I LOVE this place!! The spicy chicken tenders are the absolute best thing to get here, I never stray. The fries are also probably some of the best I've ever had (they have this delicious seasoning on them that make them *chefs kiss*). Their salad is also really delicious, especially with the cilantro walnut dressing!! I order from here all the time, both eating in and togo, and my go to is always the spicy 3 tender plate with fries and a side salad w ranch (their ranch is also actually amazing). Highly highly recommend this place, it's always solid! And I almost always can split it into two meals. You won't be disappointed read more

Ponko Chicken - togo PONKO Chicken Plate - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

3 Ponko Tenders plate. Spicy chicken tenders Green beans White rice Fountain drink I heard this place was great! Disappointed. Chicken tenders were good. Not at all spicy. Small portion size. But the best part of this meal. Green beans were not good. Large portion. White rice... blah. And the kicker! The Coca Cola was week, not mixed well at all. All that, after a 20 minute wait after ordering. First subpar meal in Atlanta. read more

I went here with a 60+ year old friend who loves chicken tenders/strips like he is 12 years old. We both got the 5 piece plate. My friend got BBQ and I got spicy. I could not, to save my life, detect a spice in the spicy sauce. I asked my friend what he thought and he said, "nothing special" and I concur. My friend got pickles and cole slaw as sides and the portions are simply insulting. Like you could down either side in one mouthful insulting. My friend rarely complains about anything food related, he is easy to please but he bitched about the size of those sides. I did better and got 2 servings of the fries, they were GREAT, best thing about the meal. They could give you more of them but a fair portion in comparison to what my friend got. Another problem is that the place is not sure if it wants to be a fast food place or a restaurant. They have a bar and were playing trivia, they are a restaurant, and a restaurant should have full size condiments available even if they are not put on the tables. I had to open and squeeze 11 ketchup packets to knock out my fries. I do not mind doing that at a fast food place but I should not have to do it at this place. Bottom line, neither my friend nor I plan to go back to this place. read more

Oooh.. I really like this place. They are keeping it simple and making good fried chicken! Their signature sauce is amazing. You have a few options to try it as - sandwhich, plate, tacos, etc. If you like spicy, I would recommend asking them to mix their signature sauce and their spicy sauce. They rave about some of their sides, but I think the sides are just okay. Quarantine time delivery is not bad either. I recommend it!! read more

Such a great spot for a quick delicious meal!! I had the Spicy Chicken tender with rice and Cole slaw which was superb. Chicken was perfectly breaded and fried in the Japanese style and not too spicy but just right. But let me tell you about how friendly the service was... Y'all I left my wallet there on the counter and took my food to go. The manager Debbie found me on Facebook and contacted me about my lost wallet which I didn't even notice until hours later. She even offered to bring it to my hotel. When I returned she had my wallet and cracked up with me about the whole thing. When I tried to tip her for going above and beyond she simply refused and just asked me to return the kindness forward because that's what the world needs more of. I agree! The world needs more Debbies!! read more

I love Ponko Chicken. A frequent patron of the first, original location on Chamblee-Tucker, I was too excited to discover that some of my favorite fried chicken was within walking distance of work for tasty weekday lunches. The service is typically efficient while remaining friendly. There was one time when my order was forgotten and I had to endure my growling belly as my lunchmate peered at me uneasily with his slowly cooling plate of food sitting between us two. I insisted that he eat, as our lunch hour was winding down and we both had to get back to the grind. Eventually my grub came with a shower of apologies. I come back over and over because of the genuine service I've gotten in a sea of Midtown midday frenzy. I usually go for the (somewhat boring) rice and pickles for my sides (you can also just get one side, if you're more reasonable about portion sizes than I am) but at the other location, I have gotten potato salad and green beans, both of which I'm certain are of the same high quality as the flagship restaurant. Hint, hint: I've love to see some more veggie options, like corn and crispy brussels! Find me chowing down at this location from time to time. read more

I love the price points and that they hold fun nights like trivia. My boyfriend wasn't a fan of any of the chicken, but to get a large side salad and some protein was great for me. The sauces are fun and the staff loves to laugh and play! read more

