I normally order to go, I call and place my order so that when I get to Compadre Grilled my order is ready for pick up and no wait time. My coworkers and I enjoy their grilled chicken. It's always delicious and juicy. The combo comes with Rice, Beans and tortillas. You get a lot of food for the price when you order their 8 piece meal. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - 8 piece chicken combo - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

Was with a buddy coming back from Santa Margarita today and we were both starving....I had always told him about this place and he still hadn't gone so I took him. I ordered the chicken breast plate (as always)...my friend ordered the 4pc. combo and he really liked it...so that was cool. The chicken here is really good. They sell beer too....the place is small but comfortable. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Very good moist chicken. This is the chicken breast plate....you can't see it but has charred jalapeño too! - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

See all

Found out about Compadre Grilled Chicken right here on Yelp and decided to try it out. To start with, this place is clearly Latin-run, it's not just in the name. In addition to the really tasty chicken, the menu features Mexican mainstays like Menudo. Side dishes include rice & beans, refried beans, etc. They Salsa bar has three choices, Red, Green, and Ranch. The Red Salsa is labelled "mild" - which I chose for my wife's benefit. She ended up not eating it and I actually liked it because it was anything but mild. Dish sizes are small. Even the family dinner would not have been enough when our kids lived home. Just keep that in mind when ordering and ordering you should. The food is awesome, service is great. The place itself is casual, you order at the counter. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

We hired Compadre's chicken for our holiday party! Food was great. We ordered a good spread of chicken, Carne Asada, rice, beans, tortillas and tamales. The tamales were excellent. Only suggestion would be for them to offer catering and or delivery. read more

I come here almost once a week to pick up togo for my family. I no longer have issues getting through on the phone to place my order. Some of us don't like beans and like to have an extra side of rice instead. I haven't had any issues lately with my order being modified. I always get the chicken breast plate with flour tortillas. The grilled chicken always tastes delicious. I love the grilled onions and chili pepper that comes with the dish. They have a salsa bar with green sauce and two different red ones. They have indoor seating and a parking lot. read more

See all

Food is really good, no complaints there. Guy working the register on Jan 20, 2026 in the morning needs customer service training. Big guy orange shirt with glasses. read more

The chicken was really good. I actually barely tasted the charcoal flavor. I wasn't impressed by the sides. They really give the minimum beans and rice. read more

This is the worst place in san marcos. The chicken was burn. Small and dry. I call to let thel know instean of offering to give a new chicken the girl was lougfing an cool join her. The she said the manager omar will be in tomorrow and to call him then. She than hang up. Horrible, service, horrible foof and over price for chicken the size of a small bird. I will make sure all my 8000 contacts ate aware to not eat or buy from this pkace. read more

Alright, let's talk about this place like grown-ups. You know when you're craving chicken, but not the sad, soggy rotisserie from the grocery store or that overpriced, underwhelming El Pollo Loco nonsense? This spot? It slaps--and not in a "I-guess-this-is-good" way, but in a "wow, I just found the Holy Grail of chicken" way. Seriously, this is the kind of chicken you dream about. It's pretty much all they serve--chicken, rice, and beans--keeping it simple, like a no-nonsense spot in the Bronx where you're just here for some straight-up heat. No joke, this might be the best chicken joint in North SD. Don't even think about it, just order and go pick it up. Oh, and do not forget the green and red sauce--it's like the secret weapon you never knew you needed. Also, get a larger side of rice and beans with that 8-piece. Trust me, you're gonna want it. So if you haven't eaten here yet, what are you doing with your life? Stop playing around and get yourself to this place. Your taste buds will thank you. read more

Food is good, and they know it is. But in all fairness you can make this similar at home after a couple times of practice. A bit on the pricey side, decent portion of food but I could eat more then 1 entree. The time I came they were making there chicken fresh around 2pm I believe. I was getting my Car's window motor replaced on the other side of the freeway so I didn't mind killing the time but at first when I got there they said 20 mins. I couldn't order until almost 40 mins after I got there. I know u want the business to stick around but you can't lie about an estimate. If I actually had somewhere to be, I would have been pissed, especially since I offered to pay ahead of time of receiving my food. Long story short, if u come here get the spicy salsa. Parking lot is chill, right off the freeway. read more

The best to ever do it. They can do no wrong here. I don't live in the area but I do drive 45 minutes for this delicious food. I appreciate their hospitality and efforts to feed everyone. I love the chicken, carne asada, tamales , soup, tortillas , beans, rice , grilled onions and peppers and don't forget about the hot sauce. I appreciate you Compadres read more

I eat here almost weekly. Very clean. Good service. Nice ambiance. Love the food. I usually go with the Carne Asada plate.

