Pollo Express

Had a whole chicken with zero regrets. Get the rice as well it's so damn good! Make sure you have cash, they do have an ATM if you only have plastic. Eat here you will be happy.

They bottle the smell and sell it. The aroma was amazing. The service was great and helpful. The whole chicken was delicious and the grilled jalapenos were perfect. The rice and charo bean were also very good. The chicken burrito was also outstanding. I will be making Pollo Express part of my restaurant rotation.

I had the chicken burrito. Omg, so good. Super flavorful, and they brown the outside. Its huge. I had it in house and with chips and salsa. Salsa has a kick. I love that they use real plates and cutlery. Water is self serve. They currently have a Monday special for a whole chicken, plus sides and you get an extra 1/2 chicken. Also its really clean in here. Will happily come back. They do take credit cards but they have a 3% surcharge so bring cash.

I’ve been putting off coming here and I don’t know why. The place is phenomenal. Great flavor chicken. Very fresh. The burrito is everything I want out of a burrito; toasty on the outside so it holds its structure and doesn’t get soggy—- excellent consistency and flavor throughout. Quesadilla was delicious as well. WOW, come here!!! You won’t regret it.

I had beans and chicken catered from Pollo Express for a party. Everyone LOVED and raved about the chicken. We had many people ask where we got the chicken from. They loved it just like I do. On the day when we ordered the chicken (a day or two prior to the party), my sister and I sat down in the restaurant and tried their chicken quesadilla. 😍 it was so good and the portions were huge. Affordable too. This place has some amazing chicken! I HIGHLY recommend this Pollo Express to eat! Order the chicken.

A must try if you're nearby, don't let the small space fool you, those chickens pack a lot of flavor. Their salads are twice the size of Chipotle, Way fresher and cost less than what you'd spend for one there. They're half/whole chicken comes with salsa and sides, more than enough to fill you up. Just make sure to bring cash since they don't accept card. Stop by and have a bite, you won't regret it.

I have wanted to eat at this place for at least 3 years and I finally made it, and boy was it definitively worth the wait. The steak burrito is SO GOOD and the half or whole chicken meal is so mouth watering delicious that I went back 2 weeks later to get the BOGO on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The chicken meal comes with tortillas, onions and salse which makes it worth the money. However the metered parking on 18th street is really bad and the side street parking around the restaurant is permit parking so be prepared to drive around for a parking space.

Nice portion of chicken and sides at a reasonable price. Cash only. Everything taste good. They need to turn on the air conditioner.

Best Pilsen find!!! We get the bogo free chicken deals every Tuesday! Such tasty and non greasy fire grilled chicken. We get the rice and beans too! Have even catered a party of 20 for just over $100! This place is awesome! Takeout is best!

When I think of Pilsen you automatically think culture. Hard working and no frills but hella flavor. That's exactly what pollo express is!Kinda feels like I'm eating at my tias house... the one that can cook really good tho! Great chicken - flavorful, juicy and you get that great grill flavor! Can't miss with the chicken combo.. maybe add a quesadilla for the f of it...

No frills, bang for your buck chicken spot in Pilsen. The chicken is juicy and blasting with flavor cooked to perfection! Great service if you dine in and this place is no beef melt secret so it will get busy around dinner time with takeout orders. Will be back for a chicken combo again real soon!

This is probably one of the best food deliveries I've ever had. The chicken was tender and flavorful. The beans were packed with flavor as well. I loved the sauce, it was the right amount of spicy. For dessert, I ordered the flan, which had amazing texture and was not too sweet. Everything was perfect! Will definitely order from here again.

Work down the street from pollo express. Great lunches! Been coming here for a long time and their menu expands almost every year. Great prices when everything else around there is so expensive

Our office has been ordering from this place for over 12 years. When a new employee joins our team, we can't wait to introduce them to Pollo Express to just see their reaction on how good the chicken is. If you have never tried Pollo Express, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

This is some gooooooooood chicken. Real good. Whatever you order will be fire! We did the chicken bowls... Huge and delicious. We also did a whole chicken with beans and rice for sides.

