Crisp & Juicy
3800 International Dr, Silver Spring, MD, 20906
Crisp & Juicy Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Silver Spring for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
3800 International Dr
Silver Spring, MD, 20906 - Phone (301) 598-3333
- Website https://www.crispjuicy.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : No
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Matt S.
If you're within the Olney/Wheaton area and a fan of delicious chicken and you haven't yet been to Crisp & Juicy you're missing out. Simple and to the point, the chicken is amazing and comes with great sauces. Both hot and medium hot are solid. The other sides that you can get are plenty good as well, but the chicken is the reason to make the trip. It's worth heading to Leisure World for the experience.
(4)Natalie F.
I placed a phone order at the Leisure World Crisp and Juicy yesterday for a Latino Chicken Breast Sandwich. The order was taken and I went to go pick it up 10 minutes later. After I waited on a long line to get to the cash register, the manager told me they were out of chicken breast and he didn't have my order. UM What? How does a CHICKEN RESTAURANT run out of chicken? He walked away from me before I could even respond to him. Never asked me if I wanted something else, never apologized nothing! Poor customer service. I will never go back to that location again. Wise up grouchy manager, word of mouth can be a negative too!!!
(1)Deborah S.
This is my favorite of the Crisp and Juicy locations. (I have also been to Rockville, Silver Spring and Tenleytown.) The service is fast. The food is consistently good. Love the fried yuca and the mild (yellow) dipping sauce. I can't say the same for the other locations. The worst is the one on East-West Hwy in downtown Silver Spring. Their staff is rude and does not seem to understand what I ask for.
(5)Alan G.
Yummy- it's crisp, it's juicy, it's crisp and juicy. love the rice too. Great fast food and chicken is consistently moist and tasty
(4)Y L.
Cheap eats alert! The chicken at this dive "tiene mucho sabor," as do the fried plaintains, fried yucca, and the beans and rice. But the secret is in their sauce: creamy, pink, with a habanero kick to it (but the creaminess keeps it under control). I know there's one on Rockville Pike, but it doesn't taste as good, and doesn't have the good vibes that this Silver Spring establishment does. What vibes, you say? One day, I was ordering the fried plaintains as one of my sides when the large Latino dude who mans the cash register confided to me, "The plaintains are too green today. And I hate fried green plaintains." I switched to the rice and beans that day, but he instantly won my heart as an honest businessman and my respect as a fellow foodie.
(5)sharon y.
The chicken is dry and not very flavorful and then the mashed potatoes have no flavor whatsoever. The only think I like about this place is the sauces.
(2)Gail R.
One sunny Saturday, I decided I would drop by this place and check out their food. I have heard Crisp & Juicy is good (from a fellow yelper), so I wanted to try it out for myself. The parking lot for this place is also shared with other places including a post office and a few other stores, so it was quite busy in this area, but there are still spots available to park in. As you enter through the door, it shows that they accept Mastercard, Discover and Visa, so American Express card holders, you may need to go to one of the nearby banks to get some funds. Once you do enter, there is a menu that pops up on a digital screen in front of you (right above the cashier) and it shows each item along with the pricing (there is even a mini description under most of the items). To the left of those screens (you may have to stand in the table area), there is a separate screen that shows what some of the dishes look like - too bad I did not really see this until after I put in my order. On this visit, I decided to try the Chicken Platter Dark - it is a 1/4 chicken and it comes with 2 sides. They had quite a lot of sides to choose from and so I decided on Primavera Rice and Fried Plantain. I had to ask the cashier what the difference was between Primavera Rice and White Rice and she said the Primavera Rice was yellow rice, so that is why I opted to try it. I enjoyed the chicken, but I did not like the rice too much. The fried plantains were okay but I have had better. The rice was a bit hard (like it was overcooked) and the fried plantains, I could tell that the plantains were really ripe before they were cooked as it had a mushy texture to it (not too much of a fan of that style). I will visit again and maybe try some different sides on my next visit.
