Pollo Loko - North Charleston, SC The wife and I stopped into Pollo Loko for a quick lunch, not expecting much... and wow, what a surprise this place turned out to be. First off, the customer service was outstanding. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and genuinely made us feel appreciated from the moment we walked in. You don't always get that kind of attention these days, so it really stood out. The restaurant itself was spotless, well-kept, and had a great vibe. You can tell they take pride in the place. Now let's talk about the food -- because this is where they really shine. We started with the empanadas, which were absolutely delicious -- fresh, flavorful, and the perfect way to kick things off. For our main, we ordered the Peruvian chicken, served with fries and rice, and it did not disappoint. The chicken was cooked perfectly, packed with flavor, and paired incredibly well with their signature sauces -- seriously, those sauces take everything to another level. Even the salad was fresh and tasty, which says a lot because that's usually an afterthought at most places. On top of that, they've got a great selection of sodas and other drinks, making it a perfect stop for a casual lunch. Bottom line: An unexpected gem with amazing food, top-tier service, and a clean, welcoming atmosphere. **Highly recommend -- 5 stars, 3 thumbs up from us. read more

Pollo Loko - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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I visited here when I was in the area and on the way to the airport. I was hoping they would have Lomo Saltado, but alas they didn't so I just settled on a Carne asada quesadilla and a Jamaica drink. This is a fast casual style restaurant and not a real fancy place. My picky colleague who's never had peruvian ordered the ribs. Quesadiladas - you get 2 in an order and these are different than Mexican ones since they have grilled bell peppers and onions. A bit pricy too...the rice and beans that come with this are just average. They only had 2 salsas for the table, a green ranch like one and a red spicy one similar to a spicy Mexican red sauce. I'm still looking for a peruvian restaurant that has the spicy green sauce that most all peruvian restaurants have in California. read more

Came here with my oldest son, he had the carne asada, I had the 1/4 rack ribs. Both were really good! My ribs were not greasy, had a crisp outside and a tender, juicy meat inside. Rice had lots of garlic flavor and the beans were pretty good too. Prices were reasonable. Folks inside were friendly and good came out fast. It's a great little hole in the wall for really good food at a fair price. J.Ja read more

Pollo Loko - 1/4 Rack Special - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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They are so horrible my god I can't even begin.the service was ok but the server was so horrible they messed up my order and gaslit my entire family mind you we all heard me say dark meat they defiantly white washed it it was not cheap And the food was horrible, the selection wasn't good the ambiance was horrible it was Ether loud music or completely silent. Don't trust the sign and go somewhat else chipotle was more authentic read more

Pollo Loko - The pollo Loko qeruvian cuisine - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

We go often and it is always the same... great! Highly recommend the chicken plate with rice, beans and a salad. Can't beat it!

We are originally from Jersey - Colombian and Peruvian restaurants are plenty and then we moved to Socal... Boy did we miss our spots... Now we are in SC and so far this spot hit "the spot" . The chicken is well cooked and not over seasoned. No red spots is an A+ in my book! We will return! read more

Now this place doesn't look like much. Looking from the outside you wouldn't think the food is good. Well the food is actually EXCELLENT. The customer service is EXCELLENT. The staff doesn't speak much English but the menu is in Spanish and English. Give this place a try, I can assure you that you will be back again. You a get a lot of food for a little bit of money. I'm surprised they don't have more business. My favorite are the ribs, but the chicken, tacos, fish, it's all good. Give this place at least one try and tell me what you think of it! If the company can, please fix your sign on the outside so people can find you. read more

The food was terrible for what the price is they are very racist and I also found a hair in my food never going back 100 percent don't recommend read more

Pollo Loko is one of the many gems along D road. I'm not sure if they've switched back to indoor dining yet, but I enjoyed a nice laid back dine-in experience, pre pandemic, while they had a soccer game playing on the TV. I sat at the window so I could people watch, obviously bc I'm nosey AF, and our server was super attentive. Take out is just as delicious as dine-in. I always get lomo saltado bc that is my favorite Peruvian food ever, and I really enjoyed theirs. If you are a french fry person, lomo saltado is your thing. Plantains on point too. We'll definitely be back. read more

One of the best kept secrets and lunch menus in North Charleston: POLLO LOKO, serving their authentic Peruvian style chicken and the amazing BANDEJA TIPICA (rotisserie chicken, beef, sausage, egg, yuca, fried plantains, rice, beans and avocado). For breakfast, lunch or dinner, come hungry and leave happy! read more

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Get the half chicken you cannot go wrong and you won't find it anywhere else the way they do it!

