El Pollo Rico
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
89 Reviews for El Pollo Rico
If I had a million dollars, I'd buy in the new condo next to this place and eat it everyday. I love the chicken here, I don't know what they put in it, but it's working. As far as latin chicken goes, this place is king in the area. I highly recommend getting a whole chicken and eating it over a few days. They should offer yucca as an alternative to fries, but who cares, the chicken's great. Oh and if I had a million dollars, I wouldn't buy a million dollar condo next to a fast food chicken joint. I'd spend it all on pollo rico!!
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Is it possible to give 6 stars? I have been going to this spot since coworkers introduced me to it back in 2003. The chicken is juicy and flavorful. Be sure to get the mayo and the spicy sauces. You might even want to ask for two of each. Mix the green one into the may before you dunk your chicken in it. This is a hands-only kind of spot, so be prepared to dig in like Fred Flintstone. The fries are nothing to scream about. After you have gorged on half a chicken, who needs fries? You best get there early if you are going for lunch during the week. The line gets long and the place fills up.
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After dating my part-Peruvian boyfriend for almost five years, I have become fairly well-versed in pollo a la brasa, which I first came to know and love in New York (those of you who have had Pio Pio in Queens or Manhattan know what I mean!) El Pollo Rico was my first find in the DC/Arlington area, and initially I was impressed. However, after trying others, particularly the very nearby Super Pollo, this one is a little more hit-or-miss for me... although usually good, it sometimes comes out too dry. While I appreciate the simplicity of a limited 3-item menu, I don't always feel like the papas fritas, and I'm never a fan of their coleslaw. The parking is also much more of a headache at El Pollo Rico. Although I'll stop by there every once in a while to change it up, I usually regret it and wish I had just stuck with Super Pollo instead.
To me, though, Peruvian chicken from almost anywhere beats the rotisserie chicken from a grocery store or "home cooking" chain like Boston Market or Chicken Out. It is my #1 standby meal when we have no time or no desire to cook. For a whole chicken and two sides at under $15, you can't beat it - a quick, easy, and inexpensive dinner for two, plus leftovers for lunch the next day (usually involving an arguement over who gets to have it). And at either place, I always pay a little bit extra for more green aji, which come in tiiiiny little cups but I combine into a larger container at home to save and use with other meals.
BEWARE if you are carrying out - your car will smell for days. And smelling it will make you hungry for more.
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CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP... that's what I say... this place is sooo yummie good. Can't bet the price either.. We ordered the half chicken with steak fries.. love the mayo-mustard. My husband loved it so much he ate the left overs for 3 days straight. WOW... the place is great, friendly and just darn CHEAP EATS..
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Cheap Cheap Cheap, DIRTY and NOT GOOD! I don't really care about dirty restaurants or whatever but I was looking at one of their routine health inspections and this was one of their violations:
Critical: The certified food manager (CFM) was unable to identify the five big foodborne illnesses.
What manager doesn't know the five big foodborne illnesses lol. Anyway I don't see why people rave about this place so much - their chicken tastes burned or like it was marinated in liquid smoke. I've been here twice and both times the chicken was dry - ok whatever put some sauce on it right? Too bad their sauces suck!
Oh yeah here's another great violation:
Critical: An air gap between the water supply outlet and the flood rim level of the spray nozzle at the 3-compartment sink was not observed. If this direct connection exists between the drinking water system and a source of contaminated water during times of negative pressure, contaminated water may be drawn in and foul the entire system.
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This is the standard for rotisserie chicken. I always have friends say that they ate at Pollo Rico in someplace where there is no Pollo Rico... they have it locked down like that. The menu is bare bones, they only accept cash.
The yellow sauce is really good, but the green is fire. I had to learn to appreciate it. I been eating here for years and never gotten a bad meal.
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Oh, El Pollo Rico. I have moved away from DC but I have to recommend this place to everyone. I know roasted chicken doesn't sound exciting to most people but this chicken is amazing. Every Monday I used to swing by El Pollo Rico and get chicken with fries. The sauces that come with the chicken are perfect for dipping the fries. I would mix them together and go town. It's a rare treat to find amazing food at super low prices and this joint has it in spades. I really think this place is a must for anyone in the DC area. There is nothing fancy about this place but that just makes it legit. Bring cash, that's all they take. The line can be out the door but they do a lot of take out and it usually moves pretty fast. Worth the wait.
