Chicken was fresh and flavorful. Service was phenomenal today considering they were swamped. Great improvement from past visits.

So many different kinds of fried chicken are there? Well, a heck of a lot! Lately, we have been huge Crisp favorites, but sometimes ya gotta change it up a bit. So we head to Priscilla's for some the soul food version, or to Popeye's for a fast food staple. So here's a new one: Latin fried chicken. It's crispy on the outside without having an inch of batter/breading, but at the same time, keeping the inside it's juicy. The pieces are fairly large in size. They have a great "salad bar" option of salsa verde, rojo and pico de gallo salsa to top the great chicken. A box 20 piece special for $20. read more

This place is like Baja Fresh if Baja Fresh were good. Think fresh ingredients, free refills and a salsa bar. Yes, please. It is a diamond in the rough of Albany Park The best part; sweet plantains. That's right as a side you keep 4 giant platanos maduros and a little sour cream to boot. Bienvenidos la comida de Guatemala. Te necesito. read more

I miss the bowls which are off the new menu, but the quality & speed of service remain high. Prices are remarkably low.

I'm dropping 2 stars on this place. I was over in the mall on Pulaski & Lawrence where the Staples store is located. I haven't had yucca fries for some time, so I thought I'd come here again to fulfill my craving. To my disappointment, yucca fries are off their menu now! My favorite Pollo Campero item, no less... So I settled on fried plantains, which were decent, and Campero beans, which are more like a bean soup than the usual Mexican beans. The other change is that their serving size has shrunk for the "personal meals". Used to be 2 side dishes included, now it's only 1. And I thought I got more than 2 small tortillas last time. Only thing not to shrink was the price. With drink and 3 pieces of dark meat plus an extra side, I was over $9. No wonder I was only one of 5 customers sitting there though it was almost noon on a Friday. The lines sure have gone down since the busy grand opening craze the place experienced. For a fast food chicken place, service is above average since they bring you the food to the table. The staff asks if you need anything else, but I figure they are so bored given the slow volume of customers that it at least keeps them occupied. Smaller meals and no yucca fries are a deal-breaker for me. Sorry, Pollo Campero, but I won't be returning anytime soon. read more

Fast service,pipin hot chicken to where once you pulled the well flavored crispy skin off, the steam from the chicken excaped in a vapor. Reasonable prices, fast efficient service. A salsa bar to where you can package your own sauces. Parking lot is always full. Clean inside. All in all nice tasty place. read more

Update 8/28/07 Went back with a fam that saw all the reviews online and wanted to see what it was all about. This time had a bit of everything they offer. Everyone thought the meal was forgettable. Cole slaw is not Cole slaw. We agreed it might taste better as a topping on a fish sandwich. It tastes like tartar sauce. Biscuits were so blah. Beans were OK, too soupy like a salsa soup, but its got bacon! Flan seemed like it was a cheap ass version from a dollar store. You can get a better kind at Dominick's. Someone mentioned that this place is the answer to Chicken on the North side.. You need a reality check. Remember that this area is full of little spots that offer a variety of tasty chicken. You want kick ass broasted chicken, head to Charcoal Delights. Want something different that you might dream about, try La Brasa Roja. Want something extra tasty crispy, try the wings at Time cafe. Also, two out of two times I had to check my order. There is a ton of business going on here. The downside is that, its always busy. But, the employees don't check up on what they are doing. I was shorted two pieces, missing a flan and a side. To rectify the order took half as much time as it took for the food to arrive. ************************************* More like 2.5 stars from me. The chicken is broasted. Compared to Charcoal Delight, Pollo C would come in ninth. The Mexican sides are worth checking out. The typical American sides aren't. Food is soo bland. Even the red & verde salsa doesn't offer enough heat to keep me excited about the food. I had a four piece meal with fried plantains, yucca fries, mash pot. and a dinner roll. The roll was cold. Yucca fries & plantains were yum. Mashed potatoes w/ gravy was so bland. I left it. Spent about $8 on this combo meal. This here is probably alot cheaper than KFC and better for you. The tastes and overall aren't enough to bring me back for seconds. My friend tried the grilled chicken bowl. He was neither here or there about it. If you like spicy, I recommend taking a bottle of Cholula hot sauce or even Louisiana style. The inside is very bright colored and the staff are all cheery eyed and HELPFUL. A cashier over charged me. I handed the receipt back to another cashier. While I waited, the manager rung up a refund for me. More than one cashier came over to find out if I had been helped. Even after it, another cashier asked if everything was OK and if someone had given me my refund. Awesome. If you stop in. Grab a table first. They go QUICK. Order, take your number to your table. The food is delivered. When you're done just go. During your meal, an associate will come over and see if they clean up anything for you and ask how you enjoyed your meal. read more

