This place is the bomb diggity! The food was great, highly authentic, and affordable. If you are looking for a cheap family dinner or just in the mood for Peruvian chicken, I highly recommend it! read more

I stopped by El Pollo Real because I had about 30 minutes to kill while my dog completed his appointment at a nearby business. So, I was like hey why not grab something to eat and have a fun beverage. For my meal, I went with the Taco platter, which included two tacos (chicken or beef), beans & rice, and a small salad. Of course, I washed that down with a passion fruit margarita. With tax and tip, I think my meal was about $30 bucks. Although the price was not crazy expensive, I thought it was up there based on other places in the area. Overall, I will say that taste-wise my meal was fine - not amazing, but not horrible. I did appreciate that the restaurant provided plenty of sauces to add some heat to the tacos and beans + rice. The restaurant is a bit small with about eight tables; however, it appeared that most folks there were picking up orders rather than dining in. The cashier and server (the same person) was very nice and had a lot of patience because it took me a while to finally decide what I wanted to eat. Although my meal and margarita were fine, I do not think that I would venture too far out of my way (more than 20+ minutes by car) to specifically dine here. However, if I need to kill some and have a craving for a margarita while waiting for my dog to finish his grooming appt, I would drop by again. read more

Really delicious Peruvian food! I've had my share of many, many, Peruvian restaurants, and I have to include this one in my top list! It's a small place,I thought the place was very quiet for the time that I went in there but overall still a good experience. The prices are a bit on the pricey side, but you get great tasting food, so you'll overlook it! read more

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I visited this restaurant yesterday. I paid $18 for the worse meal ever. The chiken was probably grill the day before. The yucas were the same cold and hard. The rise and beens were the only edible food in there. I trow it all in the garbage, I was very hangry and It was raining other wise I would have go there again and return the whole meal to them. This restaurant is a disgrace to Peruvian food that is always delicious. read more

The price doesn't match there online price or the menu in the shop. The totally price during check out is 50% more than what the current store menu listed. They don't give you a receipt either, so it's very easy to miss it. It's an absolute scam business. read more

Delicious and flavorful chicken! There are dipping sauces but the chicken has so much flavor down to the bone and it was cooked fresh and to perfection. We also had sides: beans and French fries. The fries were nice and crispy and the beans were very yummy too. If you enjoy a perfectly roasted chicken, check this place out! I'm looking forward to next time :) read more

I like the food but it used to be affordable. Prices have gone up way roo much. I got a ceviche mixto and aguadito soup for $35

I stopped here expecting mediocre food because it's located in a pretty deserted plaza and I was just desperate while waiting for my car to be repaired nearby. However, I was surprised by how their lengua tacos were actually decent. The meat was so tender and flavorful, and I liked the pale orange sauce they gave. Overall the tacos were a little bit dry but still satisfied my cravings. read more

El Pollo Real - Lengua tacos - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I'm a foodie who loves Mexican food. If the Tacos and Burrito Beef(steak) and chicken are good, I can enjoy anything on the menu with beef and chicken. When beef(steak) is dry and chicken is dry and salty, we have a problem. Also, my chicken had bones in it. I'm spoiled by great Mexican food from restaurants and even street carts in Los Angeles, California Wilmington, and the Long Beach area. They load one corn tortilla with lots of meat,I'm used to 2 because it won't fall apart while eating it, especially if you have to add sauce to not make it not so dry. I think it's time to take a trip back home to California for great food and visit family and more great food. Can someone please point me to a place in the DMV area that has good beef(steak)and chicken tacos??? read more

El Pollo Real - 1 Dry and salty Chicken Taco,2 Dry beef Tacos - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Came in to get some tacos, the menu said the taco platers were $13.50 but I was charged $15 Inaccurate pricing, and when it was pointed out, they didn't fix the issue. Bad customer service. read more

