Primo Chicken

Sad to say… but my experience here was average at best. I pass this place everyday heading home from work and have checked out the high reviews on Unilocal many times. So, after working a really loooooong day in the office, I was relieved when I realized I had a cool carry out spot to hit on the way home instead of cooking. Plus, I loooooove Peruvian food.
Problem #1: I called to place a carry out order while en route. I had to repeat myself several times to the person that answered the phone. Just before getting off the phone with me, he repeated my order back to me and kept saying «steak tacos» when I was actually trying to order the «lomo saltado de carne.» Now, this would be fine if I wanted to think there was just a simple language barrier… but…I speak Spanish. So, I already knew that there was probably going to be some BS with my order.
Problem #2: I asked how long it would be for the order to be ready and was told 15 mins, which is about the time of my commute (and there was traffic). When I got there, the order was no where near ready. The cashier, who was also the person that answered the phone and took my order, had to help the 1 person working in the kitchen… while still answering calls and handling walk-​ins.
Problem 3: While waiting for my order to finish being prepared (not just bagged up), the guy rang up my order… and like I figured… he rang me in for steak tacos. I told him again what I wanted and he had no idea what I was talking about. I then had to pull out a printed copy of the menu I had in my purse and point to what I wanted to order… and he was like «uuuuuuuummmm…oooooooh» and then called it something completely different. I asked how long it would be to get what I really wanted instead of the steak tacos and was told 15 mins (again…him not really seeming sure of the answer that he just gave me). So, I kept the d**n tacos.
Problem #4: The guy had no idea how to use the register… and more importantly had no idea how to count change… even when the register told him how much to give bk to me. (As a side note… I put the change received in the tip bucket next to register… and it wasn’t until I got home and read the receipt that I realized that he entered the amount that I gave him wrong to begin with… smdh).
Problem #5: The lonely lady working in the kitchen had a stank attitude and became frustrated with me b/​c her coworker didn’t enter my sides in correctly. Need I say more…
Problem #6: Got the food home and it suuuuuucked… including those stupid steak tacos!!!
So…all and all…
1. Food was crappy
2. Service sucked
3. Total cost spent for the crappy food, sucky service and extra time added to my über that was waiting outside the whole time for what was supposed to be me running in to grab my order and leaving — was soooooo not worth it.
I will never patronize this place again.
At least my über driver was cool… #welp

Ordered from them last night through GrubHub. The food was piping hot and arrived quickly. I’ve eaten here a few times — the beef empenadas are excellent, as is the chicken. Last night I ordered two ¼ chicken dinners. One with fries and collard greens for my son, and one with fried plantains and collard greens for myself. The collard greens were a little bland, but I added a shot of vinegar to them to perk them up – the plantains were excellent, just the way I like them. A little charred and crisp around the edges, but soft and sweet in the center. Not too greasy, either.
So happy this restaurant is in our neighborhood!

The chicken was very good… Moist! The plantains were awesome! So much food for the price! I got 2 meals for less than $ 10. The green little sauce that comes with the meal was perfectly spiced. You must try this place …

This place is a neighborhood gem. It’s great to see something a little different in a community that has lacked investment for years, decades even. My litmus test for pollo a la brasa is half chicken, maduros, and black beans. Primo’s chicken is moist, juicy, tender and well seasoned. The maduros were good too (you’d be surprised how many places mess them up). The price is comparable to other Peruvian chicken and the portions are just as generous. El Gran Pollo still wins for me, but I spend a good amount of time in the neighborhood for work so I’ll definitely be back. Plus everyone that came in after me ordered tacos, so I may have try some. Support them yall!

I am a lover of Peruvian Chicken, so when I found out that this was right down the street from my house, I almost peed my pants.
You can’t get anything smaller than a ½ chicken. Well, you can… but I don’t see why you would ever do that. The chicken is seasoned perfectly — not too salty and clearly distinguishable from the typical Costco rotisserie chicken.
My go-​to sides are the cole slaw, sweet potato fries, yucca, and fried plantains. You really can’t go wrong with any of the sides but if you’ve never had yucca, then this is a must.
The dining area is small and can fill up quickly on a busy day. The only reason I give Primo 4 stars instead of 5 is because the food comes out much slower than at other Peruvian chicken joints. I’m used to getting my fix from Chicken Rico on Eastern Ave. (NOT the one in the Harbor), and the food comes out right away. They chop the chicken right in front of you and load up your sides. Food will take about 10 – 13 minutes here at Primo but it’s still worth the wait.

This is a cute and clean little spot in an unassuming part of town. I was impressed by how well put together this spot is and it definitely has an inviting atmosphere.
The prices are comparable to other Peruvian chicken restaurants around town. The selection of dishes is impressive. They serve chicken, empanadas, french fries, sweet potato fries, collard greens (yes, you read that right), beans, tacos, and quesadillas among many others. The menu is more extensive than I’ve encountered at similar places.
I have to say, after reading the rave reviews, that the food was merely adequate. The chicken wasn’t especially flavorful (and I’ve eaten an embarrassing amount of Peruvian chicken) while the sides lacked depth. We kept looking around for salt and pepper packets to perk up the black beans, rice, and greens. The one saving grace was the fried plantains which were outstanding save for a bit of a mushy texture.
Primo Chicken is worth visiting if you happen to be in this part of town since it’s located in a bit of a food desert. However, if you can, you’re better off visiting Chicken Rico for superior Peruvian chicken.