(3)Heather S.
I like to do take out from Crisp n Juicy. Chicken and sauces are delicious. We love the rice, friend yuca, plantains. Salad isn't anything special. And I don't like the bathroom there for some reason. But overall the food is delicious and sometimes I just need my Peruvian chicken fix.
(4)Courtney S.
This is the original location, I believe, and is probably the best of all. The yucca fries are amazing! Between the yellow (mild garlic) or the red sauce (HOT) I think the yellow is better. It is mild but tangy and is a good complement to the chicken and the fries. And, speaking of the chicken...very juicy. A little charring, just enough, not too much, makes the skin extra crispy. You'd think the meat would be dry as a result but no. The rice and beans are made with smoked ham, which gives them a really nice flavor. I could eat a whole bowl by myself they are that good! This Crisp and Juicy location is a true treasure in Silver Spring.
(5)Leellani C.
I've always liked this location better than Montgomery Village, I get my chicken to go before I jump on the ICC ( and the ICC rocks for commuters yes it does) I normally just get chicken and mild sauce, pop it in the toaster oven when I get home , shred it on top of salad..... Not a fan of the sides but sometimes somebody must be puttin a hammock in the black beans cause sometimes i will get those and their good..... But not consistent
(4)Andrew K.
Good Peruvian chicken, I've had better at other locations. I got the half chicken with rice and beans and yucca. The yucca was a little dry, the rice and beans was good and the chicken was good except the skin was a little too salty. I don't like how they charge you for extra sauce now, used to be that you can get as much sauce as you want. Anyway, I'm a big fan of Peruvian chicken and this was good but I think there are places closer to my work or home that I like better.
(3)Andy N.
Concur with Andrew K. Good, but there's better Peruvian chicken out there. The reason it's "juicy" seems to be because the chicken is marinated in a very salty brine. Loses points for being much too salty. The Yucca fries are nice and not greasy or too salty. One positive about this place is the chickens don't seem to be sitting under a heat lamp but are more cooked to order. However, if you like more char-broiled spices on the skin, try another joint like nearby Pollo Brasero.
(3)Anne K.
This place used to be great. But has seriously gone downhill in recent years. The food is really not good here. We were warned but proceeded to give it a try anyway. Stopped for carry out around 8:30 on a Saturday night. Ordered a half chicken yucca and plantains. The yucca was terrible. Super dry and tasteless. And in fact rough to even bite into. It had obviously been fried earlier that morning and had been sitting out allllll day. While the chicken had good season (on outside of skin only) the meat itself was bland, dry, and unappealing. Again, like it had been sitting under the warmer alllll day. The only saving grace were the plantains; but c'mon. How hard is it to fry up maduros? Ripe plantains are not hard to cook. The yellow dipping sauce is surprisingly spicy but good. Too bad it couldn't save the chicken. I didn't even save the leftovers, of which there was a lot.
(1)Susan B.
I joined Yelp just so I could write this review I went to the crisp and juicy at leisure world. I ordered chicken rice and beans and potato salad. I have eaten at this place a few times before whenever I am in that area. I also get chicken from other places as well. I ordered carry out and when I got home and opened my container. I had the smallest piece of one quarter chicken you can imagine. it was supposed to be the leg of a chicken. but it was more the size of a small thigh piece. there are now many places that are providing this kind of chicken. The chicken was not that tasty and I have eaten at many other better places which I will never come back to this place again
(2)Danny S.
been going here ever since can remember. for f**ks sake, this restaurant is the reason that Crisp and Juicy has 5 other locations. the people that rated it less then five stars are most likely gringos that don't know how to order. Get chicken, yucca, and make sure you smother both in that AMAZING hot sauce. you can't go wrong.
(5)Michael G.
