Very poor customer service by the cashier lady. Rushed to order and the food they brought out was sub par. Fries were soggy almost tasted as if they were re-fried cold fries. Gross. Will not be returning. read more

Pollo Fuego - Latin American Near Me - Jessup, Maryland

I will never come back. After I got home and seen that my plantains looked like horse crap, I was done. The green sauce that is usually thick & creamy when you go to other Peurvian places, was watery and gross. read more

Pollo Fuego - These are what my plantains...smh. - Latin American Near Me - Jessup, Maryland

Meh. I would probably only go back, if I didn't feel like driving to Silvestre's (Suitland), Mega Chicken (Laurel) or Sardi's (Capitol Heights). Then again, I'd rather have PB&J. read more

I'm on the fence about this restaurant. I have given it several chances but each time I am disappointed. The first time I had the burrito, it was dry and flavorless.... then I had the taco salad, the tortilla was burnt that held the salad together and all it had was lettuce, rice, beans and sour cream... very little lettuce.... then I had the steak and cheese the bread is about two inches thick and the steak although is flavor full it is one slice about a quarter of an inch thick and a few sautéed onions thrown on top of it. I do like their yuca fries but you have to specifically ask them to make them crispy if you want them cooked correctly... every time I eat from here I bite into some form of gristle, bone, or odd ligament that just turns me off... I would recommend paying more attention to the quality of the food being served to secure potential clients... I do not think I will be returning anymore read more

We just stumbled on this place because we were struck in traffic driving from Baltimore to NC and decided food was better than traffic. After getting lost in this absurd exit of truck stops and strip malls, we finally saw a place that was open- Pollos Fuegos. The interior is nothing to note, I am not sure that you would be expecting cloth tablecloths or a waiter at a place like this, but don't. The food is what's important, because let's be real, if you were truly looking for the dining experience of your life, wouldn't you go to dc or Baltimore, not the shady truck stop exit?? And all four guys in my party said their chicken was awesome. And the price was great- $7 for a half chicken? Anyone complaining about the price surely has forgotten, again that you have baltimore on one side of you and dc on the other... You're doing alright with $7 chicken plate. There's nothing vegetarian here, so as the veggie driver of this hungry caravan of men, I was glad I snagged a sandwich before I left baltimore. Most importantly, it filled up four hungry boys for the next five hours so we didn't have to make anymore food stops! read more

I don't recommend this place. I'm used to getting fresh chicken and fresh fried yucca. My yucca was cold and had been cooked earlier in the day. The chicken was warm and alright. The salad was just iceberg lettuce, with no salad dressing. In this area, you can get some of the BEST Peruvian chicken, and this is NOT the place to get it! Service was alright. Not the friendliest. Price was alright. read more

Peruvian grilled chicken has come to Howard County, and the new Pollo Fuego in Jessup looks like a good place for lunch or for takeout. Juicy, flavorful chicken. It's a basic, but there is real skill in turning out a bird with a peppery taste, moist meat, and skin that is just too delicious to leave on the plate. Pollo Fuego turns out nice chicken, and that makes a great plate with fried yucca and red beans -- still holding their shape, but cooked soft and creamy. I was willing to drive to Mega Chicken in Laurel for yucca fries because I love the lighter, aerier variation on the French fry. Now, I can get my fix at U.S. 1 and Rte 175 in Jessup. It 's a pretty basic place -- counter service with small tables and bar stools. The menu is mostly variations on chicken, although there is a steak option. This is an easy detour off I-95, so it goes right onto my list of great takeout joints in Howard County. They have specials for one or two chickens with a mess of sides and cans of soda. My one advice: Pay 20 cents more for a second condiment cup of the fiery green sauce. Spicy and fresh, it really goes well with the chicken and contrasts with the dry yucca. (I'm updating this because Jane S. isn't the only person who said that they're not impressed by Pollo Fuego. I stand by my plate of hot chicken and yucca fries, but I have heard multiple stories of cold food -- and Peruvian chicken veterans are noting that the skin I thought was delicious should have been delicious and crispy.) read more