Wow! Such good food at a very good price! I used this place to order 20 meals for a work function. The customer service was great, the food was ready on time and it was delicious. I got the basic 2 piece with rice and beans and it was such a hit. The chicken was so good! The rice was delicious but the beans were a little too wet, they didn't work well travelling and ended up on everything in the box. The added a mini salad, 2 peppers and grilled onions to each box! And the price per box was $8.50! They provided 5 tubs of salsa, forks, napkins and plates. I will be back to this place to try out more of their menu. If they do catering well, then I bet the single meals are amazing. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

See all

Such a gem! Best chicken ever. So simple and consistent with service and food. This mom and pop gem will not disappoint. Towards closing hours, lines are busy and sometimes they run out so make sure you are prepared if trying to grab dinner last minute. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - two trays of food - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

Chicken is always fresh with amazing flavor. Reasonably priced, great customer service, and very consistent. Any time I'm in San Marcos, I always stop by for Compadre...be sure to get the green sauce with your meal! read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Menu - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

My family and I have been coming here for years. We ordered to go last night for the first time in a while and I forgot how delicious Compadre's is! We always order two 8pc. chicken meals which is enough for dinner for my family of four plus a couple leftover meals. Everything is fresh and the red and green salsas are good but I could drink the green salsa if it wasn't so spicy. It's that good! The quesadillas are a nice addition for the kids. read more

The best chicken in north county the price is perfect for the Amount you pay also there bathroom are very clean and nice and there service is awesome If you haven't tryed you need to trust me read more

Above and beyond great quality food, service and ambience. Very fresh , delicious. I was looking for some great Mexican food but more for chicken it was absolutely delicious and I look forward to many more stops here. read more

Our go to for many family dinners that doesn't break the bank. We always get the combo which comes with 8pcs chicken, rice, beans, salad and tortillas. Everything is made/put together fresh to order. The flour tortillas come warm and are my favorite. Their salsas aren't the typical kinds you find but I still enjoy the green salsa as well as their ranch for the side salad. So much better than el pollo loco and seems "healthier" and definitely fresher! I try to order by phone prior to coming in because they do get busy. read more

This is my second time and last coming to this place. First the chicken is so skinny barely any meat !! Secondly the employees have horrific customer service skills. My husband literally has to ask the cashier for another container for salsa twice and with a bad attitude he finally gave it to him. We ordered a 8 piece family meal - can this place stop being so greedy and cheap and give more than 2 tiny containers so the paying customer can get some salsa for more than 1 person!!!! I don't recommend this place unless you want to get ripped offed with a big hint of poor service!!! read more

Saw this place many times coming from Costco. Didn't feel like cooking on a Friday after work so decided to try Compadre Grilled Chicken out! Picked up an 8 piece meal to go, we'll the rice and beans were delicious and had a lot of flavor. The tortillas were nice & hot. The chicken was nicely seasoned however it was really dry! Even the thighs, drumsticks & wings were very dry. Sorry I don't like dry chicken, so I will not be going back to this place... read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Dry chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

I love this place. It is hands down the best chicken I've had. The beans and rice are delicious too!

Second time I get burned chicken!! Seriously people this time I am pretty disgusted with this burned chicken,, Next time I'll make sure to CHECK the chicken before I walk out the door! ~ ~I removed some of the worst burned skin from this plate already! read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

Great great chicken!! We dine here often but decided to do take out this time around. Just the right amount of smokiness and it's so moist!! Even the chicken breast was super juicy. I love the grilled onions and peppers on the side. The salad was fresh and crisp. We had to use our own ranch because theirs wasn't good. The only downside to this establishment. Their salsa was good and had a kick to it. There's a tv in the dining room. Ample parking spots in front. Service is a tad bit slow but it's worth it. If you don't feel like waiting for your Togo order, give them a call ahead of time. read more

The service is terrible waited 40 mins and my order was still not ready so I requested a refund. When we ordered they said it was like 10-15 min wait I said that's fine but when we checked 30 mins later it still wasn't ready and then came to find out they where handing orders to customers that came after us. read more

Maybe I'm the outlier, but I just had lunch here and feel like I was robbed. Maybe it was because they gave me the tiniest 3 pieces they had (looked more like pigeon than chicken), maybe that's why my three pieces were drier than bones. I couldn't even swallow one of my bites. The beans and rice were fine and with the warm tortillas I won't go back to work starving, but I personally won't be coming back. read more

the order #8 was good and I even the the cashier for one chicken breast only and he even charged me an order on the chicken they refund my money and only gave me 5 dollars back and the order was 16.75 the chicken was dry and spicy that I dint even enjoy it anymore even the cashier male was rood to me no even consider for his mistake that he only told me that was my fault even eh was making a big deal I just told him that I don want the order I just want a chicken breast but I do recommend here I like the asada but that cashier male needs to talk to the client with disent words not blaming any one and not to be rude and don't give a dry chicken to any one I like the chicken the first time I went there and it was really good but this time a dry chicken realy not good at all and spicy as well that person need to change he dint even tell his name read more

