Original Pollo
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, Downtown Berkeley100 Berkeley Square
Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 486-8027
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
30 reviews
Emeryville, CA
"I know many people who steer clear of Indian food because the thought of curry dishes instantly makes their stomaches uneasy. I used to be…" read more »
20 Reviews for Original Pollo
Honestly, this place isn't bad. It's not great but it's not bad. It's a nice little hole-in-the-wall burger/mexican place. It's clean and homey, it has some TVs for when you just need to sit and veg for a while, and the food was pretty good.
Cash only -- or you can pay extra to use the ATM there.
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Awesome, quick grub. Very tasty dishes. I got a chicken kabob salad. Generous portions. Awesome warm complimentar pita bread, try it with honey as a dessert. The owner is very friendly. Was in a rush to catch a movie, and this was the perfect place to go.
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i really dont think i should be reviewing this place because i didnt have anything substantial, just fries. but from what i could tell, the staff were friendly, the prices on the menu werent astronomical like some diners are, and the locals all seemed very chummy and look like they came with the commercial space.
outdoor seating a plus, my original intent was to grab a bag of french fries and read comic books til my buddy came to pick me up. let's put it this way, the menu and the decent prices have inspired at least one more trip to downtown berkeley in the near future out of me.
I like this place. Good food. Reliable staff. Fills you up, not extra-greasy or oily. The owner is nice. I was a little short on cash for my meal, and he let me pay it back to him later, which to his surprise, I did that same day, and added a tip.
It feels comfortable and homey. Some cheap looking items are expensive on the breakfast menu. A lot of stuff is pretty reasonably priced, though.
I make return trips every now and then.
The food here is good, especially the carnita burrito.
I'm from NY, where you can get an egg sandwich at a deli on pretty much every street corner. I love clogging up my arteries with a daily egg-n-cheese when I visit.
I come here for one reason: I can get an egg, (processed) cheese (I'd never buy the fake stuff but I love it all melty on an egg sandwich now and then), and bacon on an english muffin. No nasty microwaved egg. No weird margarine or griddle oil flavors saturating my muffin (pet peeves). It's hot and fresh and is the closest I can come to my old favorite.
Service is always friendly, and I think this is a solid choice for a quick diner-type breakfast.
Definitely 4 stars for my egg sandwich.
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Truly a pathetic and forlorn attempt at a patty melt. Makes me feel depressed just thinking about it -- a thin, gray meat patty and not enough cheese, on bread that's more like toasted than grilled.
With a side of fries it came to over $7. Really depressing. I wanted to die right then and there.
Come to think of it, all of downtown Berkeley is staring to make me feel this way. *sigh*
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WOW...The last two posts really summed it all up....When i am in the downtown Berkeley area, i admit..I enjoy a good breakfast burrito...this place is safe...you know you not going to get a great one ...but your also not going to get a terrible one. I go there BECAUSE they give you a pretty big bfast burrito. What sucks is that its plays the safe card on all levels, the hot sauce is mild at best and the mild sauce is tomato paste...at best...the salt isnt even salty ...the water is even lukewarm...
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Really standard breakfast fare, not particularly stellar in any area - so why so overpriced?
Pollo's is probably the best stereotypical breakfast spot in downtown Berkeley, so I will go occasionally, but I wish the food was either a little better or a little cheaper. And the ceilings a little higher (watch out, tall people). That being said, they are fast, friendly, and consistently decent. Plus they have a gyros omelet, which is worth a try just for the notch on the breakfast-post, although I don't think I'll be traveling down that particular road again any time soon.
Lunch is your standard greasy diner food and gyros - I find the breakfast to be more satisfying in general. Cheaper but slightly stranger breakfast can be had at Makri's Cafe a block away.
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Pollo is the epitome of average. There isn't anything wrong with that but I feel like once is probably enough of this place since there are so many of other places to explore in Berkeley. My burger was very average and the patty was so round and flat that I think it may have been some sort of frozen, pre-prepared meat.
The bathroom is super scary. You have to go outside, around the corner and through the back door to get to it and there was neither soap nor paper towel.
As they say on American Idol, nothing about this place "made me jump out of my seat."
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i get three scrambled egg whites with cheese at least twice a week and every time it's perfect!
some of the stuff on the menu is pricey for what it is ($7 for a breakfast burrito with meat)? but, i like my egg whites here so they get the bump to four stars.
My turkey burger was not so great. Definitely a premade, frozen deal. It definitely is not priced to match the quality. Finding the bathroom was an adventure. You seriously have to go outside and find a secret door. I felt like I was supposed to buy some heroin or something.
I work downtown and this is one of my regular lunch spots. They make a great veggie burger and grilled cheese. Service is friendly and quick. Pretty cheap compared to most places in the area.
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The P has the usual cheap, greasy spoon type food. But there are also a few things that you wouldn't expect, until you remember you're in Berkeley. The service is always friendly and efficient, the food pretty good. I never eat a hot breakfast for breakfast, so I crave eggs and bacon at lunch every so often. Pollo can handle my cravings.
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I went here with a friend one nigh to try something different. The food here was good, not great, and everything cost a lot more than it should have.
Haven't found many places open for breakfast in downtown Berkeley so I have to give them praise for that fact alone. Not to say there aren't others or better places but this one is here. The food was decent, hot, and satisfying and the service was also decent. Order at the counter, then take a seat. Small but usually not busy.
One of my favorite places in Berkeley.
3 eggs over easy, sausage and potatoes w/ wheat toast and coffee. Or (if I'm in a hurry if just call in a to go order of), a breakfast burrito spicy salsa and sausage or bacon. Mmm........They also have really good burgers.
I been coming here about 6-7 years now. The brothers who run the place are really gracious and have a lot of integrity when it comes to the service and consistency of the food. Always satisfying.
Don't worry about the weird decor and concentrate on the delicious food.
The burgers here made Mc'Donald's seem like a gourmet Kobe Beef Burger. This has got to be the worst burger we ever had. We were not expecting much but we waited almost 1/2 hour for a grey, dry. hockey puck. The guys that run the place are super nice but the food is just awful. The other dishes we saw coming out of the kitchen also looked like pre-packaged sawdust. Go to Bongo Burgers.
Aww, no love for the little hole-in-the-wall on the block? I pass by this place every day, and I'll admit, it doesn't look like much, with its kitschy decor and an ancient TV providing fuzzy coverage off in the corner. All that said, it does provides you with some good, solid fare. So maybe it's a touch on the greasy side; that doesn't mean it's not still tasty! They've got a lot on the menu, so you should be able to find something to please even a picky palate. Try the gyros, if all else fails, 'cuz their tzatziki sauce is pretty darned good, in my humble opinion. And don't let the grizzled regulars scare you off! It may not look like much, but sometimes you want a nice, low-key place to kick back, relax and take in a little Jeopardy, while wolfing down a snack.
nice people, good food, average prices.
breakfast, lunch and dinner foods.
not busy,
I liked it.
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