Paul W.
Yelp
***UPDATE - 7/21/2017
Returned here a few nights ago at around 10 and as a result of that visit, I've dropped my rating of this restaurant from 3 stars down to 2. They were out of some beverages, there were 2 staff standing in front of the napkin/utensil/straw dispensers gossiping away while slowly restocking those items, rather than stepping aside for customers. My partner's chicken breast on the salad he ordered had spots of blood throughout (when he returned it, they put it back on the grill for a few minutes before re-serving it to him) and during our meal we were interrupted by 3 or 4 panhandlers and people trying to sell trinkets or solicit money while we were trying to eat. Overall, not the best experience!
***Original Review - 5/10/2017
This Pollo Tropical is located on the corner of 12th and 8th Street/Calle Ocho. We came here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and the parking lot was completely full, though there were 3 or 4 "Pay to Park" spots open on 12th.
The menu and everything here - soda dispensers, condiment bar, etc. is standard Pollo Tropical. Where this place really falls short, however, is with the speed of the service and food preparation. Normally at most Pollo Tropical restaurants I've been to, you place your order and get your cup, and by the time you pour your beverage, your meal is ready. Not here! There were probably 5 people in line ahead of us and you can look up on a few screens located behind and beside the food prep area to see everyone's order, and how long they've been waiting between the time they placed their orders and the time they get their food. Our orders were relatively simple... I got the 1/4 chicken with 2 sides and my partner got the Tropi chop, and we waited nearly 10 minutes between the time we placed our orders and when our food was finally served to us.
The surprising thing was the inconsistency behind the counter: They had 1 woman working the register and taking orders, but at any given time there were maybe as many as 4 or 5 people cooking and preparing food, and then plating it for the patrons. A short time later there'd be maybe only 1 person working to prepare meals. Definitely wasn't an "all hands on deck until we fill all the orders" situation and it all seemed a bit disorganized.