I originally tried El Pollo Loco in Tucson many years ago. I recently decided to visit while doing a bit of horse trading at the Bookmans next door. For not much, I got a drink plus a bean, cheese and rice burrito with a fire roasted chicken leg and a chicken taco that were tasty and filling. The parking is ample it seems. While it's not been dirty or messy, the decor is not very impressive. Not bad, not great but a-ok.
(3)
Scott S.
First time here and the crew checked on us periodically until we figured what, of the great menu, we wanted. 1/2 chicken with rice and tortillas for me, giant chicken salad for her. Fresh, hot, we'll seasoned-great salsa bar selection too. We'll be back this is our new favorite chicken joint!
(5)
MaryLou D.
I came here about a week ago when it was almost 10pm and a lot of places were closed, looking for a light meal to keep me from getting hungry later in the evening since I'm a night owl. I ordered a small bowl of soup which happened to be on sale for about $1.59, a chicken tamale to try for $1.29 I think, and a drumstick off their value (99 cent) menu. All three were delicious, hit the spot, and were the perfect amount of food for under $5 to tide me over. I was especially impressed with the flavor of the soup, though it was served way to hot and I had to wait a long time for it to cool down enough to eat. I went there again a few nights later because I got a craving for more of that chicken tortilla soup, this time ordering the larger size, still on sale, about $3.69 for a pretty big container. I asked if they could not make it so hot this time, so it was my fault it cooled down to barely warm by the time I'd finished the $2.50 steak taco I got on the side. I only intended to eat half the soup but it was so good I couldn't stop till I'd wiped out three fourths of it. It's handy having this place be so close to my motel. Now that the weather is turning chilly I'll probably be back for more of that soup! For the second time in one day I encountered a restroom that was out of TP, but here they responded quickly, with concern and apologies, with one of the clerks hurrying back immediately to remedy the problem, a far better reaction than I got at Stein Mart at Tempe Marketplace earlier in the day.
(4)
Teresa S.
I am quite surprised at all the low reviews here. There is lots of parking in the lot. I decided to stop here one day after visiting the great Bookmans. It is very fresh food, and not at all over priced. There is an entire little salsa bar that has cool to go cups with nice tight lids( a major plus). The food is excellent! no red meat just fish and chicken. Lots of fresh limes. Every one there were very pleasant and though i took it to go. I could of eaten there because it was nice and clean. They even had a drive thru. I thought it was great!
(5)
Andrew F.
Dirty! That about sums this place up. Walked into this place because I was in the area and I had not been to one of these in years. The food is okay, but once I had ordered my meal, I began to notice how dirty the place was. The floors had dirt stains on them and no one had mopped up. There was a small bucket sitting on the service counter that had a rag in it an some type of cleaning solution for wiping down the tables. The trash cans behind the counter were viewable and they were full and had trash laying on the floor around them, and the final things I noticed were the condiments bar and the drink area were dirty and had not been wiped up in quite awhile. Stay away from this place!
(1)
Rand H.
