A small, no-frills neighborhood fried chicken joint in Mexicantown. The friendly owner rang up the order and served us. Dining includes a bowl of homemade chicken soup. The combo at $8.99 comes with three pieces of chicken, a bread roll, and two sides. The special is a few dollars less and comes with two pieces of chicken, a bread roll, and one side. Entrees are a good deal and largely portioned. One combo was shared between two people with lots of leftovers from the other entree to take home. The chicken is crispy and juicy. The bread rolls are likely bought wholesale and aren't good. The sides were okay and reminded me of cafeteria food. Overall, a decent stop for fried chicken. I'd skip the sides and bread and just get the chicken. read more

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Take a step into history and venture to south west Detroit. Pollo Chapin is waiting for you to try their broasted chicken. Lunches and dinners very inexpensive. I felt like I was stealing a meal. My wife and I both enjoyed the two piece lunch served with fries. Pop is $1.39, lunch for two was $16.53 and i ordered a extra thigh! Delicious chicken and noodle soup served with a touch of spiciness to elevate the flavor. The chicken was so good I forgot to take pictures but will make that back up next week. Off street parking, dining available outside, carry out wad extremely busy. This place is a gem worth trying! Plenty of side dishes to try so stay tuned or better yet try them yourself! read more

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Came here for a lunch meeting and everything I had was great! We split a couple of plates and I enjoyed all of it. The fried fish was flaky, well seasoned, and not too heavy. The corn and mac and cheese on the side were also tasty options, although the macaroni was cooked a little softer than I personally like. The real star was the fried chicken, though! So crunchy, so tasty, so juicy! I loved every bite. For fried food it wasn't heavy feeling either, which I appreciated. The coleslaw was a traditional coleslaw but fresh and crunchy. The potato salad was simple and dressed heavily in mayo and mustard, which is how I like it. The worse for you the better, I say! It's a VERY casual place, so plan for no frills dining here. The woman working that afternoon was incredibly nice and patient as I hemmed and hawed over what to order. Food was affordable as well, especially for the portion you're given. read more

Pollo Chapin - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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Great food, service was fantastic, normally you would expect a meal to run you 20$ these days but for 8.99$ you can get a worthy meal and enjoy the atmosphere of southwest Detroit. 5/5 read more

Combination of great service and great food The lady working there is very friendly , I believe she is the owner The fried chicken is delicious and reminds me of the type of fried chicken your grandma would cook All orders are made fresh , unlike fast food chains that cook the chicken and let it sit Interior was clean Highly recommend and I will be back read more

Good flavor, good food. The soup could've a tit warmer.... The fries & chicken very good

Before heading to the DSO, my husband and I wanted to try something new to us in the city. I trusted in Jacob to find a place and gave him the satisfaction of surprising me with dinner. Pollo Chapin has been in my Yelp bookmarks for years, I just never found myself in the area. When we pulled up, I was so excited! Until I noticed the back door was propped open... this told me one of two things: Either they allow smoking, or they don't have air conditioning and it's hot as balls inside the restaurant. It ended up being the latter. Hell, I would have preferred to eat my dinner among cancer-causing secondhand smoke than sweating my ass off in the 86-degree dining room. Okay, so it's a no-frills dining experience. They have table service, but barely. It was a high school girl (maybe even middle school) who took our order and brought the food out. I ordered a chicken dinner with chicken noodle soup. We took a seat in their modest dining area, but I was distracted by the angry Spanish reverend on the television at eardrum-bursting volume. It just seemed like a really aggressive choice for a restaurant dining room. All the while, the makeup I painstaking applied for our fancy night out at the DSO is dripping down my face because it's so freaking hot in there. Our food came out quickly. The soup was pure mush. There's no telling how long it'd been in a kettle before being served to me. Everything in the soup had the same soft, mushy consistency. I couldn't get past it so I didn't eat much. I was not impressed with the chicken at all. It was also mushy, a bit dry and obviously was cooked hours prior and had been under a heat lamp. Even putting aside the lack of freshness of the chicken, I didn't find it to be very flavorful. Hell, I'd prefer KFC or Popeye's over the chicken I was served here. It's possible I visited on an off-day but I was so turned off by the food, atmosphere and Hell-like temperatures that I won't return in the future. read more

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Like eating at a friends house, if that friend can make some really good fried chicken. A unique brightly painted house - turned into a restaurant. Went with the Chapin chicken special- 2 pieces of very moist tasting chicken. Came with a roll and 2 sides- I went with black beans and corn, also tasted some of the Mac and cheese- along with coleslaw. All were good ! Complimentary bowl of homemade chicken soup, with noodles. Really good service- fun place and well worth checking out ! read more