Came here for the first time ever tonight. I'd heard about the place and was intrigued, but I don't eat meat. My partner who is vegan found out they had vegan options now, so we were excited to give it try. We checked out the menu online and decided on the vegan chicken sandwich ahead of time, as well as the two sides we wanted. Well, when we arrived there was a full on party going on at the bar and what we assume was the manager or owner--dressed in civilian clothes--was drinking with customer while going back and forth between the customers area and behind the bar. And also taking cigarette breaks out front. He appeared to be two sheets to the wind while also trying to half run the bar. There was one lone employee in uniform shuffling back and forth from the back of house and the bar-- barbacking assumedly and half running the bar. We stood at the food counter on the other side, waiting without receiving as much as a nod or eye contact from anyone in the place for a solid three minutes. Staff just kind of acted like we weren't there. Finally the bar-assisting employee bustled by and told us that someone would be with us soon. A few minutes later, another uniformed employee who had been on cleaning duties, hustled over, sweating heavily to take our order. We told him exactly what we wanted and he looked puzzled, asking questions that didn't apply to our order and telling me that it only came with one side. I had to point up at their own menu and show him that was not the case because he was insisting on arguing about it. He seemed perplexed but still would only allow us one side each. We said sure whatever. He continued to fumble through the system for a few more minutes before agreeing that we did indeed get two sides. He was clearly unfamiliar with taking orders or navigating their system. You'd think a basic knowledge of what they serve and what the menu options are should be expected at the very least from anyone working there. We each ordered the vegan chicken sandwich meal w/sauces, fries, and a salad. When we got home and opened our order, we got two vegan PATTY plates: meaning not on a bun, no slaw, and we got no sauce. What was the point of having us choose a sauce?? We checked the receipt and saw the frazzled (yet still sassy and snippy) employee had rung us up for the wrong thing. The best thing about this experience was the salad. It was so so good. We would both definitely come back just to have that salad again. It really sucked hoping to sink our teeth into a vegan chicken sandwich and getting nothing even remotely resembling that. Then we couldn't call or go back to get it fixed because they had already closed for the night. read more

DoorDash customer here. Food is great, but only if you don't really like to dip your chicken tenders in sauce (and who doesn't? Literally the point of theM). I don't mind paying for extra sauce -- within reason -- this is not reasonable. The sauce pictured was $1.50 and that thing is half full. It's also worth noting that the singular free sauce they give you for 5 chicken fingers is laughably tiny. It almost feels like some bizarre sauce scam. Sizes pictured. read more

Ponko Chicken - Jalapeño Crema sauce for an astounding $1.50. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Love this place! The chicken and tofu strips have the perfect crunch and flavor. I like to pair my meal with brown rice, sweet potato fries and loads of Ponko sauce. The Ponko sauce is unmatched! Great ambience and fun vibe no matter if you sit indoors or outside on patio. The bar selection and bartender are also phenomenal. I highly recommend this spot for dine in or carry out. read more

My boyfriend and I have started eating lunch here pretty regularly over the past few months. I'm a little scared of what must be in the chicken breading, because it just doesn't get soggy! The crunch is perfect. My favorite is the OG chicken tacos (tip: they do a taco Tuesday discount). Boyfriend likes the spicy chicken tender bowl with sweet potato fries and the salad (tip: the sesame dressing is great for dipping fries). We've tried many of the other sides too--it's impossible to go wrong here. The food is so good! The staff are all very friendly. There's sometimes a bit of a wait on getting food because the place is popular, but it's definitely worth it. Wonderful place! read more

Love their ponko chicken plate! Tofu is great also. I usually get it with fries (seaweed seasoning, yum) and side salad (crunchies are so good!). Sweet potatoe fries are good also. read more

Ponko Chicken - Ponko Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Personally did not see the hype with the chicken. It is pretty sweet and flavorless. It did not meet our expectations! The fries are good! read more