I usually stop at this Crisp and Juicy when I am in the area. I have to agree with others, this location needs some work. The workers aren't very friendly and they talk to each other the whole time you are waiting for your order. The chicken is good, but when I spend over $20 for a whole chicken and 3 large sides, I expect more than 4 tiny containers of dipping sauce. For this size portion, they should give you double the amount of sauce. I like to put my sauce on the yuca and beans and rice too. I ran out of sauce before I could get to the other half of chicken. I should have checked my bag before I walked out and asked for more. I don't mind paying for the sauce, but at least give the customer a little more to begin with. It's a giant jug they pour from, so I'm sure they can spare a few extra sauces. The sauce is good, that's one of the reasons I go there, but why so stingy with it. The rice and beans were okay, but the fried yuca just seemed a little overdone and tough. The cole slaw isn't bad, but it needs less mayonnaise because it is pretty runny. I'll still go to this one when I'm in the area, but Sardis is better and if I had a choice between the two, Crisp and Juicy would not be my first choice.
(3)Vic S.
I have to confess the chicken is really good. Lately it has been on the dry side, but no denying the great flavor. However, they are getting greedy. Prices have gone up and that little bit of sauce (which taste great) is treated like caviar...I'm tempted to ask for a cracker. It is served in a container the size of a pack of ketchup and you want more? 47cents each extra pack. Also, as the prices have gone up you are now limited in your side dishes. You can have fries and salad but if you want any of the traditional sides like rice and beans or yucca, you have to pay extra. Lunch is now $10 for this nice fast food joint. I'll still come every once in awhile but it will no longer be a weekly lunch spot. To many options out there. Simply, an owner getting to greedy...and i predict they will lose for it.
(3)Chris H.
I like it, it used to be a 5 star for me. Sardi's just stepped up their game. The chicken isn't as good as Sardi's, but still really good. The only thing, which is a huge plus for me, that I like more is their hot orange-ish sauce and their rice. The rice is REALLY good and I seriously just eat that straight up with the sauce.
(3)Jake B.
I have passed this place a million times on my way to the burgerking drive through. One day I had a few extra minutes to spare and an adventurous urge to try something different. So I walk into Crisp & Juicy, ever since I've been coming here weekly. I've also tried several other C&J locations, but the leisureworld one is my favorite. The service is alright, I tend to ask a lot of questions since I work in the food and service industry, I know it sucks to work in it, and I like to be that annoying customer sometimes to keep me sane. The cashier answered my questions, like "what comes in a platter?", "does this sandwich come with fries?", "why are your 24oz soda drinks two bucks?" and so on. I occasionally practice my poor spanish skills with the cashiers to grab a laugh or two. The latino checked breast, the grille combo platter, and the half chicken platter are my usual dishes, with yuca fries and a salad as sides. The chicken is AMAZING. The grille platter comes with chicken, flat steak and chorizo sausage, all pretty good. The sauces are also great for dipping the chicken and yuca fries in, the spicy one is my favorite. The salad is okay, they chop their lettuce up into threads so it's kinda weird but fine. Yuca fries are on point, but sometimes they overlook them, you gotta get lucky. Favorite drinks are Inca cola (bubble gum soda from heaven), and Fanta pineapple. My warning would be to bring your own napkins, or use the napkins of wherever your going because theirs are very very thin, like Mcdonalds toilet paper. I would recommend this place to a friend, it's my favorite due to the fact that it's also the closest pollo la brasa place to my house, but there are better places out there that I've eaten at.
(4)Cat S.
Best Peruvian chicken I've ever tasted! Always moist and delicious. Their sauce has increased in price but you cannot do without it! Their yuca fries are the bomb, and taste best when dunked in their garlic sauce. I always get my platter 1/4 dark meat, with platanos and yuca; it always fills me up just right so that when the itis kicks in, I am in the best of food heaven :)
(5)Vannie N.