Wow. We have quite a stand off here! In one corner ... HowChow ... standing all alone. In the other corner ... Jane S. and Terry H. ... Well, I live in Montgomery County and have travelled far and wide to grab good charcoal chicken ... and other than the original El Pollo Rico this is the best I have ever had. The beans were also excellent ... although my plantains were just "good." I also got to nibble on a steak sub which was marinated steak and cheese. Yum. Try this one yourselves folks and let's see who wins this Battle Royale. read more

Man wtf....$11.65 for a quarter chicken and two sides and a water bottle?! I came back here during lunch to find out that they charge you like $2.50 for fried plantains and an extra $1 for fried rice. 16oz water bottle is $1.50?! So I'm basically paying $5.99 for a quarter piece of chicken thats tiny. Hell no I'm not coming back with those kinda prices. I can go to chicken Rico on Eastern Ave and get half a chicken, two sides and a drink for $10! If it wasn't for the decent to good food here, I'd give 1 star. read more

Came back during a calmer time to give this place a second chance (also, because this is the closest Peruvian Chicken place). This time, the service was much more friendlier (same lady as last time). The general flavoring of everything (chicken, sauces, chicken fried rice, beans, fried yucca, & plantains) was pretty spot on. Surprisingly, SX and I both liked the chicken fried rice side a lot. The only issue we had was that the chicken skin was not as crisp as El Pollo Rico's. Otherwise, the portion size of the sides was quite generous and everything was quite tasty/enjoyable. So, to wrap it up, for this surrounding area, Pollo Fuego is a better option for chicken in terms of seasoning/flavoring than de Chick'n Pollo. It also seems to be more authentic in flavor and in offerings. So, this is an alright place to get your chicken fix. However, especially for first-timers, definitely go to El Pollo Rico to enjoy the atmosphere (the aroma of charcoal and grilling chickens wafting through the air, the "chop, chop, chop" sound of the cleaver smacking the butcher's block...) and develop a standard for Peruvian chicken. read more

It's a sad day. I was once a semi-regular of Pollo Fuego... Once. Despite the absurdly and ridiculously horrible service, the chicken had a lot of flavor and the tacos were filled with so much of it that one was all I needed. Totally worth $8.99. Today, thinking that I hadn't been there in a while, I went back for lunch and was met with three chicken tacos with the OVERALL equivalent of a leg's worth of meat, some of which was cartilage (gross!). What was once a feast of meat wrapped in two corn tortillas (to avoid breakage) has become a few tiny shards of surprise meat (is it cartilage or is it meat? Take a bite and find out!) wrapped in one measly corn tortilla ensuring it will fall apart at the first sign of anything resembling the taking of a bite. Sigh. I can take the crappy service but I won't eat crappy food. read more

We used to eat here a lot, and we still do on occasion. The chicken is really good, and the rice used to be good. They changed the rice so that it's nothing special and sometimes even not so great. On top of that, they almost never have plantains anymore, which were a huge selling point, and even the last time my husband came in there, the guy told them that plantains were too expensive and that is why they didn't have them. He said he didn't think people would pay more for them, to which my husband told him that he would. But at the same time, they've also marked up their items quite a bit since they opened. On top of that they have a $10 minimum credit card charge, which is actually illegal. So given that the quality of the food has gone down, the prices have gone up, and they never have plantains, we've pretty much all but given up going here. Pollo Campero in Laurel has plantains, better beans and rice, and their chicken is ok. D'Chicken Pollo in Columbia seemed to be ok the one time I ordered from there, but I didn't get the normal items, so I can't really comment. All in all, it's been a disappointment to see this place go downhill somewhat, especially since we live a few minutes away and really like the chicken. Hopefully they will get back to their original level or even improve. read more

