El Pollo Loco
One of our favorite chicken chains hit the skids during the pandemic, but has partially recovered
There was a point years ago when El Pollo Loco meals represented perhaps one-sixth of our weekly dinners, a choice based as much on its locations’ consistently delicious, citrus-marinaded and grilled chicken as the chain’s aggressive weekly deals, which offered truly family-sized boxes of chicken, tortillas, salsas, and sides for $20: enough to feed four people with zero complaints. The fast-casual restaurants typically sport McDonalds-sized and -class indoor and light outdoor seating with counter and drive-through service, all strategically sited near plenty of homes and other restaurants.
Unfortunately, the chain – founded in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1974, U.S.-launched in Los Angeles in 1980, now headquarted in Costa Mesa – went through a profoundly rough patch during and after the pandemic, such that the Orange County locations we once visited fell off so much in quality that we just stopped going. Once-juicy chicken pieces started to come out overcooked and scorched, drive-through service become sloppy and sometimes unpleasant, and prices went up. Today, a 16-piece family meal goes for $49 with cheaper “leg and thigh” pieces, and it’s hard to feed one person for under $15, admittedly industry-wide challenges but ones that have kept us from reigniting our old passion for the brand.
As of 2026, the good news is that the quality of El Pollo Loco’s chicken has returned to its prior glory. Crispy-grilled on the outside and thoroughly marinated inside, every piece tastes about as perfectly juicy and seasoned as is possible for grilled chicken – tasty even without accompaniment. And while the chain’s serve-yourself salsa bars have long since disappeared, guests can still request small cups of their pico de gallo, avocado salsa, and spicy roja salsa to use in assembling handmade tacos al carbon with grilled chicken and hot tortillas, the former very visibly being prepared en masse on oversized grills inside their open kitchen spaces. Pre-made tacos, including the taco al carbon and shredded chicken crispy taco ($3.50 each) shown here, mix a couple of tortillas with veggies and chicken meat that are collectively underwhelming without the addition of one of those salsas. But if you make your own taco with parts of the chicken legs or thighs, the combination of skin, meat, and salsa tends to be more satisfying.
El Pollo Loco’s sides have always been in the “okay” rather than “great” category. Carby mashed potatoes, Mexican-style rice, mac & cheese, and beans are fine fillers, while veggies such as corn, broccoli, coleslaw, and salad are fresh but plain. “Chicken-only” options are no longer listed on the menu but still available, stripping typically bundled sides out while saving perhaps a third of the standard “meal” prices. So ordered, a four-piece chicken drops from $17 to $10, but loses both its two small sides and warm tortillas to make tacos – a protein-heavy, higher-value alternative that’s not quite as fun to eat. Basic salads ($11.80+), rice bowls ($11.50+), and burritos ($10.50+) have remained available and solid for years.
Additional menu options appear seasonally and rarely stuck around for long. The latest such addition, Loco Tenders ($6.30/2, $8.80/3, $11.30/4) come in “classic” and “spicy” versions with sauces such as a strong citrus Baja Lime dip, which we found necessary to eat the otherwise dull, overly breaded (but quality chicken) “classic” tenders; the paprika-dusted spicy ones taste fine plain. Side packages of chips ($2.59) have become almost comically small, though remain affordable, like a couple of desserts ($3 churros, $3.50 flan) that we tend not to order.
As prior hard-core fans of the brand, we’re truly glad that El Pollo Loco has rebounded from its darkest days and is back to offering high-quality chicken, though we’d strongly advise sticking to the classic grilled version over tenders (if they’re even available when you read this). The chain’s nearly 500 locations include stores in the vast majority of Orange County cities, as well as many across Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.
Stats
Price: $-$$
Service: Counter
Open Since: 1974 (Mexico), 1980 (U.S.)
Addresses
3002 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92782
714.832.1695
Additional locations across most Orange County cities
Instagram: @elpolloloco