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I never knew the true awesomeness of chicken until I had El Pollo Rico. Who knew a rotisserie chicken can taste soooo goood! El Pollo Rico is the best place for fast and cheap food. The portions are enough to fill you and make you feel like a fat-ass. Oooh and that sauce! Mmmm! That sauce! I don't what it is but I know it's damn tasty! Make sure to ask for extra! The chicken is already good as it is but the sauce just takes it to another dimension! The steak fries are pretty standard but still tasty as all hell, especially with the sauce! More sauce!! The lines get really long but seem to move pretty fast. What makes waiting in line even more of a pain is having to stand there drooling as you stare at the chickens ever-so-gently roasting away in the distance dripping their juiciness. The only reason why I'm not giving this place a 5-star rating is because it's in VA and not DC. Boo!
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I might as well write review nr. 80! To me, El Pollo Rico is a quintessential DC place...good food, great prices, and as diverse a clientele as you'll see anywhere. I don't get here often enough, but when I do, I enjoy it greatly. Parking can be hassle, but if you don't even bother trying to squeeze into the lot in front, and just find some street parking, you'll be fine.
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For me, El Pollo Rico is the gold standard by which ALL other Peruvian chicken is compared! It's definitely one of the things I miss most about living in Arlington. Anytime I have a reason to be within a 5 mile radius of the place I find myself on autopilot following the scent of fire roasted chicken wafting through the air.
Having been an EPR enthusiast since its original location on Washington Blvd. (which surprisingly had even less parking), here are a few of my personal tips:
1. Get Looped on Your Lunch Hour - If you work in the area take advantage of the free Ballston-Virginia Square Lunch Loop provided by Arlington Transit and avoid the parking lot mayhem.
2. More Steak Fries - Skip the coleslaw and ask for "just fries" and you'll get an even bigger portion than the standard order.
3. Don't be Afraid to Be Saucy - I like to dip both my chicken and fries in a combo of the sauces. For me the perfect ratio is 3 of the mild yellow sauce to 1 spicy green sauce. Just mix them together by adding the green sauce into the yellow. Yummy!!
4. Chicken-To-Go - During peak times park on Fairfax Drive or one street over and you'll get in and out of there faster than waiting on a spot in the parking lot.
TRUE STORY: A few years back a fire broke out in the ceiling of the El Pollo Rico kitchen. Since EPR was a favorite spot with the fire department, they took special care to do as little damage as possible while extinguishing the fire. This allowed EPR to stay open with half of their ovens operational while the fire damage was repaired.
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This place is hands down one of the best cheap eats in the area. For chicken that can't be beat at a fair price, pollo rico is a must for anybody who likes awesome tasting chicken. Cash only and wear comfortable shoes, the line can be 20 minutes at an off time.
Ridiculously delicious. Greasy, salty, chard and juicy, all four bbq food groups are well represented here. Its kind of hard to imagine the humble chicken being even this good, let alone any better. I found that the sauces when combined are far more than the sum of their parts.
I'm docking a star for lack of side items though. Maybe this is so they can concentrate solely on their chicken, but some fried yucca or plantains wouldn't hurt.
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El Pollo Rico was a staple of my diet when I lived in Arlington and I really miss being able stop by on my way home. It's the best Peruvian chicken around. I've been to all the other Peruvian chicken places in the DC area like Crisp & Juicy and Super Pollo, but the chicken does not compare. The others may have a wider variety of side (your choices at EPR are fries and cole slaw, both of which are delicious), but the chicken keeps me from straying from EPR.
A couple of years ago, we were waiting in line at night. We were probably 40 people back in line (expect long lines, but they move pretty quickly). Within a few minutes, we'd moved up about 10 spots in line, and another 10 or 15 came in behind us. We found out that they had a fire in a couple of their ovens, so only half of them were working. Right then, they tell us that they are out of chicken and that it will be another 20-25 minutes before the next batch. Now normally if you are at a fast food place and they tell you it's going to be at least 20-25 minutes before the next batch of food comes out, you turn around and go find another fast food place. But that night, I looked at the people in front of us and behind us, and not a single person left. We all waited an extra 25 minutes to get our delicious El Pollo Rico chicken. That alone should tell you how good this place is.
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I just posted a review for Ravi Kabob (also in Arlington), and realised that I had to do justice by posting a review for another fine weekday lunch haunt - El Pollo Rico. However, EPR is much more of a Washington establishment than Ravi Kabob will ever be. Just pick up a copy of Zagat and you'll how famous this joint already is.
