El Pollo Grill - Otay Ranch

The food was good. Chicken grilled well with nice woody flavor to it. Not the most generous portion of French fries and salad but overall a good meal Thanks for firing up that grill 🍗🍗🍗

The menu has a lot going on, quite large and you can't back up to read it. It is not clear what some of the items are. The specials or in the windows outside, so look there before entering. The music was very loud, the cashier wasn't able to say what other options are when I asked for a taco plate, they said the rolled tacos. So I am not sure if there would have been a better meal for us. 🤷🏼‍♂️ We ended up each getting a burrito, chicken and a beef. Both ordered the same. They came out pretty quick, no clue which burrito was which. The orange 🌶🌶🌶 salsa was not spicy at all, like Cholula is 2x hotter (and isn't very hot). They have the mini salsa cups, I went through 6, my son 4. Yet to get a bigger cup is $2 plus tax. Just seems very odd. Why no squeeze bottle of salsa? My chicken burrito had no cheese and very few fries. The chicken was minimal, so it was mostly rice and beans, and just very wet and fell apart. The beef burrito had a lot of cheese and fries, it didn't seem as wet. $32 for 2 burritos is definitely on the high side for the low quality. I have zero desire to go back. I'd rather have a smaller portion of quality ingredients than this. There were 2 other groups that walked in, looked at the menu, and left. The place only had 4 other people eating in. The floors were filthy even though an employee was cleaning tables non stop. 🤷🏼‍♂️

**Price and Value:** For the quality of food and service, the prices were reasonable. The portions were generous, and I felt I got great value for my money. The flavors were authentic, and the fresh ingredients made a noticeable difference. **Overall Experience:** I would highly recommend El Pollo Grill to anyone looking for delicious, authentic Mexican food in a fun and vibrant setting. It’s a great spot for both quick bites and leisurely meals with friends and family. I’ll definitely be back to try more‼️

I’m giving the food and service a 2 star because the burrito had 2-3 French fries in the whole thing. Yes, they gave me a lot of meat, but it’s not a California burrito with no fries. I’m disappointed because this was my favorite Cali burrito in all of SD, but it’s gone down hill or at least poor service with lack of attention. The meat was also cooked like if it was boiled unlike the usual char style.

Great food, terrible customer service. They charge $3.99 for an empty container that you have to stand in line to fill from their salsa bar. The salsa is free if you use their single scoop small containers, no matter how many you fill. $3.99 is the most expensive empty plastic container to be found anywhere. Also, they charge extra if you want dark meat only chicken.

Nice place with plenty of options, but I’d classify it as more of an Americanized Mexican restaurant. The food has flavor, but it’s not quite authentic. Their burritos have a lot of rice and beans with very little meat. I’ve tried this place twice — it’s okay, but it wouldn’t be my go-to spot. A bit on the pricey side too, though that seems to be the norm these days.

El Pollo Grill is an excellent place to stop by if you need a friendly smile from a cashier/waitress along with a good meal. The atmosphere highlights SD sport teams and hometown athletes. A great place to take a lunch break with a friend(s) etc. You can also enjoy watching special events on the many flatscreen monitors throughout the grill while enjoying a tasty margarita, beer or wine.

I always love that restaurant when i live near there my auntie house but my school program is over and I came back to Korea I really really miss that sauce, burrito, mood, everything I think I sometimes think of it more than my crush acc I have to go back chula vista for getting them ugh i had to steal their recipes IM CRAVING SM

Disclaimer there is no negative feedback about the food but I want to share about my recent experience with customer service that wasn't so pleasant. I had placed an online order, it didn't give me the chance to put my name, however I assumed they probably got it from my card info. Nonetheless, I had an order number, confirmation email as well as the order page was opened. I arrived at the time to pickup my order and told the lady working "Not sure if it took my name because it didn't give me a chance to type it. But I have the order confirmation number" I showed and she said "We don't do order numbers." And I gave her my name as well and explained that same thing where it didn't let me type my name. She was pretty rude and was unable to find it...it was on the counter this entire time, I honestly could've just grabbed it but I didn't. Another staff was kind and was able to find it for me and apologized on her behalf. I don't appreciate the rude behavior from the original staff helping but I appreciate the kindness of the other staff.

