Pollo Feliz

Love this chicken place! Way better than El Pollo Loco. This reminds me of the chicken my grandmother used to make in a basket rotating over charcoal (a spit). The prices are reasonable, good salsa bar and good corn and flour tortillas. The employees have always been super nice and super quick.
What’s not to love???

Mmm… delicious chicken. We usually either get a whole chicken or some combination of dark meat and wings, although it seems to me that you get overall nicer pieces when you get the whole chicken. Typically, it’s very tasty, juicy chicken, although I have, on occasion, gotten pieces that were sadly overcooked and dry. Sides are decent, too. The napolitos have less cactus and more onions and other bits than in other places I’ve had this; napolitos is not the main flavor of this dish. They go well with the pinto beans. There’s also a salsa bar.
Hubby got a churro for us to share and it was ridiculously rich, filled with dulce de leche or something. A little too much. We split it 4 ways and I had more than enough.
Food comes out quite fast, which is good.

Hearing alot about how good Pollo Feliz is in Mexico, my expectation was set high.
Long story short, this shit is FIRE. Very good Mexican fast food joint. Chicken is delicious (very smokey, off the grill flavor) and the sides and rice is on point. Much more «authentic» compared to El Pollo Loco. Order the ½ pound carne asada and thank me later.

Chicken is very flavorful. The combo meals are affordable, and health-​conscious diners can find salads on the menu. For some reason I think the overhead menu prices are outdated? I ordered a No.3 dark meat and it’s more expensive than the price shown on the menu. Still it’s quite cheap so I didn’t bother to challenge it.

Love this place! They have the best chicken. I normally get the half chicken meal or the chicken burrito. The chicken burrito is a good deal, but the half chicken is a little expensive. Their salsa is really good.
Service is normally pretty good.

I’ve only been one time, and had the chicken tacos. They were decent, but if I’m in the mood for tacos/​burritos, I’d rather hit up the Taco Shop just down the road. I want to return and get some chicken sometime though.

I’m rating this place fairly high, because for all the things I dislike about it, there is a reason it deserves a high rating. First I’ll say what I don’t like, then why I go there anyway.
First of all, Neil Armstrong had better clearer communication systems from the moon to Houston Texas 44 years ago in 1969 that this place has in the 50 yards from the restaurant to the drive up speaker.
On some occasions, the smoke in the parking lot can be enough to make your eyes water. But apparently it isn’t enough to drive away the flies that always seem to be ready to aggressively attack you as you eat.
Next, unlike the other Pollo Feliz locations, the staff here seems to have little to no interest in actually helping the customers. Ordering a simple #1 off the menu, with no one else waiting, takes forever. You really might as well fill your drink, and go sit down and relax while you wait for them. It takes less than 1 minute in the other locations to put a couple pieces of chicken and some rice onto a plate. Here, it seems to take 5 – 10 minutes.
If ever there was a place that could use wet-​wipes, it’s this place. But instead they have a single napkin dispenser by the soda machine. And I’ve never got it to work, I always end up opening it up like the employees do to fill it, just to get 2 – 3 napkins out. And the napkins are almost worthless, because you end up having to tear the chicken apart with your fingers, and the chicken is so sticky. When trying to wipe your hands off with a napkin, the napkin just shreds and leaves little bits of paper stuck all over your fingers.
So, why go? Well, because the chicken is amazing. It is so good. It is so, so, so good. The animalistic carnivore in me comes out, and all the other things that bother me go away as I tear into the meat.
I could never take a date here, or even a friend. Because I have to sit away from where anyone can see, because my hands get so covered in sticky mess as I ravenously tear apart the chicken and eat every last little piece I can from the bones. The chicken is just that good. For that alone, I’m giving it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Pollo Feliz, chicken good and cook on grill not on fryer.
on Wednesday special family pack order that and get half chicken more. it is lot of chicken just for me to eat alllll… whoo…mmmm…

Two visits with completely different drive-​thru experiences.
The first visit was slightly more successful than the second. I agree with Gabriel W. about the chicken burrito… it’s good. I am not much for please-​fill-​my-​burrito-​with-​the-​cheapest-​foods-​on-​the-​planet, beans and rice, but at least they were tasty beans and rice. It was a thick, hefty and satisfying burrito… as a respectable burrito should be.
The second visit was what, most likely, kept them from four stars. I read some of the rave reviews about the chicken tacos, so that’s what I ordered. This is where the whole drive-​thru thing brought their rating down. That and I have a bone to pick… more on that in a minute. I live a good 10 – 15 minutes away and the chicken tacos did not survive the trip very well, but that was because all the toppings of lettuce and white cheese were placed on top of, not inside the tacos… not that it mattered. They were street-​sized tacos folded and fried crispy (but got soggy during the trip) with grilled chicken in them. I did not get much flavor from the chicken AND I found a bone in one of my tacos. That’s no bueno. I was disappointed. The warm, mild red sauce that came with them did not save them.
Maybe dining in and being able to partake of the salsa bar would change my mind about this place, but right now, they get 2.5 stars.