Christopher and I stopped at Pollo Campero today on our way to visit Jean C. Walking through the door, there was a rather strong odor of chicken grease. We should have gone elsewhere, but ... oh well. I ordered the personal meal, basically chicken, a biscuit and I picked out a side of plantains. I didn't see that you could choose fried or grilled chicken. They gave me grilled which is fine, but would have been nice if they asked what i wanted. Chris ordered the Campero bowl, which is grilled or fried chicken (they didn't ask him either for his choice), rice, beans, chopped onions, cilantro and fresh salsa. Sounds good? Was pretty much tasteless. My chicken was ok, but with all the really good chicken options around, we won't be back. read more

Having had this from the original locations in Guatemala, I have to say that they have done a pretty good job of keeping it real. As Marlo L. mentioned before, we also would bring a box of chicken with us on the plane back to Chicago. Never failed. However they do sell you a six pack of Guatemalan beer at the restaurant, makes it that much better. The chicken is delicious and juicy. They have a unique way of flash frying the chicken. They say they dont fry it, not sure how it's done then. I dont like how they have had to "Americanize" everything else around the chicken. The bowls and the grilled chicken and the salads... thats not what I remember PC for. The sides are great, only place i can get some killer beans and tortillas with my chicken. It is a bit pricey, the chicken cannot be that expensive. But you do pay a little more for the classic table side service. All in all great place. Always reminds me of Guatemala and my family. read more

I ate at the store on Narragansett when it first opened and my opinion hasn't changed with this store. Even though it is immensely popular I am not a fan. The chicken is supposedly marinated. I find it dry and greasy. Other than the novelty of the side dishes, they are average. As someone else mentioned the desserts seem mass produced and substandard. Normally I am relatively easy to please but I don't know what I'm missing about this place. Note: this chain is from Guatemala and not Mexico as some of the other reviewers have noted. read more

I was so excited to share the chicken with my family and friends for Super Bowl, but what a disappointment in service. I ordered a catering and salad tray for pick up, knowing how crazy SuperBowl could, I ordered on Friday before, paid via CC. Arrived at pick up location, that is suggested for pick-up and they had NO order! it's cold in Chicago, standing outside, 831 N. Sedgwick, on the phone with 833- and nothing but the Run Around!!People on the phone, had my order, people in the store did not! For over 60 minutes, they said order was being taking care, they would email my receipt (it never came). Finally I had to ask for a refund and order online. WHICH IS WHAT They could have done or SUGGESTED instead in BS-ing! Any other day I would have bounced, but it was Super Bowl and the wait was going to long. I'm super pissed at Pollo Compero because I really liked the chicken and couldn't wait to share. But now, I just don't know. :-( read more

I am a huge fan of El Pollo loco (yes, I know it's a chain but I barely eat fast food and you can do much worse). El Pollo Campero is like the Carribean equivalent with fried chicken (the also offer grilled, but fried is the especialidad) which is crispy, juicy, and crazy delicious, and an adventurous list of sides including buttery biscuits, sweet plantains or tostones (salty plantain chips), yuca fries, cole slaw, black beans and so forth. You can't do better than this when it comes to fast food! Edit: I've knocked off a star because it was less awesome on the second visit. The chicken strips meal had only 3 strips, and the mashed potatoes sucked. Oh well. Get the real fried chicken. read more

