This particular pollo tropical location has been my prime on campus dining choice for the past couple years. At one point the employee knew my order before I even made it. Although there have been a few times where my orders were forgotten or I had to wait an hour for one entry, my experiences have been mostly positive or neutral. For less than $6, you can get 1/4 chicken with rice and beans. However, I would not recommend if you are particular with the quality of your food. PROS - Affordable meals with proportional quantities, offer healthier options that are warm and freshly cooked comparing to Subway or Croutons, quality tastes depending on the day, friendly service, convenient location while on campus. CONS - Bland tastes on most days, portions have gone down since my first visit, limited options comparing to off campus locations, sauces often run out after 3 pm, long lines from 11-2, at times understaffed or undertrained staffs. read more

Woooow ordered two regular size mashed potatoes and this is what I got instead. I've never had a issue like this. I will definitely never go back here again. read more

Pollo Tropical - Rice instead of mash potatoes - Latin American Near Me - Gainesville, Florida

Very good tasty food and cook to perfection. Had the chicken with white rice, and black beans.

Food consistently takes forever to order & cook, usually undercooked and cold. Not worth the money

What an absolute waste of money! You pay the same as Chipotle but receive half the amount of food. ... its all rice. what a rip-off. ... won't be back. read more

So like with most of the chains on campus this pollo tropical is a shell of its brothers and sisters off campus. The portion sizes tend to be smaller, the quality inconsistent, the cleanliness meh, the service in need of work, and the wait time comparatively long. Now all that aside I will say that I always hit up pollo before any of the regular Reitz dining options. The reason why is because it's fare of rice, chicken, and veggies tend to be loads healthier and tastier then greasy pizza and fast food burgers. Yes it has a lot to be desired but this is still pollo food. Maybe you find your chicken is dry, your rice a little over cooked, or less veggies than you expect. If you go during non peak hours and find your meal is subpar I've complained before and asked for a replacement with small hassle. Forget it if you come around 11-1 though. This pollo could use a lot of work, but on those days where I haven't eaten all day and just need something to pack my stomach I bite my tongue and dig into my tropichop. read more

I am sad right now with this Pollo Tropical. I typically order a 1/4 chicken with two sides whenever I need a quick bite and am trapped in the Reitz Union. While their food isn't gourmet or what one would think of as an idyllic grub spot, I've been disappointed in their inconsistency with the quality of their food. I always enjoy their waffle fries, even though I know I lose a year of my life every time I eat them. However, I ordered their mac n cheese the other day and was very disappointed. It tasted really bad and there was random black stuff in it (I know it wasn't burnt mac n cheese) and there was a random piece of chicken in it. Needless to say, Pollo was off their game that day. However, there is always a long line for Pollo during peak hours for lunch, which is between the hours of 11:45am-1pm. They try their best to be quick with their food and they are generally nice when you order. There is ample seating around it and it is a part of the Reitz Food Court but is off to the side right by the UF Bookstore entrance. read more

I have been to many Pollo Tropicals and this one is by far my least favorite. Located in the Reitz Union, it is one of the "best" options to eat at in the food court. When compared to Wendy's, Panda Express and Papa Johns - I would definitely think to choose Pollo Tropical. However, there are so many reasons why this fast food option may not be the best. First, on the school website and along with the other food court options, Pollo is supposed to close at 3. When you go to order your food around 2:30PM, they surprisingly close the kitchen and take no more orders - I was so disappointed! Around lunch time it gets pretty busy with students and faculty, so the line is usually really long. The staff is not too friendly when in a rush. So along with a mediocre staff, you have to wait around 6-8 minutes for your food depending on how busy it is. I had a 30-minute break when working at the bookstore, so this took forever! Lastly, the portion of the food that you get for the price you pay here is not worth it at all! I usually like to order the TropiChop with chicken and veggies. I am still starving after because you barely get any meat and rice - and get this...often times you get ONE tomato slice and ONE piece of broccoli. I am saddened by this Pollo Tropical and don't recommend if you are looking for something quick and filling. read more

