3-57 Saint Nicholas Ave, Ridgewood, Queens. L-Train to Myrtle-Wycoff Aves.
Pollo Campero is a Guatemalan fast food chicken chain. It arrived in the United States in 2002 and currently has three locations in New York City: Ridgewood, Corona, and Washington Heights. A Sunset Park location closed within a year of its opening.
The Ridgewood location is brand new, having opened in July of this year. It is easy to reach as it's only a block from the Myrtle-Wycoff Avenues L-Train station and Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood. This restaurant is rather large and even has a small indoor playground similar to what you would find at a suburban McDonalds. The dining area was extremely clean during my visit and the tables were even lightly decorated with colorful tissue paper. Latin music via XM/Sirius satellite radio was playing and some customers were even dancing!
The Pollo Campero menu is split about 50/50 between fried and grilled chicken. There are several small sides available, your choice of which is included in the combo meals, as well as several extra slides, such as a small salad, available at an extra cost. Combo meals also include the choice of either bread or tortillas.
I chose the 1/4 white meat chicken meal ($6.49 plus tax) and chose coleslaw as a side (the meals generally have a specific side mentioned but you can substitute), as well as tortillas. Beverage options include a self-serve soda fountain and several tropical beverage options which the staff will dispense for you. There is a salsa bar next to the soda fountain and also a ketchup pump (always a big plus).
The presentation of the meal was excellent. The chicken was served on a real plate along with the tortillas, which were in a plastic wrapper. My coleslaw came in a bowl and was a larger portion than I had expected.
The meal was absolutely delicious. The grilled chicken had a flavorful coating, was moist, and practically fell off the bone. The coleslaw was of a relatively coarse cut and tasted fresh and not overly-mayonnaise-like. I didn't really have a clue what to do with the tortillas, as I was eating the chicken off the bone, so I simply ripped off pieces of them as I went along.
Overall this is a restaurant worth checking out. The healthy options will certainly be appreciated by many, and the clean and welcoming appearance is certainly leagues better than the average New York City chicken chain. One can only hope that this chain will continue to expand throughout the city.
Fun fact: Both Pollo Campero's Ridgewood and Washington Heights locations are on (completely unrelated) Saint Nicholas Avenues.
Pollo Campero is a Guatemalan fast food chicken chain. It arrived in the United States in 2002 and currently has three locations in New York City: Ridgewood, Corona, and Washington Heights. A Sunset Park location closed within a year of its opening.The Ridgewood location is brand new, having opened in July of this year. It is easy to reach as it's only a block from the Myrtle-Wycoff Avenues L-Train station and Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood. This restaurant is rather large and even has a small indoor playground similar to what you would find at a suburban McDonalds. The dining area was extremely clean during my visit and the tables were even lightly decorated with colorful tissue paper. Latin music via XM/Sirius satellite radio was playing and some customers were even dancing!
The Pollo Campero menu is split about 50/50 between fried and grilled chicken. There are several small sides available, your choice of which is included in the combo meals, as well as several extra slides, such as a small salad, available at an extra cost. Combo meals also include the choice of either bread or tortillas.
I chose the 1/4 white meat chicken meal ($6.49 plus tax) and chose coleslaw as a side (the meals generally have a specific side mentioned but you can substitute), as well as tortillas. Beverage options include a self-serve soda fountain and several tropical beverage options which the staff will dispense for you. There is a salsa bar next to the soda fountain and also a ketchup pump (always a big plus).
The presentation of the meal was excellent. The chicken was served on a real plate along with the tortillas, which were in a plastic wrapper. My coleslaw came in a bowl and was a larger portion than I had expected.
The meal was absolutely delicious. The grilled chicken had a flavorful coating, was moist, and practically fell off the bone. The coleslaw was of a relatively coarse cut and tasted fresh and not overly-mayonnaise-like. I didn't really have a clue what to do with the tortillas, as I was eating the chicken off the bone, so I simply ripped off pieces of them as I went along.
Overall this is a restaurant worth checking out. The healthy options will certainly be appreciated by many, and the clean and welcoming appearance is certainly leagues better than the average New York City chicken chain. One can only hope that this chain will continue to expand throughout the city.
Fun fact: Both Pollo Campero's Ridgewood and Washington Heights locations are on (completely unrelated) Saint Nicholas Avenues.