I had heard about this chicken which is a recipe which is a traditional South American flavoring, but when I tasted it it was absolutely amazing the ingredients are fresh, and the helpings are substantial. The corn salad with pumpkin seeds is very healthy take a look at it roasted corn, red bell, pumpkin seeds feta cheese in a pleasant vinaigrette OMG. Wonderful healthy juices Yucca fries great sources and much more. We pretty much just buy this chicken now. read more

I gave 4 stars because, I like el pollo loco more than this chicken place. This food chain offers hispanic style chicken, grilled or fried. They have combo meals with different sides. I recommend yuca fries and campero rice. There is a salsa bar to compliment your chicken. For dessert, I suggest sweet stix! They are fried tortilla with cinnamon and sugar alongside of dulce de leche dip read more

Meh. Chicken joint (grilled and fried), Latin style. Meaning, complimentary tortillas (or biscuits), rice, beans w/bacon, yucca fries, and plantains on the menu. Also, there's a free salsa bar with diced onions and jalapenos. The grilled chicken skin is surprisingly crispy with a hint of lime flavor. The fried chicken skin isn't heavily battered, and in fact, reminds me of shake & bake but better. Fried chicken only comes in dark meat. I'd much rather prefer Popeye's with some hot sauce. The grilled chicken was better than the fried, while the rest of the sides (rice, beans w/bacon, plantains) were just ok. Eating the chicken inside the tortilla kind of masked its flavor, so I wouldn't recommend that. The best thing there were the yucca fries - thick cut, moist, and absolutely delicious with the dipping sauce! This place has a touch of class serving you on real plates and silverware and actually delivering your food to your table. read more

Good service. Clean location. GREAT tasting food. Love Pollo Campero, how this chain has not expanded all over the city I do not know, but this place would totally kick KFC's and Popeyes' butt. Great chicken with great side options (beans, rice, plantains) and a good selection of salsas to choose from at the salsa bar. This specific location has plenty of sit down (dine-in) tables and a parking lot outside. The parking lot is shared by local businesses, so it can get full at times, especially weekends or during rush hour weekdays. This location also does NOT have a drive-thru, so plan to get out of the car to get to this tasty chicken. read more

Pollo Campero has quite possibly the tastiest chicken strips that I've ever had! There must be a magic spice in there. The sauces with them are ok, and the other food is ok, but nothing special. The place has cool decor and gives the feeling of being somewhere else... definitely a place to check out if you're in the neighborhood. It's not worth a trip across town for though. read more

Y-U-M! I really try to stay away from fried chicken, and fast food in general, but this place is so tasty. The chicken is slightly spicy, so much tastier than other chains, as other raters have mentioned. Definitely go for the beans with bacon and peppers, and the plantains, and tortillas instead of biscuits so you can make yourself a fried chicken taco with something from their salsa and pico de gallo bar. The yucca fries were ok, (fried and salted, how can you go wrong?). It is fast food, not exactly an out of your way dinner place, but if you're craving fried chicken as I do on occasion, this is the place to go. read more

I took a ride up with my little brother (also an avid fan of fried chicken) on a Monday night. We arrived at approximately nine p.m. -- the place was still doing very steady business but no lines or anything. The waitress said there were insane lines over the weekend. (There is in fact table service. You get your own soda, but they serve your food on plates with silverware and whatnot. I tipped the girl but I'm not sure what the typical practice of Campero patrons is in that regard.) The chicken -- not the very best I've ever had but better than KFC and Popeye's so far as fast food chains go. Not nearly as breaded as what you'll find at the other locations. The chicken itself is high quality and the skin is very good. I expected there to be a little more kick to it, to be honest. We just had the eight piece combo, so I can't speculate as to the chicken strips but I've read that they are good. The rest of the menu -- the beans were very good, in my opinion. Had chili peppers and bacon in them with a nice broth. The biscuits were average. The other sides all looked very good, but we didn't have them. The menu has a couple nice looking salads, some grilled chicken items, and burritos. They also plan to start breakfast service at this location in the near future. The verdict -- I can't say whether I'll be making a point of trekking all the way out to one of the current locations. It's much better than KFC or Popeye's but not so totally awesome as to merit a separate trip. The quality of the food is higher than KFC and Popeyes and the service is better; I would judge it comparable to Panera or Chipotle, apples to oranges. I also think it is better than Harolds, but I'm really not a Harold's fan. (For me, there is only one fried chicken place in the world that would merit a special trip -- a place called Chicken Stop on 1st Avenue in the mid 90s in New York City. The place is an unbelievably dirty hole in the wall that serves up some of the most ridiculously good fried chicken you will ever have in your life. And if you ate there regularly, your life would be relatively short, because they probably use enough salt to de-ice a 747 on every piece of chiekn there.) read more