I just ordered a crispy chicken sandwich combo and waited damn near 30 minutes in the drive through. I also had the worst customer service, once I paid I literally had the window slammed in my face with no feedback as to why the meal was taking forever, when I glanced through the window the employees were just standing around joking with one another. I'll never return!!! read more

I'd like to make a clear distinction for most of the food offered on campus. They severely lack in quality compared to their counterparts on archer and elsewhere. Why? Because UF can exploit students and their meal plans by charging more than those off campus. The portion is smaller, the price is higher, but students don't have a choice sometimes because that's what's close and efficient. Do I still eat it? Yes because if I'm busy and running low on time, I'm gonna run to one of these places. For some reason the taste is different as well, the pollo off campus is dramatically better not only in taste but service and appearance. You'd think that the taste from a chain would be standardized to taste equally across the board but this is a prime of example of when it's not. I feel like because of the smaller portions and price, I give this location a 3 rating. read more

I get nauseous thinking about the food this place serves. The chicken is dry and chewy and the sides are mushy cafeteria slop. They are stingy with the sauces that could make the food easier to choke down. read more

The gentleman that was serving the food behind the counter had his pants below his butt showing his underwear. two cooks did not have any head coverings as they were preparing food. Food was cold when finally given though we stood there at the counter waiting 15 minutes to To then ask them to hand the food to us that was in a bag. Manager was asked for the food and only apologized stating the staff was new and was learning. However she did not address the other unsanitary issues. read more

Considering that Gainesville doesn't have many good Hispanic restaurants, this would be one of the many restaurants that fall into that category. Most Pollo Tropical restaurants serve much better food; the chicken is more seasoned, the rice has oil and salt, and the beans aren't so dry... Waiting in line also tends to be fairly long considering it's on campus, so if you don't like waiting in line, try going at a time where students aren't rushing the Reitz Union. Even with all these drawbacks, this Pollo Tropical is not THAT bad compared to other restaurants at the Reitz. Just watch out for making a meal a combo; it's $2 extra bucks and not worth it. Just order a cup of water to save money and eat healthier. read more

One of the best and healthiest fast food places in Gainesville if you order right. You can get a quarter roasted chicken, a salad, and veggies for around $5. Plus they have some delicious salsa and sauces. Don't know why the reviews are so bad right now. read more

Fast food done right. This place serve a full sized portion at a fair price and the best part is the sauce bar where you get to pick between around a dozen flavors. The chicken and ribs is my favorite. read more

So i came here on a college trip with my school, i asked for a tropichop with chicken because i like chicken and i was hungry. I get it back with no chicken. Then i asked for a cup of water, and they give me sparkling water. Im not happy. read more

I am in love with their oven roasted chicken and their wide selection of sides. And another great thing is that you get an fulfilling portion of food for a great price!!! read more

omg LOVE! I was so happy to find out there is a Pollo Tropical on campus. I agree that the portions of chicken are a bit smaller than usual but it's plenty of rice enough food to feel satisfied yet light. The 1/4 chicken meals however are perfect! The service is really fast and the employees always seem to love their job so I love eating there more. great food, great people, you almost forget about the portions. Also, they give as many sauces as you want. read more

I think this is the best place to eat on campus specially if you like big portions and don't have much money. The half chicken value meal is the best! they give you half a chicken with two sides for around 6 bucks! Where else can you find this kind of deal? I didn't give them 5 stars because they are not excellent, but for the price you pay it is a pretty good deal... read more

Location: Butler Plaza. I love the menu (same as in Miami, it appears), but I have not tried it yet, except for a single item. I will be back with my friends. But here are points I did not like from my first visit: Too cold AC. So much noise I had to speak very loudly. Slow (my soup delivery took a very long time). One is assigned a table instead of one choosing one's table. One received a sheet of instructions! The front door is locked. One has to enter through the side doors. So, if they improve on these various items, it will be a great success. For now, they needs much improvement in organization (less unusual rules, just let us make a line, order our food, and we bring it to our table of choice, easy). This week my friends will go eat lunch there, and will give me their thorough review (if it passes, we'll meet there regularly, for years. If it does not pass, this is our first and last time together at this location, lets see what happens.). read more