I use to work in Lemon Grove and go to the El Pollo Grill there and it was always on point. When El Pollo Grill Otay Ranch opened I was excited because I moved to Eastlake and El Pollo Grill never disappoints since day one. In 2020 I ordered some frozen burritos for a flight to Virginia for my son and his family during Covid and they were perfect! Fast forward today - the service is still on point and they have even more on their menu. Great customer service and community fundraising! They have a great patio area and are can be a little loud at times inside but it's not bad. They have a great salsa bar and refreshment area. The food and their specials are excellent. Would always recommend to anyone looking for a great Mexican fast food location. Great tacos, pollo, burritos etc.

Grab 619 Mysterio Burrito this afternoon. Meat was perfectly cook and savory. Service was up to par. This place is always clean and tidy.

Updated menu as of 7/25/25. Great service and good portions as always. Dining room clean. Thanks Victor for running a great business in our community.

Food was delicious!! On weekends they have carnitas and they are the best carnitas I've had from a "taco shop"!! Perfectly cooked, moist and crunchy!! I understand why they are only available on the weekend because you can taste that they take time cooking them. The other food we had was delicious as well.

If I would have known sooner that El pollo grill had chilaquiles on their breakfast menu and they were this good I would have tried them a long time ago. My new favorite chilaquiles hands down! I ordered their green chilaquiles with over easy eggs and rice and beans and paid extra for Cotija cheese and sour cream. They were the perfect crunchy and soft and the sauce was excellent. Service however was very slow, I dined in and waited almost 30 minutes for my food. I also ordered a carne asada bowl and a flour tortilla on the side. They called my number up to the counter and handed me the flour tortilla but I didn't get my food until 10 minutes later and because I asked if it was almost ready because my tortilla was already cold/ the young lady at the counter just smiled and said almost ready. She did not offer to heat the tortilla up again or suggest I exchange it for a warm one once I finally received the food.

The salsa here is amazing. I ordered the pollo asada salad and it was enough to feed an army. They use shredded lettuce which is odd but I really enjoyed it. I'm bummed they don't do free chips but their chips are worth the price and you get a huge basket. Everyone I was with got burritos and they couldn't finish them so you better be hungry when you go.

This place is gooood. Came here on a busy Wednesday night as the Padres were playing. Everyone was out watching the game. The line was long but moved fast. I ordered the surf and turf bowl with carne. It was delicious, fresh and had a nice kick to it. I will say it was slightly watery, I'm assuming from the fresh salsa. Fortunately that didn't make the entire dish soggy. My husband ordered the California chicken burrito. He loved it! Kids under 10 eat for free on Wednesdays which is a win in my book. Love the decor inside. It's super vibrant, welcoming and screams San Diego lol. Will definitely be back!

I have been eating from El Pollo Grill for years and decided to share my opinions. From breakfast burritos/plates, to lunch items, to chips and salsa, even to their fountain horchata... this place never fails. All the food is delicious and every single time I have gone into this restaurant, the staff is super friendly and attentive and the cooks know what they are doing in the kitchen. It's a super chill and relaxing vibe in the restaurant, to either have a date or just go hang out with friends. Highly recommend. Some of my favorites: chilaquiles, chorizo burrito, carne asada mulitas, shrimp plate with rice and beans, And many more.

I was extremely disappointed with the level of service I received today at El Pollo Grill. The restaurant decided to close early for Halloween, even though I had placed an online order scheduled for pickup at 7:00 PM -- the exact time they apparently chose to close. When I arrived, the doors were locked. Luckily, as another customer was leaving, I managed to get inside to pick up my order. As soon as I walked in, one of the employees rudely yelled to another, "I thought you locked the doors, customers are coming inside!" -- completely unprofessional and unnecessary. While I was at the salsa bar packing salsa to go, a teenage boy was waiting patiently with a salsa cup, and the same employee suddenly took the salsa away right in front of him. Absolutely rude! To make things worse, when I finally got home and opened my order, the carne asada chips were terrible -- the chips were stale, old and chewy tasting. Definitely will not be supporting this business anymore. Sorry Victor, your employees are RUDE AF! Make better choices.