Hands down best adobo chicken I've had. Cash only, Tuesday / Thursday specials (whole chicken for the price of a half chicken). There is a bit of a line for ordering & they can get backed up, but you can call ahead to order so that'll cut down on the wait. Fair warning, you will smell like chicken after your come out (you can smell the chicken from across the street) - so dress accordingly. Chicken is juicy, smoky, and spicy. Can't ask for much more.

I've been here a few times and they have never disappointed. If I frequented Pollo Express I would be sure to only go when the chicken is fresh of the press. The steak/chicken bowls comes with enough ingredients to make several tacos. Side of arroz and fresh tortillas is always a must for me. Cash only, but you won't be spending a lot of it. While prices are sky rocketing everywhere across the city, Pollo Express still provides an economical option, especially if your feeding a family!

We got a whole chicken combo, and it GENEROUSLY fed two people - I think you could even feed 3-4 (depending on how hungry everyone is). This place is so good. The food is seasoned perfectly, and the chicken is so juicy! I moved here from AZ, and was hoping to find a really good Mexican spot. This is it! It smells amazing inside, and our service was fast as well. We got it to go, and they had our food out almost exactly when they said it would be ready. Just know that it's cash only, but there is an atm inside! We will be coming back!!

Can't go wrong with this place. You have to go on a Tuesday or Thursday to take advantage of their awesome deal, buy 1 whole chicken combo (comes with 2 sides, pack of tortillas and salsa) and get a 1/2 chicken free. Portion sizes are generous. The grilled chicken is very flavorful and you get a lot of food for a very good price. I hear they sell out, so go earlier to make sure you don't leave empty handed!

The Tuesday and Thursday special is such a great deal! The food is insanely flavorful and super fresh. Love it!

Favorite grilled chicken in the city. The best rice I've ever tried and the beans are simply phenomenal. Great service with an authentic home cooked feel, highly recommend!

So fresh and so freaking good. I felt completely guilt-free chomping down on this chicken bowl. Glad I found this place on UberEats.

No Chicago neighborhood has been negativity impacted more by gentrification than Pilsen. I know that statement will ruffle some feathers, but I challenge you to find a local that disagrees. Pollo Express is one of the remaining OGs in Pilsen. No fancy au jus. ..no cognac infused patê. ..nope just beautiful Adobo chicken grilled over charcoal (unlike the gas grills found in other neighborhoods) with tasty rice and beans. The guac is freshly made too. A couple years ago they made an addition to the menu after going unchanged for decades to cater to the new neighbors. .. a chicken bowl. Sure this may not sound significant, but I don't want Pollo Express to succumb to the palates and pressure to morph into Chipotle. It's bad enough they put a Taco Bell in Little Village. I've mentioned in a different review, but that's as offensive as dropping a Panda Express in Chinatown. Many of the families that worked hard to make Pilsen one of the best communities in Chicago have been priced out to make way for hipsters that take walking tours to craft coffee houses and think it's cool to live on the "Southside". .. albeit with good intentions. We don't need every neighborhood to be Lakeview or Lincoln Park. Logan Square has already been taken over and washed of it's rich Puerto Rican culture. I fear Pilsen is next. After that long rant. .. support local small business. Support Pollo Express & read this article: https://abc7chicago.com/realestate/pilsens-popularity-pressures-families-to-move/5871576/

THIS IS YOUR NEW TUESDAY/THURSDAY TAKEOUT SPOT!!! On Tuesdays and Thursdays Pollo Express's signature Pollo Adobado (Adobo Chicken, a spiced grilled chicken) is buy one pollo combo get one half chicken free! Meaning you get a chicken and a half, 2 sides, plus tortillas and toppings for $20. Not only is the chicken rockin (not spicy but full of flavor), but so are the sides and toppings. The pickled onions are my favorite addition! The only things to note are that last time I was in there was still no inside dining and even when it does open back up, space is limited. That being said, this is a great takeout option! Also, they can sell out of chicken on these days and I have seen them close early so if it's around or after dinner-time on Tuesdays and Thursdays I would call ahead to make sure you will be in luck!

