The carne asada and pollo abodabo are delicious staples for Pollo Rey. But now they've added elotes preparados. Put down your phone and go get some now . read more

El Pollo Rey - Elote preparado, loaded corn. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Amazing always fresh great service we live this location i really love the price and portions great for take home leftover ovrr

Ordered a Super Burrito, was charged Super Burrito but came home with a Regular Burrito. I've been coming here for years, this is the second time they gave me the wrong food or took my order incorrectly. It's so disappointing.. read more

El Pollo Rey - Regular Chicken Burrito with NO BEANS - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Fantastic, if I lived nearby I would definitely add this place to the rotation. They are truly the Pollo King The asada, salsa and sides are also really good. Whatever they are doing, don't change! read more

This is a small restaurant without outdoor seating so it's all to go for now due to Covid-19. I ordered the half a chicken. It had tons of flavor and you could taste the smokiness from the fire which added to the goodness. The white meat came out a little dry for my taste but it's typical for chicken. The rice and bean were delicious but the tortillas weren't cooked all the way and therefore broke in half as you can see from the picture. My husband ordered a carne asada burrito and truly enjoyed it. He said he could also taste the wood flavor in the meat which he thoroughly enjoyed. The salsa they give you is very fresh and flavorful. I also purchased a small container of guacamole which was very good but a little overpriced. I'd certainly go back. read more

El Pollo Rey - Carne asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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All hail the Chicken King. cluck. bah-gawk. cock-a-doodle-do. You know, when a restaurant calls themselves the "king" and the "best chicken in town" they better be prepared to back it up or else they will look like a fool like that fast-food burger chain with the creepy pedo mascot that makes the Scottish clown seem kind-of normal. Call me el chino loco, but all you need to know is that El Pollo Rey really does live up to their name. Seaside is a sleepy little town that often gets overlooked by Monterey. I guess it's because they used to be known as East Monterey once upon a time and was mostly a blue collar city tied to the former Army base known as Fort Ord. That is why I was surprised when I found this mom-and-pop place via the Yelp app when I was in the area and searched for [drumroll] "chicken". El Pollo Rey is pretty much on the last stretch of Broadway Avenue that is zoned commercial before the area becomes residential. There is no parking, but you can find plenty of street parking in the area, especially across the street. When you enter, you will smell the savory/sweet aroma of spatchcocked chickens and cebollitas on the grill. You order at the counter and seat yourself. The smallest option they offer is the half chicken adobado at $7.99. It comes with a half chicken served with chips y salsa as well as a grilled onion, grilled jalapeño, rice, beans, tortillas, and pickled red onions. The only thing not included was a drink and the kitchen sink. When the abuela brought my $7.99 meal out I was like, wow, what a feast fit for a king. Maybe the king in El Pollo Rey refers to the customer because you will feel like a king when you eat here? The chicken is grilled over a mesquite charcoal grill and is really delicioso... but the pollo nearly took a backseat to the frijoles. Damn authentic! Also, what really complimented the meal were the pickled red onions. Sinaloan kimchi yo. At the end of the meal, I felt like the pinche Gordo King because I was so full. Definitely can't wait to go back to eat the "hermanos of the pollo" that I ate when I'm in the area to re-visit El Pollo Rey, a riquísimo Mexi-Can polloteria. Pollos Hermanos... I miss Breaking Bad. And no, I am not watching the rip-off Netflix show, Ozark. * Even kings need to rest. They are closed on Mondays. At least they accept credit cards! * The onomatopoeia for a hen and rooster in Español is pretty interesting. Hens make the sound coc-co-co-coc or kara-kara-kara-kara and roosters make the sound ki-kiri-ki. At the end of the day, whether it's a Mexican or American chicken, they both make the same borboygmi (scientific term for stomach rumbling) as they get digested in my belly. Equal opportunity consumption. * Borboygmi: plural of borboygmus - a rumbling or gurgling sound cause by the movement of gas in the intestines. Source: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/borborygmi read more

El Pollo Rey - Look at all the spatchcocked pollos. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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A good place to go for chicken. We were going to do a takeout but decided to dine in since there were tables available. We had the half chicken combo with rice and beans to share between the two of us. Also had chips and salsa and roasted corn. The BBQ chicken was flavorful although the breast was a little dry. The beans and rice were great compliments to the chicken. We had to wait for the corn, which were roasted and seasoned just right, but we enjoyed them in the hotel. I recommend this place. read more

We ordered a chicken bowl and a carne asada bowl. Both were very filling, hot, and fresh off the grill. Our only complaints were that the ratio of filler (rice and beans) vs meat was bad, like 3:1. There wasn't enough meat! Also, the carne asada, chicken, and salsa needed more salt. We're going to come back and try the whole chicken next time but overall, it was good and filling. Good prices and closer than El Pollo Loco. read more

Friendly staff, great price for a lot of food. We wanted to return the next day for another meal but they were closed (Monday). Perfectly grilled chicken that is so tender and flavorful. Mixed with charro beans and grilled onion topped with salsa on a warm tortilla. We are definitely making this a must stop when we're in the area. read more