I think everything here for the most part is good, they are quick and so far they get everything right when I order. What I did not like was the breakfast burrito, it had onions inside with the potatoes and I wish they would've mentioned it and I would've said no to the onions and gone about my day but I didn't eat it because when I got home and took a bite, it was all onions. Not for me. Other than that, it would be cool if they played the Padres game since they decor is all Padres. Overall the food is tasty and quick.

My favorite place to get carne asada fries. They have amazing deals daily. Their fish tacos are great. A couple of fish tacos + carne asada fries makes for a great meal for two people for less than $25! Hard to beat nowadays. I also like to support this business as the owner does such good for the community. Service is always excellent and the food never disappoints. Great ambiance and restaurant is always clean.

Ordered for delivery thru the Website. 12 piece meal, 2 sides of rice and salad, 2 8 oz of protein, salsa and sour cream. First thing, I was supposed to get my order at 430, It came at 520. Second there was 1 order of rice missing. I received 2 2 oz of carne asada. I ordered from them before and had good service. This place is hit or miss.

Eventhough the staff forgot to post our order above the grill, they apologized. I didn't get mad nor ask for anything. I simply forgave them and enjoyed our Chilaquiles and Grilled Fish Burrito. Service usually great here. I'm sure it got busy and our order just happened to get lost in the shuffle.

Never had a problem before today so hope it was a one off. I ordered online and one of the items was a surf and turf burrito no turf (so shrimp only). That weren't sure so when we got to the store they confirmed only shrimp and o said yes. We get home and they literally put only shrimp nothing else and still charged full price. On the app I only clicked no turf so not sure why there was any confusion.

Came here on a Saturday morning for brunch, huge menu, causal ambiance and it wasn't crowded which was shocking. We were assisted right away with a friendly lady at the front and placed a dine in order. Helped ourselves to the very tasty salsa bar. Food was incredible. We split the Buzzer Beater Quesadilla and even had leftovers from splitting it. Delish!

I come here at least once a month for their menudo. It's the best menudo on the East Side of Chula Vista, and possibly in all of CV. The broth has the nice rich flavor that I prefer, it's cleaned very well and there is no "pansa smell," if you eat menudo you know what I'm talking about. Not only do I come here for menudo, their burritos are also the best in town, minus the breakfast burritos, idk why I'm just not a big fan. Their Cali Burrito stands out for me and comes with all the fixing (including guac). My wife loves their birria tacos and their carnitas on the weekends is also another slam dunk. The size of the tacos is humongous. If you can scarf down two, you're a champ because those bad boys are packed with meat. Victor, the owner, is a champion of the community and does a lot for the local schools and community members. Overall we love El Pollo Grill for their burritos, tacos, and menudo. It's funny because the chicken is my least favorite, although it's still good. Highly recommend.

This is my go to place whenever I'm feeling a burrito in the Otay Ranch area! The food quality is good and consistent. I've tried many things on the menu but my typical order is a pollo asado burrito. It may seem crazy that burritos are up to $16 these days, but wait til you see the size of them and they are very filling. Some other mentionable items to get are the daily specials, fries/chips, and bowls. My personal favorite daily special is on Monday, where you can get a 12 piece chicken plus two large sides and tortillas for $29.99. The chicken is delicious by itself and also accompanied by the salsas at their salsa bar. The ladies that work at this location are always friendly and there are plenty of seating both indoor and outdoor on their outside covered patio.

Ordered chicken roller tacos and they didn't put any guacamole big ripoff place, the customer service isn't good either. Make sure to check your food whenever you order

Big and clean space, which seemed very calm on a weekday early evening. I ordered a California burrito, which was good based on first impressions, but the meat did taste a bit gamey. I'd like to give it another shot

I usually go for a burrito or bowl when I come here, but decided to try the carne asada fries this time around. I ordered a pick up order, which took a little longer than expected. But the restaurant was fairly busy at that time to it's to be expected. The fries were very flavorful and the meat was delicious! I opted for guac and sour cream on the side. Personally, I'll probably stick to a burrito or bowl next time, but everything I've tried from El Pollo Grill has been tasty so far!

Me and my family are here every Friday and the service , food are always the same ., EXCELLENT SHOUT OUT. To Ms. ERIKA., I made a few mistake on my order and accommodated me with a smile and without even a question., what a good and awesome costumer service.. We always feels welcome!!!