Looking for that hole in the wall, good food. Pollo Loko is the place. The menu it's a mixture of Mexican, Peruvian, Latin America cuisine. No reservations needed, just enter, look at the menu, order and sit down and they will bring you the order. Very approachable staff and always trying to make sure your good. We LOVE the pollo/ chicken a la brasa, Lomo Salteado, Tacos al Pastor, fried Plantains. Our family really enjoys it, read more

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Awesome service with good food was my experience. The plantains were outstanding and the chicken wuesadilla totally delicious & legit. read more

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Authentic Peruvian cuisine!! So delicious. It has been such a relief to find a restaurant like this in the midst of the seemingly endless shrimp and grits dishes in Charleston. The staff is very friendly and really takes great care in preparing the dishes. It takes about 20-30 min for a dish to be prepared, but I prefer that over fast food. It's your first time there. What should you get, you ask? Two words. Bandeja Paisa. Imagine this all in one dish: rice, beans, avocado, sausage, chicken, an egg, plantains, and beef. Amazing, right? And also do yourself a favor and order a drink of horchata! Just wow. read more

Pollo Loko - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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I really like this place. It does have really good. Little expensive. They definitely don't like white people in there. Once they screwed up my order and acted like they don't speak English. read more

Food doesn't have flavor No good service Reheated tortillas in microwave shit slack read more

Great ribs, great chicken and awesome cabbage salad. Highly recommended. Staff are always friendly, gets really busy on Friday nights. One time went there on a Friday and the were out of chicken. read more

The Hungry Detective is on a mission to explore ethnic food spots near the Charleston Air Force Base...being retired Security Forces. This place is the real deal and truly authentic Mexican cuisine. I had the quarter chicken platter with rice and beans (soft tortillas). The chicken was moist and the beans and rice were fresh and accompanied the shells perfectly. VERDICT: Guilty as sin for bringing it to the table...literally...I will be back. read more

Good tortas, and chicken, other than that the tortillas are terrible, and the price is very high for what you're getting. Around 20$ a meal that you could get another Latin or Mexican place for cheaper and get more. Depending on the day the service is slow, and if you call they say 20 minutes and mean 40. I use to go before the name change but now I only go if it's the last thing. read more

Great food , tortas are on point , very casual easy to order , staff is very friendly. If you like a kitchen sink style with everything to include a fried egg their version of the cuban sandwich . read more

Ignore every single bogus review stating that this is " AUTHENTIC PERUVIAN ". It is not. It's mexicanized Peruvian. It's not even close to the real deal. The steak used for the lomo saltado is cheap top round steak, which should never be the case. Also, you don't pair yellow rice with lomo saltado. You just don't. The food wasn't nasty it just isn't authentic. With that being said the food wasn't good. I cannot stress how disgusted I am with the fake yelp reviews that are on yelp for this restaurant. It's Mexican with a Peruvian facade. The portrayal of being a Peruvian restaurant just to find a niche in the Latin food market of Charleston should be criminal!!! I've given up as a new resident to the area when it comes to finding Latin food other than Mexican, with the exception of a Cuban and a Brazilian place near downtown, in a Charleston. I will finally wrap this up but don't you dare go here if you're in the mood for Peruvian or Colombian food. You won't find it. It may look similar in the menu pictures but once you get the food you'll deeply disappointed. ESPECIALLY if you're Peruvian. I must mention this one more time. @Yelp, something should be done about these "elite" yelpers that give people misleading information as a result of what seems like paid reviews. Maybe these people reviewing are not Latin and don't even know what the food should taste like. I cannot stress how NON-PERUVIAN this place is. read more

Get the sampler platter if you can! It's too difficult to choose one item here. Your meal will not be complete without tostones and beans! I love this little spot. read more