El Pollo Rey - Quarter chicken, grilled and fresh onions, jalapeno, salsa, beans&rice with tortillas. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Dine in | Dinner | $10-20 I visited this location after reading all of the wonderful reviews and I am so glad that I did. Their chicken is Hands-down one of the best chicken that I have ever had in my life. The service was excellent and the price was super resonable. I will definitely be visiting again read more

El Pollo Rey - Chicken, rice, frijoles and onions - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Pollo Al Carbon it's not, but great nonetheless. Good citrus marinade, tender and moist, and when you add the grilled cebollas in the tortilla along with their salsa, pollo asada heaven. read more

El Pollo Rey - a woman preparing food in a commercial kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Amazing service. Got the whole chicken combo. Omg this is the best tasting chicken I had in a long time!!!

Got a super bowl with Carne Asada and side of corn tortillas and it was fantastic! Will definitely go back. Love the vibe inside. Staff super friendly and hard working! read more

El Pollo Rey - Front of Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Terrific rotisserie chicken and sides. Excellent customer service. Whole chicken enough to feed 4 hungry adults. Highly recommend!

Great food and service. Was only in town for 3 days and ate there twice. Pollo and carne asada both were terrific.

I had a custom made double chicken super burrito. I'm still eating it but I wanted to make sure I'm not dead and in heaven so I thought that I might Yelp about it. Turns out it's just that good. read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Came by because of the good reviews, but for a place that prides themselves on chicken, my burrito had very small pieces of chicken that I had to double check if there was any chicken at all. My boyfriend got the mixto bowl and his had no chicken either. Sad to say this was a miss for us. read more

Quick lunch. This place does one thing - grilled chicken. It's served 4 ways. Whole. Half. Qtr and burrito. . It's a bit of a dive but the food was very good. I really liked the flavor of the chicken. Lots of to go orders while we were there. The cook was prepping for dinner and cooked at least 20 flattened chickens while we ate. Chicken was a tad dry but it was the end of lunch. Understood. The charro beans are good. Add salsa rice and chicken to it to make it a great little stew. Staff was very helpful. I like the food but the place needs a bit of a freshening. A fine local establishment. read more

The scent of grilled chicken in the air as we walked up to this place is glorious for any chicken-fans. Seriously, it gets even better as you walk through the door as that beautiful smell just greets you like a long lost friend. At this point, I couldn't even think straight anymore. I needed to order something fast to appease the insane cravings that suddenly took hold. A whole chicken and two sides before tax and tip was $18.99, which is pretty standard. As they recently opened, they still didn't have plastic cups for tap water so we ordered from a standard selection of bottle sodas and water. As expected, the whole chicken was pre-cooked (and thankfully so since it still is bone-in). I watched it fly onto the grill to be finished together with jalapeños, onions and tortillas before making it to the cutting board to be split and served. One taste and it was enough to make me a fan. This is what I expect gorgeous "Mexican" chicken to taste like. As good as it smells. Rice was moist and flavorful, salsas were equally tasty...oh did I say, service was sweet and truly welcoming (I believe her name was Alejandra/Alexandra - SP?). I'd say they are still having a good start because they've nailed the food and service aspect. Now all they need to do is resolve the little quirks they admitted they are still dealing with (credit card machine, water cups, baby/child seats etc). That said, I guess nothing is more satisfying that seeing several families during the duration of our visit consume whole chickens and leaving only bare bones and empty plates. Now that is a sign of that the food tastes as good as it smells. read more

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Definitely a hole in the wall--- but a hidden gem. On our way to our AirB&B, we grabbed a grilled chicken ( with grilled inions & jalapeños), beans a la charro, rice, guacamole & a smoky salsa. Picked up our favorite beers & had a great Friday nite meal. And... there will be burritos for lunch read more

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Stopped here to eat before heading to Big Sur. We ordered a whole chicken with 2 sides (doubled up on the rice) The chicken was good. It could have used more flavor and could've been a little more tender/juicy. It was a bit dry. The chips and salsa they give you are complimentary and are good. The chips seem like they are freshly made. They give you a grilled jalapeño with the meal which is always a plus. A whole chicken was too much for both of us but we took it home and made chicken sandwiches with the left overs. read more

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I used to come here and i loved it. Recently ordered not too long ago and it changed! The food doesn't taste the same the beans have a weird smell and weren't good and the salsa is tastes like straight tomato no flavor of chile ! the chicken is good but none of the sides are... read more

The cashier who works in the middle of the week keeps getting our orders wrong because she does not speak English well.

Great homemade foods! Loved the authentic food and great service!. I will definitely be going back.