I was nearby and smelled something amazing in the air. I walked past this place but it seemed small and dark and I couldn't even tell it was open. After grabbing taco at the walk up store across the alley, I deduced that it was open. I quickly figured out the amazing bbq smell was from here. When I walked in it was hard to tell where is the ordering place and where is the place you pay. Luckily it wasn't so crowded. It seems most people call ahead to order but it wasn't much of a wait. They had chicken ready and lined up on the grill. This place is SO CLEAN! I got a half order to go. $13.12. Cash only! Portions are generous. Sides were meh but this chicken was delicious!! Fry up the tortillas before eating. I can't wait to go back!

The good was really good the only negative thing if I had to pick was my chicken was a little dry but overall the food was good. The rice was really good and so was the steak bowl. My wife ordered the chips and guacamole and she really enjoyed. The restaurant was that busy for dine in but I am many other people were doing carry out. The service was spot on. Good place to try.

Great hole in the wall chicken spot. The chicken is grilled over charcoal. Chicken was moist and had good seasoning. There's no sauce here and only salsa. This is a cash only spot.

The best chicken in Chicago, I CONFESS Is at a little place that's hard to ACCESS It's so damn good you'll make a MESS So be careful not to get sauce on your DRESS At least not the chicken sauce, but I DIGRESS It's not the kinda place to sit and play CHESS Or take a hot date to kiss and CARESS It's not a sweet spot to relax and DE-STRESS And the TV never plays Bruno Mars' FINESSE But the food is an unapologetic SUCCESS And you will love it too, I believe, UNLESS You're a vegetarian, to which I say "YES!" But maybe you can try it when you're on RECESS Anyway, I DM'd you my ADDRESS And now I have to go do another Bench PRESS But if you're free later, and you have BREASTS And you're looking for a place to go and UNDRESS You can come over to mine and we'll CONVALESCE And next day for lunch, I'll take you to POLLO EXPRESS WHAT What to get: Rotisserie Chicken What not to get: Routers for your internet that have sh**ty speeds What else not to get: Rotting food out of a dumpster But what if I'm starving: Just go to a grocery store and ask for some food they're throwing away - or a Pret A Manger if you have one near you - or ask a Yelper for help - those b****es have money. I wanted a quick game of a Bougey Sport. Should have gone to "Polo Express." And I needed something comfy to lay my head on. Should have gone to "Pillow Express." I wanted some flavoured South Asian rice. Should have gone to "Pilau Express." I wanted a much smaller portion. Should have gone to "Paltry Express." I wanted to be on a weird diet. Should have gone to "Paleo Express." I wanted a cute, vacant woman to run for the vice presidency. Should have gone to "Palin Express." I wanted a dictator to rig US elections, murder his rivals, and attempt to emulate Stalin. Should have gone to "Putin Express." I wanted to tell your boyfriend to have his way with me. Should have gone to "Putitin Express." OK, enough. On my recent food tour of Chicago after participating in a soccer game, I came along to Pollo Express to give the most highly-rated and affordable Mexican Rotisserie Chicken in the area a try. Did you know that Mexicans famously make rotisserie chicken? They do, and they do it very very well. Right here, they have some of the best I've ever tried, along with wonderful rice and green beans. Mexican Chicken honestly rivals Colombian or Puerto Rican style for deliciousness. Come and give it a try and see for yourself. And even though it's not the most comfortable place to sit and eat, it's still a great place to come for dinner. Chicago Cops come and eat here, so that says a lot because you know those guys are much more into eating than protecting the community LOL just kidding not really kidding kind of kidding nevermind. Parking can be a real pain, and it's pretty expensive per hour, if you can even find a spot in this up-and-coming cool neighbourhood, and it's even more expensive to get a ticket, so be careful. There's a huge cute mural on the side of the building in the alleyway which is where I park when I pick up my take-out orders - but don't tell anybody that because it's really against the law. Not that I would ever generally break any law ever. Ahem. Definitely one of my top 20 places to eat in Chicago, and some of the best rotisserie chicken I've had in my life - and if you take Peruvian chicken out of the equation I would say this is top 5 rotisserie chicken in the entire country, alongside Niagara Cafe up in Buffalo, and a few others here and there. Oh and by the way. A Mexican chicken just popped up and did this on my keyboard: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Now that's what I call a Pollo X-Press.

