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    Pollo Express

    4.7 (24 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - Pollo Express

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    Half chicken combo
    N.J. M.

    I love chicken cooked over charcoal, so I was really excited to try this new spot in the neighborhood. I ordered the half chicken combo, which came with four pieces of chicken, tortillas, rice, and beans. Unfortunately, on the day I visited the meal was disappointing. The chicken tasted reheated and overcooked, with a stringy texture, and the rice and beans were bland. For $20+, it felt a little ridiculous for the execution. Truly, you could walk a few blocks, pick up a better grilled whole chicken for $7.99 at Mariano's, grab a pack of tortillas for less than a dollar, and have a much better meal than the one we had on this day. We won't be returning. My husband was also looking forward to trying this place, but it just wasn't good, and definitely not worth the price. The idea of this spot is great, but the execution or perhaps just the consistency in the experience they provide needs work.

    Chicken
    Alice W.

    Phew! So happy to have another location around here. Pollo Express is the real deal and the charcoal chicken with all the balanced seasonings just can't be beat. The amount of food you get on a Monday or Wednesday is incredible. If you order a whole chicken these days, you get another half for free along with two sides and tortillas. There are a great amount of sides to choose from as well. I go with the rice and refried beans. You can feed quite a few people for about $35 before tax and tip. It's always a quick time between placing my order and picking up my food. Everyone I've interacted with has always been incredibly kind and welcoming. Street parking is easy enough right out front and around the adjacent streets. I am looking forward to this location becoming a staple in Ravenswood!

    Veggie burrito
    Steve B.

    Pollo Express is one of those spots you keep coming back to--and for good reason. The service is always friendly and efficient, and they treat you like a regular even if it's your first visit. The food? Absolutely delicious. The quality of the chicken is consistently amazing--juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked every time. You can tell they take pride in what they're serving. The seasoning and char from the grill give it that authentic taste that's hard to find elsewhere. The moment you step in, the aroma hits you--in the best way. It's like a backyard BBQ, with that smoky, savory smell of fresh chicken on the grill. It instantly makes you hungry and adds to the whole experience. If you're craving well-made, flavorful grilled chicken with solid service and a no-frills, authentic vibe, Pollo Express delivers every time.

    Half chicken meal with cilantro lime rice and carro beans.

    I dont understand how this place has so many good reviews. The chicken was stringy and had a overall weird texture. I only had the drumstick and wing then threw away the breast and thigh because it was just so disgusting. The cilantro rice had zero flavor. I dont think it was even salted. I thought maybe it was a bad day but saw other reviews about the stringy chicken and lack of flavor for rice and beans. The carro beans were okay but the way the meat looked made it seemed like the whole thing came from a can. And I dont understand why I was given so many tortillas for a half chicken. Ill stick with Chicken Hut.

    Half Chicken Adobado with side of Mexican rice

    We are thrilled Pollo Express has opened a second location on the North side. We have been driving down to Pilsen from Rogers Park specifically for this chicken for over 10 years. It is our favorite restaurant in the entire city without question. There's nothing like the experience of ripping into a perfectly charbroiled chicken and building the most delicious tacos from a hot stack of tortillas, fresh salsa, and grilled jalapenos and onions. We always pair with fresh guacamole, Mexican rice and Mexican cokes. We can't wait to become regulars at the new location.

    Dre C.

    Best chicken I've had in years. 5 stars, I will be back. Service was great as well, I ordered online and had no wait. Establishment was very clean as well

    Whole Chicken and a half.  Refried beans and Mexican rice as sides.
    Blair R.

    Quick and friendly service. On Monday and Wednesday they offer a takeout special of buy a whole chicken and get a half included. This includes two sides of your choice and about a dozen corn tortillas. The food is incredible! This deal cannot be beat anywhere. Don't walk, run. Seriously.