I have loved El Pollo Loco since back in the 1980's. I think there were only two in the U.S. when I first discovered them... one on Alvarado St. in L.A., & "mine" at the seedy corner of Sunset & Western in Hollywood, next to the Pussycat ("X") Theater. You would drive by & El Pollo would look like it was burning down. They'd have the door open & you could see the flames shooting up out of the grill & smoke pouring out the door, but park somewhere (Home Depot?) & go in, & OOH, the great chicken! Since then I have eaten many, many times at different locations, & just about went nuts living in (otherwise terrific) Charlottesville, VA for a while where there wasn't an El Pollo Loco! With this background, I stopped in with Mike C. to try this one. Unfortunately, after having raving EPL up to him for months, this one was less wonderful in some ways than usual for this chain. I had fully expected to give this first one I was trying in Arizona 5-Stars, as I would for most of the ones I've been to in California. First of all, the restaurant itself was a little blah. They usually have booths, & this one only had small tables & chairs. Then, the service from the girl at the counter was really weak. Some of the shortcomings were: * She had taken my name, but didn't call us over the PA when our orders were up, but rather just let them sit there to get cold. She didn't cap the soup either, to keep it nice & hot, which they usually do. * I had salad for one of my side dishes, & she didn't offer me any dressing for it. I had to go back & ask. * We both had the Tortilla Soup, but she didn't give either of us the tortilla chips that you add in! I had to go back & ask for THEM. * She didn't give me a spoon to eat the soup with either. When I went up to ask for one, she gave me a teaspoon rather than a soup spoon. (Hey, they have soup spoons... I've been eating there for about 30 years!) Ok, so the service was 1-Star, but EPL here still nets three. I'm almost certain the next one I try here in the Valley will be better. (I actually went to a bad In-N-Out ONCE, too!) I didn't write down the price of the combo meal, but El Pollo Loco is very reasonable. It's "Fast Casual" food for "Fast Food" prices... about $5 or $6 for lunch.
(3)
Ricky C.
OK so I have been trying to stick to this whole New Years resolution thing which is not easy. But decided to give this place a shot since they offer a few healthy options. Big mistake!!! OK so first off the service was good, and the place was clean except for the area in front of the soda machine. It really needed to be wiped down big time. I guess my biggest gripe had to be with the food. It was nasty!! Flavorless beans, dry chicken that was closer to jerky and a tortilla that seemed to change colors at the bottom. Not sure why but did not remember paying for a color changing burrito. Now I understand that this is just a take out place that is very similar to say a taco bell or Del taco, but the food is bad at these places as well. I have to say while the food is bad the service and free refills of horchata did make me at least feel they deserved the one star I gave them, but wish I could have gotten a refund. Sorry but the only person crazy here is me for thinking this place was going to be good. Never again
(1)
Michael R.
Meh... That definitely describes it and especially compared to some other EPL locations I've been to. Not too friendly and the food wasn't too hot along with an empty salsa bar.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Drive-Thru : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Grigour S.
I originally tried El Pollo Loco in Tucson many years ago. I recently decided to visit while doing a bit of horse trading at the Bookmans next door. For not much, I got a drink plus a bean, cheese and rice burrito with a fire roasted chicken leg and a chicken taco that were tasty and filling. The parking is ample it seems. While it's not been dirty or messy, the decor is not very impressive. Not bad, not great but a-ok.
(3)Scott S.
First time here and the crew checked on us periodically until we figured what, of the great menu, we wanted. 1/2 chicken with rice and tortillas for me, giant chicken salad for her. Fresh, hot, we'll seasoned-great salsa bar selection too. We'll be back this is our new favorite chicken joint!
(5)MaryLou D.
I came here about a week ago when it was almost 10pm and a lot of places were closed, looking for a light meal to keep me from getting hungry later in the evening since I'm a night owl. I ordered a small bowl of soup which happened to be on sale for about $1.59, a chicken tamale to try for $1.29 I think, and a drumstick off their value (99 cent) menu. All three were delicious, hit the spot, and were the perfect amount of food for under $5 to tide me over. I was especially impressed with the flavor of the soup, though it was served way to hot and I had to wait a long time for it to cool down enough to eat. I went there again a few nights later because I got a craving for more of that chicken tortilla soup, this time ordering the larger size, still on sale, about $3.69 for a pretty big container. I asked if they could not make it so hot this time, so it was my fault it cooled down to barely warm by the time I'd finished the $2.50 steak taco I got on the side. I only intended to eat half the soup but it was so good I couldn't stop till I'd wiped out three fourths of it. It's handy having this place be so close to my motel. Now that the weather is turning chilly I'll probably be back for more of that soup! For the second time in one day I encountered a restroom that was out of TP, but here they responded quickly, with concern and apologies, with one of the clerks hurrying back immediately to remedy the problem, a far better reaction than I got at Stein Mart at Tempe Marketplace earlier in the day.
(4)Teresa S.