Chicken get yo chicken, here! This place is insanely delicious. They do chicken right, rice right, beans right, salsas right and I highly suggest you do yourself right and get yo chicken here. I was totally shocked at the amount of food I got for a mere 15 bucks! - a whole juicy flavorful chicken - fluffy flavorful rice - flavorful refried beans - a dozen warm tortillas to help lick up the salsas I have renamed this little gem, CIAD: which stands for Currently. I. Am. Drooling.

You're looking at a chicken staple spot. I ordered for takeout on Tuesday to take advantage of their deal (order a whole chicken, get 1/2 chicken). As you can see from the many reviews, as well as Fox E.'s, this is probably the best chicken in Chicago. I have yet to come across another spot that does it like Pollo Express. As soon as you walk in, you smell why this place is considered greatness. You can smell the char off the juicy chicken. Just come here - you won't regret it.

Post Covid Review: Delicious Food. This is one of the few places where I feel I cannot replicate the recipe at home and that's saying a lot! My husband and I typically get the whole chicken with rice, refried beans, and a side of guacamole. It's easily enough food for four meals (and we are big eaters when it comes to things that are delicious). The two downsides I have experiences is that this place is cash-only and they do not deliver; so we end up having to drive to Pilsen (which is not something I particularly enjoy doing in the dead of winter). Covid protocols seem decent (masks, limitations on how many people can come inside, etc) and I haven't seen any funny business (i.e. masks worn inappropriately) so I am happy to continue supporting and would recommend that other folks do the same.

As I'm from California haven't tried a good chicken place here in Chicago.Until my hubby bought some this weekend.Chicken has so much flavor and the charro beans my goodness delicious.I have found my chicken spot hubby promised he'll get it for me weekly.(Forgot to take a picture)

Simply the best grilled chicken you can eat in Chicago. All of their sides and frescas are good too. Cash only and indoor dining space is limited. Tuesday is buy one, get one free and gets super busy, so order in advance.

I love when you walk into a place and the charcoal smoke makes your eyes water. Food was fresh and delicious, steak bowl and chicken quesadillas side of rice!

Well here we go again, another review, and the lucky business this time? Pollo Express on 18th and Loomis. I've eaten at this place PLENTY of times and their Tuesday and Thursday special nearly causes mini riots and traffic jams. Although their menu is simple and straight to the point (chicken, rice, and beans) I thought I would venture off to the WILD SIDE and order their Chic-ken Booooowl!! Ah, yes even Pollo Express had to give in to the new restaurant trend and just put everything in a damn bowl, but Yelpers you will be glad they did!!! The fabulous grilled chicken is deboned, chopped, and placed atop a nice serving of their tender flavorful rice, your choice of beans (charro or refried) and lettuce. Cheese, finely chopped jalapeño peppers, tomato, onion, and slices of avocado accompany the chicken on top of the rice & beans. You can also get sour cream but opted out. I finally go in on my beautiful bowl and, Ahhhhhh!! The only thing that could have kicked this bowl up to the next level would have been some roasted corn! Guess I'll hit the Elotes Man up on the corner next time to accompany my fabulous meal. Verdict: I feel the Itis coming on and I'm not even one-fourth of the way in! Next time you're there, get that bowl! Trust me, you won't regret it!!

pretty good grilled chicken! the moment you walk in, you can smell it, so strong and so nice. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they even have specials of ordering a whole chicken and get a half chicken for free, pretty good deal considering its already really reasonably priced regularly. the chicken taste a bit dry but very flavourful, the skin is good too. also really liked the side dishes, the rice and beans are both great! horchata is so so

Me and my friend walked in before a concert. I've been studying Spanish for 5 years so I can understand and speak Spanish almost fluently. We walk in and I immediately hear degrading from the men behind the kitchen counter. They started rating us and started talking about how much we were worth while we were eating in their restaurant. I assume it's because they thought since i'm white that I couldn't understand what they were saying. such a shame the workers are so vile towards customers because the food was actually good. i am absolutely disgusted by the attitude and i hope this place shuts down forever.

This place is addicting, definitely one of my favorite Pilsen eats. I get the steak bowl every time and it is perfection

Great value, wonderful chicken, nice people! They have a wonderful deal on Tuesdays and Thursdays and their sides are good. Nice spot for healthy and delish dinner.

