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[Kusagari]

So basically shit that only exists on the west coast.

Not surprised.

 

[GAMEPROFF]

El Pollo Loco?

Sounds like a front for Gus.

Wtf, is this just a coincident?

 

[ryseing]

Needs more PDQ.

That place is going to dominate in a decade.

 

[Meier]

Torchy's is going to take over in the coming years. Finally opening locations in another state (Colorado).

 

[Log4Girlz]

Pollo Tropical baby

 

[newdayrocks]

El Pollo Loco has been around since 1980 in Southern California.

"Up-and-coming"

 

[rpmurphy]

i thought el polo loco was gonna blow up when they opened a few chains out in the far reaches of west metro atlanta....but they closed real fast. I think everyone in the state closed shop. its not like there is no demand. we got a few similar spots around atlanta.

Yeah, on the other hand, Pollo Tropical seems to have been opening locations around here. So good.

 

[Crud]

El Pollo Loco is a great date spot.

Everytime I pass by El Pollo Loco it smell like they burning the chicken up. Especially in Austin on the south side.

 

[Kite]

The El Pollo Loco in my neighborhood is pretty damn legit, can't speak for other locations.

 

[Kelpie]

There was an El Pollo Loco that opened up near my neighborhood in Virginia Beach, VA but I didn't get a chance to try it before they closed it and turned it into a Burger King.

 

[Dishwalla]

I recognize El Pollo Loco from SoCal, cool to see it's expanding.

 

[Calamari41]

El Pollo Loco has been a staple in Orange County since I've been alive, and Rubio's has been for the last fifteen years or so. Both great places, I hope they can maintain their quality in the expansion. There's a Habit near my house that I still have to try, but it's tough because I have to pass an In-N-Out and a Five Guys to get to it. If I'm burgin' hard, I rarely make it that far even though it's just three or four blocks.

 

[DTU]

Thumbs up for Rubio's and especially The Habit.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

I guess Smash Burger aint big time yet...

 

[Oreoleo]

The DoF on that pizza makes it look like it's about 4 inches across. A pizza for ants?

 

[Escape Goat]

I guess Smash Burger aint big time yet...

Good Burger is on its way up though.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Pollo Tropical baby

Place is constantly packed.

Financially they must be doing great, surprised they haven't attempted more expansion

 

[MoodyFog]

If there's one thing I envy from the US it's your fast food. Damn.

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

Chain Mexican food? I don't think so.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I guess Smash Burger aint big time yet...

Is Smash any good? I've got some coupons but every time I feel like a burger I just head to Culver's.

Having lived in SoCal for a third of my life, stuff like El Pollo Loco and Rubio's are old hat. I've never been to either tho. So my choices in SoCal. Who ever said something like people'd go crazy over EPL in the Midwest is totally right. Midwest blows man, so every half decent/mediocre joint is revered

 

[Stumpokapow]

Rubio's is pretty turdly, definitely sub-Chipotle tier. El Pollo Loco is just about the worst """"Mexican"""" food you can get in California. Don't recommend either unless you're scared of getting food from anywhere that in't a fast-casual chain.

 

[The Lone Courier]

I always thought Rubios,Pollo Loco, and Habit were already national chains. There are a bunch here in socal.

 

[Necromanti]

So is every apparently good fast food place exclusively in California/the West? I've never heard of any of these.

I guess the Midwest is just supposed to be satisfied with Steak N Shake.

I live on the West Coast, and I wished that half of it made it out of California. Seems like most things get stuck there.

 

[Cagey]

No love for Muscle Maker Grill, the most Jersey chain imaginable?

 

[soul creator]

El Pollo Loco?

Sounds like a front for Gus.

First time I visited LA, I saw one and totally thought it was the Breaking Bad restaurant at first, haha.

 

[alfredofroylan]

Rubio's is pretty turdly, definitely sub-Chipotle tier. El Pollo Loco is just about the worst """"Mexican"""" food you can get in California. Don't recommend either unless you're scared of getting food from anywhere that in't a fast-casual chain.

I'm mexican and we don't consider it "mexican food" it's just chicken, I mean how exactly Pollo Loco works there? For us this's what we get there:

 

["God's Beard!"]

Habit is good.

 

[Calamari41]

El Pollo Loco is a KFC competitor, not a Mexican food competitor.

 

[HypnoDarkrai]

I like In-N-Out more than The Habit.

Spoiler

Connal's is better than both of them.

But yeah most of these are in SoCal.

 

[ghostofsparta]

El Pollo Loco gave me diarrhea the ONE tim e I went. No thanks.