Introduction: I can't legitimately give this 1-star because it would be unfair as I didn't end up eating here in the end. I had gone carb heavy that afternoon and had almost no nutrition value that day. I had free cake at work for a birthday in the late morning and then during my work travel I had stopped at IHOP for National Pancake Day and got the 3 free stack of pancakes in the mid-afternoon. On my drive home, I suddenly got really hungry and was sweating. And I decided to just get a good amount of protein, a half-chicken. I didn't want the sides since I might've had 1600 calories up to that point at 7:30 PM [including the breakfast I had]. ----- Anyone Who actually Paid for 1/2 White Meat Chicken WITHOUT Sides are Getting OVERCHARGED from what the menu: Saw the menu was $10 + $0.50 for white meat. But she said the total was $11.66. I questioned the $11.66. She said the tax. I took my calculator on my phone out, and with the 6% tax, it should've been $11.13. I took the receipt and said why was it $11; the menu said $10.50. They seemed confused. I said give me my $0.50 back for the difference from what I was charged and what the menu said. She rudely asked why do you want $0.50 back? I told her that the menu should be updated to reflect the higher cost. I could care less about the $0.50; it's not going to make or break the bank for me. It's the principle of countless people overpaying from what the menu reflected. I told her give me my money back. It's stupid of them to not give the $0.50 back because they lost my business, and I'm writing a negative Yelp review that others will see. And it's too bad because the chicken looked really good. In summary, if I get an apology from the owner/manager and some compensation for my trouble of going over there, I would give this place a try, but they need to charge the amount shown on the menu -AND/OR- they need to change the menu to show $1 up-charge for white meat. Otherwise, anyone who gets certain menu items will keep getting overcharged. ---- One interesting side note: This is one of only of the only examples of a time when I walked out without eating. Oddly enough, something similar happened at the Vietnamese place across the street (see that review), I walked out without ordering food, but it didn't have to do with the prices being wrong, but that half the menu items weren't even available, and it was hot in there close to the temp of the outside that summer day. Ironically, that Wendy's across the street from El Pollo Real has the best customer service of any location I ever went to. read more

Really delicious and authentic rotisserie chicken! (Spanish style rotisserie!) They also have several Peruvian dishes which are also delicious! I recommend you try: -Tallarín Verde (Basil Pesto sauce) -Seco de Carne (Stew Beef in a Cilantro sauce) -Aji de Gallina (Chicken & sliced Potatoes in a cream sauce) -Chupe de Camarones (Shrimp Chowder) -Arroz Chaufa (Fried rice, not your typical type!) But DO try the chicken first!!! Enjoy your meal! read more

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I only like the Yuka, yellow rice and their soap de res is probably the best around . The chicken isn't the best sometimes it's kind of cold unless they're making it in at noon when it's fresh. read more

I don't know why other people rated this place a one star. This place is actually legit and very good with flavor and portions. The only thing I could complain about is that the bottom of the flan looks burnt. Other than that, excellent meal. Chicken is very flavorful and tender. The green rice was awesomeee. And the yuca was great but way too huge in chunks. read more

El Pollo Real - Flan! Yum! - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Wow, just off the beaten trail of Rockville Pike lies El Pollo Real. Peruvian cuisine is not popular around me, so while on an excursion to the DC area I figured I'd give it a try. For $14.88 I got half a chicken, yucca fries, rice and beans and a 20oz Inca Cola. Best $14.88 I've ever spent. Chicken was flavorful and tender. The meat literally fell off the bone. Rice and beans were a savory and hearty side. The yucca was fried golden to perfection. Three dipping sauces accompanied my dish all were complimentary in their own way. For those of you thinking, yeah it's a chicken joint, NO! It's the BEST chicken joint. Incredibly authentic and flavorful. The bilingual staff was very helpful, kind and efficient. I would not hesitate to recommend. read more

El Pollo Real - 1/2 chicken, rice and beans, yucca fries. - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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Shhhh! Hidden Gem!! Scrumptious Peruvian food + good company = awesome times w/ family/friends Recommend w/o reservations. read more