Very flavorful chicken. A non-​chain El Pollo Loco with more kick. Standard beans are not vegetarian, however.

*Review for Drive-​Thru*
Thank you to friend and fellow Unilocaler, Genevieve G. for introducing me to Pollo Feliz, one of the great gastro delights of my life.
Oh Happy Chicken, I was not a happy camper when I rolled up to the drive-​thru window and discovered my wallet was a no-​show. I begged, I pleaded, I made promises I dare not repeat. I offered up a song and dance, I suggested an official IOU… I presented an old skool paper check even. I was denied. Abandoned. Straight up rejected. Left to suffer from malnutrition, dehydration and certain demise. Pollo Feliz, you broke my starving heart.
But like a good friend, I’m all up in your grill, just like that. All is forgiven, and kinda-​sorta forgotten. I am here, at your doorstep again, asking you to come out and play with the Shae Nae Nae.
Shae’s Favorite Meal:
Chicken Dorados (Chicken Tacos) — 5 pack
Sopa de arroz — Rice
Mazorca de maíz — Corn on the cob
Enjoy and repeat, ad infinitum.

I. Love. This. Chicken.
Let your nose lead the way as you approach within a few blocks of Pollo Feliz. Marinated in citrus & spices then grilled, this is one of my favorite «fast food» joints. A meal comes with charro (whole) beans, rice, tortillas, salsa & salad (grilled jalapenos are a tiny bit extra but add a kick).
A little bit of everything wrapped in (your choice) corn or flour tortillas, slathered with salsa and topped with a squeeze of lime juice just doesn’t get too much better. The one negative– the salad is simple iceberg lettuce and a tiny sliver of a tomato which usually gets tossed. But the rest is sheer delight.
A couple tips: Wednesday is the family meal special. Get the whole chicken meal and for an extra buck you get an extra half chicken. Julie & I can get a couple days meals and maybe a lunch for under $ 20. Also, if you aren’t too lazy to walk in (instead of the convenience of the drive-​through), you can get different types of salsa at their salsa bar. Otherwise, they provide their basic salsa (which is really good) at the window.
I gotta think that for «fast food’…this is not only pretty healthy but damn tasty as well.

I love Pollo Feliz. Their chicken is like crack, and they’re beans and Spanish rice are amazing. I’ve actually bough them a la cart before. They’re Chicken tacos are also good, but greasy. They come in 3 or 5 count. My sister in law once got deathly ill after eating there, so I call them Death Tacos, but I’ve never gotten sick.
I wish they still had one farther east.

Great mesquite smoked chicken, salads, sides and salsas. Prompt and courteous service.
Half or whole chicken, rice, charro pinto beans, salad, pico, lime and flour tortillas PLEASE!

The restaurant was undergoing some renovation when I went, but that didn’t affect my rating. I thought the food was just average. My friend really likes the chicken, and I probably should have gone with her advice, but I ordered a burrito instead. It was good, but had a little too much sodium. I felt like I had to drink a lot of water to get through my meal.

We dropped in here to grab some chicken last night. Recently relocated to Tucson from SoCal, we anticipated something a lot like El Pollo Loco. To be honest, it is very similar.
The chicken was much better though, with a great smoky taste. The flour tortillas were excellent. The rice and beans were good. I couldn’t believe how good the pricing was for everything too. We got a whole chicken with tortillas, salsa, rice, beans and a small garden salad for about $ 15.
As for service, we were treated very nicely and the person who helped us was very pleasant. We’ll definitely be coming back!