Delicious food. Excellent chicken. Great tasting rice and beans. Perfectly spiced salsas. Reminds me of authentic charboiled chicken from Baja. You wont regret eating here. read more

Great service, convenient location, warm delicious and tasty chicken! Once you smell it cooking on the outside you have to try it! You won't regret it! It's almost as if the smell lures you inside. read more

Quick line and friendly staff green salsa was amazing chicken was dried out and over cooked the flavors were right I took a family meal home and my review is purely based on to go next time I'll try and eat there and preserve the freshness might be the key read more

Yesterday was my first time there, I let the lady at the counter know this, and she replied "te va a encantar" (you're going to love it). I asked a different employee, who took my order, if I could get a chicken breast in a three piece combo plate and he said yes. I received my order but I had only received half a breast, a leg, and a wing. I went up to the lady that greeted me and explained that I was expecting to receive three WHOLE pieces, not 2.5 pieces. She explained that they cut the chicken in eight pieces but that didn't make any sense; two wings, two breasts, two thighs, two legs. That's eight pieces! I'll never go there again with that kind of business model. The tortillas were very good, beans good, rice was cold but good, and the salad was fine. Pretty small portions for the rice and beans. read more

Happened to be nearby and decided to give it a try. Wow! We are thrilled we did! The portions are generous and perfectly marinated. No need to rush their grill. That fire will do the job. Deliciously! Anything you order is actually ready to take home. Everything is placed in to go containers, you may just want an illegal bag to make it easier to carry. There was too much food to eat. The amount of my leftovers looked like I hadn't eaten anything. Our son ate the remainder and thought the food was remarkable! That's quite a statement coming from our picky eater. Looks like they have gained some new fans! read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Chicken salad. - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

See all

THE BEST CHICKEN IN SAN MARCOS! This place was bomb. I had it for the first time, and let me tell you. I got the family meal which came with 8 pieces of grilled chicken, beans, rice, grilled/caramelized onions, grilled fresh peppers, with 6 flour or corn tortillas. Everything definitely hit the right spot and for only $25, it was a full meal for me and my brother. But, one downside is that the grilled carne asada is pretty expensive so if your craving some good chicken for a very affordable price, you should definitely hit up this spot. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Grilled chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

I love this place. So much better then el pollo! The chicken is juicier. The beans are amazing. (And I'm a gringo who normally doesn't eat the beans) they give you carmalized onions, fresh made tortillas and salad. Layering chicken, beans, onions and the dressing they give you foe the salad is delicious! read more

Local spot right around the corner from my house, you can smell the chicken at times when they're grilling in the parking lot. I usually get the two piece meal which comes with chicken, tortillas, rice, beans and some greens. The price is very cheap for everything that comes with the meal. I love this place so much, was eating here weekly during covid. Would highly recommend! read more

Best grilled chicken around! Been going here for years. Never disappointed. Definitely worth a try.

UPDATE: compadre's grilled chicken is STILL the best Mexican chicken around Escondido/San Marcos area. Except this time, compared to 5 years ago when I wrote my last review they've upgraded a whole lot of things around the restaurant and it looks nice!! I freaking love this place so much, I'm so glad they're still doing their thing. At the time of writing this, they're doing good with COVID-19 regulations and health safety. Hand sanitizer is full, staff is wearing masks and it's pretty clean. read more

Compadre Grilled Chicken - Mexican Near Me - San Marcos, California

See all

Rent visits have been hit or miss. Our first visit was right on, next two fair to overcooked very dry chicken. The eight piece meal with sides - rice, beans and tortillas. The sides were good not a step above other places. It is a popular take out Mexican style foods. Don't think we will give it a fourth try. read more

Fantastic delicious chicken. Tortillas are great. Fresh from a local tortilleria. Beans are delicious. Staff is friendly and helpful. Nice basic interior. Always busy with locals so you know it is delicious read more

I bought an 8 piece family meal and was shocked to see that the portions were extremely small. How is it a family meal if the family meal is made for literally one person. Total waste of 28 dollars just to get one scoop of beans, a scoop of rice, and 8 pieces of overcooked chicken plus the two pieces of lettuce that they claim is a salad. Do not recommend this place at all. read more