I am quite surprised at all the low reviews here. There is lots of parking in the lot. I decided to stop here one day after visiting the great Bookmans. It is very fresh food, and not at all over priced. There is an entire little salsa bar that has cool to go cups with nice tight lids( a major plus). The food is excellent! no red meat just fish and chicken. Lots of fresh limes. Every one there were very pleasant and though i took it to go. I could of eaten there because it was nice and clean. They even had a drive thru. I thought it was great!
(5)Andrew F.
Dirty! That about sums this place up. Walked into this place because I was in the area and I had not been to one of these in years. The food is okay, but once I had ordered my meal, I began to notice how dirty the place was. The floors had dirt stains on them and no one had mopped up. There was a small bucket sitting on the service counter that had a rag in it an some type of cleaning solution for wiping down the tables. The trash cans behind the counter were viewable and they were full and had trash laying on the floor around them, and the final things I noticed were the condiments bar and the drink area were dirty and had not been wiped up in quite awhile. Stay away from this place!
(1)Rand H.
I have loved El Pollo Loco since back in the 1980's. I think there were only two in the U.S. when I first discovered them... one on Alvarado St. in L.A., & "mine" at the seedy corner of Sunset & Western in Hollywood, next to the Pussycat ("X") Theater. You would drive by & El Pollo would look like it was burning down. They'd have the door open & you could see the flames shooting up out of the grill & smoke pouring out the door, but park somewhere (Home Depot?) & go in, & OOH, the great chicken! Since then I have eaten many, many times at different locations, & just about went nuts living in (otherwise terrific) Charlottesville, VA for a while where there wasn't an El Pollo Loco! With this background, I stopped in with Mike C. to try this one. Unfortunately, after having raving EPL up to him for months, this one was less wonderful in some ways than usual for this chain. I had fully expected to give this first one I was trying in Arizona 5-Stars, as I would for most of the ones I've been to in California. First of all, the restaurant itself was a little blah. They usually have booths, & this one only had small tables & chairs. Then, the service from the girl at the counter was really weak. Some of the shortcomings were: * She had taken my name, but didn't call us over the PA when our orders were up, but rather just let them sit there to get cold. She didn't cap the soup either, to keep it nice & hot, which they usually do. * I had salad for one of my side dishes, & she didn't offer me any dressing for it. I had to go back & ask. * We both had the Tortilla Soup, but she didn't give either of us the tortilla chips that you add in! I had to go back & ask for THEM. * She didn't give me a spoon to eat the soup with either. When I went up to ask for one, she gave me a teaspoon rather than a soup spoon. (Hey, they have soup spoons... I've been eating there for about 30 years!) Ok, so the service was 1-Star, but EPL here still nets three. I'm almost certain the next one I try here in the Valley will be better. (I actually went to a bad In-N-Out ONCE, too!) I didn't write down the price of the combo meal, but El Pollo Loco is very reasonable. It's "Fast Casual" food for "Fast Food" prices... about $5 or $6 for lunch.
(3)Ricky C.
OK so I have been trying to stick to this whole New Years resolution thing which is not easy. But decided to give this place a shot since they offer a few healthy options. Big mistake!!! OK so first off the service was good, and the place was clean except for the area in front of the soda machine. It really needed to be wiped down big time. I guess my biggest gripe had to be with the food. It was nasty!! Flavorless beans, dry chicken that was closer to jerky and a tortilla that seemed to change colors at the bottom. Not sure why but did not remember paying for a color changing burrito. Now I understand that this is just a take out place that is very similar to say a taco bell or Del taco, but the food is bad at these places as well. I have to say while the food is bad the service and free refills of horchata did make me at least feel they deserved the one star I gave them, but wish I could have gotten a refund. Sorry but the only person crazy here is me for thinking this place was going to be good. Never again
(1)Michael R.
Meh... That definitely describes it and especially compared to some other EPL locations I've been to. Not too friendly and the food wasn't too hot along with an empty salsa bar.
(2)