I had never gone until very recently because every time I drive past the location on Oracle, there’s black smoke billowing out the rooftop. It just seemed dirty or something… not really attractive or enticing.
That all changed when I was lied to by a friend who told me they had a 99 cent chicken burrito. Im a cheap ass and within a day, I found myself heading over to the broadway location. They do have a value menu burrito thats 99 cents, but theres no chicken in it. The actual chicken burrito is 3 bucks, and though I was somewhat pissed that it cost that much, I decided to order one anyway and also got a 99 cent quesadilla, some rice, and a drink.
The people working there were not extremely nice… kinda seemed in a bad mood or something. I got a distinct feeling that because I spoke English I was looked down upon. So why the 4 stars? Well, this was a seriously good chicken burrito. Like, REALLY good. I was taken aback by how moist and flavorful it was. The quesadilla too was actually a really good value I thought. Pretty basic salsa bar, but all the salsas were delicious and they didnt really need anything else on it.
Theyre damn fast here. Open flame grill makes some great chicken, and they have mastered the art. Tortillas are heated and softened on the grill too which gives them that really slight crusty thing you sometimes get… just awesome. I have to give it to these guys… despite the employee (s), Ill be back probably again and again.

4 for the food, but minus one star for the whole experience. The chicken here is yummy! and I definitely was surprised at the prices when I walked in. I thought they would be more like Pollo Loco’s, so I was pleasantly surprised. I brought a picky eater with me and he liked his chicken burrito but said his tamale was just so-​so (I was like duh, good tamales are across the street). I wish I could get them a 4, but the dining area was infested with flies and I had to swat them left and right throughout the course of my meal. Not fun. Definitely will come back for take-​out though.

I cannot believe I am writing a Unilocal review for a fast food chain restaurant that isn’t even open 24 hours a day. I also cannot believe that I am giving such a restaurant four stars. Thing is: Pollo Feliz is seriously good.
I’ve tried quite a few of their menu items, and I’d say the only way to go is straight for the grilled chicken. The chicken sandwich is alright, as is the chicken burrito. The tamales are actually pretty good, and I’d say you should probably pick one or two up as a side. But the real reason to go to Pollo Feliz is to get some delicious effin’ grilled chicken, and boy do these folks deliver. The chicken is flavorful, moist, and flavorful. Basically, it tastes like grilled chicken is supposed to taste.
You may be asking: «Why exactly would Danny be so impressed by some grilled chicken that just tastes like good grilled chicken? Danny makes good grilled chicken all the time, and he knows how easy it is to do well. So what’s the big deal?»
The answer: The fact that it isn’t difficult to make good grilled chicken is precisely why I love this place so much. They take an easy food item — a food item that all sorts of more-​expensive restaurants seem dead-​set on ruining in spite of its mind-​numbing simplicity — and they actually make it properly, so that it tastes like it’s supposed to. And then they don’t even charge you out the rear end for it – in fact, it’s actually pretty cheap.
So you tell me: is it not exciting to find a restaurant that gives you exactly what you want, for a low price, and with the convenience of drive-​through service? That’s what I thought. Now go get yourself some danged chicken.

Is it pretentious to label Pollo Feliz a prog-​fast food restaurant? If you took the exact same chicken, implemented some modern plating, and charged 3x what Pollo Feliz does, I’d probably still buy it. I don’t mean to sound too new age-​y, but I honestly believe that Pollo Feliz not only pushes the boundaries of what a fast food restaurant should be – it actually transcends its contemporaries. This is the Radiohead of fast food.
I feel kind of silly laying such thick hyperbole on a chain (a relatively small chain as far as the US is concerned… but a chain nonetheless), let alone a fast-​food chain, but the grilled chicken here is some of the best chicken I’ve had anywhere. It’s not that the flavors are all that complex (a full meal costs less than $ 5, so what do you expect?) — it’s that they’re deep. I don’t know what’s in the marinade (lemon, salt… maybe garlic?), but they must marinate the chicken for a long time to develop the flavor, because every single bite is divine. Every piece is grilled perfectly. Every single piece is moist. This level of quality and consistency shouldn’t be possible in an establishment that has a drive-​thru.
Their beans and rice are also pretty good. They’re certainly better than what you’d get at places like Nico’s or Los Betos (the beans actually look like beans!). You get your choice of flour or corn tortillas with every meal; both are delicious, but I’m partial to the corn. As I said, a full meal (¼ chicken + rice and beans) costs just under $ 5, but if you’re really in a pinch, their chicken burrito is also excellent. The chicken lacks the delicious char that puts the chicken in their meals over the top, but for ~$ 3.50 it’s the best damn burrito you’re gonna find.
Bottom line, this is easily one of the best values around, especially when you factor in the quality. It’s probably not as paradigm shifting as I make it out to be, but it’s far better than it needs to be.
It should be noted that many of the Pollo Felizes (Pollos Felices? Spanglish plurals are confusing) around town have been turned into El Pollo Luckys (Los Pollos… aw whatever). Allegedly they’re the same restaurant, but my experiences suggest otherwise. If you eat at an El Pollo Lucky and it’s as good as Pollo Feliz, let me know!