My family and I had a great experience here! The food was delicious, flavorful, and made with noticeably fresh ingredients. After a long day of traveling back from Mexico with two small kids, this was exactly what we needed. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating, which made the experience even more enjoyable. We ordered the steak quesadilla, half chicken plate, and steak nachos, and everything was great - especially the steak which was tender. Seating was both outdoors and indoors, and we opted for the outdoor seating. We'll definitely be back. read more

Love this fast casual place for a healthy grab and go dinner! The fish bowl is always my go-to but I need to try their famous chicken next time. The parking lot this is in is huge so plenty of spots. Fresh, quality food, quick service, and some tables to dine in if you plan on staying. read more

From tacos to nachos, to burritos, to bowls, to homemade chips, this restaurant has amazing Mexican food. They cook their delicious food right in front of your eyes. The owner Karen is an amazing chef. It is a great restaurant for when on a roadtrip. Even though it is a casual place, it is still really good! It is great for a family or one person.The Surfin' Chicken is an amazing restaurant, I think many people should go eat there. read more

BEST CHICKEN AROUND TOWN! I had the Carne Asada and 1/2 Chicken plate, and I couldn't get enough of it! The chicken was juicy and made a great combo with rice and beans. Portions are BIG and definitely worth your Dollar! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE IN THE AREA. read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

Chicken is perfectly cooked. The portions are good size quintessential rotisserie chicken with all the sauces. Tasty.

MUST READ!!!! I had to order food due to an injury and was very excited to try this place because of how much foot traffic I've seen it get. Instead I spent $13.70 for a burrito with 3 pieces of shrimp in the whole thing,majority was bland rice, "chicken" quesadilla had almost no chicken in it whatsoever, paid extra for what amounted to 2 tablespoons of rice, salsa had no flavor, along with everything else, only given 2 pieces of chicken from 3 piece leg& thigh "meal" (maybe a kids meal,was not clarified), and guacamole given was less than a tablespoon and buried under a mountain of lettuce, and chips were stale and had zero flavor. This place is robbing and scamming customers into paying for abysmal quality. Will not be ordering from here ever again!!!! read more

I wanted to love this place. Tucked into a sun-faded strip mall off the 5, somewhere between the forgotten promise of Southern California and the smell of old brake pads, sits Surfin' Chicken--a place that whispers "family-owned" and "hard-earned" the moment you step in. The sign out front is probably older than some of the customers. The inside? Sparse. Worn. A little sad. But I don't judge a burrito by the furniture. My colleague, bless his smug burrito-wielding soul, walked into the office earlier holding what smelled like Mexico wrapped in foil. Grilled chicken, peppers, spices--before he even cracked the seal, it punched the air like a mariachi band on a mission. I was sold. I needed that burrito like a man crawling through the desert needs water. So I drove. Past five other burrito joints I already know and trust. Why? Because hope is a hell of a drug. At the counter, a woman chopped chicken with surgical precision, mixing it with beans, peppers, cilantro--doing the work. I watched as the tortilla betrayed her with a crack. And instead of mailing it in and wrapping the damage in foil, she tossed it, fired up a new one, and rebuilt the thing from scratch. That's not fast food. That's pride. Thirteen bucks out the door. Pricey, but that's the world we live in now. I took it back to the office like it was the Holy Grail. And then I bit into it. And nothing happened. No explosion of flavor. No punch of spice. No joy. It was as if someone had gone to the trouble of making a burrito, then removed all evidence of seasoning and soul before serving it. It wasn't bad. But that was the problem. It wasn't anything. There are few culinary sins greater than blandness--especially when all signs pointed to greatness. I wanted to give this place five stars. I wanted to be its champion. But food is about memory, about moment--and this one left me with nothing. Three stars. One for the effort. One for the tortilla re-do. And one for the ghost of a burrito that might've been. read more

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Was looking for a bbq chicken for a party, and got lucky to find this place in yelp. Called to order 2 whole cut up chickens prior to our party, to go along with pizza from our favorite place, APizza Doho, and luckily did so before they became too busy The chicken was a big hit! Absolutely perfectly grilled! Delicious! And truly nice people! This is our go to bbq place going forward. Can't wait to taste their baby back ribs read more

Great experience last night , food was on point and the lady at the didn't desk was really nice. I tried the CA tacos this time and it was excellent. I think I'm finally over chicken for a little. read more