My next favorite place for charbroiled chicken!! It's located in the Leisure World shopping center. I've been here about 4 times since I've found this place the other week. The first time I was there I got the grill combination platter which includes a 1/4 chicken, carnita, chorizo with the fries and cole slaw. The chicken was good and juicy. The sauce that came with it was different from other places but it complemented the chicken well. The carnita was well done and I could taste the spices that they used to marinate it. It had fried onions over it it. The chorizo, which is a mild Argentina sausage is also good too. Its made with a combination of other meats and onions. Overall the platter is a must, if you want to try a bit of everything at this place. And the service is really quick.
(4)Liza A.
Had better...really being latina this has never cut it for me, one of her sauces is great to be fair
(2)Sarah S.
Poorly run crisp and juicy. I went in at 645 on a Thursday night for pick up which you know is dinner time. They were out of chicken but I was not told this until I asked another customer how long they had been waited and realized I placed my order 10 min in to a 20 min wait...what a crock! When I asked the "manager" he just said the chicken is ready now...however no one had prepped any of the sides for the 7 orders that could now be ready so I waited a total of 25 minutes..I could have gone to a sit down restaurant and had my food faster... These people need to check out the C&J by Lake Forest to understand that they could have had the other items ready and just plopped the chicken in...instead after the chickens came out...I waited another 15...what poor poor management
(2)Donna Y.
I ordered the 1/4 dark meat chicken which comes with fries, house salad, for $6.25 and if white meat is requested add 0.50cents. The service is at times slow but chicken is pretty flavorful and juicy. I didn't care very much for the fries or house salad. Crisp & Juicy is conveniently located at the intersection of Georgia Ave and Norbeck. I remember coming here 3years ago(?) and this restaurant was called something else, I'm guessing it's either under management or was purchased by someone else. This restaurant has definitely come a long way with new tables, chairs, and decorations which gives it a new homey feel.
(3)Paola G.
I love Crisp and Juicy since forever, but the past three times I have gone have really upset me. I always ask for extra sauce even pay extra and they always forget to add it. Last night I went to pick up food, paid for more sauces and I didnt even get them in my bag. Their sauce makes it all better, I am addicted to it and when I have to eat all my food with one little sauce which they dont even fill to the top anymore it ruins my entire meal :/ Other than that, I LOVE this place.
(5)Willis N.
Okay food. If you want to try something better try el pollo rico in wheaton trust me.
(3)Ashumi L.
My all time favorite place to eat chicken in the DC/MD/VA area. The chicken is succulent and slow roasted all day. The sauce is AMAZING - I call it crack sauce. It is good on literally anything you put it on. Get the spicy - it is to die for. The downfall - the little tiny sauce containers are $.35 each and the staff is stingy with it - they will not give you even one extra - even if you are the duchess...boo! Another downfall - the staff that takes your order at this particular location are a bit rude and like to talk to the other staff while taking your order so be sure to clarify what you want to make sure there is no error in your order! (I would normally give a place with this kind of service a 3 star rating, but the 4 stars speaks for the food...it is that good!)
(4)Niana K.
100x better than Wheaton's location. Seriously. My mom and I went to the Crisp & Juicy in Wheaton a few months ago and will not be returning EVER. I don't know what they did to their chicken. Perhaps they got their measurement mixed up or maybe they are a little TOO generous with the salt, but it was SOOOO incredibly salty to the point where I couldn't even eat beyond 2 bites. I tried to wrap it in the salad, chug water, EVERYTHING...but no, nothing worked. Trash you go. I mean, was it me? or was it them? I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge, so I decided to give Crisp & Juicy another try. We decided to try out the one in Leisure World since it's only a few minutes from us...and..........THANK GOODNESS we did!! Their chicken seasoning was on point! I can't say anything about the skin being salty like others are saying in their reviews because I always take off the skin, but seriously, this location makes their chicken MUCH better than Wheaton's. Yes, the yucca was a TAD bit on the dry side, but I got over it when I dunked it in their awesome sauce.
(4)Marilyn e.