VERY UNPROFESSIONAL There was one chicken (last one) being grilled, and owner asked me to wait 20 min for my order, so I decided to wait. Moments later, two other customers walk in asking for half a chicken each. Owner decides to chop the chicken in half and sell it to them both, and I waited 20 min for nothing. I said, "That was my order". The owner starts acting stupid as if he does not understand English. All of this for an extra $2 (since they earn a little extra for selling in pieces). Very unprofessional - Here is your bad review on Yelp for the $2 you traded off. So, I went to Wegman (Columbia), and bough the same grilled chicken for $5!!! While this place rips you off for $20 as if their chicken is so special. read more

PSA: THEY OVERCHARGE! They add additional charges! I was charged an additional $3 despite the menu price. They also charge 25¢ for each sauce- AN OUNCE! Not even filled to the top. They give you 1 set of sauces for 1/4 chicken and 1/2 chicken but whole gives you 6? Makes no sense. They are here to swindle your money, folks. Head over to Lima's for better service, cleaner facility and HONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES! Red flag: empty during dinner? Figures. Food: nothing to write home about. Listen to this and the other reviews and stay away. read more

I passed through Maryland to Philadelphia and dropped by this place. The food was delicious! The prices were incredible. I think we fed 3 people for less than thirty dollars. The services was very friendly and quick. I'm not sure what the other reviews here are talking about. We experienced no problems and I kinda wish they would open up a store in the Philadelphia area. I'd be going there once a week. read more

Regrettably, I cannot comment on the quality of the food. You see, I have been desiring Peruvian chicken for mucho tiempo, and I have heard marvelous things about this place. However, both times I have tried to visit this place during their posted hours of operation, they have been shut down. Yes, no one is working, and the chairs are on the tables...DURING THE POSTED HOURS! I even called to find out when they are actually open; it turns out they are indeed open on the days that I visited...normally. Apparently each time that I showed up to find no one around, "something came up." Uh-huh. Someday I will get to try this place. O quizas no. read more

Stopped there for lunch last week. Try to get in before 1130 to avoid the rush. There isn't much parking and it's a busy lot so be careful. I like the chicken. Great seasoning and it's never dry. The sides I would skip. The salad is basically like a pre bagged grocery store salad and the rice is bland. The beans are ok but a little too runny for me. I will be back juts for the chicken. read more

The place was empty and hot! The service was okay but we wanted to rush out because of the heat. We took it to go. The chicken was dry and over seasoned the rice wasn't bad, but it also was dry, as if it had been sitting out too long. Coming from South Florida, where there are plenty of delicious Latin restaurants, this place pales and falls flat. read more

Really good food, at a cheap price.

Hmmmm.... I read the mixed reviews and, since it's relatively close to my work, I figured I needed to give this place a try. Really hard to score this one. The chicken was really good, although it did not have a crisp skin and I have no idea whether it is supposed to. But it's tasty. The plantains were yummy too. In a moment of panic (more on this later) I selected some sort of stir fried rice (I think) as the other side. It was so-so. The problems, in my opinion, really are related to the experience. The system is not very well organized -- beginning with no clear spot for where to order. Would make the most sense to order on the left and pay to the right (think Subway). But that's not how they work it -- at least it wasn't on the day I was there. The ordering and payment is a very rushed experience which is only complicated by a significant cross-the-counter language barrier (hence the fried rice side). The food is solid but the experience alone might possibly keep me from coming back or at least from coming here on any sort of frequent basis. I'm not one of those people who likes their food served along side a plate of stress.....and the process stressed me out a little bit. read more

Not good. I give it 2 stars because the food was edible and didn't make me sick. I reserve 1 star for places that have infestations and are filthy. The fries are terrible. Just as they gave me my fries they yelled for more from the back, so I guess the ones I got had been sitting there for a while, but they were not enjoyable at all. The fried rice was good. I actually liked it because the only fried rice I've had has been from Chinese restaurants. This fried rice tastes Mexicany, different from Chinese fried rice. So, get that if you go there I guess? The chicken was acceptable. It was not bad. I had half a chicken, 2 sides, and a can of coke and it ended up costing me $20. Just avoid this place. I was looking for another Mexican restaurant that my friend said was great and was nearby here, but I couldn't find it so I just figured I'd try this place. Bad idea. read more