El Pollo Real - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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*****3.5 stars***** The stars here are clearly their meats, not the sides. Upon entering El Pollo Real, you'll quickly notice that the place is simple, rather small, and empty. Made me wonder if this place was any good. I've heard so many wonderful things about Peruvian chicken that I had to stay. Decided on a whole chicken with potato salad and Salvadorian tortillas ($15.25), as well as some chicharon ($5.95). When the whole chicken was being chopped, it smelt so good that I immediately said MmMmMmM...I knew this was going to be good. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Z5BoeUDgFC654OY5N1z8Xg?select=4jC1IYNMrlomcPzLPIZkFg#4jC1IYNMrlomcPzLPIZkFg The chicken was juicy, tender, and packed loads of flavor. If only the skin was crispy (it might have lost it's crispiness on the way home from being stuck in a container with no air holes, though)! I still enjoyed it. The chicharon was also yummy. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Z5BoeUDgFC654OY5N1z8Xg?select=n0O2m-1bgXR1i5X7bwTDBg#7pGn6XdYUQ-8FMYs4HGFmA Loved how it was rather meaty, instead of fatty or all skin. This dish wasn't greasy or tough at all. The sides...eh. The potato salad had way to much mayo/mustard going on. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Z5BoeUDgFC654OY5N1z8Xg?select=n0O2m-1bgXR1i5X7bwTDBg#PCqqjQvt9RUeWOKnlm4sKQ The dish was probably half potatoes, half mayo/mustard. Yikes...no thanks. The tortillas weren't bad. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Z5BoeUDgFC654OY5N1z8Xg?select=n0O2m-1bgXR1i5X7bwTDBg#7AsdKskDtzUbN3WS6ZwbzQ I guess I prefer my tortillas to be thin and not so thick. The meal was supposed to come with five tortillas, but we only got three. I kind of felt a little jipped, but three was plenty. Service is good and the food came out rather quickly. Do yourself a favor and skip the sides and go straight for the chicken (or chicharons). read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The customer service is amazing and they always make sure you get exactly what you want. Proportions are great also. Getting your monies worth every time. read more

Not bad! I got the aguadito (chicken soup) as others recommended, and I'd give it 4 stars but found it pretty pricey for what you get. It's $9 for the regular size depicted in the image attached- a half size to-go container. It comes also with a wedge of lime and some green sauce. While they are generous with the amount of meat and it is pretty tasty, I would expect a large size to-go soup container for that price. I think I should have gotten a usual quarter chicken combo instead, since that's only a dollar more. Overall, when there are so many rotisserie chicken spots around and I've been spoiled by Sardis in PG County, it's hard not to be biased. If it's close to you and you're craving Peruvian it's worth a shot! I probably need to go back and try just a normal chicken dish. read more

El Pollo Real - Aguadito Soup - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Decent place to grab a bite to eat. Portions are good for the price. Menu is diverse and dishes ordered were prepared to order. Had the chicken burrito and a couple of pupusas. Plenty of parking out front and seating inside. read more

El Pollo Real - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

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I'm not at all a fan of Peruvian food and this really does seem like a hidden gem because the appearance doesn't do the food any justice. I NEVER order ceviche and this one was pretty legit. I didn't want to share and once I did...I ate the rest before anyone else could grab more! I did ask for it not to be spicy since I know they typically make it spicy. The empanadas were also so good! Very flavorful and I also forgot it came w a sauce and slaw which complimented it so well! I can't say anything about the chicken but it looked good. However, the yuca...it was cooked perfectly. Not too hard and so soft and tender. Loved the few things I had. read more

El Pollo Real - Empanadas de pollo & ceviche de pescado - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

I visit my dad at work, just so he can take me here. (Sorry, dad!) This place has the best chicken tacos I've ever had in my life! The chicken is so AMAZING! Lets not even get started on the plantains. I could eat orders of those all day, everyday, for days! I've never had such amazing plantains in my life! And the yucca! Oh LORD! I'm craving some El Pollo Real now. Thanks. Just go get chicken tacos, plantains, and yucca. Trust me you won't regret it. read more