Food was good, plentiful and cheap. Loved the atmosphere and the staff was very accomodating, attentive and sweet. Limited English, but no real language barrier. Menu is limited but food was very good, with fried chicken being their primary choice. You can order the fried chicken spicy or bbq if desired and both were yummy. We also ordered the chicken burrittos and they were very good and came with a cilantro, cabbage slaw on the side and it was yummy. Soup is included and it is very good (chicken noodle). Entrees also included 2 sides. All the sides were tasty: potato salad; pasta salad; cole slaw; mixed vegetables; mac & cheese with jalapenos; beets and cabbage, rice, beans....Im sure Im forgetting some. Entrees also included cinnamon & honey torillas for dessert (yum). Bathroom could have used a good cleaning, but still loved our visit. read more

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Best Fried Chicken in Metro Detroit, bet you didn't know for over a decade. Pollo Chapin; a little yellow house trimmed in green, serving up some of the best fried chicken in the D along with Guatemalan specialties. Diners are treated to a bowl of marvelous Chicken Noodle Soup outstanding unique Flavor. We ordered a 12 pc Chicken devored it all, we've been a dozen times since they opened. A real house you eat inside the dining room, owners live upstairs. A small Patio for outside dining when warm weather returns.Also had Mac n Cheese, Fries and the Award Winning Tamal. Guatemalan tamale (tamal), wrapped in a banana leaf the masa is made with broth and lard producing a moist, rich and fluffy outside to a tasty filling of chicken, vegetables and spices. A must try big enough to share. Look for the big Yello House on Junction just north of West Vernor, you can see Holy Reedemer. Also a diverse menu of food from the Homeland Guatemala for you on a Foodie venture put this on your list. #pollochapin #guatemala #chicken #tamal #chickenhouse #eatswdetroit #downriverfriendseat #motorcitymunchers read more

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My friend is doing a fried chicken challenge and I invited myself along. What is this challenge? We are eating our way across the city's best fried chicken places. While we missed National Fried Chicken Day, we did manage to make it to Pollo Chapin, the top fried chicken restaurant, at least according to Detroit Eater. The restaurant sits in Mexicantown, right off of Vernors. On a large lot with enclosed parking, the restaurant offers tightly-packed seating indoors and some space outdoors. Luckily, we were there at off-peak hours and only one other table was occupied (although there was a stream of customers coming in for party trays). I deliberately over-ordered, 3 pieces (thighs) in order to have leftovers for dinner. The tender chicken was deliciously crispy and so well-seasoned. I did not need the available thick and spicy hot sauce or pickled vegetables to complement the chicken. The meal is served with two salads/ sides. Just a note, the coleslaw is cold and yummy. We split a chocolate flan between the three of us: the chocolate portion had a brownie-like texture and was topped with sweet custard, served with a sizeable spoonful of whipped cream. Our lunches included a chicken noodle soup that was flavorful and filled with an abundance of noodles and chunks of chicken. I thought the noodles were a bit mushy but the full-bodied taste definitely made up for it. Service was great - both servers were quietly efficient and friendly. read more

Pollo Chapin - Crispy, juicy fried chicken - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

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love that place! their fried chicken is great. dollar tuesday rocks. price is fair and the service is better!

Here are five more reasons to love Pollo Chapin: (1) It's good for you! If you order the burrito meal with mixed vegetables and mac & cheese (my favorite options), you'll be covering all the basic food groups. The mixed vegetables are carrot, broccoli and cauliflower, prepared on site and very simply steamed. The burritos seem more like enchiladas than burritos to me--which I consider a good thing. I'm going to count the tomato in the sauce as fruit. (2) They'll feed you breakfast, too! There are a couple cereal options I haven't tried, but the cheese omelet is very nice. It's a crepe-like (or nalesniki-like) omelet, dressed with the same crema + cheese + red sauce as the burritos. I like mine with the vegetable option, which is mostly sweet peppers. Rice and beans are included, as are a dollop of sour cream and a bit of their vinegar-based coleslaw-- but the real bonus is fried bananas! They seem to actually be bananas and not plantains, but are prepared just like (and taste much like) sweet plantains. Yum! Your choice of warm corn or flour tortillas are included with your meal--and so is a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup. For $3.75, plus 20 cents for the extra veggies if you want them. Breakfast is served any time, but I like to stop by on Saturday mornings to fortify myself before facing the crowds at Eastern Market. (3) They do have options for your vegetarian friends--think large order of mac & cheese with a couple of small sides. The omelet meals or eggs-any-style would work nicely, too. (4) They'll sell you larger quantities of their great fried chicken in various configurations, in case you need a bunch for an office party or any other gathering. See their menu (which I've posted up with photos) for types, amounts and prices. It's a good idea to stop by or at least phone ahead to make sure they'll have enough chicken for you. (5) Pollo Chapin is wonderfully, blessedly wheelchair accessible! The parking lot is dirt and gravel, but there's a very nice wood-decking ramp up to the front door, and easy rolling once inside. As important, the restroom contains enough open space to both close the door with the chair inside, and to turn a wheelchair around--which seems a rarity among restaurants in this town. Their tamale with the moist, wonderful polenta-like masa and the perfect steamed chicken chunk filling was the first thing I ever ordered at Pollo Chapin. Much as I still like those, other menu options have certainly proven enjoyable as well. One more note--where the "specialties" listed on the menu refer to entrée + 2 salads, they actually mean choice of any two sides. read more