Came in tonight and should have turned around after looking at the chicken sitting on the grill, but, unfortunately did not. Instead, we ordered the whole chicken, with the guacamole, and dined in. First, I'd like to say/ask... what place doesn't offer rice and beans with their chicken meals? Shouldn't it come with? And secondly, when does a grilled chicken place ever slather some sort of garlic sauce all over without asking? I think I can answer my own question - it's slathered in that sauce to mask the super dry, sitting-there-for-awhile, otherwise tasteless chicken. Truly, I am so disappointed in our meal tonight. Pieces were so dry that the chicken we received didn't equate to a full 8 pieces. Thank goodness there was some sort of sauce to help choke it down, but man, how does a "chicken grill" place survive serving that kind of meat? I would definitely not recommend their chicken. A grilled chicken restaurant should consistently serve good, fresh, grilled chicken. Period. read more

I have been going to Surfin Chicken for quite a few years and it never disappoints! The service and staff are extremely friendly. The char grilled chicken and chicken quesadillas are incredible. read more

came in on my 30 min lunch, Karen was kind enough to take my order also made the food and did not disappoint ! read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Asada Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

Plenty of parking. Friendly staff. Food was just ok.... I would not be against going back but would not be my first choice. My chicken was somewhat dry. read more

I was looking for a quick bite before going to the San Clemente outlets and saw Surfin' Chicken Grill on Yelp. What a great recommendation for lunch. It is less than a 5 min drive from the outlets and close to the freeway. Nice size parking lot, dining space inside and outside the restaurant. It is a small shop inside a dying strip mall, but don't let that dissuade you from going. I got the half chicken and a small side of pinto beans. The total was about $14. The fresh roasted chicken, they drizzle a yummy garlic sauce on chicken before serving, came with 4 corn tortillas, a tiny cup of salsa (could have used more, but they charge for extra), some lettuce and guacamole. Chicken was flavorful though the breast meat was a little dry so the garlic drizzle and salsa helped a lot in the tacos I made. Will come again when I return to the area. read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Half Chicken Plate with added small side of pinto beans - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

First of all, the food and selection of food here is actually really good. I had a fish burrito and the family got chicken and salmon. Everything was delicious! For my first visit here ever, service was slow (very slow). I'm only giving a higher rating because I enjoyed the food. When we got here it was almost noon and the employee informed us that there was a delay on the chicken being ready. It ended up taking 30 minutes for our orders to get to us either way without chicken items. Maybe this was a bad day for the store, but some lady who ordered after me kept asking the staff about her order. Yikes. Luckily for them, we're patient people. I wouldn't definitely come back because of the food, but if the service is always slow like today I will let you guys know. read more

Surfin' Chicken Grill - Salmon plate - Mexican Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is a little hidden Gem. It's almost like a pollo polo but better as they do steak and shrimp as well as Mexican specialties like chicken enchiladas!! read more

Had the chicken bowl for the first time. Great presentation, and high quality chicken. I loved it!

I hadn't been in years but I kept telling my boyfriend to grab some healthy dinner after his gym workout. Well one night he caved and now we are both hooked. Well I was but now he's finally on board! We've had the mahi plate, red snapper plate and salmon plate. Chicken tacos, and chicken bowl. Holy moly, don't walk but run to this hidden gem. My man's fav is the red snapper, I'm all over the place and pretty much love it all. One thing is we aren't a fan of the guacamole, we are super picky and always feel homemade is the best! Our weekly spot! read more

Very disappointed with our whole chicken dinner. The chicken was so over grilled and dry it was inedible. Unfortunately we had company so we went with no chicken for the dinner. We were not in a position to take it back and get another. read more

My favorite chicken place. Super affordable. Sweet workers. Always feel great after. 10/10

Plenty of parking in this shopping center. Staff is somewhat friendly. Bathroom available for customers. Food is made fresh to order. The Surfin chicken burrito was pretty good. They did have a considerable amount of bean and rice as a filler. They could have lighten up in the beans and rice and add more chicken, but cost is cost. Still a decent fresh tasting burrito for the price. Super annoying that they charge an extra $0.50 per extra salsa!!! I felt like the burrito needed the extra salsa because it was a bit dry. Inside was clean and plenty of seats. read more

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We loved our experience!! The food was absolutely delicious! So fresh and flavorful. 100% would recommend

You can smell the delicious chicken cooking as you park and walk up....Small place, privately owned, score! The chicken is cooked right in front of you on large grills. Menu is medium sized for a privately owned chicken-based restaurant. I had the basic 2 chicken plate with rice and pinto beans- loved it! I will be back and trying the plate with chicken and trying all the bowls. This is a small place - 2 outside tables and 5 or 6 tables inside, very chill vibe in a quiet strip mall. Please give this establishment some love!!! I know I will : ) read more