This place is so good. Perfectly grilled chicken. Lots of good seasoning. Stack of warm tortillas. Good sides. Good salsa. Roasted onions and chilis. Good prices. It's the perfect quick meal when you're going for easy, tasty, and reasonably priced. Feed the whole family for under $30. It's what I imagine el pollo loco was supposed to be 40 years ago. read more

After meeting the owner of El Pollo Rey at the Gilroy Rockin Jump last year, I finally made it here to try their food. I can only say that I wish I would have come sooner. The food here is wonderful. The chicken is great and the beans are truly "de la olla". The service is also top notch. It's a "hole in the wall" type of establishment but truly worth the visit as most others have attested to. I'll be back! read more

Delicious REAL food with no fuss. Perfectly seasoned chicken and carne asada grilled over mesquite wood. The beef is grilled to order. The charro beans are tasty and cooked to the right consistency as is the rice. Served with great salsas and charred onions and jalapeños. A satisfying fresh and healthy meal. Very happy to find this gem. It's no easy feat to grill chicken to perfection like this. They nailed it! read more

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I really want to just leave one word, "BOMB". But it wouldn't be fair to the consumers and the business. Gave this place a try. Cashier was very friendly and patient. She gave me her recommendations, I was starving, I wanted to taste the steak, and chicken. So I got a super burrito with carna Asada, and then I got a half quarter chicken plate, that comes with a side of rice, beans, salsa, tortillas, the most important part, a Serrano pepper. That pepper was the hottest pepper I've ever had, it was so delicious with the chicken beans and rice. The burrito was delicious, it was a 4.5 of a 5. But the chicken plate, and chicken itself is definitely a 5 star. Burritos are overrated lol. But this burrito is huge, it wasn't dry, it had flavor, and you taste all the sides. Service 5 of 5 Cleanliness 5 of 5 Price 5 of 5 reasonable Friendliness 5 of 5 Taste 5 of 5 Parking is avail Take credit cards. And the cook was cool beans. I'll definitely be returning read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

THE BEST!! I'm pregnant, and haven't been able to eat well-- and to be honest, I was craving El Pollo Loco. However, El Pollo Rey came up and we figured we would give it a try. I am so glad we did!! My husband ordered the 1/2 carne asada, and I ordered the 1/2 chicken and cactus salad, (so much food, we'll probably eat the rest for dinner). EVERYTHING was perfect! And the salsa was amazing, with the perfect amount of spice, (I just wish I got the extra salsa I requested ). El Pollo Rey is a must try, and will definitely recommend to our friends and family. Definitely the best chicken in town!! read more

El Pollo Rey - Cactus Salad - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

So good!! Delicious chicken and steak. The burrito and quesadilla are my favorites, but ordering the basics and building our own tacos at home is also a great way to feed a crowd. read more

Omg! This place is so delicious!!! I love their mixto bowl which is carne asada and chicken almost like a chipotle style bowl but 10x better! The flavors are all there and so worth it! read more

I was looking for a burrito and this place hit the spot. Atmosphere and flavor was authentic. This is my new favorite place for Mexican food in Seaside. read more

We stumbled upon this place by accident, but boy, are we glad we did. We've been eating here since it first opened, years now We normally like to order a full chicken to go. The chicken is moist and flavored with char and smoke throughout. The meat is succulent, and juicy and I've discovered I can't eat this chicken in my fancy shirt. You can make it extra fancy with sides like rice and beans, and guac and chip if you are feeling extra fancy. The guacamole here is in a class of its own here: you will want to protect and horde yours away. It's just that good. The dining room is neat and clean, and it's never a long wait. The staff is pleasant and willing to answer questions. read more

They only carry Asada and Chicken flavor here, but given chicken is my second favorite flavor, I stopped by I checked it out and I gotta say its certified.. I co sign this spot without a doubt. I always get the super burrito chicken flavor, really good. The staff is friendly and I also like that theres not too much people when I go, maybe I stop by at the right time but my food is out quickly and no long waiting lines. check it out, you'll come out with a new favorite burrito spot, if not top 3 spot for sure. read more

Chicken = perfectly seasoned and grilled Beans = get the charro beans! Arroz = eh it's arroz but it's not dry so that's a plus Tortillas = bueno They call themselves the chicken king and they're definitely the kings of the chicken! read more

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I wouldn't have known of this place if a friend had not recommended it. The food was great and would recommend for a quick/healthy meal. We had their chicken and carne asada; definitely enjoyed the carne asada more but both were great. Guac was on point, only thing missing was having some chips to go with it ;) read more

For sure got a extra 2 step on pollo loco. Awesome local spot that we stop by on our way to the beach and so glad we did. Total hole in the wall. Picked up the full chicken meal with charro beans. Good stuff read more

Impossible to order via phone. The lady comes on Rude loud and fast, then sticks you on hold in hopes you hang up. Burritos here are sub par, unless you like sharp pieces of chicken bones in your food. Generous portions, but the juice vs the squeeze for this place is nowhere near worth it. Used to be a good spot, now it's just a cluster f. read more

Wow!! Pollo done right! I was craving some fresh chicken and decided to try this place for lunch today. Glad I did! Ordered the half chicken, with rice and charro beans. It came with chips, great salsa, and tortillas. Paired the meal with a cold Sunny D... Outstanding!! read more

El Pollo Rey - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Amazing food!! This place is a must for us! There chicken and asada are so full of flavor and I absolutely love the red salsa that comes with their chips. This is authentic Mexican food! Highly recommend to anyone who is wanting some delicious asada or pollo rostisado. read more