Pollo Mex

Menu only allows you to order ½ or whole chicken. That’s it!!!
Half chicken combination plate came with 2 chicken wings, one thigh and one drumstick. No breast which is why they won’t be receiving the perfect 5-​star rating from me just yet.
Also included was a large serving of beans and rice, 6 warm tortillas, grilled onions and one spicy green serrano chili that had been properly sweated+charred. They had 4 or 5 different options on how you wanted the chicken prepared but I went with the marinated which was delicious. The marinade was thick and spicy and reminded me a of a light mole sauce.
The chicken was previously cooked and might have been cooked hours ago, but yet still somehow took over 20 minutes to be bagged up so that I could be on my way.
Located in a sketchy bodega market on the corner of 38^th street and National Ave which I would still call as being in Shelltown neighborhood. Not to discourage anyone from visiting but lots of local borrachos, panhandlers, and gangstas hang around and meet up and wheel and deal near the water vending machines.
Would gladly come back but will be requesting at least one piece of breast in the ½ order of chicken. Afterall, I did order a ½ bird and not just 4 pieces from a bird.

Off the hook AMAZING! Best charbroiled chicken I’ve ever had. Good beans and rice and tasty salsas. This place is a true hidden gem.

The rice and beans are good. There’s been a few times I’ve gotten raw chicken still pink one time I took it back and they apologized the second time I haven’t returned. Its good just need to cook the chicken a little more. NO DEN EL POLLO CRUDO

If you want some bomb pollo well here it is, this place has some if not the best pollo in town marinated or not delicious pollo grilled right before your eyes. 5 stars for this barrio lil joint

One of the best BBQ places in sam diego good prices amazing staff an management, it’s a must try place!!!

I was recommended to this BBQ spot by some friends and family that have been here for their BBQ ribs and chicken and we came by for lunch on a weekend. Man, are we glad we found this gem! This is some of the most flavorful, tender meat we have ever tried. It is located outside of a grocery store and inside they also have a full functioning grocery with a food kitchen as well and produce and butcher shop in the back. But driving by this place the big commercial grills are fully loaded with fresh grilled meats. You can get a full rack of ribs or chicken with a one of a kind BBQ sauce, quart of cooked beans, and quart of rice, salsas and tortillas for about 15 bucks!!! Where else can you get a deal like that? I have recommended this place to everyone I know and I

This place is outside of a little grocery store.
This is the hood but believe me I would be much more afraid of being in Chicago than this place. You will see families come in here with kids.
Maybe at night there may be an issue but even then I think you will be fine.
It is an outside grill a real bare bones type of place.
You go inside and order your food and then get two tickets.
You give one to the cook outside and then you can wait at the tables outside.
When he brings your food you give him the other ticket.
This place is more of a takeout place but it does have about 5 or 6 tables outside that are the concrete kind with tiles on top along with the concrete seats.
They cook their meat with mesquite charcoal and grill it.
No bbq here.
I shared a ½ chicken and ½ ribs for 15 dollars. You also get a quart of rice and beans too.
I went into the grocery store and got a few drinks.
The food can have bbq sauce, marinated or I think plain.
I chose the marinated which is the most popular choice.
The ribs are not spare ribs or baby backs they are more like country style ribs really kind of a weird cut of rib.
The marinade is good with an achiote flavor and not spicy hot just very flavorful.
They give you two sauces for it. A green one and an orange one. The green one is not spicy or hot at all, the orange one has a definite bite to it.
There isn’t a ton of meat on the ribs and they are not really bbq they are grilled so they are a little tough.
Very flavorful because of the marinade but I like my ribs more tender. I lot of people will like these ribs though.
The chicken I had marinated also and it was really good also. Of course it is just slightly overcooked but the marinade saves it. Really a good flavor better than just about any marinade you can find for grilled mexican chicken.
Again when you are buying grilled anything or bbq anything if you can get it when it comes off the grill you are getting the freshest stuff.
I think it is usually best to get to these places when they just open.
The problem with this place is I have no clue when they start cooking.
I think they come when they want to!
Give this place a try though it blows away pollo loco by a billion times and it is super cheap.

I found this place completely by accident driving from National City to Downtown. I wasn’t in a hurry and I was keeping one eye open for a Starbucks, but I had my window rolled down and the aroma from grill made me hit a u-​turn.
Even though I had just come from lunch, I decided I had to get some chicken to go for dinner. I got a whole chicken (chopped up), beans, tortillas and sauces (red & green) and rice. I simply couldn’t take the smells wafting out of the container so I sneaked some chicken while driving to DT. It was a great deal of will power that kept me from eating the whole container.
This is great, homemade food; some of the best grilled chicken I’ve ever had.