I used to go here often. It's been a few years. The menu has changed. The chicken is still good and better than other places. The Coke slaw is weirdly mayo-ee. The corn salad and black beans and tortilla may be the best bet here. Staff is nice. It's just ok... read more

Pollo Campero - Mt Dew - Latin American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The campero bowl was old and tasted disgusting. Had my boyfriend try it with me and he wanted to spit out the tomato's. Owner was disrespectful and did not want to change my meal after I told him I didn't enjoy the couple of bites I took. At my job we would've gladly replaced it with something else. They do not care about customers. read more

My one star goes to the girl named Liliana because of how rude she was. Girlfriend, you need to be more pleasant to customers after all they are the reason you even have a job! You can't be rushing customers who have never eaten there before! Way to give a first impression. As for the food I'd go back to eat (when she is not there) read more

Wish it was better. How do you serve chicken that looks like this? You can see what is going in the box. So burnt and dried out not even able to eat it. Also, flan is soso. Had a to go order so didn't go back and won't be back. High price isn't worth what we received. Small chicken too. read more

This is the best fast food fried (and grilled) chicken in Chicago. I don't say this lightly, as I do still have Popeye's cravings now and then. This is a fast food joint, so you walk up to the counter, order your food and they bring it out. Drinks are pretty good - I've had the horchata on a couple of occasions, and that can vary in taste - it was excellent today tho'.... The fried chicken skin is crispy and super flavorful. You'll pick the bones clean, like the barbarians you secretly wish you were. The grilled is also excellent, and puts me in serious doubt when I get the fried stuff. Just go there. they have a parking lot if you drive (we do, from the office, and it is worth it). And it is near all sorts of public transit. Oh, and on a side note, to all my friends here in gringolandia, if you mispronounce "Pollo Campero", it humorously translates to "Chicken With Dog" - but this doesn't mean there are dogs anywhere near this most delicious lunch spot. read more

I love me some fried chicken. I had some PC chicken straight from Guatemala and El Salvador before they had all those laws against bringing food into airplanes and EVERY TIME someone I knew was going there I told them to bring some of that chicken back. When I heard that they were opening one in Chicago I was ecstatic! This was before I knew about Yelp and all that good stuff. I waited in line. I waited some more. They had a big chicken dancing in the front and they had bars to guide you through the lines. Then I got there and was so in love. I'm a sucker for their fried chicken and their plantains and I go there whenever I can to pick me up some good fried chicken and plantains. I had to give it four stars though. I don't know what it is but the ones from Guatemala tasted better. But I may be just saying that because it originated there and my mind doesn't want to believe that they can even replicate it anywhere else away from Central America. HAHA! read more

5-Stars? Really? Reading these reviews had me so filled with optimism. I was stuck in the standard Lawrence Avenue traffic cluster$#%& and knew this was nearby. It was the height of lunch-time so I wasn't sure how long of a wait it would be, but any excuse to get off of Lawrence Ave was a good one. I was prepared for battle. Only 1 table with people. No need for armor. It was OK. I certainly didn't achieve anywhere near the crunchy chicken skin fat nirvana I was hoping for, but it was alright. It did, however, make me lust for Hourglass's chicken...and watermelon soju. ...well. It was the traffic, actually, that made me lust for the soju. read more

Food is just OK, nothing incredible. If you've ever tasted the real Pollo Campero from Guatemala, then this one is not as good. read more

I came in wanting grilled chicken, it was around 7:30 pm, and I got told there wouldn't be any until tomorrow. Then I was offered fried chicken, I was given the option on mixed or just legs and thighs, just to be told I couldn't get mixed, that it would also be until tomorrow. I asked why there wasn't any mixed or grilled chicken, and the cashier just said "we are about to close" but the sign on the door said 9am-9pm. Left both hungry and disappointed, and to top it off, fried chicken was being put on display and when I also asked, what about that, she said "we owe that to other customers" read more