I will start off by saying I love Ponko chicken's original tenders + ranch. A fantastic combo that is really all you need at a fast casual place like this. The reasons for docking a star are about service/management. I'll start with the good - I typically go for the 3 pc Chicken tenders plate + 2 sides. You must always remember to ask for extra ranch for those delicious tenders! The breading is panko based (duh) and the tender sauce/marinade is reminiscent of sweet Asian flavors but the overall flavor is mostly American fried chicken. The ranch comes in a mini squeeze bottle - a fun highlight for me. Their fries are quite good and you get a lot with a side order - perfect for dipping in the ketchup and ranch. I usually go for the side salad as well, which is refreshing and light to pair with the heavier chicken/fries. Overall, you can get a ton of food for the $10 plate! The sweet potato fries are also yummy, but I don't think they're worth the up-charge of $2 when I prefer the regular fries. Now for some drawbacks - service can be very hit or miss. Once I was greeted and served by the manager, which was an excellent experience. The remaining times I've been served by the regular staff, who always seem confused by the ordering/number system and never seem to have a clue what should be coming to which table. My other big issue is that 2 out of 3 times I've been to Ponko they've been out of regular fries... How you under-order fries when it's one of your staples is truly remarkable. Lastly, they don't offer you sweet potato fries at the regular fry price when they're *completely out* of a flagship item. Comping the $2 up-charge would be a small gesture to appease the customer, who's probably already disappointed they're missing out on the good regular fries! One other odd thing is that they seem to always be playing intense house/club music no matter what time of day. It makes for a strange environment when grabbing a quick bite with coworkers... Overall - the delicious food and convenience of Ponko make up for some of the service/management downfalls. I'm sure I'll be back many times! read more

If you're looking to get a quick bit to eat while you're downtown then this is a good place to go. The food is filling and reasonably priced. They have a minimalist menu so there's not much variety but what they do offer is worth trying. It's also a good place for groups. The service was quick and the servers were friendly. I highly recommend this place. read more

Ponko Chicken - Ponko rice with spicy ponko chicken tacos. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Ponko is a good restaurant. The chicken is crispy and flavorful as advertised. Here I had the wings, fries, green beans and OG ponko chicken tenders. If you want super crispy chicken...in a good way, this is the place for you. read more

Douglas and angel our bartender/manager took very good care of us at the bar. I love that the score was 100 which meant they are very clean and follow protocols. Looking forward to visiting again read more

Ponko Chicken - Douglas first day blessed is with a Moscow mule. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Tried it for the first time because of all the big rave about the place. Parking was a little difficult. But we got a spot. Again Parking in Atlanta is always a drag. Love the location tho, there's many other restaurants near by as well. I tried the OG Ponko chicken sandwich and it was absolutely delicious! I love how the chicken was so juicy and how they prepared it. You can taste that OG sauce in every bite. And the slaw to top it off with was great as well. You can taste the sesame oil infused in it. Hubby for the spicy sandwich and he enjoyed it too. To me it was spicy, but he didn't find it spicy at all. I do favor the sweet fries over the Ponko fries tho. The kids teriyaki grilled chicken was a bit too rough for the little one. The only con is that it took forever for the food to come out. read more

Ponko Chicken - OG Ponko chicken Sandwich Meal 1 Side - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Who would have thought I'd go all the way to Georgia to find my favorite "Japanese" fried chicken place?! Talk about perfectly cooked chicken, amazing flavors and great service! You can't go wrong with anything on their menu! I frequented the Decatur location the most, but Midtown's branch was always great as well! read more

I wish I could give this place 20 stars! Never had chicken as delicious as this place serves. Josh assisted us and was very patient seeing as it was our first time there. Every thing we ordered (tacos, bowl, salad,kids meal) was perfect! Every item was bursting with flavor! Service was amazing!!!! read more

Overall, I'm a fan of Ponko Chicken. My team gets excited when it's catered into out office and since it's been so long since we've had them catered, it's at the point now that we make the trek, noting that we leave around 11:30, just to make sure we beat the crowd there. My go-to is their 3 piece OG ponko chicken plate which gives you the choice of two sides. I like their potato salad - it's like a simpler version of the Japanese-style potato salad I grew up with. I also like their side salad with their sesame dressing. The menu is great in that you can get different combinations. What I do find somewhat disappointing is that if you want a salad with their chicken, the least pieces of chicken you get is 5-piece. 3 pieces is usually good for me so I thought I'd do this hack of ordering the chicken plate but get two side orders of the salad - and it's $2 less. It kinda works except for the fact that I have two small salad bowls on my tray. Service is great. I've ordered at the counter before but on our latest outing, they actually seated us and took our order from the table which made it much easier for our group. I've also noticed that when there's more customers at this location, it gets harder for the kitchen to consistently serve their orders on time. Whenever I've gone in a group, there's always one person left out still waiting for their order to arrive. Despite this, I'll still come back. read more

Ponko Chicken is a cute spot to grab some quick and yummy grub. The flavor of the chicken is subtle, yet relatively robust. The meat is also juicy and tender, which makes for a good fried chicken. I was not particularly wowed by any of the foods I tried, but I do recommend coming here if you're looking for something to satisfy your hunger quickly. read more

