Pollo Campero

I used to go here often. It’s been a few years. The menu has changed. The chicken is still good and better than other places. The Coke slaw is weirdly mayo-​ee. The corn salad and black beans and tortilla may be the best bet here. Staff is nice. It’s just ok…

I just moved to the area not long ago… I’ve driven by this place few times. Decided to try it last week… The guy at the register was so nice and helpful. He explained their menu and even gave me samples. The food was ready quickly and was delicious. Looking forward to stopping by again soon

Usually I’ve come here and the food is pretty good but today waiting for my order watching them power wash the floors behind the counter where they prepare the food at 8:00 pm while all the food is out and there’s people still eating that’s discuss thing watching the mist fly up into the air, got my food but lost my apatite.

This place was incredibly busy and chaotic when we went (speaking to its popularity) but I was not impressed. I had the chicken bowl and we got chicken tenders for the kids. I wish I’d tried the yucca fries. I thought the chicken bowl was pretty unimpressive, and the tenders were anything but. The place seemed really grimy to me. They need to clean behind the booths. Desperately. I won’t be back to find out if they have.

about as authentic as you can get. Great rice and chicken meals and the service is good.

This place doesn’t have much to write home about. However, when you are traveling from work and want something to eat… super-​sonic quickly… then you can count on this place.
They have weekday daily special, which comes with an entrée and a fountain soda. For under $ 5, it’s a deal.
Food is fine. Of course it’s not gourmet-​quality. They do have pretty decent empanadas, which I recommend.
It’s quick, clean, friendly place to be. I believe they do have wifi available, but SB is next door and occasionally you get the wifi signal from there.
This place isn’t really competitive to other restaurants in Albany Park, but kudos to awesome Sunday hours (opening until 2200 hour). With that being said, I’m grateful because there are very limited choices left when you get home at 2030 hour on a Sunday.

This review is for the customer service. I did not appreciate the fact that I was ignored and passed over while waiting in line simply because I do not speak Spanish. And when I asked the cashier if I could order he motioned to the other cash register, but the employee working that station was helping bag food. I was unable to order because instead of taking the next person in line the cashier took the whole group behind me. If you make a mistake like that the least you could do is apologize.

Whoa that fried chicken though! The chicken is perfectly breaded and is so freaking tasty!!! The sides are so-​so, except for their plantains that shiz is yummmmy!

I was actually pretty impressed with this place. For a fast food joint, it offers a unique alternative to the same-​old, same-​old. Is it super authentic Latino food? No, not really. But if you are in a hurry and don’t want a hamburger, it’s a pretty good option, without having to go and wait at a regular restaurant. I got the grilled chicken –extra interesting that it was grilled with lime –never thought of that on chicken –so that was pretty cool. The sweet plantains were the real deal –though a little greasy. The yucca fries were a very «white people» version of yucca, but still interesting.
The cashier was really friendly and I only waited maybe 5 – 6 minutes for my order. Again, it’s fast food. But an interesting option if you want to try something different in a hurry!

If you go into this Pollo Campero right now, you’ll know why the franchise is struggling in Chicago. The chicken is delicious, don’t get me wrong, but the staff has little or know idea what they’re doing. They forgot to put items in the bag that I paid for, they took forever and the cashier didn’t even know the menu.
Me: what sauces come with the strips?
Cashier: what sauces?
Me: it says strips come with sauce
Cashier: we don’t have sauces.
Me: OK.
Cashier: oh wait lemme check… We got three.
Me: OK. What are they?
Cashier: I think chipolte mayo and something else.
I also order a dessert that she didn’t know they didn’t actually have, at least I got a refund for that item. I got all the way home and found out half my girlfriend’s meal was missing.
Again, the chicken is delicious but it’s not inexpensive and if you have to deal with horrible service and missing items what is the point?
The store on Narragansett closed. I wonder if they had the same problems. It’s interesting to me that for a place the had lines out the for and around the corner when it opened, it only ever has four or less customers in it at any given time and everyone waits and waits and waits…
The last two I was there it was a lame experience. I hope their management can turn it around cause the chicken is really good. Shame they can’t keep it together.

Food is good perfectly crispy chicken. The place always has a lot if people which is good for business. Smart marketing in opening this place in a very Latino populated community.

Not more than three stars. The chicken was not fresh but it had nice tropical flavor. Their portions are small. This place needs to be more busy to serve fresher food and still think they are expensive.