First time trying Peruvian Charcoal chicken and I was impressed. After reading some of these reviews post eating. Im eager to try out what people are calling better then here. But moving on...The chicken was ok and the fries were mediocre and the price was ever so slightly steep. The main thing I love from here is their Chicken Fried Rice (very tasty), and their sauces. Although I imagine other places sauces are similar or better. Another thing is, i have been here 3-4 times and almost every time i came they were having atm card issues. So in short 'yummmm love their chicken fried rice and sauces" read more

A place to get robbed.. I asked what was free for the two sides. They said everything but the chicken fried rice. So we ordered steamed vegetables and chicken rice. They charged me extra for the vegetables, so I asked them why. They said it says it in the register that I have to pay $1 more for vegetables. I said where does it say on the menu, they said it doesn't matter on the menu. They just kept on repeating that the register says extra money. They also said if you have problem just pay. Crazy attitude and doesn't make any sense to there ever again. read more

The food was good. However customer service needs some major improvement. We ordered the chicken sub and it says on the wall and on the paper menu "Chicken, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayonnaise" My wife has a dairy allergy and when it came with cheese the woman behind the counter wanted to argue and told us it said provolone cheese... She then proceeded to get the paper menu out in her crusade to prove us wrong and even as she pointed at the wrong menu item (the cheese steak) saying provolone she would not budge. From here she played the typical "language barrier" card pretending to not understand us. Nothing ruins what could have been a good time and good food by an infuriating customer service incident. The saddest part was we just wanted to point out the he fact it has cheese and the business should update their menus, I ended up switching food with my wife as we would have done anyways. read more

On the trip to Philly, I stopped here for dinner. I pulled off of the freeway to find something to eat, and upon entering this shopping center from the rear (it looks more like a low-rent office park), I was ecstatic to see a Peruvian chicken joint. I was salivating at the prospect of chicken as good as I'd had at the recently closed Pollo Campeon in my hometown. The food wasn't bad, but it was not even close to the quality of Pollo Campeon. But that's not what turned me off about this place. The employees were apparently in the midst of some family drama, which made for an unpleasant dining experience. The teenage girl at the register was utterly disinterested and not helpful at all. By the time I had begun eating, she had disappeared into some much older man's car directly in front of the restaurant (I won't discuss what she appeared to be doing in there), leaving a line of customers waiting to order. Eventually, the girl's mother emerged from the kitchen, with a phone glued to her ear. She approached the register and stood there for several minutes, gabbing on the phone. And she completely ignored the 2-3 customers waiting to place their orders! At one point, she at least asked the one guy who had already ordered and was just waiting for his meal, "What do you want?" But she ignored his reply. After a while, the daughter returned with an even worse attitude than before. She took a few orders, made some angry remarks to the cook, and then stormed out of the restaurant. She drove away, but then pulled back around to the front of the place and barged in with two jugs of vinegar, which she slammed onto the table closest to the entrance. Then she angrily left once again. Her mother, phone still surgically attached, seemed unphased and continued the conversation that was clearly more important than her job. Overall, 4/10. read more