I came here solely to try the chicken. Quarter chicken was larger in portion than any other chicken specialty places. It was super juicy, tender and flavorful. The rice and pinto beans it accompanied were good, the cabbage salad was salty sour, not used to the taste. Hubby got bandeja (sausage, beef, chicken, rice, beans, plantain, arepa) and said the beef/chicken were especially good. Yuca fries were good and fresh. Horchata not so good, looked different. read more

Pollo Loko - 1/4 chicken - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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Very good tacos the food is consistently great and delicious. If your looking for good Latin cuisine this one of the great places

Same place food still delicious. Just a change in name I guess. Oh and prices went up a little. Still lots of food. read more

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Charleston is know for a lot of things: five centuries of history, Rhett Butler, stifling humidity, and of course it's low country cuisine. Peruvian food? Not so much. Pollo Loko when properly spelled (loco) means crazy chicken. I think they changed the name because they are not affiliated with the well known Pollo Loco chain. Whether you call it "Loco" or "Loko"; this food is "crazy good"! I love low country food, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to mix things up so I decided to get some "real Southern food" SOUTH AMERICAN that is. I punched up my trusty Yelp App and proceeded to read the consistently outstanding reviews. Make no doubt, this neighborhood isn't like the Battery or historic Charleston; this is in a rundown "seen better days" mostly Latin strip mall. For the life of me, I couldn't find the Pollo Loko sign but instead found a sign that had "Pollo" and the word "tropical" which looked like the letters had been removed. It was after lunch so the place was empty and I was convinced that Yelp had let me down and this place was actually closed down for good. I closed my eyes and thought WWABD. (What Would Anthony Bourdain Do?) You damned right, I marched in that friggin Pollo Loko/Pollo Tropical or whatever the hell it was called and bravely grabbed a menu. A sweet Peruvian lady came out and confirmed I was in the right place. I ordered the quarter charcoal grilled chicken with yellow rice, cabbage salad, and beans. They had an assortment of Peruvian colas but my eyes widened as I spotted a Mexican Coke. I try to only have one "overly sweetened/battery acid" Cokes a year and I just had a feeling that this cold cola sweetened with good old fashioned sugar would go perfectly with my Peruvian feast. The restaurant was clean as were the bathrooms. The place looked like it could handle 50 people at a time but I was the only person in the place. I wiped the beads of sweat from my brow and said a prayer. When I opened my eyes a feast fit for an Inca King lay in front of me. I took a giant swig of my cola and devoured the moist smoky tender grilled chicken. Not normally a fan of cabbage, I scarfed it up. The rice and beans were simple yet delicious. The lady brought me some hot sauce which was probably Peruvian in origin. The food was mild but didn't really need the hot sauce. I brought my native Charlestonian GF here later that day and she ordered the ribs. The ribs were tender, a little crispy on the outside, and weren't swimming in BBQ sauce. In fact, they had only Peruvian spices with zero of the sweet stuff. We both agreed they were fantastic. I ordered the empanadas but they were prepared "Colombian style". They tasted like they were made with masa harina instead of flour and were stuffed with a mostly bean filling. It was accompanied by homemade pico de gallo. Really recommend the empanadas! If you come to visit this majestic city and you want to be adventurous, give my new friends at Pollo Loko a visit. After you finish that meal, neader on over to the boiled peanuts stand just feet away from Loko. They have three different flavors of boiled peanuts: regular, cajun, and ham. Great snacks for your ride home. read more

Pollo Loko - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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This place just knocked my socks off. I first heard about it from a friend of mine and became more interested as I looked at the pictures on Yelp (if I don't get hungry from the pictures, I probably won't go). Man! My friend was right. It's a small dive that I pass by all the time and didn't notice until now. But they serve up some amazing Peruvian food. I stopped in for a to-go lunch and ordered the pollo tropical which had chicken, cheese, pineapple, and onion with tortillas on the side. It also came with pinto beans, yellow rice, and cabbage. I loved everything! So flavorful. Each bite danced in my mouth. That might be an exaggeration but I need you to understand just how amazing the food is. Also, my order came out very quick! One of the ladies gave me their card and told me I can call and order ahead next time as well. There was a ton of food left on my plate after I was beyond full. They definitely give you your money's worth. I have enough for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow! I'm definitely coming back. This may be my new go-to spot! read more