CASH ONLY Yum! My only regret is not coming here on a Tuesday or Thursday for their dine out deal where they give you 1/2 a chicken for free when you order a whole chicken. Came here with 2 friends, we split a whole chicken with 2 sides (rice and beans) + free chips/salsa, which made us comfortably full, although in retrospect it would've been better to order 1.5 chickens. Total came out to $22, which is amazing! The chicken is delicious, the roast on it was perfect! Nothing special about the rice or beans. The poblano pepper that comes with is HOT HOT HOT! The place is nice and cozy with ample seating and service is quick.

On a typical day Pollo Express is really good. When we use to live in Chicago I would make my hubby drive from the loop to pick up a whole chicken which include beans, rice, tortilla skins, pickled red onions, salsa, and 1 roasted chili pepper. It was inexpensive and you would have enough for leftovers the next day. When we moved back to Southern California I was fairly certain I would find chicken like this out there but I was wrong! So this visit we made a point of eating here. We arrived around 6:30pm on a Friday before Memorial Day weekend and the restaurant was empty except for 1 table of 4 dining in and the chickens were on the grill but were all fully cooked. We also noticed the inside looked remodeled. We decided to eat in since our toddler was cranky and we found free parking! The chicken arrived and I was ready to eat! However the chicken was dry. Flavors still great but it was sadly dry. Prices have also increased slightly. We definitely came on a bad day. Regardless they still earned 4 stars from me because I haven't found another restaurant that serves chicken like this. The closest is el pollo loco so there really isn't a comparable.

CASH ONLY- Atm inside. I cant help but to eat here once a week. Tues & Thursday is their Special Deal- whole chicken with rice & beans and you get another half chicken. Call ahead! Tue & Thu you will be waiting for a long time if you dont. Its totally the best deal but you have to get it for take out. I always get Guacamole, Cebollitas & the special deal. About $25 It always more than enough for 2 people, We make 2 meals out of it, We always take the leftover chicken and shred it to make other things.

I swear this place would be a regular for me... BUT the rice and beans kill me! If they only added alittle more love to that, I would come here for the full package... every Tuesday of course. The chicken IS the STAR. The adoba chicken is juicy and Full of flavor. No doubt about that. The rice and beans are just added mush to it all. I just prefer a full meal with some yummy rice and beans to put it all together... the 4 stars for the chicken and for the deal! I appreciate it.

Great quick service, they are Spanish speaking but there was someone that can translate. The food is made right In front of you but you don't have to wait long, the Mexican style reminds me of Jerk chicken. Very juicy red meat. It comes with sides I wasn't really a fan of, it comes in a meal set price.

Tried calling them today to arrange catering for a meeting on March 15 and as soon as I mentioned the word credit card they hung up on me? They told me they weren't interested, they were busy, they didn't want to hear what I had to say. I asked to speak to the manager they told me the manager wasn't there and they didn't know if the manager would ever be there. I called a total of 10 times and was hung up on, and this was 9:30 in the morning. I found out later on google that the owners name is Lorena Alvarez, I'm sure she is going to be pissed when she reads this. I still have to have the meeting and use their food because it's not up to me but I thought I would share the experience. If I cant get the manager on the phone I don't know what else to do? Her employees aren't having it...

I've been to this place about 2 times, and the food here is a little underwhelming. At first, I was excited to try it out, but now, it's just a meal to fill my belly. I usually order the 1/2 chicken, and once I get past eating the wing and drum stick, it's all down hill from there. The rest of the chicken is completely dried out. The rice is good when it's mixed with the beans. Also, they give you some tortilla shells, and they are not the best shells I've ever eaten. Then there are pickled red onions and salsa on the side. I usually throw away almost everything except the chicken, rice, and beans. It's a cool spot to try out, but it's not the best food in the city. You can definitely find better chicken and rice some place else.

Very tasty. That are three choices, whole chicken, half chicken or the new bowl. Ofcourse I went for the bowl to try a bit of everything. I enjoyed everything in the bowl. The chicken was Smokey and flavorful. Don't miss the salsa either. And did I mention it was like $7.50, couldn't even finish.

Their sides may be bland (rice and beans), but that chicken is ON POINT! Almost dinged them a star bc of it but the pollo is that tasty. It was grilled and basted to perfection!

