El Pollo Loco

I usually never take the time to review a restaurant let alone a fast food chain but Oh. My. God. EVERY SINGLE TIME we order food the order is wrong. We have been there at least 10 times and inevitably our order is completely wrong. We check the bag before we leave and still after we send it back to be corrected it is wrong. Unreal. Just beware and check your order twice before you leave with it to come home.

I have been a customer of el pollo loco forever. When I got my first order in Del mar that was screwed up I discounted it. After the 5^th one… things not included, wilted lettuce, «double» chicken a joke, no chips when I asked specifically for them, forgot my drink, mango salsa with 2 teeny pieces, I finally got it. The quality control at this location has gone to 0. Just to make sure I wasn’t nuts, I went to the one in Encinitas and found what I have come to expect of El Pollo Loco… fresh food and the right order. So sad to see an establishment go bad.

I love their food but they always forget something in my order without fail… I would say 8 out of 10 times I come home and something is missing. Super frustrating, especially when you’re feeding kids!

We ordered the 3 Course 12 piece Family Meal and were asked if we were ok with just legs and thighs — no white meat chicken available for «at least 15 minutes». We didn’t want to wait, so we said sure. Went to get drinks, and the iced tea was out. Went to get salsa, and the yummy avocado salsa was out. :(. They handed us a little buzzer device so we would know when our order was ready, but it buzzed the whole time we had it — fun, but not real practical. When our order was actually ready it turned out the guy rang us up for a 12 piece Family Meal instead of the 3 Course 12 piece family meal, so no salad and no churros. We decided we were hungry and would just eat what we got. Opened up the sides and found that instead of Mac n Cheese we received mashed potatoes and gravy. Everything was delicious, but I think the next time we eat here It will be easier and less disappointing to just tell the guy at the register to order for us.

Lately when we have come here, the chicken has been drier than normal. Instead of getting chicken, I have been getting there salads (the dressing is amazing!). Gets busy towards the night time and later on in the night (around 7 – 9 pm at night — seems strange tho).

Del Mar Heights has high expectations and fast food franchises are not immune to these pressures. Much like McDonalds, this El Pollo Loco is one of the nicer ones you’ll ever see. Nice patio furniture and a very clean insides make this another good affordable dining option for those working in the salt mines nearby.
— Workers are polite and can fully understand what you’re ordering.
— Clean! Even their salsa bar.

I must say a Great staff everytime I go there! And their New shrimp burritos are to die for! Great food at a great prices!

Consistency, price, customer service, no body even comes close. You know this place is good because 90% of the customers work there. The food quality is always great and the staff extremely competent.

I work nearby and both Sergio and Rocio have helped me out immensely when catering to large orders.
Both times I have ordered the 24 piece chicken meal that comes with two large sides, two salsas and tortillas. Both times delicious
They were prompt and courteous both times and always had a few moments to chat about my day and any additional items of necessity.
My coworkers love it, I love it and I can definitely say you get your bang for your buck.
So stop reading and go order some food. Well worth it.

They didn’t give me all my orders when I drove through last time. Since I ordered multiple items, I did realize there where missing items until I got home.

I have always been a fan of El Pollo Loco. Have never «loved» their good, but decent for fast food. I had always assumed that since most items were chicken and rice, it is a healthier option for those on the run.
I am in a calorie counting phase, and was SHOCKED on my visit today to learn how high their calorie counts are. 800 to over 1000 per meal (without a drink) on just about everything. I was hoping for something in the 4 – 500 calorie range. Well, the have a 5 under 500 menu. Excellent.
I ordered the enchiladas. The «light» ones. You get some rice, 2 small enchiladas and broccoli. Broccoli and enchiladas don’t really go w each other, but I love broccoli so I wasn’t upset. Enchiladas were «okay» at best, and the rice, well it’s Mexican rice. So-​so.
I almost knocked the stars down to 2 for one reason: the prices on the low-​calories menu are more expensive than the full calorie items. For LESS food! I hate when corporate America takes advantage of people this way. Needless to say, it soured my image of them and I probably won’t ever return. But overall their food is 3-​star food, and I won’t hold my personal calorie counting grudge against them.

