El Pollo Loco

Reviews

• SA

  Sammy Abejero

  4 days ago
  2.0
  My wife was waiting to go here since it opened. Finally we went Tuesday and dined inside. There was no line inside and ordering was easy. Unfortunately it took 30 minutes for our food to be ready. My wife got the 2 pc chicken meal, breast and wing. I got the 3 tacos. The chicken was dry, bland and seem old. My Al pastor was also dry and bland. The salsa seemed to just be tomatoes and unseasoned. I asked for salsa verse and they said they don't have it but i saw them giving it to someone else for their salad. I've personally ate at Pollo Loco in LA when i lived there and it was just okay. But the one here in Kent was absolutely horrible and i wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
• MS

  Maria Santana

  Jan 2, 2026
  1.0
  Muy mala experiencia. Esperé aproximadamente 2 horas para recibir mi orden y, para mi sorpresa, el pollo estaba crudo, con mal aspecto y sangre visible. Esto no solo es inaceptable, sino también un riesgo para la salud. Después de tanto tiempo de espera, lo mínimo que uno espera es que la comida esté bien preparada y en condiciones adecuadas. Lamentablemente, esta experiencia me dejó muy decepcionada y me hace pensar dos veces antes de volver. Espero que mejoren sus controles de calidad y el servicio al cliente. Very bad experience. I waited about 2 hours to receive my order, and when I finally got it, the chicken was raw, with a very bad appearance and visible blood. This is not only unacceptable but also a serious health risk. After such a long wait, the least one expects is properly cooked food. Unfortunately, this experience was very disappointing and makes me think twice before coming back. I hope management improves quality control and customer service.
• QS

  Qian Shen

  Jan 2, 2026
  1.0
  I used to live in LA and frequently visited El Pollo Loco, the chicken was a favorite. But this location in WA did not live up to expectations. This is a review for the service only, as I did not have a chance to try the food. Google Maps listed their hours as closing at 10pm, however they do not let anyone cars enter the parking lot at 9:30pm, even to turn around and exit. I found this out after making a left turn, a staff took a cone and blocked my car in front of the sidewalk, saying they are closed and cannot allow any cars to enter. It’s normal if they sold out, but the issue was I was blocking the main road all throughout this time. I asked if he could at least let me drive through to the exit. Got a no and he wanted me to back up from the ENTRANCE onto the MAIN ROAD, which is both dangerous and against any traffic rules I’m aware of. Almost got hit by another car who also entered through a left turn and had no idea what was happening. I hope the management here improves before I dare try coming again. The staff is very undertrained and obviously doesn’t respect traffic rules as well.
• EE

  Emma

  Dec 31, 2025
  5.0
  So I went to el pollo loco on 12/30/2025 around 8PM. I witnessed a woman give attitude (the one who made a horrible review below this one) to the Employee turning her away. This employee politely told her that they had to close the line because there were already multiple cars in the drive thru all the way on the street. He literally did this to everyone who came. He was really nice to this mean lady and I wanted to catch his name so I could include him in this but I never did!!! He made conversation with those who were waiting in the drive thru line too. He also made sure other cars never cut us off in line- because trust me, some cars will try and squeeze in but he tells them to turn around lol. He was just doing his job, and politely too. About the Food- it was 10/10 and definitely tastes like the locations in California (San Diego girl here). They also threw in an extra burrito for us- so we really appreciated that!!! The ONLY thing I can really “complain” about is when I got to the window, she told me they were out of Large Lids so I had to get a Small Drink instead. Fine by me! I will definitely be coming here again. Editing to add: the lady deleted her comment so yall probably won’t be able to see it lol
• ML

  Mark Laufer

  Dec 30, 2025
  4.0
  I was extremely disappointed with this experience, and I came on here to tell you all about it, kind of a "buyer beware" warning. We got there at about 6:25pm. It was extremely difficult to find parking, as cars were lined up around the block. The line starts from the KeyBank, so we just decided to go into the public parking by the Starbucks. When we came in, it was extremely busy, about 50-75 people in the store, with no seating available, and if there was one available, the seat would automatically be taken. Then, we decided to order the 16pc Family Meal for about $56 (w/tax). It was a usual and fair price for 16 pieces of chicken, so I'll give them that. The wait times are what really got me. I overheard some people saying that they have been waiting since 5:00pm (it was almost 7!), and that they already have been waiting for 3+ hours. Before we came, we already heard employees shouting out if consumers don't pick up orders, they will deliver it to someone else. But the reading system is TERRIBLE! First off, there's no speaker/mic, so people in the back can't hear with all the chatter, there is no pager so people would not know if their food came, and the employee reading always gets drowned out from the excessive amount of chatter inside the building. After all that, the employee came back to shout out that the chicken would be another 3 HOUR LONG wait! After that major announcement, I decided to just cancel my order. A lot of people also canceled their orders also, completely fed up with the 3 hour wait time. Now, I'm planning a trip to California so I can taste the official El Pollo Loco, the one I always knew and loved for so long. The only reason I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 1 is because I'm glad they have one in Washington now, that I don't have to leave the state. The only thing I'm complaining about are the wait times and the organization. Overall, 3/5. I would come back here again, but when it is less busier, and make sure to plan ahead so you don't get stuck. UPDATE 1/10/2026: After seeing the news report on KCPQ showing how there was less of a busy line during the weekend, I'm bumping up my review to 4 stars. Can't wait to come back here and get quicker service.