I was there to buy pollo people employees was slow working they don't want to be there .customers was cutting out line to order food coming out side no repeat was dirty place in side bad customers service. read more

I had the fried chicken and thought it was OK. The chicken was tasty and moist. I also had the mashed potatoes, they were alright. It was very busy inside, but the employees were very quick and friendly. I prefer Popeye's for fried chicken and think Popeye's has some of the best mashed potatoes. I may go back to Pollo Campero to try some of the other things offered. read more

Just ok, nothing to write home about. Grilled chicken was eh- ok with the cilantro sauce. Had the corn street salad that was good and the plantains (Maduros). Their mayo ketchup was decent. Didn't eat the bread it was stone cold but to be honest didn't want bread anyway. Leg & thigh w/ sides for $7 wasn't bad. read more

I not recommended Servicce very bad the people served the food very rude with the customer I not come back again and no recommended read more

In my neighborhood there's not a ton of choices for friend chicken, so I was happy to see a new face in the area. However, the food left a bit to be desired. Since I'm a traditional kind of person, I went with the fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn bread. The chicken was a bit greasy, the potatoes were bland and the corn bread was just "eh." I believe they're building a Brown's Chicken on the corner of Pulaski and Montrose next to the Dunkin' Donuts. We'll see if I like that any better. read more

I came here back in 2007 on a trip to Chicago. This was arguably the best fried chicken I've had (fast-food wise). You could smell the fried chicken from a block away and the chicken seasoning that they use is very different yet tasty from what I'm used to. I can't remember what I had for sides but remember that it was very different from your typical fried chicken fast food restaurant. We have a couple of Pollo Campero's in L.A, and hope to check these out soon. read more

This place is a healthier alternative to fast food. You can get tasty grilled chicken, beans and rice. They have a small sauce buffet to add to your dish. All for under 10 bucks. I usually alternate between the Campero bowl or the Caribbean bowl which both have the rice bean chicken combo with your preference of beans. You basically order, pay, and they bring you the food to your table. They have a soda fountain for free refills. They play salsa music overhead which makes it more interesting. The grilled chicken is very tender. I order extra chicken for more protein and because it tastes good. read more

Honest to say, I've had Pollo Campero chicken several times and it's just nothing special, just okay. I do like one thing, the take home salsa / sauce bar. Other than that, I'll stick to Popeyes, KFC, or even Brown's when in the mood for convenient fried chicken. Overall, okay food, okay service, okay prices. read more

I hated it, I was so disappointed and upset to see a crowded and packed store with no one social distancing. At least three people inside waiting in line with no masks and none of the workers thought to notify them to get a mask? Went to the bathroom to wash my hands and the bathroom was gross with paper towels towers everywhere and water and hair. To top that off they didn't even have any water cups. As someone who works in food service I understand that it can get hectic and crazy especially during these times but this was just unacceptable. Edit: they forgot my yuca fries... we notified them and they were rude and unapologetic read more

The chicken at this place is very different from anything else I've tried, it is just delicious. Service was very good, my order was promptly served and the customer services was kind and attentive. read more

Bad service and bad food! Need I say more? Take my advice and stay away from this restaurant. The chicken is under cooked and the sides are simply awful. read more

I'm giving one star because I love the food at this place. However, I placed an online order & receive the usual order confirmation number and pick up time. I get there 10 minutes before closing and I see employees cleaning up. They won't open the door and they won't answer the phone. They just act like they're closed and my order confirmation number means nothing. I never got my food. So I give them a break and I order by telephone the next time. I place my order by phone and when I get there, they say they can't process the order because I hadn't paid for it yet. The whole purpose of ordering online or by phone is so that I can just go pick it up and not wait in line. So I called the corporate office and explain the situations. They basically tell me that my complaint is in the abyss and they distance themselves from their restaurants. Horrible customer service and for that I'm deleting my Pollo Campero app and never going there again. read more