Decided to try Crisp and Juicy. I ordered a whole chicken & one large order of plantains. When I got home and opened the container of plantains ~ wow what a mess. The plantains were a huge blob of mess dripping in oil. I couldn't even tell that they were suppose to be plantains. I had to throw the supposingly plantains away. I called the restaurant and spoke with the manager and told him what was suppose to be my large order of plantains was actually an unidentified blob of something that had been soaked in oil. He said, "Oh sorry about that." That was it, Sorry about that, nothing else offered. Chicken was okay. I won't go back because of poor customer service.
(2)Sarah C.
: : : ::Deep thoughts - comparing Leisure World's with Rockville's:: : : : Crisp and Juicy .. .. Crisp and Juicy Leisure World .:**:. .:**:. Rockville .:**:. .:**:. Visits: .:**:. Visits: First time .:**:. 5+ .:**:. Parking: .:**:. Parking: Many .:**:. Tight at front Shopping center lot .:**:. .:**:. Extra parking - back .:**:. .. .:**:. Size: `` ` `` Size: 3 booths (?) Spacious Few bench-like seatings Plenty of tables, booths Service: Service: Friendly, quick Friendly, quick Time: Time: Super-hero-quick! 30 seconds to 1 minute (Dine-in timing) (Dine-in timing) "To-go" timing: "To-go" timing: Not yet 2-6 minutes .:**:. Chicken: .:**:. Chicken: Batch lacked flavor .:**:. Flavorful 1/4 white - moist breast .:**:. 1/4 white - moist breast Wing - tough, dry .:**:. Wing - tough, dry Requires more visits .:**:. Taste differs at times .:**:. .:**:. Yuka: .:**:. .:**:. Yuka: Crisp, chewy .:**:. .. .:**:. Crisp bricks `` `` `` : : :Worth visiting for their yuka and another chance at the chicken: : : 3 stars for the 1/4 white - 4 stars for yuka Overall 3.5 stars yelp.com/biz_photos/q_3Y…
(3)Johnny B.
Crisp and Juicy is a long time favorite of mine. I have grown up eating that ever so tasty char broiled chicken. The restaurant itself is long overdue for a renovation, but who cares the chicken is great. The sauces are delicious and the yucca fries are tasty. The prices are also very good considering the quality of the food. The only negative things I have to say about this place is that the lines become so long at dinner time and their seems to be zero sense of urgency to get through the line. It seems as if there are prospective customers that literally have 10 minute conversations with the staff while ordering their chicken. Obviously, the dining area needs a lot of work too. Overall, food is great. I have been eating here for years and I love it.
(4)Eugene H.
I don't understand what happened to this crisp and juicy...but it's really not good at all compared to other crisp & juicy's. The food was pretty dry and tough and insanely greasy. I'll stick to the other crisp & juicy's in the area....or better yet, another restaurant altogether.
(1)Alexis D.
(btw this is my fav of all the crisp and juicys) OK - so La Pollera has my fav Chicken La Granja de Oro has my fav potato and peruvian grilled tripe What does crisp and juicy have that makes it so special - THE BEST COLESLAW ON PLANET EARTH. Their churrasco, sausage, and chicken are pretty tasty too - their black beans are delish, plantains and yucca always nice - BUT NOTHING TOUCHES THAT COLESLAW!!!
(4)Fenny L.