Ate here about a month ago, had chicken which was good but those yuca fries are unforgettable.

It’s a shame I haven’t tried this place sooner! The food here is delicious & reasonably priced! I ordered ½ chicken with 2 regular sides & personally I think it can be shared among 2 people because I couldn’t finish my order. The chicken wasn’t dry at all and the skin was seasoned well.
The fried yuca were very impressive! They were fried to order & as far as I know, they were only lightly seasoned with salt yet they were SO good. I’m one of those people that love dipping my fries in sauces… but these yuca fries… I ate so many without any sauces at all. They were that good. As I type this, I’m already planning my next trip to ‘Primo Chicken’ for their fried yuca.
Give ‘Primo Chicken’ a try, I did & I do not regret a thing. Plus it’s always good to support local businesses.

Awesome lunch place. Our kiddos loved it after going to the train museum down the street. And I can’t thank them enough for keeping my purse on hand and safe when I forgot it at the Resturant. They made my day!

Delicious rotisserie chicken, clean place, friendly staff. Would definitely recommend!

The best rotisserie chicken I’ve ever had.
The best yucca fries I’ve ever had.
The best plantains I’ve ever had.
It’s amazing that such a humble little corner restaurant in a rather neglected part of Baltimore is capable of churning out consistently delicious and flavorful food that keeps me craving more.
The chicken? Omg. Delightfully flavorful, juicy, and tender, the meat drips off the bone. It’s utterly ridiculous that they even bother to provide knives with their takeout.
The yucca fries come straight out of the fryer, piping hot with steam, yet delicately crunchy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.
And their plantains! If one ever wanted to conceive of «plantain brulee» this would be it. Each plantain is lightly charred which imparts a caramelized texture and taste.
Primo chicken is very aptly named. #1 peruvian chicken. The location leaves a lot to be desired if you’re not comfortable with the more gritty parts of Baltimore, but the food will keep you dreaming of your next visit, nonetheless.

This place is exactly what it should be. So much delicious stuff to choose from and for those who don’t like Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, (my deepest condolences to you) there are basic Tex-​Mex options to select from.
Advice: If you’re on a budget but super hungry, go for the wraps. They’re basically burritos stuffed full of meat and all the trimmings. And for a total of about 7.95, they come with French fries. The Peruvian dishes are pricier but worth it. My favorites are the Lomo Saltados and the Chicharron de Pollo. Always leave room for some fried plantains and some fried yuca! They make their sauces, the green hot and yellow mild, in house.

At first glance, this was not a restaurant I thought it would be. It’s literally on the corner of a residential area in the city. However, I decided to still give it a try since we were here and it was close to where I needed to go afterwards. Im so glad that I did. The lady at the register was sooooooo sweet and nice. After we got our food she came over to see if we liked everything. The restaurant is small and very clean. Y’all know I’m obsessed with bathrooms and I was surprised at how clean their bathroom was. This place has a quiet Sunday family lunch vibe to it. The food was delicious and I would def come again. The regular customers here were even friendly! Lol they were all old but such sweet people!

We ordered the whole chicken with two sides.
The chicken was perfectly seasoned and moist-​even the chicken breast was tender.
The yuca fries were spot on-​perfectly seasoned and freshly made. They did not skimp out on the fries by any means
The cilantro rice could have a little more lime
We loved the cilantro sauce on the side.
Otherwise, the prices are more than reasonable and the portions are generous.

Better than Chicken Rico but still not the best rotisserie chicken out there. yucca is good and their green sauce is amazing! The main thing I disliked is that many of their sides are cooked with bacon (so non-​pork eaters can’t get beans).

Damn good place. Chicken is delicious, sides are tasty, and the ceviche is pretty good. We felt really bad for spilling our water just as we were getting up to leave — but the staff was super friendly about it. Definitely one to add to the list of go-​to spots for us… an easy walk from Pigtown.

Delicious! Chicken falls off the bone. My eating parties couldn’t keep their hands off my plantain!

Great place. Tasty chicken. Great service. Very clean. Their yuca was amazing and the yellow sauce is the best I had in any Peruvian place
My only complaint is that their coleslaw was a bit over dressed with mayo

Man this is the best chicken box in town, their rice– exceptional, chicken is always fresh and tender, sauces are homemade, all the sides are top-​of-​the-​line and the pricing is fair. Added bonus, police are constantly eating there. So no ratchet shenanigans.
When I get that itch for chicken nothing but Primos will do.

Yummmmyyyyyyy!
Chicken seasoned well.
Fried rice… yum
Plantains… yum.
Annndd the cheesecake was so sooo so good. So creamy. I could go there just for the cheesecake.
Friendly staff