First time eat here, their food tastes good especially their salad I like it. Staff is nice and approachable. The place is clean, ambience is pleasant. Will recommend and definitely will come back again.

This is hands down one of my most favorite places to get Mexican food. Everything is good and the food is seasoned well, not bland like some places.

Best place to come on a Sunday can't go wrong with this location I come here every other Sunday. Best choice for a morning breakfast

Butler Buzzer Beater Quesadilla is a MUST TRY!!! I went into pollo grill not wanting to eat my usual so coming up to the cashier, Ivan, recommended I try their new Butler Buzzer Beater Quesadilla. I told him if it didn't look like the picture displayed, I wasn't going to eat it. To my surprise and thanks to Ivan, it was way better than expected!!! I have a new favorite item from their awesome menu. Thank you Ivan!!!

My favorite place to order a Cali Burrito. Such a big portion and it comes with my favorite toppings, guac and sour cream. I wish more cali burritos had this included. I mostly mobile order or order on the self serve screen. Employees are nice but not overly enthusiastic to be there. Good place to grab a quick bite but it can be on the pricy size. Portion size does balance it out fairly.

The food here is very good! I like the 10 piece grilled chicken family meal. This meal comes with flour tortillas, rice & beans. It's enough to feed a family of 4-6!

I come here quite often! I enjoy getting the chicken burrito satisfies a good meal post leg day.

very inconsistent with their burritos. one day it's loaded with sour cream and guac and the next week i reorder the same thing and not a drop of either. will not be coming back here, much better mexican food elsewhere in CV/SD

Great service!! Generous portions! We absolutely love the quality of food and service here!

The food is really yummy I LOVEEE the fries, I would give a 5 star, but when asking for the fries, they (the workers) do not mention that they have a FULL size, and a HALF size, so when asking for fries, they automatically give you the bigger size. But the atmosphere of the place is nice, and it's really clean. I think I'm definitely having my birthday party here.

This place is so delicious. If you love Mexican food this is the place and while you're there a soda, margarita, or beer. I had a birria taco, my husband had the birria plate, with a beer or two. . The food was savory and made to perfection. The service was great along with the whole sporty vibe.

Cool Authentic decor! I ordered a 2 piece with rice and beans- $16.84 not a great deal but acceptable- unfortunately the food was cold and kinda tasteless. The service was ok.

Can't customize an order of ten pieces with two being white meat. And then starring directly at ME for a dam TIP! I think NOT. Good night.

Me and my boyfriend were looking for a spot to get a Cali burrito and decided to try this place out and hands down one of the best Cali burritos we have ever had. The meat has so much flavor and it was HUGE! Definitely come check this place out.

This is my favorite place for chicken meals! The staff is very nice, and they are always extremely careful with food contamination. I have a severe shellfish allergy, and I always mention it to the staff. They take extra care to prepare my order separately. Highly recommend!

Customer service was somewhat good. One of the cashiers was a bit cold but another one was really nice and warm. They have a wide variety of dishes, and their prices aren't too high for comfort food. The food tastes good.. I tried a bowl and it was tasty! Their horchata Is also good but a bit too sweet. I want to come back!

Wow while the food is still good, I honestly have to say that I hardly come here anymore due to the cost. Charging $15 for a burrito is simply ridiculous. They've increased the prices on everything. Some items have been increased by as much as $6. Took my family there to eat and while again the food was good and we got our order quickly....spending $80 again is outrageous for what we got. Hopefully prices go way down as time goes on as again I did enjoy eating here.

Anytime I'm in socal I'm on a mission to find the best burritos! My cousin told me to try this location, they had carne asada fries, my other cousin had carne asada chips, my husband had chorizo burrito (no beans) and I had SY Mikey's burrito (no cheese, no rice, no sour cream). Two or three people can split the fries or chips it's large portions. As far as the chorizo burrito it comes with beans so just order it without beans for a classic chorizo and egg burrito. Delicious! The star of the show was Mikey's burrito. I'm so mad I didn't order ten of these, freeze them and fly home with it. lol. It was so good I would fly back just for this specific burrito. It comes with multiple types of protein, guac and french fries so essentially a supercharged Cali burrito. I don't eat dairy so I didn't get the sour cream or cheese. I didn't get the rice in it either because I wanted to make it higher protein and reduce the carbs. It's huge. I cut it into four pieces, but it was so good and so greasy I ate all four pieces of it in one sitting.