OK. Let's face it. Everyone has their own view point on who makes the best peruvian chicken. I will be honest - I frankly don't notice the nuances. To me, peruvian chicken is peruvian chicken! As long as it's well-seasoned and juicy...well, I am usually in such a state of bliss over cramming a whole chicken down my throat that the difference between seasonings seem a minor thing (especially as I slather the chicken in the dipping sauces anyways!). Of all the peruvian places, I think this one has to be my favorite. I know...it makes no sense. With Rico's and Super Chicken, and the Loco's battling it out in Silver Spring...how can this Crisp and Juicy, located in the far-off sad and lonely Leisure World strip mall (and for those of you unfamiliar with this area - Leisure World is a huge retirement community) be my favorite?!? Because it's in the Leisure World strip mall. Seriously. The Leisure World strip mall has absolutely NO visitors to it. Ever. Anyone who lives within a 5 minute drive to LW, will rather drive past LW to Aspen Hill or to the Bauer strip mall, because they don't want to get stuck in line behind an old person. So this mall is always empty - which means I can usually get a parking spot right in front of the store. Secondly, many people see old people as a deterrent - but that's only because they are idiots. I love waiting in line behind a old person. You know why? Because unlike young people, where you might get a jerk-off or some snotty brat who will take 3 billion years to place their order and turn around and give you attitude if you try to hurry them along...old people LOVE the attention. Just smile, and offer them a recommendation. You: "I see that you are confused by this very simple menu that has only 5 items on it." Random Old Person Holding Up The Line: "Yes...see, I can't eat anything that has [insert random ingredient that has no bearing on peruvian chicken] on it, because of my [insert old person disease here]." You: "Ah. No problem, my granny has the same thing, except you look way prettier/handsomer/younger! May I recommend the #2 with yucca? Cashier - a #2 for this dashing/darling young thing here!" If you do this with a big enough smile on your face - this entire conversation will last 30 seconds. You are now the next in line to place your order. Because I am always terribly impatient to get my food - I will even escort the little old lady/gentleman to a table, and even carry their tray for them - anything to prevent potential obstacles to my food. Yes, it may seem a little low to be nice just to get to some peruvian chicken...but we all get what we want. The old folks got someone to talk to them. I get my chicken. It's a win-win situation. On top of that - I would like to think that I scored a few karma points as well (karma doesn't care about our motives behind nice deeds...just the nice deeds, right?). The only reason why C&J doesn't get a full 5 stars, is that like many other peruvian chicken joints, they can be very slow. Which I don't understand. It's chicken! It's already cooked and on the grill! Just rip it off the skewer, and throw it onto a plate for me! Even if they need to chop it - it shouldn't have to take 5 minutes! It's like waiting for pho...there really is just never an excuse for that. It's already cooked - just plate and serve!
(4)Emily R.
I began planning my trip to Crisp and Juicy a day ahead of time. Went on the website, looked at my options on the menu. The next day, checked the menu again to finalize my order. (By the way, the pdf menu on the website is pretty horrible to read - won't even open in a new window.) I considered even calling to see if I could order ahead of time so I could get home quickly and get my eat on. (My only other experience with Peruvian chicken, I waited something like 20 minutes for it to be ready...) Decided to just leave straight from work and head over there. Walked in. The cashier was happy to help me. I went with one of the 1/4 chicken platters, which came with dark meat, yuca, a salad, and bread. The cashier informed me that you can substitute any of the sides, so I went with fried plantains instead of the salad. It's also 50 cents more to substitute white meat. Generally, I'm a white meat kinda girl but the dark meat was SO WORTH IT. I'm glad I didn't bother calling because the food was ready in about 2 minutes. The price came out to just over 6 bucks. Now, I do not claim to be any sort of expert on Peruvian chicken. Nevertheless, I know good when I taste it. This chicken is anything but dry - definitely moist and for the most part juicy. This isn't fried chicken so don't expect it crispy. The crisp only really described the yuca. It was definitely the best yuca I've tried (ok, again, not super experienced but I've had it at a few places). The fried plantains were also delicious. Garlic sauce comes with the chicken, but I found it not really necessary - the chicken was plenty flavorful on it's own. The sauce also was a bit too potent for my taste. This Crisp and Juicy is conveniently located in a shopping center known as Leisure World Plaza, close to the giant globe welcoming you to the community.
(4)Ina C.
Ina's New Juiciness/Tastiness Scaleâ„¢ j || u || * *Crisp& i || EPR Juicy c || i || *Chicken n || on the Run e || *El Pollo s || Brasero s ||_________________________________ t a s t i n e s s I know in my last review of Chicken on the Run that I put it over EPR, but I think I was still a bit bitter about the surprise closing like it was a slap in the face. I also know that I still haven't been to some other Peruvian chicken places, so my comparison is still incomplete. But, from what I can tell you, Crisp & Juicy is the best I've had SO FAR. It was very tasty and very juicy. Dunno about the crispy part, though.