The food here is awesome! My favorite is thier salmon salad! The staff is so friendly and accommodating! It's a local favorite, reasonably priced! The atmosphere here is so welcoming. You can dine inside, the sports channels are on for sports enthusiasts and the patio is a pleasant place to relax! It's definitely worth a try! The service, food and everyone here is so friendly! read more

Surfing Chicken in San Clemente is the spot. The prices are solid, the food's always on point, and the staff is super friendly. I usually hit the gym right next door and grab some chicken after great way to get your protein in. read more

I was really expecting a lot out of this place because rarely do yelp reviews steer me wrong. Unfortunately we either came on a bad day or the employees just didn't want to be there. When we first arrived it seemed like the employee was unhappy we came in to order. We ordered two bowls and one nachos, the nachos were ok but the two bowls were tasteless. One of the bowls literally had only a tiny spoonful of rice. None of the meats had seasoning and the chicken tasted dry. Unfortunately we will not be back nor can we recommend this place. read more

I can't stop eating here, it's so good! This place is consistent, fast and the people are friendly! The half chicken plate is the way to go! Love it! read more

Food is outstanding and prepared on a grill right In front of you! Ambience, not so much, but the food makes up for it. Service is as fast as you can go while watching your food cook. We'll be back! read more

We love Surfin' Chicken. Affordable, feeds the entire family and delicious every time. Inside it's impressively clean and staff is just so homey and welcoming. This place is such a special SC gem. Anyone who is coming from out of town needs to try this local delicacy! Honorable mention: their potato salad.... SOOO GOOD!!!! read more

Unfortunately the food was ultra greasy, tasteless and bland. Don't understand the positive reviews, I get it's a cheap place but even chipotle has much better food than this place. Save yourself a trip. read more

Staff members are very nice and understanding Food was good I will stop for lunch here again Environment is clean plus a few tables for outdoor dining read more

Stopped in after my workout on the recommendation of my trainer. I ordered the chicken quesadilla, and let me tell you, it was a religious experience. First of all, the tortilla is seasoned before it hits the grill, so flavor starts immediately. A generous portion of cheese is added, and then a crazy generous portion of shredded chicken that has been simmered in something truly yummy. It was moist and flavorful. This was served with a simple salad of greens with very tasty guacamole in lieu of dressing. The Jamaica was a perfect choice for a beverage. The nice lady who made my food was very sweet and friendly. Y'all, I earned a treat today, and I'm delighted I tried this place. Can't wait to come back and try their shrimp tacos! read more

The food was excellent easy to get to during lunch hour. Everyone was there was friendly and their lunch special was amazing.

Oh Yes. Very Excited. Food very good. So happy. Service. Ambiance. Right. After Big day.

It's a great grab n go option that is reasonably priced and has many different offerings. I went with shrimp burrito, chicken burrito, and guacamole and everything was superb. Chicken Joe knows what's up read more

We just moved to OC and were looking for some local Mexican food. We happened upon this place on our 2nd night in a new house. We ordered the Carne Asada Nachos, and weren't sure if it would be enough for two of us so we ordered some Mahi tacos. The Nachos were huge and filled with meat and cheese and chips. It was literally some of the best carne asada we've ever had. We ate the delicious Mahi tacos, but we didn't really need them. The only problem we encountered was that their ice machine was broken, so our drinks were a little off, but the rest of the meal made up for this small issue. We left very excited to have found such a great little place off the beaten path place on our 2nd day in OC. We will definitely be back! read more

My husband and I stopped over going from LA to SD. We wanted something hot and filling. And we found just what we were craving. We were pleasantly surprised with this little restaurant in a mall/marketplace area off the freeway exit. Great food. I had the salmon plate and my husband had the asada tacos. Delicious and just the right portion size. Service was awesome. Thank you. read more

My family & I have been coming here since the early 80's! Surfin Chicken is an institution & BEFORE the whole El Pollo craze! Every time I'm in San Clemente, I make a point to stop here & get chicken. So many fond memories connected to this restaurant & our family trips to our beach house. You are my childhood & adulthood favorite! Everything is always so delicious, looking forward to stopping in soon! So glad you're still open & serving your righteous flame-grilled chicken! read more

Great tasting food, reasonable prices. Take time to prepare good food worthy of $14.95. Many choices of drinks. Gonna tell my friends about it make sure you stop at surfing chicken. read more

The menu is the same but the food is different, its obvious the food is prepped to cut corners to make a profit. My favorite dish the tube is now a burrito with a 12 inch tortilla and a small spoon of chicken. I also ordered a coke that came with hardly any ice and was flat. It makes me mad that a San Clemente landmark has been run into the ground. read more