So cheap and so damn tasty! I did not go artery friendly here in the least. I needed carbs and fat and all things evilly delicious. We thought about burritos or tamales but we ultimately decided we would just indulge ourselves with fried chicken. We figured if it rocked we would come back and try other things. The chicken noodle soup has a full bodied broth filled with plenty of curly egg noodles, chicken pieces and veggies. It is very impressive indeed. Filling too as a good chicken noodle is. I also really loved the pickled zippy carrots from the container with the peppers. I haven't had pickled carrots like that since I was younger and these brought back especially fond memories. I am a sucker for carrots. The fried chicken is crispy, juicy and perfectly spiced. Deliciously meaty. I agree with Allen that Three Brother's chicken is mighty good but I do have to respectfully say this is even better than that in my own humble opinion. This has better flavored flesh for my palate, the chicken itself tastes amazing, not just the skin. The mac and cheese was a hit with both of us. I loved the jalapeno bits a lot. It was creamy with that little kick that balanced it out. Plain mac and cheese is just not my thing, usually I have to put hot sauce on it to make it happy. This was perfect as is, which is a huge treat. The remolacha salad with beets really works for me. I am a huge fan of beets and this was just like a surprise party in my mouth. I did not expect it to be this tasty at all. Zesty and happy. It was a perfect match with fried chicken and mac and cheese, it sort of cut the heaviness of everything with a bit of zip. Everything in here is bargathon priced. The service is home-like and friendly, very welcoming. Overall, it's a very nice experience. If this place were in the burbs, everyone would be packed in here and you would never get a seat. Come down to Detroit already 'burbanites, the food is worth it and it is not as scary as you would think. read more

How did I forget to write this review. Ahhhh chicken coma for three weeks is how. It's so moist, and it's not greasy. oh mah gerd I want to eat it up right now. Corn was corn, pasta slaw (Egg Noodles is the menu name), yum! My brother had the black beans and the jalapeno mac 'n cheese. I'm going to get that next time. Best part is the fact that the cost is just on # of pieces. Three piece meal you can have three breasts, three thigh, three whatever man!!!! No up charge, no fancy politics. Under 8 bucks for the three piece with two sides. read more

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The fried chicken is amazing. Love the cold slaw too. Cool decor. Friendly employees. Would totally recommend if you're looking for great chicken. read more

Pollo Chapin - 3 piece chicken, cold slaw. - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

This place is one of those gems you stumble upon and are just left feeling glad you took the chance in trying it out. Kind of a dive hidden in the side-streets in Detroit's Mexicantown, Pollo Chapin is apparently labeling themselves as "Fast Food" on the sign. I can tell you that it is far from that. By that, I don't mean it is slow, what I mean is the quality of the food, the warm service, amazing flavor leaves one feeling like a good home cooked meal. This was our first visit, the waitress asked us as she seated us. She brought out a sampler of nearly all of the sides you can add to your combos, as they are different. This sampler was huge. After that she brought us a sort of spicy chicken noodle soup, which was delicious. This was accompanied by a Large jar of pickled vegetables, which we didn't have a utensil to dig with, so we didn't try them. They are famous for their fried chicken, and I can see why. I ordered a three piece combo, which included two of the homemade sides. The breast was enormous and moist, and the skin is fried perfectly as to not be greasy/oily and retain the flavor. For my sides, I chose the potato salad, which had a peppery heat to it, and the Curtido Chapin, which is like a pickled salad of beets, bell peppers, cabbage(?), in a vinegary spicy juice. SO GOOD! All of the sides were amazing though. My girlfriend also got the 3 piece combo, with the Mac and cheese, which had Jalapeno bits in it, and was delicious, and a sort of cabbage slaw which i didn't see listed on the menu, but was in our sampler. We both had chicken left for takeout. A 2-piece combo would have been enough. Drinks are only bottled, including the water, though they do bring glasses of ice. The best part, aside from the amazing food.....It was under $20 for the two of us. We will be back. read more