Ponko Chicken - Chicken taco, tofu taco, OG wings, Coleslaw, Pickles - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I'm loving this new location. It's spacious, it's got a bar and has a really cute outdoor space. They offer everything from salad, to tacos, to hot dogs to bowls, with their famous ponko chicken. The chicken is fried, but its lightly battered, with a lot of flavors. And if fried chicken isn't your thing, they also have grilled chicken, tofu tenders and vegan patties. So there's something for everyone. Give it a try! read more

This review is a little past due, but my father and I went for the special occasion of it being Father's Day. Everything was pretty okay given that the food and prices weren't too bad, but when it comes to the service we received I was far more than disappointed. Upon walking in and placing our order, we were placed under the impression that we would be served by the host at the counter, who had also messed up our drink order by initially refusing to give us a cup that we had paid for for the soda fountain self serve drinks, until I corrected him and made him aware of his mistake. What put the cherry on top of our experience was when we were seated outside, just to be told that since they were closing we were not even permitted another 5 minutes to finish our food by a young gentleman who was a worker at the restaurant, and began removing the chairs around us as a blatant threat that we were being physically pushed out and nearly removed from the restaurant. Not only did you and your staff ruin our Father's Day experience, but you also ruined our first and last impression of not only this PONKO establishment, but for any others that I would not even consider to reccomend. read more

Ponko is what fried chicken dreams are made of. Imagine walking into a restaurant and genuinely wanting everything on the menu. I find it so hard to buy just one meal - so I don't. I always buy more. We tried the beef hot dog last night and wow, just wow. I didn't even know you could fry a hot dog. Every time I come here I order my regular - along with something new. Next time Im coming for the tacos - and by next time I mean in like 2 days. Also, they validate parking so you don't have to pay. This is Atlanta so YA pretty big deal if you ask me. Like the chick fil a cows say, "eat more chiken." read more

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I WANT TO SCREAM FROM THE HEAVENS THAT THESE TACOS ARE SO GOOD. You all, I am from Charlotte and I will PERSONALLY drive back just to have another taco. I chose the option to have all three (og, BBQ and spicy). Each one better than the next, I truly cannot decide which one was my favorite. The spicy was not spicy at all so don't let that deter you. The atmosphere was great and everything was clean. This place is really a gem and in the next 72 hours that I'm going to be in Atlanta I will be back here at least two more times. read more

Hands down my new favorite restaurant in Atlanta!! The chicken was amazing. The customer service was outstanding. And the facility was great. Food came out in less than 10min in the middle of lunch rush. Everything was fresh. I got the sweet potato fries, spicy taco and OG Ponko taco. Sooooo good! Thank you for the great service!!! read more

Ponko Chicken - Spicy taco, OG taco and sweet potato fries! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

The Food was very delicious, chicken tenders on a OG sweet sauce super yummy. Amazing place, people very friendly and very good music. Definitely I will come back soon read more

Really great new place in midtown. The chicken tenders as a plate are amazing!!! I've only tried the OG sauce which is a sweet Asian sauce. Great flavor. I had it with sweet potato fries which were crispy and perfect. The tacos are very good as well. Portion a little smaller than the plate but great sauce and slaw. My wife got the grilled chicken salad. The grilled chicken was juicy with a nice jerk type seasoning. She loved the walnut dressing. We'll be going back frequently. read more

Delicious food, great service! I came around lunch time and sat at the booths by the bar. The head bartender came and introduced himself which was very nice. Then the bartender came and brought me a menu and gave some tips on what I may like as it was my first time visiting. I ordered the 3 piece chicken plate with salad and white rice as my sides. I asked for a side of each of their dressings. He explained that all were made in house and let me tell you how great they all tasted. The ranch was top notch. The chicken is cooked and tossed in their signature house sauce and I wasn't disappointed. I ordered a spiked peach tea and then followed with a Bahama-mama which was so flavorful and reminded me of a beautiful summer day on the beach. Overall next time I would get more chicken and only one side because the chicken was so great. My friend got the beef hotdog, which is served on Hawaiian bread and THE HOTDOG IS CRISPY FRIED. I tried it!! It was amazing. There is a parking deck next door and outdoor seating. What a great place. I'll be back! read more