    Mixed Burrito

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    5 months ago

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    11 days ago

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    8 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

    Best Mexican food in the city. I was thrilled when they moved north. Really friendly staff.

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Everything was great. The chicken. Rice. Pineapple juice. And the service was excellent also. Definitely would be back

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Very flavorful chicken! Great to add to any recipe, I wish they had some pre-shredded options. The salsa was spicy but so good!

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    8 months ago

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    Ask the Community - Pollo Express

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    El Xangarrito

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    Thanks to Yelp El Xangarrito has been on my list for sometime, and I was not disappointed. It is a…read morevery small family-owned Mexican restaurant but the seating does not make you feel cramped. We did make reservations/wait list and was seated immediately. We started off with chips and salsa, and the salsa was a bit too spicy for me, but everyone else enjoyed it. We started with the Chicken Poblano - a savory dish with creamy poblano sauce mixed with chicken and sliced poblano peppers topped with corn. We all enjoyed it. Most of the reviews recommended the enchiladas and we ordered a variety of them. The Enchiladas Poblanos stuffed with chicken and cheese. The poblano sauce was rich and smoky. We also had the Enchiladas Morita. They were filled with shrimp and cheese. It was so flavorful and the morita chile added so much flavor. Each dish was served with a side jicama salad. Their special was a shrimp pasta with lobster. It came with full lobster tail. The sauce was creamy and flavorful. It is also BYOB, which is a nice option. Service was excellent, friendly offered recommendations. This is probably one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and highly recommend.

    Xangaritto continues to be a beacon of delicious food and friendly hospitality. They switched…read moreowners about a year ago and the beginning was a little rocky but today was an amazing experience. I love coming here for the tampiquena and the enchiladas. The tamipquena is marinated in something delicious, pretty sure it includes adobo chiles, making the tamipquena flavorful and tender. The enchiladas have some of the best sauces. We especially love then poblano sauce on the chicken enchiladas. The enchiladas have some tender chicken and the sauce is slightly spicy and creamy. Everyone is super friendly, the waiting staff and chef take pride in their work and it shows. I continue to strongly recommend this place for a delicious dinner out. This is not your typical Mexican restaurant. It s a cozy elevated escape.

    5 Rabanitos - Chilaquiles verdes

    5 Rabanitos

    (828 reviews)

    $$

    Pilsen

    We're from LA, and this is our daughter's favorite Mexican restaurant near the loop after her four…read moreyears at SAIC. She was very excited for us to try it out. We arrived around 7:30 on a Friday night and the place was packed. We only had to wait 10-15 minutes, which passed quickly with the live Mariachi music. The food came out pretty quickly considering how busy it was. We got: - Margaritas -- piña mezcal, passion fruit and pepino. They were good but a little small for the price. - Pozole Pipian -- It has a verde base that's very light. Something that makes it unique is chicharrones on top. My daughter prefers pork over the chicken. - Carnitas Huarache -- good flavors but probably my least favorite of the meal. - Asada Torta -- this was my favorite dish of the night. The bread was really light and the meat wasn't tough at all. For dessert we got the churritos and Mexican bread pudding. Both were good but nothing special. All in all a great meal.

    Got delivery and it was a mixed bag…read more Tacos - 4.5/5. Al pastor, pibil and and chicken tinga all great. Flavorful and juicy. Would be incredible live. Empanadas Camaron - 3.5/5. Unusual with shrimp. Crispy shell. Better without the spicy sauce. Enchiladas mole rojo - 3/5. Decent mole sauce and flavors, but not distinctive. Veg pozole - 2/5. Overly spicy. Solid roasted veggies. But lacked flavor. Pescado à la Talla - 1.5/5. Way overcooked fish. Sauces were either bland or just spice. FYI gluten free by default due to the use of corn