If Pollo Campero was good at one time, then it has gone down in quality. What I really wanted was a bucket of fried chicken. What I ended up with was 16 pieces of dry chicken where somehow the batter was not fully cooked and oozed out when biting into some of the pieces. My guess would be that the chicken had been sitting under a heat lamp, long enough to dry out the meat, but not hot enough to cook the rest of the batter.
The sides here were memorable. The beans and rice are high in sodium and very tasty. The coleslaw is fantastic. Hence two stars instead of one. It’s not enough to bring me back. The location was convenient and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to travel far for good fried food. Eat here if you must. I believe the restaurant is generally clean and well maintained. Just don’t expect a unique experience.

I gave 4 stars because, I like el pollo loco more than this chicken place. This food chain offers hispanic style chicken, grilled or fried. They have combo meals with different sides. I recommend yuca fries and campero rice. There is a salsa bar to compliment your chicken. For dessert, I suggest sweet stix! They are fried tortilla with cinnamon and sugar alongside of dulce de leche dip

Fried chicken AND empanadas? Yes, and yes.
Can I just eat here and pretend that I’m in Breaking Bad? I bet Los Pollos Hermanos was like this. Unfortunately, no Gus Fring look-​a-​like spotted here when I visited, but the staff were welcoming and friendly. The Latin twist is a nice change from the KFC/Popeye’s chains — there are plantains, rice, beans on the menu, and a salsa bar at the restaurant. I tried the chicken bowl and all the empanadas as a snack and loved it all. Next time, I’ve got my eye on a big bucket of fried chicken.

2.5 rounded up.
it’s a fast food joint and the chicken was ok but i thought the options for sides were really limited.

Good service.
Clean location.
GREAT tasting food.
Love Pollo Campero, how this chain has not expanded all over the city I do not know, but this place would totally kick KFC’s and Popeyes’ butt.
Great chicken with great side options (beans, rice, plantains) and a good selection of salsas to choose from at the salsa bar.
This specific location has plenty of sit down (dine-​in) tables and a parking lot outside. The parking lot is shared by local businesses, so it can get full at times, especially weekends or during rush hour weekdays.
This location also does NOT have a drive-​thru, so plan to get out of the car to get to this tasty chicken.

I’ve been in the parking lot of this place & have seen long lines here at any given time of the day. Finally, I decided to try it.
Am I missing something? Why would people wait in long lines to consume average food?
The fried chicken was tasty, but just okay. Same goes for pretty much everything else I consumed, including the salsas. Prices were decent & the space was clean. It felt like… McDonalds!
Then it hit me: I’m in the Hispanic equivalent of McDonalds. It all became clear as a shot of fine agave tequila.
I’d go back, but only if I pass up a mom & pop taqueria.

Okay dare I say it? I came back to Pollo Campero after a long hiatus since the partner was in the mood for it. Mind you, we live on Chicago’s South Side near Midway. But this time I am glad I did come down. I had a 3 piece white meat (I never knew the difference), and it was really good. He had me try this drink that according to him was made from the flower of the chestnut. Wow, it was so good and the chicken this time around was really good so I am glad I came back. Service also was impeccable and I have to admit, it was awesome this time around. I totally like this location vs the Narraganset location due to it being overcrowded and not looking so sanitary. Although it was cold outside and slushy the day we went, the floor was clean and the whole place was fresh.
Give them a try and please make sure you try the Yucca fries because they are not the typical fries and the way they make them is really nice.

I was so looking forward to Pollo Campero moving into my ‘hood. Sure, some may have been excited about the Starbucks opening next door in this still-​under-​construction strip mall, but for me I was getting pumped up about the Guatemalan-​style fried chicken. I actually waited about 30 minutes in line during its opening day in July for a take-​out order (the wait for a table was longer — the interior is not that large). The crowds have died down a bit since then, but they do a brisk business luring the Latino population (and this particular Asian guy) to this spot.
This is the second Pollo Campero to open in Chicago. What makes the chicken special? It is crunchy, spicy, and juicy without going overboard on any of these attributes. They have a great selection of side orders like yucca fries, tostones, and sweet plantains along with more «common» ones like beans, Spanish rice, and mashed potatoes. They also have a salsa bar where you can scoop up different salsas, cilantro, and lime wedges to add a bit of kick to your flavorful chicken. While the main reason to come here is the fried chicken and the latin-​style sides, they also have a serviceable burrito, and some salad and bowl-​style dishes that I’ve not tried. The mango juice is pretty tasty, and they also have horchata, tamarindo, and some cashew-​fruit drink called maranon that I will have to try. The flan is not bad, but they are ready-​made containers and not «fresh».
If you are lucky, the life-​size yellow Pollo Campero character will greet you at your table and perhaps give you a high-​five, though its appearance frightened a young tyke during my last visit. The one time I dined here, I sat next to the mural of one of the great pyramids in Tikal, Guatemala, and I think that made my dining experience complete.