I love Ponko Chicken! The salad and salad dressings are also really good. I only wish they had a better selection of side items - sautéed green beans would be welcome read more

I'm so glad this place opened up right near my boyfriend's condo in Midtown. The spicy and OG chicken are so good. I love to order the chicken salad here- they put the fried chicken separately so it won't get soggy on the salad. I get the walnut cilantro dressing and it goes so well with the salad! It's one of my favorite salads of all time and that says a lot since I love food and eat out all over the country (I'm a flight attendant). The prices are decent for what you get and the chicken really good! read more

mindblowing is just a word to describe the chicken. So tender n flavorful! definitely will b back in d future

I stopped In to give this place a try. Street parking was easy midday during the week ($2 and hour). The inside is quite trendy looking. Nice bar area. I got great recommendations from the bar tenders. I got the chicken plate with OG sauce. I chose salad and fries for my sides. I enjoyed the flavor of my chicken. It was really salty at the bottom, next time I'll probably toss it myself. The salad portion was large. I was really full after my meal. Total cost was about $12. Really friendly staff. I could eat here again but likely won't be a regular, it is just chicken tenders (which I associate with children's meals/snacks) and parking wouldn't be easy during busy times. read more

Ponko Chicken - Ponko Chicken Plate comes with 2 side choices $11 - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Ok, sooo this place is dope. I have to remember to take pictures before I eat! I got the 3 Ponko Chicken tacos, (for the 2rd time, I need to try something new) lol!But they are soooo good. Very fresh. I recommend getting the spicy tacos (if you Like spicy), (they aren't that spicy tho)and requesting they put the OG sauce on them as well or asking for a bottle of OG sauce to put on them yourself . The flavor is unparalleled. I also got the Ponko fries which were pretty good. Actually, the first time I came I ordered the vegan tacos. To be honest they need more flavor in the breeding of the chkn', and with just that little tweek, they'd be just as good. This time around, I discovered that they don't have happy hour but they do have a spiked tea for $6 that's served everyday and the spike is Vodka if you're interested in that. Overall, the ambiance is very inviting, casual, and friendly. I found out the place has only been open for 12 weeks so it's pretty new and it's pretty packed every time I visit. My favorite part is how they have seating indoor, and additionally patio seating and seating at a full bar. My favorite part is the bar. (Lmao)I was told by the bartender that they have live music every Friday and Saturday night as well. I think it's a cool place for a casual date and socializing with friends. My goal is to try something else besides tacos next time. You should go to Ponko too. read more

Ponko Chicken - Ponko Fries... status: murdered them. Fries lightly salted with the addition of foodie flakes. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Loved every bite purrrrr!! Took my date here and he was loving it and everyone there was cool and nice.

Yes yes yes! Giving this place 5 stars! Great place! Friendly service! Great food! Great atmosphere! Seating was comfortable and casual. Lots of space and not on top of each other like a lot to places! Very comfortable! Got the (OG) tenders with the potato salad and the fries! All on point! The people also come around and give you extra sauces! The Ponko sauce is great and some to crave! Sitting in the restaurant is a real joy with the people there! They really take care of you! Definitely a must see and coming back for more soon! read more

Ponko Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

First time in this part of Atlanta and it won't be my last! As soon as we walked in the people working were very hospitable and full of energy and life. The chicken tenders were very flavorful and better than anything I could've imagined. Truly an out of body experience. Will be back for more! Shoutout Debbie for helping us out! read more

Ponko Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I got the 3 piece plate (OG sauce) with fries and Ponko rice. It is exactly what you expect from a chicken fry place. The chicken was juicy and tender inside, and the batter was crunchy and tasty. Compared to the one in Chamblee-Tucker, I think I liked this place better. I love french fries, and I give 8 out of 10 for the french fries. The french fries are good, but I didn't finish the whole thing. If you think about midtown, you might expect the smaller and cramped spaces. However, this place was way roomier than the other place. I loved the pictures on the wall as well. Since I was driving, I didn't get the beers, but they had their own brew, which I think will go pretty well with the chicken. My fiance got pickles, but I didn't like it at all. Get something else. read more

Ponko Chicken - Ponko Chicken with OG sauce, french fries, and PonKo rice. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Marginal at best with service to match. Another spin on chicken thats just not that great. Was not welcomed with a friendly hello, nor was my order checked before my number was called. Once you pay and asked to tip, the lack of hospitality stops there. If your hungry it'll do. read more