WTH! A group of us at work (7 ppl) decide to try this place for lunch. We had a menu someone got a week ago. $5.99 for qtr chicken w/ 2 sides sounded good ($7.29 for half chicken). Menu stated free delivery (minimum $20) and they open at 11:30. We call the restaurant at 11:35 and the lady on the phone says delivery only on the weekends. There was no small print on the menu stating this. We decide we still wanna try this place so we call them back to place an order for pickup. Lady tells us that they don't open until noon. Two strikes already in less than 5 minutes and I haven't even seen the place or had any food! We called them at noon to place a pickup order. The lady asked us to come in and place the order. We asked for her to please take it over the phone since it's a large order; she begrudgingly took it and told us it would be ready in 30 minutes. We drive over there and show up at 12:25PM to see 4 people standing outside in the rain. I walked up to them and realize that the doors were still locked. (The sign on the door said they open at 11:30AM). One of the guys standing outside said this is normal for them to open late (not a good thing to hear IMO). We see workers in the restaurant in the back but none come over to unlock the door, even after someone banged on the window. Someone finally comes to let us in at 12:30. The two people ahead of us place their order and get their food. We get up to the register and tell the lady we called earlier with our order. She recognizes us then proceeds to place the order into the register and hand the other guy our order. (Our orders weren't even processed yet!) After 15 minutes, we get our order with a couple of things missing (I'll give them a pass on this since it was a large order). We asked to get some extra sauce and she had the audacity to try to charge us for it, even after all this mess. Plus, she tried to charge us "4 for $1." Ummm, it's $.20 for one so how can 4 be a dollar? It would make good business relations to toss in some extra sauce no charge for someone ordering alot of food and after you opened up an hour late. She never once apologized for the mishaps. Health concern: The lady who took our order and handled the money tried to speed things up by chopping up some chicken while the chicken guy was packing up our food containers. She didn't wash her hands nor put on gloves. She tried to barely hold onto the knife, scissor, and tongs but she ended up putting her hands onto the board that touched the chicken. It would've taken her a few seconds to just put on some stinkin' gloves. On a positive note: the chicken was delicious though the skin wasn't as crispy as other places', the coleslaw was delicious and not watery like other places, and the green chili sauce was spicy and delicious. Even the mild sauce was good. Their food gets 3 out of 5 stars from me. Service gets 1/5. Total 2 out of 5 stars. read more

"Holy Scnikies, Batman! This is what happens when folks toss the idea of FRESH FOOD to the curb and opt for expediency." Richmond, VA Yelpers, I blame this poor review partly due to how AWESOME "Chicken Fiesta" is! The 1/2 chicken with "fried rice" and fried Yucca, (cassava root), was heinous. Someone needs to explain to these folks what exactly happens to Yucca that was deep fried this AM and you serve it at noon. All your choices are in chaffing dishes ALL pre-cooked. While I get some of the longer to cook items like the roasted chicken, (Which there were about 4 of them pre-roasted and piled up in an eery looking warmer box on display for all the world to see how little you care), or even the beans, there is NO REASON AT ALL, one cannot fry the fries or yucca to order once they've been par-fried. Again, they simply don't care. The fried rice was equally horrid. The chicken could have been good at one point in history...hours ago. In other news, why do they have "pupusas" on the menu in a Peruvian restaurant, yet the prerequisite ceviche they only have "on Thursdays?" Simply because the owners are El Salvadorian. Not that i'm shocked or overly concerned with this as there are many good Italian stomps in the U.S. run and owned by Ecuadorians, Salvadorians, Mexicans, et al, but in the name of all things good and holy, at least get the food execution right, if not your identity. (And don't assume I only speak English because I'm dressed in a business suit. My 1st language is Spanish and I understood all the joking about my "when was this cooked" questions). read more

I don't recommend this place. Food is descent, but customer Service is terrible, the lady who takes the orders is very nasty. No manners whatsoever. Go to Lima chicken! read more

Went there last weekend this place is the worst. I ordered the chicken ceasar salad. The chicken was ice cold. They had no dressing for the salad just the some available choices that were on the counter. They were not stock with some of the items on the menu. I also got the soup and that was half way decent minus, it tasted good but had more chicken fat and skin than meat in it.....look if you are ever in Jessup just drive past this place. read more

I just went there for the first (AND LAST) time. There were no signs at the entrance for patrons to use the door further down. The counter attendant seemed to have an attitude. She lacked pleasantries and good customer service skills. The food was just as bad. Pollo Fuego is by far THE WORST PERUVIAN CHICKEN EXPERIENCE, I've ever had! I will not be going back to that place ever again. I'm shocked they are still in business. Food chains like Sardis have nothing to worry themselves about with this restaurant. read more