Pollo Loko - Pollo tropical minus the bacon...wow! - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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Wow. Harry R. and I went here for dinner last night on a whim, and we were totally blown away. The food was outstanding! We split a 1/2 roasted chicken, which was served with cabbage, beans, and rice, and it was absolutely amazing. The cabbage was out of this world, and the chicken is up there with the best I've ever eaten. I also highly recommend the Yuca fries which were definitely the best I've ever had. Eat them with their house hot sauce and you're all but guaranteed to have a great night. I also recommend the meat empanadas. They were served very warm--straight out of the fryer--with some of the best pico I've ever gotten at a restaurant. Everything was absolutely delicious and fresh tasting. I felt like I was having dinner at a friend's house (assuming that friend is also a world-class Peruvian chef). You can bet your huevos I'll be coming back here again! read more

Pollo Loko - Empanadas! So delicious and simple. And that Pico! Omg. - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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Still coasting through Charleston seeing who has the best authentic taco! A YELP! Search led me to this (clean and spacious) store front restaurant in an unassuming strip mall. I was greeted as soon as I walked in and placed my to go order. I opted for two beef tacos and a chicken taco after I was advised that they were out of el pastor tacos.... that deeply hurt my taco loving soul. The prices were reasonable as I added a Horchata and grilled peppers and my total was under $15 bucks. The tacos where authentic, the meat was fresh, but the flavor was just ok. Not enough flavor to the meat for my palate. The quest continues (however there is a small taco spot previously reviewed that may be the best authentic taco in Charleston shhhhhhh) read more

Pollo Loko - The Quest for the Best Tacos in Charleston continues !!! - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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I had pre-planned to arrive at this establishment with my two peers on such a fine autumn Thursday. I scooped one of them while the other would meet us there. When we pulled into the lot, my passenger had begun to judge the book by its cover (the plain exterior of the restaurant). Once inside, we were seated swiftly & comfortably. I don't believe it took more than 3 minutes to be waited and served! We were on to the meal immediately. I had ordered the scrumptious-tasting house salad, which contains a plentiful portion of grilled chicken & some soft toasted bread on the side. The amenities were clean and comfortable. 5/5 stars for Pollo Loko! We will return soon! read more

This place is really good. I can best describe this place as a dive. If you come here with quality food as your focus, you should be pleasantly surprised. Not exactly a hang out spot read more

Pollo Loko - 1/2 chicken - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Great change up from your typical foreign cuisine. The chicken is to die for and the staff is on point. Yumyum

Very flavorful... I had the 1/4 chicken and ribs... EXCELLENT... No Complaints... The cabbage salad is a good addition for flavor... Definitely recommend read more

Nothing makes me happier that exploring under-the-radar restaurants in North Charleston for ethic cuisine. One of my best friends recently got back from a long trip to Columbia and after hearing her stories, I was eager to check out this style of cuisine myself. I decided there is a direct correlations between the sketchiness of the exteriors and the deliciousness of the food served inside when it comes to North Charleston eateries. Don't let the worn out half-written sign on the outside fool you. Pollo Loko is real deal Columbian and authentic in the sense that the majority if not all of the clientele appear to be Spanish speaking residents of the area. Wanting to get the full experience, my friend and I decided to order the Bandeja Paisa platter, which came complete with Columbian sausage, charcoal-grilled chicken, beef, Yuka, beans, rice, avocado and sweet plantains. The platter was plenty of food for the two of us and all for only $14! While the beef was somewhat dry and tough, the chicken was juicy and charred and the sausage- spicy and flavorful. A disappointment of Pollo Loko was that the restaurant was out of many staple dishes I was hoping to try- like the arepas and the Tres Leches cake. Overall I recommend heading here if you are looking to try a new style of cuisine for an affordable cost. Get the Bandeja Paisa if you are like me and love trying a little of everything! read more