For a «fast-​food» type restaurant, this is really a healthy option. They are located in a large strip mall. They have dining inside, take-​out and a drive-​thru. The menu has a lot of options but when I come here I prefer to just get the grilled chicken with some sides.
I ordered the three piece chicken which comes with two sides and your choice of flour or corn tortillas. The chicken is grilled perfectly and they use some seasoning I wish I knew because it’s very flavorful. The chicken breasts are quite big and have plenty of meat on them. The wings are a little small but the meat is tender and comes right off the bone.
I got flour tortillas and chose corn and pinto beans for my sides and ordered an extra side of coleslaw. They have a salsa bar with several varieties from mild to hot. I like the little chicken tacos I can make with the tortillas and add in all the sides.
So while the quality of the food is good, including the sides the quantity lacks. The amount of chicken is appropriate as well as the sides. It’s the tortillas. A 3 piece chicken with sides comes with 2 tortillas. Two?!? After going through two of the tortillas, there still plenty of meat left on the first chicken breast and we haven’t even gotten to the second. I really can’t understand this since tortillas are not their biggest expense. There should be a minimum of four tortillas with this order. Of course you can order more, but the point is, with two large chicken breasts and two small tortillas… it doesn’t add up.
Last: I’m, taking a star because you are using Styrofoam for to-​go containers. I was very disappointed to see this. Just because it has a a recycling triangle on the bottom, doesn’t mean it actually is. There are virtually no places to take Styrofoam in San Diego for recycling and the local waste disposal will not collect it. You NEED to get on board and get recyclable to-​go containers. I’ve done my research and it would cost you perhaps an extra 15 cents per container to use recyclable containers. Given your prices, nobody is going to notice 15 extra cents… again, I’ve done the homework so I know my numbers. There are even companies in San Diego that produce the recyclable containers. NYC banned all Styrofoam to-​go containers and the ban went into effect this year; rest assured, it won’t be long before they are banned in San Diego so you should think about making this transition now. Also, the Surfrider Foundation rates restaurants on whether or not they are environmentally friendly.

I have only done drive thru here. They are pretty quick. I think you get the same expectation at every franchise store, and that same expectation is delivered here. I asked for more salsa and they gave me plenty when I asked. Yes, I would do drive thru here again.

Another great grilled chicken salad. Another great
customer experience. I tried a taco al carbon… amazing!

This remodeled location isn’t bad and their drive thru can be efficient. But the issue is the consistency of their food. Many times (for take out) the chicken tastes lukewarm — like it had been grilled way too long ago and was sitting out too long.
They also tend to be very frugal giving out extra salsas with the to go orders (even if you order an 8 piece chicken). I usually ask for cilantro and onions (offered at salsa bar) when I go through drive-​thru but sometimes the staff seems almost annoyed with that request.
We always receive mailers from El Pollo Loco but we of course never have it in the car. I don’t think I’d come back to this location without that mailer because food here seems almost costly (without coupons). A recent trip there for an 8 piece only chicken (WITHOUT tortillas and leg/​thighs only they reminded me) cost over $ 11.49 without tax.
I ordered inside for take out so that I could get more salsas & condiments without feeling the stress from asking the guys at drive thru. The chicken this visit tasted nice and hot so that was a plus.
So yeah, bottom line is remember to bring your El Pollo Loco flyer to save a few bucks.

Clean and decent food. We popped in here on a walk and got a couple chix breasts corn and mashed pots with tortillas. Fed. Family of three for like 12 $. Went to swirls for dessert. They got rid of the tastee freeze which my son and his dad really enjoyed after a chix dinner. Friendly staff greeted my baby daddy since they used to frequent there often. Tables outside too. Oh the salsa bar is a nice feature too.

EL POLLO LOCO! Yummy affordable chicken here. I love coming for a quick bite and use the drive-​thru which is pretty efficient. My usual order is two drumsticks, two flour tortillas, and a side of mac and cheese… with two salsas. This location is located in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center off of El Camino Real in Carmel Valley. The crispy & juicy chicken skin and tender meat is worth a visit here. leave happy & full.

Came through the drive thru yesterday during lunch. 1-​star because the service was extremely quick. From the time I ordered to the time I drove off with my food was definitely under or around 5 minutes. Friend and I ordered two tostada salads and one grilled chicken breast. Friend made some alterations to her salad and everything came out quickly and correctly. Food was ready for us as soon as we pulled up to the window and paid.
1-​star because the guy who took our order was super friendly. 1-​star because the girl who helped us at the window was super friendly. 1-​star because the food I had was good and it tasted fresh. I was worried my tostada was going to taste a bit stale, but it definitely wasn’t.
I’ll definitely be back during lunch to order more from this El Pollo Loco! I’m a fan.

I mean if you’re gonna have fast food try to keep it somewhat healthy right? I figure coming here would be better than McD in the same shopping center. The chicken always comes hot and tastes fresh. I usually get the $ 20 family meal which includes chicken, two sides, tortillas and as much salsa as you want. It can feed my entire family plus lunch for me tomorrow… can’t beat that! Service is usually stellar… there’s this adorable Indian boy that works there who gives me the best service! Parking is usually plentiful but the drive thru is what keeps me coming back here. Sometimes after a long week cooking never seems appealing on a Friday night so this is my go to spot for a quick healthy meal!

Went through the drive thru last night before going to a show at ucsd we ordered two BRCs and one pollo bowl it didnt look that busy so i dont know why it took so long for our food to be ready anyways we pulled up to the window and got our food they lady was nice she gave us extra salsas i love their house salsa.
When we got our food we parked in the parking lot to eat really quick and it was good up until i reached the bottom of my bowl then the rice and beans tasted cold. Its as if they gave me a leftover bowl no one else wanted and just heated it up in the microwave and not only that but their was chicken fat on some of the pieces and it just threw me off completely i didnt finish the rest.