I've had their half chicken, rice, beans, fried plantains and their sweet cole slaw. Everything was delicious. The chicken marinade has a great savory, smoky flavor and the mustard sauce the give you with the chicken is really unique. read more

Have to disagree with HowChow here (sorry). I love Peruvian chicken, and was really optimistic about this place opening. Sadly though, in three out of three visits, the skin hasn't been properly crispy, in the first visit the fries were cold, and the rice was boring, in the next two visits, they seemed to have ramped up the seasoning and added MSG, me and my not usually MSG sensitive friend had raging thirsts and banging headaches afterwards. I'm looking forward to Su K's review of this place - he is surely the king of the chicken reviewers! read more

This place is squarely ok. There's a good enough selection and the food is decent. I got a chicken quesadilla and it was a lot of food, but it wasn't the best I've ever had. The fries sucked, so stay away from them. read more

Cashier was unhelpful and unknowledgeable. He overcharged us and messed up both my order and the orders of everyone else in the party. Very disappointed with the food and service. Food portions were extremely small for price. Sauce for chicken was extra. Most places give you the sauce. The dessert, tres leches, was dry, stale, and unsweet. Will not return. read more

The service was BAD. The female at the counter just had the worst attitude. A coworker said he experienced this same problem a few weeks ago. So no need to rate the food... read more

Avoid at all costs. You have been warned, only yourself to blame if you decide to go anyways. REASONS: The lady that sometimes serves but always is the cashier makes up policies. Decides randomly which sides to charge extra for, even though the menu clearly states any 2 sides with chicken or steak plates. Also randomly decides when to charge for delivery. They will also randomly tell you your credit card is declined if they are in need of cash, to make you go get cash. Happened to me with 2 credit cards and I checked with my banks, she never submitted an authorization. The chicken was extremely dry. This type of business practices may work in Peru, but not in America. Sorry. Never going back again. read more

Originally intrigued by the prospect of chicken in the Peruvian style, I was instantly turned off by the following. 1) Terrible service. There was a single lady working the front. When I walked in, she was on the phone talking with someone (obviously not a customer). She did not hang up the phone to take my order. As this was my first (and last) time dining there, I had some questions regarding the menu. I attempted to ask them and she pointed her finger at some sign I could barely read as if that would answer (all the while on the phone). 2) This food is no bueno. I am not really certain what counts for Peruvian chicken, but I hope this isn't it. The chicken had obviously been under a lamp for a while. I got a burrito that was absolutely drowned in cheese. It was actually quite nasty. The french fries looked as if, instead of being tossed out once they were cold, they were thrown back into the fryer. They were completely saturated with frying oil and had no potato left to them (almost like those buffalo or cheese flavored potato sticks). The meal cost $20. I think I could have gotten better food AND service at Taco Hell for half the price. Never going again. read more

The chicken was moist and okay, but I think they add MSG to their food. This is the second time I have gone there and after eating I had a headache and felt nauseated. Therefore, I will NEVER go back! read more

I live around the corner and finally gave this place a try. The service wasn't very great but I didn't expect much. I got a whole chicken and two orders of pupusas (6) for me and my boyfriend, and it was almost $40. Way too overpriced. However we did get like 4 meals out of it (dinner and lunch for both of us the next day). The Peruvian style chicken was very delicious. You can see it roasting in the ovens inside and it's very flavorful and tender. They are super stingy with the sauce though. The pupusas were very unimpressive. The sides that I got were also not that great. It's hard to mess up roasted plantains but they were decent. The fried yuca was the driest I ever had. I would go back for the chicken but they need to bring their prices down a bit! SHEESH! read more

Good food, reasonable prices. Get the half chicken and yuca fries. Don't expect much in decor or service. This is a counter experience. Best for take out. They are often out of something. read more