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Came here with friends since I was eyeballing it for a very long time. This place definitely didn't disappoint. The chicken is the main event and it was very good. I'm glad for pioneering spots like this. The area is definitely on the up and up. I like it as well since there is a lack of snooty "AMERICANS" that have no tastebuds. Viva Pollo Chapin! read more

Pollo Chapin - Fried Chicken, Curtido Chapin, Mac and cheese (",) - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Awesome...great fried chicken and VERY FRIENDLY service. We coming from Ann Arbor with the family every now and then. They also give you a chicken soup as a courtesy if you dine in. We also tried as catering for an event and was "the sensation ", we run out of fried chicken in 30 minutes (250 pieces). Highly recommend if you are looking for a "family own and operated small restaurant". read more

I like a couple of things about Pollo Chapin: - GREAT pickled vegetables and chiles - atole (2 kinds listed on the menu, I had the corn) - chocolate flan cake I thought the fried chicken was very good, but not better than my reigning favorite: Three Brothers in Plymouth. The chicken tamale was different. Good. Big. Very soft almost creamy filling. They bring over a jar of pickled carrots, onion, chiles (including a plastic fork inside the jar). These were fantastic. You can also buy a quart for $4.99 I have no basis of comparison for their atole. I do know (now) that atole starts to coagulate when it cools. I also like congee of which this was reminiscent. The chocolate flan cake is fascinating. Not totally flan. Not totally cake. The flan seems to so permeate the cake that the chocolate bottom is creamy and it leaves only a small amount of custardy flan on the top. Tasty and rich. Good homey service. Kids watching a Disney video. read more

#8 entrée, chicken enchiladas with two sides, salad, chicken noodle soup, and some cinnamon sugar crispy thingys for under 6 bucks! Silly me, I didn't order the fried chicken, which of course is their claim to fame. Looks like I'll be going back soon! read more

Pollo Chapin - #8! - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Such good food!! Love a cute, family owned spot !! Good ol Central American food // fried chicken never hurt anyone !

You must come here! Give you free soup while you wait! Best food and nicest hospitality anywhere on this planet!

...ohmigodamazing... Where to start? As mentioned in other reviews, Pollo Chapin is THE place to go for fried chicken in the D. Every other place just pales in comparison, whether in taste or in price. Do yourself a favor. Go here. Part I: The Chicken Those who work here know that they're awesome. They're rock stars. And as such, they will happily let you wait and munch on the jar of pickled vegetables at your table while they torture TORTURE you with the divine scent of frying poultry from the back. No, they'll wait for everything to come out sizzling so that you can experience chicken-flavored nirvana at its finest. Crispy golden on the outside, juicy on the inside, and spiced all the way through, this is a chicken that inspires sonnets. The first bite was amazing, the first piece even better, and amazingly enough, the second piece even better than the first! I swear, some sort of epicurean wizardry mixed with clandestine street powder must be involved in their creation. We ordered 10 pieces ($10!), and I felt like I could have eaten the whole thing myself, were it not for... Part II: The Mac and Cheese Holy manna. Eating this is like inhaling luscious velvet. The pasta shells are cooked down to being near-ethereal, and all that's left is just pure cheese...plus jalapeno. I love this. Just thinking about this right now makes me want to go back, and I just left the restaurant an hour ago. And I'll say this -- as good as the chicken is, I've had pretty good chicken before. I've never had mac and cheese like this. The only way it could be improved is if there was some crust and variation in texture, but that would just be unfair. Grizzled men would weep in the streets. Everything else: - I love their service. Our waitress was so friendly and so willing to make our evening as comfortable as possible. She even thanked us for coming to the restaurant. How often do you get that? - The other side dishes are good, though not jaw-droppingly lust-worthy. French fries, vegetables, coleslaw, and corn were all fit to share the table with the dynamic duo. - You get free soup and free dessert!? How amazing is this! It's really good soup and really good dessert too! - It's cheap. CHEAP. This can't be emphasized enough. We (3 people) ordered: - 10 pieces of chicken (boxed 3 to go home) - A large order of mac and cheese - A large order of fries - A large order of vegetables - A small order of coleslaw - A small order of corn - 3 bowls of chicken noodle soup (free) - A large serving of fried cinnamon/sugar tortilla strips (free) - Snacked on pickled vegetables (free) ...for $21. - I saw some concerns about cleanliness on the reviews so far Rubbish. It's perfectly fine. It's FAR better than your average Pho joint. It's about the same as a neighborhood pizza place. There was nothing here that gave me pause. I would be happy to invite friends here. - I probably wouldn't get take-out. They do leave some chicken on a rack, ready for boxing when someone wants take-out. Just say no. Think about what you're missing out on! Okay. I've said enough. Give this place a try, everyone. They're amazing. Head down Vernor Hwy, turn right on Junction, and ignore the fact that you're a residential zone. Can't miss it, and shouldn't! read more