    Manchamanteles Restaurant - Enchiladas Potosina

    Manchamanteles Restaurant

    (142 reviews)

    $$

    Bucktown

    Came here on Valentine's Day with a reservation, there were three of us, one kid. It was full of…read morefamilies, some couples. The had a tasting menu but we opted out of it. They give you a complimentary spicy trail mix. We started with the guacamole, it was okay. Then I got a traditional margarita, my partner got a pina colada with strawberries, and my kid got a pink lemonade (Marz Brewing made). The margarita was good, not strong but not too watery. For dinner I got the chicken fajitas, the waiter asked if I wanted just chicken which I though was odd because I ordered the chicken fajitas and I wasn't sure what he meant or if he meant no veggies, it came with veggies luckily. It also came with tortilla, corn, and a side of refried black beans with cojita, and rice. It was all okay. My partner got the lamb mole, it was sweet and savory, not spicy. And it came with tortillas. They have a lot of mole options, so if you're into that definitely come here to try! Overall it was just okay.

    Chef Geno Bahena is back in business, and his world famous moles are as complex and satisfying as…read moreever. I had the rack of lamb in mole negro, and it was delicious. Get it medium rare. Kelly had steak fajitas and deemed them amazing. The sopa Azteca is spicy and loaded with complex flavors. Huge portion, too, enough to share or take home. For dessert, the chocolate mole tart and the strawberry ice cream are superb. Palomas and margaritas are good, and the wine list is all very affordable. Get the Rioja or the Cotes du Rhone.

    Frontera Grill - Trio Ceviche

    Frontera Grill

    (2.8k reviews)

    $$

    Near North Side

    Delicious food, friendly waiter, militant hostess…read more We came to dinner before a standup performance downtown (Mateo Lane was hilarious, by the way). I arrived at the restaurant on time (4:30) and checked in with the hostess, who said I could only be seated when the entire group of three arrived. This seemed weird given the restaurant was pretty empty at this time, and ordinarily I'd order a drink while waiting at the table. Regardless, I went to Starbucks instead because I knew the other two were a few minutes behind. When I got back to the restaurant, my friend said the hostess told him we absolutely had to leave within 1.5 hours because we were late... which seemed odd because he may have checked in 15 minutes after our reservation, to an empty restaurant, that already refused to seat me on time. Regardless, the food was delicious. I had the Pollo in ChiChilo-- the mole was delicious, and I loved the chicken and sweet potato. I ordered the mole on the side, which seemed like a nice balance. Since the hostess wouldn't previously seat me, I had a lovely iced matcha latte with oat milk and half a pump of vanilla from Starbucks, which was a nice pairing. The waiter did ask if I wanted a shot of something with it, which seemed odd. Ambiance was cute, probably due for a renovation but seemed appropriate for most dining out occasions- dates, families, a day out in town. Note: the restaurant charges an automatic 20% gratuity which may explain the service. Keep this in mind to avoid tipping more than you intend. Overall, I would definitely come back, and the food and wait staff made up for the abrasive welcome.

    Food - pork tacos - excellent execution of tender pork belly. Every piece was so succulent and…read morefull of crisy pork goodness. Warm, homemade tortillas added to the perfect bite on top of flavor town green tomatillo salsa. The black beans was a good balance the rich pork flavors. Also, if the standard salsa was room tamed for.your liking; they have a good habanero salsa for the asking. Maybe too much foe most. Dessert- ice cream with fudge.. Great tasting of vanilla and chocolate, but wasnt quite over the top. The ice cream was nice and thick, but was a bit gritty for ice cream at an upscale place. Partly why I couldnt give it a perfect score. Service - attentive and intuitive. The waiter seems to know what we like and need without asking too much. Spicy pineapple Cocktail- good, strong, but not great. Couldn't really taste any pineapple. Cleanliness- clean and organized. Cost - affordable for special occasion. Restroom - fancy and clean. Ambiance - warm and relaxing, but a bit cheap with the vinyl or cheap wood veneer tables.

    Pollo Express - chickenshop - Updated May 2026

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