I was in Sunday July 12. I had the chorizo sub. Probably a 3 Star, meh. Why 1 Star? A female employee in the food prep area had a mask covering her mouth but not her nose. A male employee was working with her, had to know, but apparently did nothing. After that, I had virtually no appetite. read more

This place has the worst service ever - not sure if it's a real Resturant because twice I saw the food wrapped and put away. They actually had to undo everything to make my to go order. Never again. The ladies acted like if I was inconveniencing them from leaving early. Don't waste your hard earned money. read more

Got the signature 1/4 Peruvian chicken with two sides here. The chicken was smaller than other Peruvian chicken places I've been to. The yuca was soft and tasted not fresh. As I was eating the yuca something sharp stabbed me in the mouth kind of like the husk so obviously it wasn't prepared right. They were out of the fried rice so we got yellow rice which was not flavorful at all. The side salads were just iceberg lettuce with one piece of tomato and one piece of cucumber. We got the flan which looked good but tasted about two weeks old. The top of the flan was so hard, I knew if I ate it, it would make me sick. When the lady packed the flan she put it sideways so the caramel sauce spilled all over the bag. On top of all of this the prices were outrageous. We paid $30 for two quarter chickens and a flan. The restaurant itself was not very eye pleasing and the workers weren't very friendly. read more

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When I visit DC for work, I always try to eat at El Pollo Real, and I always get the Ceviche Mixto. It is very authentic (and yes, I've been to Peru) and includes the large corn, dried corn sides, and sweet potato sides. I highly recommend it for a legit taste of Peru and a yummy meal. read more

Been here twice for pollo la brasa and it always hits the spot. I always get it with rice and beans and yuca. The food is always delicious! I do wish the green sauce was a little spicier. I want to come back to try other Peruvian dishes like lomo saltado. I also want to try the pupusas and tamales. read more

I've been to this place about five times. The food is pretty consistent and the yucas are always amazing. My only complaint is that there were two times my chicken were a little pink. I pointed out to the cashier at one point but she just shrugged and said the chicken is cooked. I've had experience with pink chicken in almost all Peruvian places except Sardi's. The vegetables they serve isn't fresh so I wouldn't recommend it. Other than that, this is another great Peruvian joint. The serving size depends on who made it for you i think. Sometimes I get a really decent size meal and other times I feel the chicken was exceptionally smaller than usual. Oh well, I still come here to curb my Peruvian cravings. read more

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I was really excited about coming to this place because it got great Yelp reviews. As a fan of Peruvian Chicken I was interested to see how it compared to other places like Crisp & Juicy or my personal favorite, El Pollo Rico. My excitement quickly turned to disappointment. I ordered a side of tortillas with my quarter chicken. The order was met with rolling eyes, a groan and the news that if I wanted tortillas they would take at least 10 minutes. So, I agreed to wait. When my order arrived the tortillas were not what I expected at all (not like tortillas more like pancakes). The kicker was that the chicken itself was about the same taste and quality as rotisserie chicken from your local supermarket. Plus, the prices were higher than the website listed and nothing tasted especially good, average at best. Half of the items on the menu on the wall had a "coming soon" sign taped to them and those signs looked like the menu items had been "coming soon" for quite some time. This old Goat won't be returning. He'll be seeing you at El Pollo Rico if he wants Peruvian Chicken. read more

This place is just as good as crisp and juicy to me. same type of food very good and the service is very friendly. I will most for sure keep going here. I usually get the quarter chicken(white) with a side of black beans and rice with also a side of Cole slaw very very good read more

Small and not very large!! Ok, it ain't fancy, but the food is sooo good. It will make your Mama cuss in church. The Special is a quarter chicken with rice an black beans and a soda. The chicken is delicious, the beans are served over the rice are also delicious, ohhh and the rice not flavorless like most places...nope also delicious. They put a couple of sauces on the side and both are awesome. The jalapenos sauce is hot (spicy)!!! Oh and the Soda is a coke so it is pretty good as well. For $6 it is more then enough for even a fat boy like me. My advice...find a reason to get here. read more