The place basically looks like a warehouse with some doors on the side of a small car park. You walk in, join the queue, tell the guy with the butcher's knife what size portion you want, ask for extra stuff, pay, seat yourself, enjoy. Feel content. Get back to the office. Feel fat.
There's a reason for hype behind El Pollo Rico's famed Peruvian rotisserie chicken. It's just really really yummy. The meat is so wonderfully juicy and the skin has the perfect degree of crispiness. The seasoning is slightly spicy, but not enough to upset the stomach of my mildest eating colleague. There are two sauces though - a green hot sauce and a thick white creamy sauce. I forgot what they are, but they were both delicious with the chicken.
I'm going to dock a star for a few reasons. (1) The sides were nothing special. (2) If you let the chicken sit a while, it will drip a puddle. (3) I'm pretty sure it has crack in it. Not good for healthy living.
Hell I'll give it back the star. Why? Because writing this review has made me salivate like Pavlov's dog.
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I love how this was right across the street from my law school. I think "Pollo Rico" is Spanish for "coronary disease."
It is good, if enjoyed occasionally. I'd pass on the spicy green sauce for an extra mild yellow sauce. So much better for the fries.
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My favorite restaurant in DC area... and possibly, the world.
Please open an outpost in Chicago.
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I never thought rotisserie chicken could be so juicy-greasy-delectable but entirely not of the I'm-going-to-feel-sick-later variety until I happened upon EPR.
If the side dishes were better, this place would warrant five stars. Chunky steak fries were crispy with oil and cole slaw had a sweetness to the dressing that I liked. Neither was mind-blowing, but each complimented the poultry well.
The alfajores--buttery cookies with dulce de leche sandwiched in between and an ample dusting of powdered sugar on top--were to die for.
I liked how the dining room--which was much more spacious than I had expected before showing up--was full of satisfied chicken-eaters spanning every race, age group, and, presumably, socioeconomic background in the DC area.
And to the immensely generous gentleman in line behind us, who realized my sig-o and I were short $2, thrust a couple of dollar bills into the cashier's hand, and wouldn't take no for an answer, how can we make it up to you?
"That's what friends are for," said the cashier.
In any case, I'll be back soon.
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DAMN. GOOD. CHICKEN. Go here, you will not be disappointed. They put something in the spices that keeps you coming back for more. I'm not saying it's illegal, but it's definitely addicting.
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You know why this chicken is so good? They put crack and MSG in it. No lie I swear! I've seen people standing in line scratching and sniffing. I haven't figured out the secret for the steak fries yet. Best I've had.
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An all time favorrite - you can never go wrong with Peruvian chicken with a side of fires and slaw... yum!
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I've only been to this restaurant twice, but I will definitely return again and again. El Pollo Rico is surely a guilty pleasure since their chicken and sides are kind of greasy, but who's gonna live forever.
Just make sure you have plenty of cash on hand because they don't take plastic. Also, good luck on locating a place to park.
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Visited my BFF in D.C. during her summer internship, first place her boyfriend mentions is El Pollo Rico. He told me they ate there 3 times a week for the last two months.
Next afternoon we head there and it IS a hole in the wall, but combine that with a line out the door, customers ripping into the chicken carcasses, licking their greasy fingers, I was excited.
The chicken is well flavored through and through, the fries and colesaw are nothing special. During my week in D.C. and on a budget of a student, the three of us returned 3 times.
Till this day, we still talk about that delicious chicken in D.C.
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It's hard to rate this establishment for the simple reason that while eating the chicken, cole slaw, and fries you think it's amazing but then when you're done you feel like the ghosts of all the chicken that have ever been consumed at Pollo Rico collectively took a dump on your soul.
As you can tell, I rated the place once I was done eating.
Addendum: Who am I kidding? I can't stop eating here. The high I get while eating Pollo Rico will always haunt my dreams.
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Do you like Clarendon? Think it's gotten too swishy for its own good? Well, this establishment--along with Jay's and Mario's--keeps Clarendon grounded.
When it got kicked out of its old location at Washington Boulevard near Fillmore for yet another soulless condo hellhole, I was hoping El Pollo Rico would find its bearings. It did and everyone who loves chicken followed suit. Love that chicken and dig the fries. Sundays before church lets out is the best time to visit.
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While I don't get El Pollo Rico as much I'd like (and my body probably thanks me for that), I will say that between me and my roommate, "the delicious chicken place" and our intense cravings for it come up in conversation at least five nights a week.
