then they did have chicken. Then I order my sides, white rice and black beans, no white rice. Now mind you the employee is giving me attitude. Oh ok, not sure where you come from, but maybe you need to go back. Remember, I am paying you for a service. Check yourself. read more

Pollo tropical is a fast food chain of the most delicious Hispanic Caribbean food you'll ever have. A huge menu featuring items such as rotisserie chicken, Cuban sandwich wraps, and guava cheesecake, not to mention the delicious tropichiller smoothies, Pollo has something for everyone. This location is open late so if you're ever around for a movie at the amc, please stop by here, you won't regret it! read more

The food was very good. Similar to Chipotle. I had the pulled pork bowl which was great. My boyfriend had the chicken bowl which he also said was good. The food was fresh and made me feel like I was eating "healthy". They have a lot of different sauces. I recommend the garlic ranch and hot salsa. Cons: The two workers that I had contact with were very rude. Also a small soda selection. read more

I love Pollo. For a chain restaurant the food is VERY good. Authentic Spanish fare without killing your wallet.