Dear fellow yelpers, I HEART you! Yes, your reviews were enough to have me salivating like Pavlov's dog for fried chicken. So on my way to Eastern Market, I made a side trip to Pollo Chapin. The cute little yellow house is in a not so good part of the neighborhood so I recommend parking in the lot versus on the street. I went before noon so there was plenty of parking. I don't recommend petting the pit bull in the next yard either. I ordered the 3 piece dinner, 2 sides and a lime Jarritos. The waitress was pleasant and explained what ingredients were in the sides. We got this party started with hot, chicken noodle soup. As my yelper peeps say, the flavor is great, the noodles are mush. It was a perfect start to the 33* day! Then our delicious chicken arrived. My yelp app locked up taking a pic so you'll have to trust me on the details. Three pieces of the most flavorful, moist on the inside, dreamily crunchy...just typing this is making me drool! In the supporting roles, side dishes egg noodles were a delicious although mysterious with their peppery crunchy goodness. My second side was refried pinto beans...mmmm! At the end of the meal we were brought hot tortilla chips with cinnamon sugar and honey, delish! Pollo Chapin is a small place that is big on flavor. We were so addicted, we ordered chicken to go for a snack later. I highly recommend this place even if it involves a detour to get there. You will thank me and your fellow yelper buddies for it later. Yes, you will! read more

True fact: I have weird food aversions like the next person. My thing is I hate peppers. The jalapenos mac n cheese is win to V, for me it's more of a 'meh'. And normally I feel "meh" towards chicken ... unless it's fried. Then it has my name all over it's delicious crispy outside. This place needs a drive-thru. For serious. I've been here a few times and it wasn't open, I have no idea when their hours are. And every time I've been there it's been totally empty. Where the hell are you, YELPERS?! Come on! Don't let this place DIE because you are TOO SCARED to (die) drive to Detroit! One of the best morning-after straight from the refrigerator cold fried chicken parts I've had in a long time. Oh, it's pretty damn tasty the day of too. Amazing chicken noodle soup -- and they even use the right kind of noodles (big curly egg noodles, just the way i like it!). The generic white bun, I don't get ... but whatever. But what I do get is that pickled carrot thing -- oh my god. It's so tasty, delicious and balanced with some heat from the jalapenos (that I just pass on to V). I loved it so much I bought a bottle to possibly ship to my father down in deep fried but bland food country known as Jacksonville. Unfortunately, they don't pressure seal or really make it so it's safe to send the pickled tasties in regular packaging. Speaking of generic white buns, get your booties down here! Give in to the winter weather and fatten your little turkeys up with some amazing and cheap food. read more

Why would I write a review after so many of my esteemed colleagues have already given Pollo Chapin a thumbs up? Because those people scare me. I love them, but they scare me. I am not a taco-truck-chasing-hole-in-the-wall-finding-ethnic-food-loving Yelper. I eat "regular" stuff from "regular" places. But, I'm writing this review to tell you that going to get yummy chickeness in Detroit is nothing to be afraid of. It was a quick trip down Michigan Ave. to Junction. When we walked in, our waitress (and delightful dining companions) greeted us enthusiastically. While most of the conversation between staff and other customers was in Spanish, I did not feel out of place at all. The menu is simple and mostly in English. The waitress is pleasant and will understand you, I promise. The food is as good as the previous reviews have said. I did not experience the ick that Laura did, or my OCD butt would have been in my car before you could say "Adios!" So get in your car, go have some tasty chicken, It's not raw, or spicy, or weird. You don't have to have chopsticks to eat it. I even had the jalapeno mac and cheese (and I HATE peppers) and it was good. Come on....if I can do it, you can too! read more

