Daniel B.
Yelp
Pollo Campero is actually pretty good. El Pollo Loco and Pollo Tropical don't have anything on this place. Pollo Campero is the world's largest Latin chicken chain. It's a mix between fast food and fast casual. The ordering process, delivery time, and prices are like a fast food joint (there's even a drive-thru), but the food is personally served to your table on a tray with real plates and silverware like a fast casual restaurant.
I had dinner here last night with a group of 12 for our latest Buford Highway UYE (http://www.yelp.com/events/atlanta-buford-highway-uye-pollo-campero). We showed up unannounced. The manager and staff were friendly and accommodating to our large group. I was pleasantly surprised with the entire experience including the service, the quality of the food and establishment, and the speed at which the food hit our table. After 28 BuHi UYEs with large groups, Pollo Campero easily wins for fastest food delivery time. In some cases, people received their orders almost instantly.
"Pollo Campero" roughly translates as country chicken. They serve all sorts of chicken: fried chicken, grilled chicken, chicken sandwiches, chicken strips, chicken bowls, and chicken burritos. You can choose which pieces of chicken you get (e.g. leg, thigh, breast, wing). Most of the aforementioned items cost only $6.00-7.00 each and include a side and fountain drink.
Note on the fountain drinks: In addition to the self-serve fountain machine with sodas, you can choose any of the fresh Latin drinks (agua frescas) behind the counter. They include tamarindo (tamarind drink), horchata (sweet cinnamon rice drink), and jamaica (purple hibiscus tea). I recommend these over the self-serve fountain drinks.
Family meals are available. You can order up to a 16-piece chicken meal with 4 sides for $32.99 (serves 7-8 people). You can also order a whole grilled chicken for $11.99 (or with two sides for $17.99). Sides include Latin dishes such as seasoned pinto beans ("Campero Beans"), black beans and white rice, seasoned rice, yuca fries, and sweet plantains, and American sides like mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and fries. If you're looking to eat healthy, salads are also offered.
A self-serve salsa bar is located next to the ordering counter. Last night, it contained five different types of salsas: jalapeno, pico de gallo, cilantro/onion, roasted tomatillo, and chipotle.
I ordered the #4 1/4 Grilled Meal ($5.99). It came with a grilled chicken leg and thigh (other option is breast and wing), a side (I chose Campero Beans), and a drink (I chose horchata). The meal was delicious. Everyone in our group who ordered the grilled chicken was surprised at how tasty it was. The chicken was well seasoned and marinated. It was tender and juicy -- perfectly moist. It's almost like eating rotisserie chicken.
The dish also came with a fresh slice of lime and a choice of a dinner roll or two corn tortillas. Lime was not necessary for the chicken, though. The skin already had an appetizing tanginess to it. I went with corn tortillas in lieu of bread and the tortillas were mostly unmemorable, except for the fact that each set of two was individually wrapped and heated in plastic bags.
The Campero Beans were quite flavorful. Campero Beans are slow-cooked pinto beans simmered with smoked bacon, chorizo, onions, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, and a special seasoning. They were certainly hearty and satisfying and I recommend them.
Drink-wise, I tried two of the agua frescas listed above: the horchata and jamaica. Both drinks seemed more processed than what an independent, perhaps more "authentic" Latin joint would serve, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The horchata was super sweet and consistently silky smooth throughout. Often times, horchata can have a powdery texture because the drink isn't mixed all the way through. Not here. The jamaica was fruity and also very sweet. I liked both drinks.
The store is bright and clean and decorated in bold burnt orange colors. You wouldn't think it from passing this place on the road, but Pollo Campero is probably one of the nicest, if not the nicest, fast food joints on Buford Highway. It's probably 10 times cleaner than the Taco Bell next door.
Service was excellent. Apart from receiving our orders super quick, staff periodically checked on our tables, asked if we needed anything, and took away finished plates. At the end of our meal, the manager checked on us one last time and thanked us for coming.
Overall, Pollo Campero gets a solid 4 stars out of me. I had a good experience and the food was good value for the money. I'll be back.