The Habit is pretty good though. I love their BBQ sauce and I like that they put put out jalapeños.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Is Smash any good? I've got some coupons but every time I feel like a burger I just head to Culver's.

Having lived in SoCal for a third of my life, stuff like El Pollo Loco and Rubio's are old hat. I've never been to either tho. So my choices in SoCal. Who ever said something like people'd go crazy over EPL in the Midwest is totally right. Midwest blows man, so every half decent/mediocre joint is revered

Smash is good to me yeah but in CA where every burger joint there is exists it may not stand out as much. EPL was something i've totally forgotten since living in CA because i never went in there.... was there ever a reason to? I had a place on Claremont in San Diego that satisfied my Mexican food needs.

 

[rexor0717]

Habit has always been where I live, they have great burgers. Really good onion rings too. For a long time, I feel like Rubio's was shit, but now there for is pretty decent. I like their ancho citrus shrimp burrito.

 

[Calamari41]

One thing that I've found with El Pollo Loco is that the quality varies pretty widely depending on the location. The one by USC in downtown LA is crap, with overcooked chicken and old sides, yet the one I grew up next to and the one near me now are damn near restaurant quality. This is one thing they'll have to get control of if they want their expansion to be a success.

 

[Future]

Rubio's is pretty turdly, definitely sub-Chipotle tier. El Pollo Loco is just about the worst """"Mexican"""" food you can get in California. Don't recommend either unless you're scared of getting food from anywhere that in't a fast-casual chain.

Not a huge fan of el pollo loco but it sure as hell beats Taco Bell

Taco Bell is on of those things I thought I liked as a kid, went back as an adul after getting used to real food and was shocked at how bad it was

 

[exmachina64]

I want them all.

 

[hastethedav]

Blaze pizza is magical.

I get mine Noah's ark style with roasted garlic and pesto drizzle.

Hangovers don't stand a chance

 

[HallucinatingElvis]

El pollo loco has been around for ages and its just now up and coming? Blaze pizza sounds just like Mod Pizza...I love Mod Pizza.

 

[JDeluis]

I'm mexican and we don't consider it "mexican food" it's just chicken, I mean how exactly Pollo Loco works there? For us this's what we get there:

Having a Spanish named restaurant automatically makes it Mexican LOL. Pollo Campero will be the next "MEXICANAN" place take over.

 

[Calamari41]

Having a Spanish named restaurant automatically makes it Mexican LOL. Pollo Campero will be the next "MEXICANAN" place take over.

McDonald's: the worst Scottish food in California?

 

[ZackieChan]

Haven't had Blaze, but the others are great. Miss them all, now that I'm living abroad.

 

[Trojita]

Of course it is mostly stuff on the west coast.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Rubio's? really? Ew.

 

[LegendX48]

el pollo loco? ugh, that stuff is trash. Their chicken is completely and totally devoid of flavor.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Not a huge fan of el pollo loco but it sure as hell beats Taco Bell

Taco Bell is on of those things I thought I liked as a kid, went back as an adul after getting used to real food and was shocked at how bad it was

well i mean i don't exactly consider taco bell or del taco to be food in any real sense, i sort of took that for granted

Having a Spanish named restaurant automatically makes it Mexican LOL. Pollo Campero will be the next "MEXICANAN" place take over.

El Pollo Loco brands itself as Mexican for whatever reason. It's weird because most of their locations are within like 200 feet of actual Mexican food trucks or w/e which would cost the same or less and be inordinately better. But I guess it's threatening to people who drive Minivans or something, so chain junk it is.

 

[Somnid]

Lyfe Kitchen is as bad as it sounds. Everything is super bland, not filling and expensive. But this girl in my office who's more or less orthorexic loves it.

 

[alfredofroylan]

El Pollo Loco brands itself as Mexican for whatever reason. It's weird because most of their locations are within like 200 feet of actual Mexican food trucks or w/e which would cost the same or less and be inordinately better. But I guess it's threatening to people who drive Minivans or something, so chain junk it is.

Mostly because the franchise started in Mexico, in Sinaloa to be more precise.

 

[harSon]

I might give Habit Burger a try. There's one about 20 minutes away from me.

 

[War Machine]

These aren't "Taking over America" when most of them are only on the west coast

 

[- J - D -]

El Pollo Loco is interesting. They've been around for what feels like an eternity but is only now going public.

For fast food chicken I prefer them over places like KFC. I don't see it as Mexican food. Many food places on the west coast are Mexican derivatives anyway.

 

[Escape Goat]

These aren't "Taking over America" when most of them are only on the west coast

They aren't really "taking over America" when they're not actually taking control of anything.