You don't get the choice of sides like at Super Pollo though; EPR only has coleslaw and steak fries. The coleslaw has too much mayo. The fries, while definitely of the frozen variety, are tasty, especially when slathered in that mild mayo sauce. What is that sauce anyway? And who knew something so lime green in color could be so delicious?
But the chicken is the best part, of course, and is way better than Super Pollo. It's greasy, messy and absolutely amazing. Have lots of napkins ready and don't expect to impress a date after he or she watches you devour every scrap of chicken straight off the bone and then lick your fingers... but a date will be impressed with your knowledge of this inconspicious little gem, so it's a toss up. Actually, scratch that - any decent date would be too busy doing the same to notice your sloppy habits, so go for it.
Cash only, and they definitely run out of chicken so don't get there too close to 10pm. They ran out today at prime dinner time, but I didn't see a single person get out of the long line while waiting for a new batch. EPR is definitely worth a wait.
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The 1/4 white chicken was great. Crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and very flavorful. To make this even better, they had the 2 usual sauces... wow... what more can you say. The cole slaw and steak fries (included) were good... nothing to complain about. To finalize the deal, this meal costs $5 including tax. Great food at a great price... I have also tried Super Pollo, and think that the chicken here is better as it is more crispy on the outside of the chicken... both places have good chicken but El Pollo Rico is a tad better (chicken-wise).
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The boy started describing El Pollo Rico to my friend who traveled around Peru for three months and they both started drooling, even foaming at the mouth. Having heard stories about Peru from said friend (one extreme story involved being deep in the Amazon and eating rat) I wasn't hopeful about Peruvian chicken, but I can't say no to two droolers.
We rolled into El Pollo Rico at the right time - just before 1pm on a weekday - which proved to be perfect as while we were eating the line began to grow and stretch out the door at one point. Serious chicken, indeed.
We each ordered the 1/4 chicken ($4.10), which comes with a side of coleslaw, steak fries and two sauces. My friend had literally not sat down before he was tearing into his chicken. He gave it a thumbs up for Peruvian chicken, not 100% authentic, but still delicious. "In Peru, the chicken comes with thick fries like these and you just smother it in Peruvian mayonaise," he explained.
The chicken is incredibly moist, flavorful and the mayo dipping sauce is probably not good for my health, but boy did I want three more containers of it. By the end of the meal I was dipping practically anything and everything in it indiscriminately. Chicken and fries, I wonder if you don't rival chicken and waffles...
The service is efficient, the food is cheap and excellent, and I'm sure I'll be back to El Pollo Rico many more times in the future. The boy readily adopted the "El Pollo Rico is like crack... in chicken form" slogan as his excuse to visit again and again.
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This Peruvian chicken place is hands down my favorite place to eat in my neighborhood. What I love about El Pollo Rico is it does one thing really well and just sticks to that, which is making awesome chicken. If you're looking for low-carb sandwich wraps, take it elsewhere. Even though they raised their prices, the chicken platter with french fries and coleslaw is still a good deal. And to top it off they sell Inca Cola, which is a must with every meal.
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Holy crap...so. good.
If it was between eating in one of the 100s of different kinds of restaurants in Berkeley by my apt or traveling by any means possible to VA for Peruvian chicken here, it would be EPR hands down.
The chicken.. ever so juicy and tender, effortlessly falling off the bones into my gluttonous west coast mouth
Corn on the cob.. so flavorful and a perfect mate to my chicken
Cole slaw.. the perfect tartness and bite to refresh your palate
Fries...how can you mess up fries
The price... is this for real? Leaves you enough $ to come back for thirds.
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There are restaurants which want to serve everything, but do it is medico for everything it serves. But this one is the opposite, it does only one thing, and it does it very well. I am not a big fan of chicken (I prefer more veggie dishes), but I just couldn't resist the temptation to try it. First I was turned away because they did NOT take plastic, but I was determined to try it, so I got some cash with the ATM location from the owner and started my adventure.
The chicken was good, very tender and well-spiced. I got a half chicken, which would allow me to do try both the white meat and dark meat. I tend to like dark meat better when it comes to chicken, and they definitely did a very good job. The white meat was very tender as well, though I still think if you want to get 1/4 chicken, you should probably go for dark meat.
The fries were decent and the cole slaw, well, just cole slaw. The sides were limited, but I think the main attraction here is definitely just the chicken. After a half chicken, some fries and cole slaw, I finally got stuffed enough to walk out with satisfaction. I have not had charcoal chicken a lot, but this is definitely one of the best ones I had.