Fantastic chicken, awesome sides, even better prices. We shared a whole chicken, rice, charro beans, and a side of guacamole - everything was fantastic and we came no where near eating it all. All of that food was less than $25 (cash only). Everyone was very nice! We'll be back!

The smells permeating from the grill near the entrance are enough to captivate you. The interior is average size with plenty of tables to accommodate you should you choose to dine in. The cleanliness will have you assuming that they do it thoroughly & often or at least they'd just done it when I picked up my food. To call this the best chicken I've ever had is a stretch in my humble opinion however take that with a grain of salt as I can't name a similar type of establishments with better chicken. An entire chicken with all the accoutrements & two sides for just at $20 is a deal to say to the least. The chicken is juicy & tender but all the wondrous flavor resides in the skin. The rice was cooked perfectly but the tortilla are served cold. They DO NOT take credit cards & after realizing I didn't have enough cash to pay for my meal the cashier let me take my food albeit being a few dollars short which I'm sure won't happen anywhere else in this greedy city. I'll definitely return.

Good chicken spot. They have chicken made to go. They have great salsa. Good covid protocols, but they are cash only.

It's hit or miss with this spot. I feel like the steak is better than the chicken. Chicken can be dry. The quesadillas and bowls are nine dollars each. Sometimes they hook it up with a good amount of meat but usually they do not. It's annoying with the bowls because at a certain point you are just eating lettuce and nine dollars for a skimpy quesadilla is unacceptable. Quesadillas with meat at chippy is 4.25. You can get two of them for cheaper then pollo express.

So very sorry I don't have any pictures of my dinner My family took over soon as I walked in the door. As I entered the doors of this place the food cooking smell so very good. To my surprise fresh chicken cooking on the grills was a winner for me. Less then a 10 minutes I was back in the car on my way home. My family enjoyed everything. The chicken was good and plenty of flavor We enjoyed the rice and refried beans And the grilled onions was really nice with a Lil hint of sweet. Overall great place to grab so amazing dinner This place is a winner

Yummmm tues/thurs buy one whole chicken combo get another half free. Delicious salsa, retried beans and Mexican rice was on point!!!!! Can't wait to get more next week! There was a single grilled jalapeño on top of the chicken... I took one small bite and tears ran down my face the rest of the meal! I love spicy food but this jalapeño was probably the hottest one I've ever had!!! So be careful! :)

The menu here is pretty small, but they definitely do a good job with what's on it. I've walked by a few times, and the aroma of the grilled chicken has tempted me to go in every time. I finally made it in last week and regret not coming in sooner. Tuesdays and Thursdays are buy one whole chicken combo (w/ 2 side orders) get a half chicken free (ends up being I think about $18). Cash only, but there's an ATM on site as I was limited in cash, I ordered a half chicken with two sides which costed about $11 after tax. It comes with tortillas, a big portion of rice, a big portion of beans (I got the charro beans), salsa, and onions. You can definitely feed two people even with the half order, it was a pretty hefty bag of food I got. The chicken is so delicious, hot, juicy, and flavorful, the charro beans were delicious, the rice was also very good. I can't believe it took me so long to get here! They are very efficient but there was still a little bit of a wait for them to cook the chicken, and the waiting area was a little crowded. The dining area is also not very large. I'll definitely be back again though, but maybe order ahead, and definitely be sure to bring enough cash for the Tuesday/Thursday special.

Wow! The food is good! Ok...so a place called Pollo Express...wouldnt think it was that special, but it is. The restaurant does it well. You only come here for the chicken. They always have chicken on the wood fired grill. Makes for a quick easy meal to go. We dropped on by for a takeaway dinner and it was very quick in and out. We were very pleased with the food. Didn't happen to be around for their much routed specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the additional half chicken, but we got what we came for. Each chicken came with a couple of roasted poblanos, salsa, and a package of corn tortillas. Eat it hot! The seasoning was perfect. My kids are it up like they haven't had a decent meal for a while. We were very satisfied. Love this place, we'll be back for sure!

This place is really great. The marinated chicken comes straight off the grill, gets hacked up, and then served to you in a styrofoam container hot and tasty. The only reason why it doesn't get five stars is that it is a madhouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays where the restaurant offers a free 1/2 chicken when you order a meal. Still, Pollo Express delivers big time on both flavor and value. Don't forget, cash only.