From the ambiance, customer service to the food quality, El Pollo Grill is superior in all essence! I love the generous portion of their food, especially the amount of meat they give you for your order! Their burritos are ginormous. My favorite is their surf & turf burrito. The San Diego burrito is a close second! Their broiled chicken is also delicious! Very tender and juicy! There are different options for family or party sizes that is enough to feed a village! I also appreciate that their facility is spacious and very clean. Victor (owner) is an amazing human being. Always looking out for his neighbors and giving back to the community!

Best Carne Asada Fries in town! Love the carne Asada mulitas, too. They always provided excellent service! The facility is kept clean and well stocked. Love the outdoor patio as well! Tonight we did a ChowNow order and the food was just as delicious delivered as it is when we dine in!

Very disappointed with the Otay Ranch location!  After walking around the farmer's market, we ordered tacos for take-out. Machaca tacos and chile con carne tacos.  As soon as we got home, we noticed something really weird. There was lettuce around the sides of the plastic takeout container. It's only weird because none of the tacos we ordered ever come with lettuce.  So we pickup our tacos from the container and then see the worst thing ever! No not bugs, not hair... but lettuce, cheese and sour cream. This can only mean two things... they reused a container after messing up an order. Or even worse, reused a container that was trashed! We are ALL lactose intolerant, so we NEVER order anything with cheese and/or sour cream. For any restaurant to reuse containers is unsanitary, unhealthy, and unsafe!  We ended up tossing out all the food. What a waste of money!!! We pickup food from El Pollo Grill all the time. We've even hosted fundraisers here. NEVER AGAIN!  Victor, you need to train your employees to do better. This was a huge mistake - a disgusting mistake! You've lost loyal customers!

The food here never disappoints. We got the birria fries and a carne asada taco & they were both so good! The workers were nice and the service was fairly quick. The inside of this place was aesthetically pleasing. The walls had beautiful murals that were eye catching when you first walk in.

Their service was the worst ! Went to purchase two family chicken meals To Go, I've waited over 20 mins , I noticed the people that were behind me in the line were getting their orders, their ticket # was way over mine and they were giving me all these excuses, why not just simply say , "we messed up" They also didn't properly covered the rice bowls and when I arrived home all the rice was spread inside the bag! Horrible day and terrible service ! Never again will visit this place .

Unbelievably long wait. My receipt time was 1:59 PM and we got our order at 2;25 PM. They called everyone after us so they must have forgotten about our order. The carne asada mulitas were 2 for 12.99. It was OK. The tortillas were very chewy and hard to eat. It didn't seem very fresh. I did like the mild red salsa in the salsa bar. And the cashier who assisted me was very pleasant. The quesadilla was different than others I've had and the burritos were large but I didn't try them. I also had flan for dessert but ate it first because our food took so long. The flan had a creamy texture and was also OK.

The Birria tacos and fish tacos were delicious! The service was fast and the ambiance was cute!

Very disappointed with their service. My wife and I arrived with only one customer ahead of us. We saw other customers arriving and receiving their orders. We waited 30 minutes to ask about our order. It was never made. We were told that "the order was cleared". Not sure why the order was cleared when it was never called. They never tried to accommodate or make the situation more pleasant or positive. No steps were taken other than a superficial apology. I decided to request a refund. And that's where things were awkward. They were unable to process a refund like all other establishments are able to do at that moment to finalize the issue. They filled out a report to process a refund at a later time. That's a process preformed from over a decade. Now we wonder if we will be receiving our refund.

I have been going to EPG since day 1@Otay Ranch, and they have never disappointed. Food, service and ambiance are always great. Love food portions are huge, prices are competitive to what everything is out there, and their customer service is great too. Place is clean, and their fresh salsas too. Suggestion: patio needs to include regular tables/chairs so people with limited mobility can also enjoy it. You also need a better and bigger soda and aguas frescas machines. Your salsa small cups and napkins NEED to be in a better place, like a dispenser so not everyone just grabs them, put back the ones they have already grabbed/touched, and then placed them back like nothing. Also, I side, maybe put a couple of table booths, those very simple chairs/tables belong to more like a regular taco shop. Again, just suggestions