Pollo Alegre 2

I posted a negative review the other day.
Honestly, I don’t do that very often. I think I was just grumpy from not eating my food. It happens, you know.
Anyway, go look at the photo of some tacos I just uploaded. Take your time, I’m not going anywhere.
HOLY SMOKES THOSE LOOK GOOD, RIGHT?!
Well, guess what.
THEY ARE.
Just simple ingredients, well assembled.
Two tortillas. That’s how it’s done in the Motherland. Sometimes the meat might break through one, you know, and this is a meal you interact with. They are sturdy enough to be overfilled, but aren’t tough or chewy.
Meat. In this case, Asada and tripas. Beef and some intestine. It’s not ribeye, but it’s not supposed to be. There’s just enough fat in there to change the mouthfeel slightly but you have Mexican Cola so no big deal. The tripas have a great spongy give to them. I usually order them fried and crispy, but I went old school here and definitely do not regret it.
The young dude in the back did you a solid and threw a little cilantro and onion on here, but the rest of the garnish is on you. Three different salsas, pickled veggies and bottled hot sauce are available for you. Go nuts.
So do yourself a little favor and avoid the hip joints elsewhere. You don’t even have to change out of your PJs. Sunday brunch here is KILLER with huevos rancheros and menudo (the soup not the band).
This is where it’s at.
Man. I love tacos.

The best pollo al carbon in Indianapolis. One of my favorites.

Hands down the BEST Tacos al Pastor that I have ever had. I do enjoy the little stationary taco truck further west on Washington, but when I just want to sit down, Pollo Alegre it is.
Don’t expect fancy… it’s not. They speak little english. Even the TV’s are blaring Hispanic soap operas. We always enjoy the drama :) Very authentic.
We go about once a week and have never, not once, been disappointed. The food is consistently delicious. My order consists of 2 tacos al pastor with cilantro and onions OR the pastor platillos (basically the same thing, but with rice and beans). The meat has just the right amount of flat top char and the hint of pineapple just makes me salivate. Every single time we go, we take our first bite and our eyes roll back in our heads…
There are three different salsas (as mentioned) with chips practically waiting for you to sit down and eat them. Every once in awhile the third salsa is switched up for a different variation. When we discover we’ve visited on the right day it’s pure bliss. They have recently switched to a squeeze bottle system (think Acapulco Joes). I understand that it’s cost effective, but I wish they wouldn’t do that. It doesn’t seem sanitary. (Insert prima donna hatred here).
The staff is friendly and seem to work every day. Our server knows us and knows «my usual». That’s all I have to tell her. Try a Horchata… I don’t love them, but my friend gets one every time. AND GET THE GUACAMOLE… Holy Guacamole is it good. You can tell they whipped it up minutes before you order it.
I can’t say enough about this place. It’s a delightful hole in the wall that I just can’t get enough of.

Pollo Alegre is on a corner on West Washington street wherein you can see no less than 3 other Mexican restaurants at a stone’s throw’s distance. and every time I’m in the mood for tacos al pastor I don’t even think of trying one of their competitors. Has a very busy lunch crowd, but seemed pretty empty during the dinner hours. Wait staff is incredibly friendly, the restaurant has lots of windows and the tables/​floors had obviously all been cleaned recently when we came in as it was so shiny it seemed to sparkle.

Always on the hunt for good chicken tacos, I ordered up three at Pollo Alegre. Even though they were delivered in what appeared to be homemade tortillas, the inside was dry, dry, and disappointing. They bring out three different salsas to the table — and as delicious as these were, there was no salvaging the tacos. I guess I’ve been spoiled for eating too many chicken tacos as TP. My bf ordered a quesadilla and the same chicken taco (both of which were delivered about 5 minutes after my meal) and he lost his appetite half-​way through the meal. I’ve never seen that happen before. I also got the impression that the place wasn’t all that clean. It was, though, quite populated at off-​hours. Makes me now wonder what they all were eating.

This was a great little find. Indeed, if I hadn’t just spent a decade in San Diego, I might have given it 5 stars.
After leaving San Diego, I long feared not having good Mexican food. Well, after discovering Pollo Alegre, I now recognize that those fears are at least partially unfounded.
I’d like to come back, try some of the other dishes, and maybe even revise my review upwards to a 5. (I didn’t feel comfortable doing that yet, having only been there once and only tried a couple dishes.) But this place certainly shows promise, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of you think of it.
Also, the name («Pollo Alegre #2») suggests that there might at least be another one somewhere. Sadly, this place comes up on no internet searches whatsoever — Unilocal or otherwise. So, any further information on this place is greatly appreciated. (In the meantime, I thought it was worth a review so that at least it will come up if you search for it.)