The place was clean and the price affordable. The food was pretty good. I probably will not come back on a regular basis even if I live here (come on, you can't live on charcoal chicken), but I would certainly come back periodically if I were to live in the area.
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Wow, the chicken here is absolutely great. I don't think I've ever had better chicken.
However, I have to give this place 4 stars instead of 5 because they don't have yucca fries. Just french fries. For shame.
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When I come to a new town/city, I want to try food anywhere from hole-in-the-walls to gourmet places. I rated this place for what it is, a hole-in-the-wall joint, but a hole-in-the-wall that has pretty good chicken. The chicken was really moist and tasty due to all the spices on it. Everything else was passable. You get a decent meal for your money. Would be closer to 3 1/2 stars, I just rounded up.
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5 stars all the way. What could they improve on, other than decor which is perfectly minimal. Anyways, you are there for the juicy chicken, great sauces, sometimes great fries, and a candy flavored soda.
The smell is the really addictive part. And the juicy flavorful chicken dipped into the bernaise style sauce and the jewel green minced chili. It is unfortunate that they don't carry steak or yucca fries. But the location is great. I've sometimes wandered in here at 10 in the morning... they are not open at that time so I couldn't buy any pollo but I did salivate as I watched them hack and chop giant foil pans of chicken destined for government offices in Rosslyn (I know, I've been told so by my vegetarian friends).
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It's the best. Nuff said!
It's good, but it ain't Super Pollo. I am convinced that those of you who gave this place 5 stars have not gone to Super Pollo (which, btw, is about 3 blocks away). While the chicken at EPR is moist and the spices pretty good, it's just not AS good as Super Pollo. And EPR's limited selection of sides (no chick peas??) - basically cole slaw and fries - lost them more points. AND EPR doesn't have tv's playing spanish channels, which makes the experience just lackluster.
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Meh. For $5 you get a leg-and-thigh of tasty rotisserie chicken and a double handful of decent steak fries. (It's $7-8 for a 1/2 chicken). Your belly will be super full of starch & protein. The green chili sauce is excellent but the yellow sauce is flavored mayo. Cash only. If I could get white meat only epr would get 4 stars. They have desserts that I might one day try (carrot cake? awesome), inka cola and other drinks.
Staff are friendly and fast, at lunch time they have like 20 chickens roasting so you can be in and out in 3-4 mins with very fresh food. It's bigger than it looks from the outside so even though it's wicked crowded you can find a table. I recommend it. If this is your lunch break be forewarned that it's a bit messy to be eating at your desk/computer while pretending to work. Parking seems ridiculous. There are always cars waiting to get into the lot, which is odd since there's usually street parking 2 blocks away.
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Oh yes, the famous "chico chicken" as we used to call it. Let me assure you - this is the best rotessierie chicken out there. Quite positively the only place I could eat lunch at 5 days a week, and I have never cared for chicken! Every time I travel back to DC, I always make a stop here...
I guess you either love this place, or not, but I love it. The chicken is moist and flavorful. I request the white meat because it is as juicy as dark meat at other places, and the dark meat here is a little too moist for my liking.
The fries are not great, they have no Yucca which is a staple at other places and you have to walk up and grab a hand full of off brand ketchup packages if you want that on your fries, but the chicken is superb.
I've tried many places in the metro area including Eddy's in Bailey's and El Pollo Saboroso in Mt Pleasant, but El Pollo Rico remains my favorite. I was sad to see it move, since Eddy's chicken went down hill when they moved, but the new place is just as good and the AC actually works, which is nice with those coal ovens running all day.
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Oh SNAP! This place reminded me of Pollos a la Brasa in downtown L.A., which is the best Peruvian chicken I've ever had. We went for lunch on a Friday and arrived around 11:15am. It was perfect timing; no one was in line yet and we were able to order and sit down right away.
We all got the 1/4 chicken, cole slaw and fries. I'm not a big fries person (only like the fries from In-N-Out), but these steak fries were just right. A slight crisp on the outside, with a perfect softness inside. I ate the majority of my fries, but I'm not a coleslaw person. I had a few bites and thought it was ok.
Now lets get down to the chicken. The marinade has just the right amount of spice and the chicken is so incredibly tender. The food was hot like we just got it off the spit, and fell apart in my hands from the tenderness. The skin was incredible, the chicken was perfectly flavored from the marinade...can't say enough.
Also be sure to get the Inka cola! All in all, a perfect meal for a cheap price. You will leave completely satisfied and know your money just bought a little bit of heaven!
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