I headed down tonight and WOW! I changed my flight to tomorrow morning because I was very excited to try this place based on reviews and pictures. As I walked in I told the ladies working, one I believe was the owner that I had read their reviews on Yelp!. I'm not sure either lady really knew a ton about Yelp! so I gave my Blackberry to let them read the reviews. They both seemed very excited and happy that people loved their food. They did have a print out of Janelle's review which we matched to the one online. Now! What a great place to eat. It wasn't so much that the chicken soup starter was free, but it was delicious and comforting and simple. I ordered the chicken tamale and one piece of chicken since that was the thing everyone raved about. I honestly ate this food way too fast because I couldn't get enough of it and the portion was amazingly big. I honestly was done in about 5 minutes. I spent a little over $7.00 for a very large chicken tamale dinner, chicken breast, chicken soup, desert, and a coke. How can you not leave a good tip with prices like this and great service. I could have easily split the meal and been somewhat content. Very friendly and comfortable place. I'm glad its a bit hidden because this place is great. I was in South America recently and it has the same feel which made me really happy. read more

Pollo Chapin - One of the two nice ladies that fed me! - Mexican Near Me - Detroit, Michigan

Yikes. I hate beating up a place that has such rave reviews from everyone else, but Yelp is all about honest reviews, right? Well here it goes... We each got the two piece meal, I got the egg noodles and mac and cheese, she got fries, ordered well done. The chicken was hot and crispy, with a very good flavor. It saved this place from getting one star. The chicken noodle soup, egg noodles, and mac were all waaaaay overcooked, nearly inedible. The soup broth tasted great, but picking around mush noodles was annoying. The egg noodles had a good flavor, but really nothing better than the tub of macaroni salad that you buy at any grocery store. Jalapeno mac was fairly generic as well. Allison's "well done" fries came out limp and unsalted. I think we each ate just one. Service probably wasn't worth the four dollar tip we left. The TV was BLARING some Spanish language evangelistic bullshit. Oh and it was hot as hell in there because they don't have air. Or fans. Or windows that open. Yeah, the chicken was good, but I'm not going back. Sorry guys. read more

1st review of 2010. I have to disagree with the thought that Pollo Chapin's macaroni & cheese is something incredible. To me, it was OK at best. No crusty top, no sharpness, kind of a generic cheese sauce taste with a smattering of lifeless jalapenos =not my thing - totally meh. A much better version of mac & cheese can be found at Slow's. BUT, that is a small issue. The fact is that their fried chicken & tamales are incredible. In fact, the tamale (steamed in a banana leaf) is one of the most delicious things I've eaten in a long time. Soft masa with pulled dark meat chicken & spices are a perfect combination, especially with a subtle banana flavor. Quite honestly, they could've given me anything next to that tamale & they still would get 4 stars. Fried chicken is luscious & spiced perfectly. The rice & black beans are quite good. The curtido (beets & cabbage) is an interesting side dish that was more sweet than anything, but works very well with the fried chicken. The cold egg noodle salad was not what I was expecting - it was OK. Chicken noodle soup was tasty - very deep flavor & lots of hearty noodles. I thought the chicken burritos were quite good as well - nice balance of cheese, crema, red sauce, chicken, & tortilla. Good spiciness with cool creaminess. And those pickled jalapenos with carrots & onions are great - make sure to ask for some on the side if you get a carry out. Sopapillas are a fine (if totally boring) dessert & Chapin's version is OK. We added organic chocolate syrup to bring up the flavor a bit. Another important factor in my rating (beyond that crazy good tamale) is the incredibly nice people working there. It's obvious they're working hard at Pollo Chapin. The cashier was very talkative & super cool. The ladies in the kitchen were all smiles, but they also didn't speak English very well, so maybe they all smile by default? Regardless, I felt welcome there, which is a good thing. read more

Stopped in again today with my daughter. She had the BBQ wings and a plate of mac and cheese. She loved them, but I would have had them with hot sauce instead. I went for old reliable... The burritos. In addition, the woman who cooks came out with 2 small servings of Arroz con Leche for us. She described it as a milky rice pudding, and that was true, but it had some subtle spicy notes of nutmeg and other spices. I also carried out 3 chicken breasts and 3 drumsticks. Total: $20+Tip. Amazing. read more