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Pollo Loko was a welcome surprise. My mother had just finished up some local business, so we were looking for something local that seemed unique, and Pollo Loko fit the bill. It's a little off the beaten path and is definitely a hole in the wall (frankly, those are my favorite kind of places), but the food was satisfying and well worth the asking price. My mother had the Lomo Saltado, thin slices of steak, cooked with tomatoes, red onions, spices and served over french fries with a side of rice. The amount of food was plentiful and it tasted delicious (the steak itself tasted very similar to a similar steak preparation my Cuban grandmother used to make, minus the fries). For me, the lengua (cow tongue) taco has kind of become my baseline indicator of any restaurant that has them on the menu. The best I've had are at Real Mexico in Columbia, SC, but these may well be the best I've ever had. The only downside is that the minimum taco order is 5, which means you need a hearty appetite if you're going solo. The lengua was cooked very, very well, soft, juicy and tender, but with a bit of char to the edges of the meat. Each taco was absolutely packed with it. Served with cilantro, diced onion, lime wedges and sliced cucumber, these were the tacos I was looking for. Throw in a cerveza Victoria, and I was a happy camper. The red sauce that was served with the tacos was delicious as well...not as spicy as I was hoping, but very flavorful and a good addition to the lengua, onions and cilantro in the tacos. If you're in the Charleston area and looking for some Latin American food, this is a great place. I kind of wished I had tried their chargrilled chicken, which looks amazing, but the tacos won't disappoint. You'll need to keep your eyes peeled to see it, because it's easy to miss (I drove right by it, and I was looking for it) as it's in an older, very unassuming strip mall. It won't win many awards for the setting, but the food more than makes up for that. read more

Pollo Loko - Lomo Saltado - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

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Delicious and fast service. Will definitely be a regular. Drove by many times before I finally stopped. It was a pleasant surprise.

Okay, living in Charleston is cool and all, but finding a place that serves authentic coastal Central/South American food just doesn't happen easily. Finally I found a fantastic place that serves the most badass Guatemalan chicken. ALSO- they have arepas???? THIS CAN'T BE REAL LIFE. Perhaps its because I have unfulfilled goals of visiting my homeland, but I ordered strictly off the Colombian offerings. Also, their Bandeja Paisana (a traditional dish resembling a meat party from heaven) was perfect for someone who is indecisive and wants a little of everything. It had: sausage, chicken, steak, eggs, avocado, arepas (albeit a polly pocket sized one), plantains, rice, and beans. It was about $12, and made for fantastic leftovers (my boyfriend and I split the leftovers the next day for lunch and were left full again). Their horchata was perfect, and OH MY GOD their hot sauce was actually hot. Their hot sauce probably deserves its very own review, because it is basically the best sauce ever. I actually asked the server if they would sell me a bottle, but since they don't do that (it was a long shot, I know), she just gave me like 4 little containers full of it. She now owns my soul. On the ambience: pretty bare-bones. The place is sort of in an obscure location in North Charleston, far away from the typical downtown tourist/College of Charleston locales. The place is extremely unpretentious, which is actually quite nice. You know you are paying for the awesome food, not for the atmosphere, and it is totally worth it. read more

Pollo Loko - Gluten free empanadas??? I think so!! - Mexican Near Me - North Charleston, South Carolina

Terrible service, mediocre food is the not the beginning of a good review. Their credit card machine was down and the employee failed to tell us when I placed the order. Matter fact I called twice because i added to my order. Once I arrived she told us and we had to go to the package store in the complex to get cash. I should have just left honestly. read more

I love this spot they make amazing food and their half a chicken is fucking dope, they give you tortillas, rice, beans and salad!!! It amazing!!!!! Don't be dumb this food is fucking incredible!!! read more

The location looks bad, run down plaza, but the food was great. My husband and I shared the whole chicken that was smoked and it was Finger Licking Good, really great flavor, broken up into pieces to make it easy to eat. We also had the fried plantains and yuca fries. Both were good. The yellow rice and cabbage slaw that came with it was good. My teenager was surprised to find a head on her fried tilapia, ha! So heads up on that one. We did not care for the tres leches. It was in a to go container sitting in milk instead of poured at time of serving on a plate. It had sliced peaches in the middle which was interesting. read more

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