(4)Christian G.
This location is right outside my house, so the hubs and I go as often as we can. Very delicious, friendly staff, but the "spicy" sauce is a joke. I could feed that stuff to a baby.
(4)Jb B.
Latino chicken sandwich with extra hot sauce. Amazing
(5)Su K.
I heart Ina K. - the Yelp Master to my padawan, Chris K. - who always calls me Mr. Yelp, Emily R. - my fellow Raider and follower of the Roosevelt Wayâ„¢ and Fenny L. - the long lost sister of my alternate self, Lester K., but I'm going to have to disagree with their 4 star assessments. I will say this about Crisp & Juicy - they're aptly located right next to Seizure/Leisure World as the chicken is dry, shriveled, and probably older than you think. In fact, going to C&J is much like visiting that one grandmother of your's that you hate to visit b/c a) you always smell like mothballs when you leave, b) she keeps calling you by the wrong name over and over, c) you need to give her a shoulder/back massage and you feel like you're going to get carpal tunnel b/c you have to squeeze so hard just to register with her nervous system that she is, in fact, being touched, and d) she always demands you kiss her on her dry, cracked lips. Actually, I wouldn't really know what that last one is like as the only affection Asians usually get from their grandmothers is a hearty, "You're getting fat and/or old!" but I imagine it's not pleasant. Food - now before you all go off calling me a grandma-hater, understand that I've visited grandma more than a dozen times over the span of 5 years, and without fail, rather than crisp & juicy, she's burnt & dry. Perhaps at one point or another, grandma was hot and juicy, but no longer. I've also visited grandma at all hours of the day and on weekdays and weekends. In fact, I first visited grandma shortly after falling in love with El Pollo Rico. I read a Zagat Survey (*whew* talk about antiquated and smelling like mothballs!) that rated C&J better than EPR, so I just had to visit her. On the first visit, I thought it was neat driving by that massive globe thing and I ordered the 1/2 chicken platter. The chicken was dry, the skin was salty, the cole slaw was slimy, the sauces were bland, and the fries were soggy. So I stuck with EPR and made occasional--albeit begrudging--visits to grandma when she wouldn't stop calling. After the recent proliferation of 4-star reviews, I thought maybe grandma became cool and hip, but like that Elmer Fudd dude that used to be in the Six Flags commercials, rather than being hip, she just became an odd, confusing joke. Once again, the chicken was dry and the skin was too salty. The yellow and orange (not green) sauces were bland and I actually threw away 1 of each - which I paid $0.50 each for, and if you know me, you know I wouldn't dare waste $1 worth of sauce. I got both the yucca and fries, and both were just ok. "But is the food that bad to warrant 2 stars," you may ask? Actually, I give the food 1 star b/c the prices are higher than what you'll find at other places. 1/4 1/4 white 1/2 Whole C&J $5.75 $6.35 $8.90 $15.50 Sabroso Grill $4.71 $6.60 $12.95 Super Pollo $4.83 $ 5.02 $7.30 To complicate matters, grandma always charges me for extra sauce. I hardly know SG and SP and, upon seeing my pleasantly plump figure and 1/2 chicken order, usually give me a sauce or two without me even having to ask. Location - they do accept credit, which is rare for a Peruvian restaurant since it's harder to evade taxes, which is why I'll give them another star. In the summer time, me mind is on fire, and me soul on fire cuz the interior is hot, hot, hot! Maybe the Seizure World Residents asked them to turn down the A/C? Sorry to do this to ya, grandma. But if you want consistently juicy chicken, I'd give Sabroso Grill and the Crisp & Juicy in Downtown Silver Spring a try. But if you don't have to drive over the river and through the woods to get to grandma's, it's better than going hungry.
(2)