Okay, Pollo Chapin. I gave you a second chance. Sure, your chicken burritos are really tasty, and sure that chicken noodle soup to start with has more flavor than any chicken soup I've ever had, and the amount of food you can get for $5 is insane, but I can't forgive the fact that you are filthy beyond an acceptable level of ick. Everything I touched was sticky, including my silverware. I'm upping my rating by one star because of the uber-cheapness, the friendly waitress, the temperature improvement, the tasty burritos, and because I fondly remember the curtido chapin and wish I'd gotten it tonight, so I know I'll be back just for that. I said when I was there that I'd never be back to brave the filth, but I feel compelled to try the tamale and the chicken sandwich. You get one more chance, Pollo Chapin. I'm convinced that I can have the 5-star experience that my favorite yelpers have had. Please don't deny me again. read more

super friendly staff, tasty chicken, AWESOME sides! Don't know why it took me so long to get over here, it's really close to my house, BUT, was worth the wait. Very delicious chicken - it's deep fried, but the skin is just done magically. wowzers. I was there at the very end of the night, so my pieces were a LITTLE dry on the outer edges since a small batch had been prepared sometime earlier and was sitting in a warming oven, but the center held lots of hot juices, so I was not long disappointed. Got the mac n cheese on the side, and yes, it's riddled with hot hot jalapeños. Also nabbed the cabbage and cilantro slaw, which was VERY expressive - not for the weak of tongue - but if you like cilantro, you'll love this side dish. It also tasted good folded into the mac n cheese too! Added two warm rolls, and a bowl of chicken soup, which MIGHT have been the best part, it was that divine. All washed down with an orange Jarritos pop, and a small plate of cinnamon-honey twists... and the price tag? $8 great great deal, for a delicious deep-fried chicken dinner, served hot and with charm. I imagine if you're here when it's straight out of the fryer, it's the best chicken in the city. read more

My son has been bragging about this place for ages so he finally convinced my wife and I to accompany him to Pollo Chapin. It's a cute little place amidst a neighborhood I'd rather avoid. It appears to be family owned and run. I believe it's Guatemalan food. I had a couple pieces of chicken, some macaroni & cheese, you automatically get chicken noodle soup (without ordering it). The chicken was good, not amazing. Better than KFC and Popeyes, but not much. The mac n cheese was pretty bad. The cheese was thin and they made it with some kind of peppers that ruined the flavor. The chicken noodle soup was pretty good. I admit, I'm a spoiled food junkie and expect a lot. To me, this places food was merely average at best. I wouldn't return. My son loves the place. The cool thing that happened was, the waiter noticed I didn't eat my mac n cheese. He asked me why and I told him I just didn't like it. The old lady came out from the back and asked me the same thing. After hearing that, she went in the back and brought me out a place of cole slaw (which was good) and some cooked vegetables (which my wife ate). Very very kind of her. Some very nice people run this place and deserve a pat on the back for having a place like this in a neighborhood that is so downtrodden! I wish them good fortune. read more

I am known for my wordy reviews. It's how I became an Elite. But even I know when to shut my mouth and tell it like it is. So I will use just 7 words for my review. Hope you will all get it's meaning. ___________________________________________________ Simply the best fried chicken in Detroit. ____________________________________________________ 'nuff said. read more

I drove 40 minutes to eat here because of the great reviews on Yelp and I'm glad I got to try it before I left Detroit. I usually don't eat fried chicken, but this stuff was amazing. I pulled off most of the skin and still found the chicken very flavorful. This usually isn't the case with other places and the reason why I hardly ever consume fried chicken. The Mac n' cheese was different...I've never had jalapenos in my mac n' cheese, so this was a treat. The cheese was very creamy and melted in your mouth. The Wings- I got both the Mexican spicy wings and the BBQ wings. They were probably my favorite part of the meal, especially the BBQ wings. They basically took fried chicken wings and smothered them with sauce. Amazing. I didn't get to try the chicken noodle soup, as they were out :( The best part of this was the price. Super cheap! I had a huge fried chicken breast, a small side of mac n' cheese, and 6 wings for $6.75! If you're in the neighborhood, go try this place out! read more

Pollo Chapin is absolutely one of the best finds in Detroit! Hidden in a little house on Junction, it holds an incredible kitchen, serving up amazing South American delights. Their fried chicken is absolutely incredible. Super juicy, spicy, action packed pollo! We could barely get the stuff home without tearing into a wing and drummy! They serve really nice sides- great mixed veggies, tasty rice and beans, nice vinegary coleslaw and PLANTAINS. Oh their plantains are the bomb! I smother them in hot sauce as "dessert." Another stellar item is their tamales... dense pillows of masa, enveloping more of that delicious chicken, in a delicious sauce. Yum yum yum. It's a great spot for an amazing, inexpensive meal .. Feed your whole family for $20! SUPER BUENO! read more