I'd say....way over priced for the service. I go to a place in New York, where I'm from that delivers much better quality service and the food is 10X better. The owner actually greets and seats, along with explaining his dishes - goes that extra mile! I'll gladly pay a high premium for a well prepared dish paired with high level customer service. Their line is way too long, and you'll be asked to seat yourself if you're dining in. The gentlemen that helped (who was rude) doesn't deserve to serve if he has such an attitude, and they need a stronger management team with a staff fluent in English. $4.50 for their specialty drinks? Ordered a Horchata that was disgusting. I was in Texas, and stopped at a Mexican cart. I got 3 breakfast tacos, with a large Horchata (that kicked this place's ass) for $6. When I dine or pay money, I expect great service. It's the only thing that's going to keep businesses open and it's no wonder properties like this one have high turn overs. They rent to a mis managed Chinese restaurant, or one El Pollo Real. read more

Love this place. But the prices went up a little not sure it is a great deal as before read more

We love Pollo Real! Keep in mind we typically come on the early side-- around 4 or 5. The chickens at that hour are always fall apart tender and they fry up yucca and plantains to order. I am a big fan of both their verde sauce and their rocoto sauce. Don't forget to pop open the container of yucca after they give it to you so it doesn't steam and lose some of its crispness. When we have come during peak hours, the chickens move through the roasting process at a faster pace and I don't find that they are quite as fall-apart tender. NONETHELESS, we love them. The price is right, the food is delicious, and the staff are friendly when you are a regular. read more

Don't be fooled by the sketchy exterior! Very decent Peruvian chicken! My favorite part was the red spicy sauce, where there are usually just the white and green sauces. The quarter chicken I got for lunch here came with two sides and two sauces, and you pay 25 cents extra per sauce. I had yucca and black beans, and the yucca was very good, but still not as good as Super Pollo's in Tyson's Corner. The chicken was cooked very well, tasted tender and juicy. I will definitely be back since this is so close to where I work, and the lunchtime prices are really good (*unless you get like ten extra sauces, like I do, but I think there will always be a charge for those :(. I'll let you know if I find a place without a charge for extra sauces)! read more

We came here yesterday for a quick lunch. I've passed by here many, many times and thought that it was finally time to give it a try. We ordered a whole chicken, a side of rice, a side of house salad, and horchata. I was surprised to see how small the chicken was; I could've easily finished the whole chicken by myself. But the flavor nonetheless was very similar to peruvian chicken that I've had in the past. The rice was fluffy and decent, and the house salad was standard. The two sauces on the side are very standard to any peruvian restaurant. I'll deduct a star for value, but all in all a decent, middle of the road restaurant. read more

Not the best for anything but pretty solid for just about everything. Convenient local choice for pupusas, Peruvian chicken, yucca con chicharrons, burritos, and the like. Definitely recommend their Peruvian chicken as the main attraction here read more

El Pollo Real - The chicken burrito - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

Delicious. We got the whole chicken, rice, coleslaw, maduras, beans and were happily stuffed. Chicken was big and juicy. Maduras were best I have had since pio pio in queens NYC and the lady behind the counter was a sweetheart. Good stuff quick and easy to feed 4 for the skins game. 31$ with two coconut waters as well. read more

Pretty good. Had a hard time reading the menu... So i had to point and grunt with yelp review pictures. My friend and I had the 1/4 chicken with fried yuca and salad and chicken taco. The chicken was flavored pretty well. read more

El Pollo Real - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland

My fiancé is from Peru and we wouldn't eat anywhere else! The area has a few other very good Peruvian restaurants, but they are more formal and expensive. For half the price and as much or more ambiance and flavor, this place is perfect. Just throw on your jeans and Tshirt and enjoy a nice relaxing authentic meal. read more

El Pollo Real - Peruvian Near Me - Rockville, Maryland