I can't believe that I've never reviewed this place before. Pollo Chapin is a unique restaurant. Here you get "Mexican food" with a Guatemalan tinge to it and strangest of all.... fried chicken. When you visit Pollo Chapin here's what you need to do. #1: Definitely dig into the jar of pickled veggies that they bring to your table. I don't care how much a glass jar with veggies and a fork jammed into the jar freaks you out... eat! The peppers, carrots, and onions our fantastic with a nice snap to the bite and a variable 'hot" factor. #2: Order anything from the small choice of Mexican food. It's prepared fresh and every dish has it's own character and taste. #3: Get Mac and Cheese as a side dish. It's creamy and full of jalapeno peppers to clear what ails you. #4: Get at least 1 piece of their fabulous fried chicken. It's perfectly seasoned thru and thru; crispy with a slight hint of paprika and hot pepper. #5: Almost forgot..... enjoy the bowl of chicken soup that they serve you when you arrive. It's wonderfully hearty and as much of their food, has a bit of a hot spice to it. You really can't go wrong with Pollo Chapin. It's one of those rare finds that really doesn't seem to fit with where it's at. Oh... did I mention ... .it's cheap and the small staff goes out of their way to be friendly and accommodating. Search it out and eat! read more

Momma always said, if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. I think this may be what contributes to the lack of negative reviews about this place. Pollo Chapin is the most obviously family-oriented place I've ever eaten at, and that fact almost made me want to just skip the review on this one. But if Assange can put the truth out there, I may as well too. Good There's street parking? The little kids running around are cute? The lettuce in the salad was not wilted? A complimentary bowl of very good chicken noodle soup in a styrofoam bowl was the only solidly good food item. The server also brought over a complimentary plate with a scoop of a few sides to try. Lame There was not a single customer in the restaurant the entire time we were there, (1pm-2pm on a Monday), and the table wasn't even wiped. The jalapeno mac and cheese is way overcooked and uses some sort of Velveeta/government cheese mashup. The little girls watching the TV seemed to have the run of the place, and had the TV absolutely blaring until we asked to have it turned down to only semi-blaring. As we paid, the waitress talked to the manager in Spanish about charging us for water. Maybe it was her first day, but it was still weird. Sinful This is a fried chicken place. Altogether my companion and I ordered two breasts, two drumsticks, and a thigh. The waitress asked if we were in a rush, because there was pre-made chicken if we were. We declined, opting for the piping-hot freshness. She came back a while later and said that the chicken breasts were frozen and would take a long time to cook, and recommended the milenze, (basically a butterfly sliced, pounded-thin pan-fried chicken breast). I took the milenze, which was overcooked, and my companion received her thigh and two drumsticks, cold and pre-cooked. WTF Pollo Chapin? Conclusion When you leave 60% of your food on the plate, the cheap prices and generous portions are nullified. I wish this quaint, eccentric little place had good enough food to warrant a second try, but it really was just that bad. read more

This place is just delightful. We checked it out based on the strength of the yelp reviews and I've been back 3 times since, and every time has been great. This place is laid back and casual and you aren't coming here for the decor or ambience, just great, simple food that tastes like someone's grandma made. It's the most homemade tasting food I've ever had in an restaurant. You'll feel like you left the country, because the staff and most of the patrons, and the children that are sometimes hanging out speak only fragmented English, but they are very sweet and friendly and the language barrier is easily made up for. I am not a big fried chicken eater, I mean I'll have it from time to time, but it's never something I crave or have much of an opinion about. That changed after eating here. While I've tried a couple other entrees, and plan to try even more, the fried chicken here MUST be experienced. It's juicy, and flavorful and the flavor goes all the way down to the bone, unlike any other fried chicken I've ever had. I recently took a friend here who's a very adventurous eater and goes to restaurants daily, and she was picking at the bones, something she never does. The entrees come with chicken noodle soup that comes in a styrofoam bowl which somehow just seems appropriate for this place The soup is a bit on the salty side, but it's delicious. There are pickled veggies in a mason jar which I didn't try the first few times because the jar didn't come with its own utensils. But I tried them the last time i was there and they were excellent. There is a choice of sides which they call "salads' and several of them are fresh veggie slaws. The curtido, with beets and cabbage, is one of my favorites and I would normally never eat either of those veggies. There's also this very light and fresh cilantro and cabbage salad that is a perfect summer dish. If you can't choose, order extra sides, they are inexpensive and worth a try. Or ask if they can bring you samples of the things you are unfamiliar with. The mac-and-cheese has just a bit of jalapeño and is great, and the potato salad is the best I've tried. Basically everything I've tried has been really, really, would-order-again, good. Everything there feels like comfort food and you leave feeling better for having stopped by. The most unbelievable thing is that when we get the bill for two people, our total is around $15! It's insane. It's a little out of the way for us, but we have already been back a few times and this place is going to become part of our regular rotation. I also appreciate that they have a parking lot right next to the entrance. read more