El Pollo Campero, Guatemalan Fried Chicken

[Joe H]

The Herndon police closed the line at 8:30 this evening since the restaurant was closing at...11:00PM. I was told that the line had stretched to in excess of three hours earlier in the evening. At 9:15 when we drove by there were still over 100 people line up outside for this "social event." (The line was almost exclusively Hispanic.) The menu looks amazingly like Popeye's with mashed potatoes, french fries, cole slaw, spicy rice and beans along with nuggets and wings. As I noted on another board the Cheesecake Factory at the Tyson's Galleria also had a two and one half hour line this evening.

[hjshorter]

The expedition will have to go on without me. Scott and I and both kids have terrible colds.

Maybe I will do a consolation run to Crisp & Juicy for chicken, plantains and beans.

[hannnah]

Well, I'd have to say Pollo Campero is as good as its press.

We (myself, hubby, and Malawry) spent about an hour and a half participating in the social event that was the line for chicken. By the time we got to the door, we were definitely ready to eat - you can smell the chicken outside, and it smells *good.*

While in line, we were entertained by the Pollo Campero Chicken himself - including watching one of Fairfax County's finest push Señor Chicken out the door of the restaurant when he got stuck! There were also plenty of folks driving up to the line in the hopes that if they stared at it long enough, the line would disappear and they would be magically transported to Chickenvana. Needless to say, that didn't work.

So, on to the food.

The chicken: I'd have to say that this is the best mass-produced fried chicken I've ever had. It's got a nice, thin seasoned-flour crust surrounding particularly moist and flavorful meat. The chicken itself is injection-marinated at Pollo Campero Central, and the marinade gives the meat a really nice flavor. I fully expected the chicken to be spicy a la Popeye's, but it's not.

The sides: Definitely a mixed bag. The Campero beans were the best - pintos cooked with a meat, onion, and spice mixture. The mashed potatoes are much better than KFC's - while they might still be instant, it's a better class of instant, with nice chickeny gravy. The "spicy" rice really wasn't spicy at all, unless you consider tomato a spice - it didn't have that chemical/cilantro taste that most chain restaurant Mexican rice has, though.

The cole slaw didn't taste of much but mayonnaise. We didn't try the fries, but I was impressed to see them tossing an entire hopper of fries and replacing them with fresh; granted, they weren't going through them all that quickly, but I've never seen that happen at any other fast food places whether the fries were turning over or not. Breadwise, there was a choice of biscuit or tortilla - Malawry described the biscuit as "okay," but the tortillas were pretty good.

There was a condiment bar with 3 types of salsa (salsa fresca, green tomatillo, and roasted tomato), as well as jalapeños. Again, none of the salsas were very hot, but all had a nice flavor to them.

Desserts were prepackaged Edwards pie (which we skipped - prefab pie is prefab pie) and flan, which was reasonably good. Beverages were Coke products, plus horchata and tamarindo. I'd get the tamarindo, which was nice if a little sweet; the horchata was a little gloopy for my taste.

The verdict: Once the lines die down, it'll be our go-to fast food chicken. It's also very good as leftovers - it doesn't have nearly the congeal-factor of leftover Popeye's or KFC, both of whom should be quaking in their corporate boots if Pollo Campero goes nationwide.

[hjshorter]

Nice report! Sorry I couldn't be there.

Do you have a Crisp & Juicy, or another Peruvian chicken joint near you? That's my go-to place if there's one anywhere near me, but it's not fried, it's rotisseried.

[hannnah]

I think there's one in Sterling, but we haven't been there yet - sounds like we should.

[Joe H]

I put a lengthy post on Chowhound about my experience yesterday morning. I disagree with you in part. The rice was terrible, bland, flavorless. French fries were frozen shoe string potatoes that were fairly good for frozen potatoes. We really liked the beans while we thought the cole slaw tasted like commercial slaw from a grocery store. The nuggets were large and meaty but totally unlike their fried chicken which is what 95% of the people were ordering. They were dried out and no better than McDonald's except for their larger size. The chicken was excellent fast food chicken, succulent almost with larger breasts. Where we disagree is that Popeye's Spicy I believe is better IF YOU BUY IT THE NIGHT AFTER THEY CHANGE THE GREASE which is twice a week. And if it is freshly fried as opposed to sitting in the warmer for a lengthy time. Years ago I would time trips to Popeye's from Mondays and Fridays since the grease was physically changed on the nights before. (I have no idea if this is still done.) Other days Popeye's, especially if it has sat in their warmer, is absolutely mediocre at best. But freshly fried chicken the night after their grease is changed is remarkably good. What you get at Campero is freshly fried for every piece since they were constantly running out of chicken.

While the chicken is excellent overall this is really a social event. 100% of the 50+ people in line at 10 Sunday morning were Hispanic with many running into people they knew. Most were getting larger orders and taking it elsewhere, only five or six of 50+ actually decided to eat in the store. For them this was literally a taste and an event from home.

Still, whether Popeye's, Bojangles, Campero or fried in a black cast iron seasoned skillet in Fluffo at home (the best of all) I still prefer Peruvian rotisserie chicken such as at Crisp and Juicy with their sauces.

[hjshorter]

Yes! The sauces at C&J are terrific! I always ask for extra sauce.

And I like their sides of black beans and fried plantains too.

[Joe H]

The dipping sauce for Campero's chicken nuggets was commercially packaged ranch dressing; this was a disappointment since I had expected something along the lines of Crisp 'n Juicy where I also order extra sauce. But again, Campero's beans were really good reminiscent of Rio Grande Cafe.

[hjshorter]

Campero has pintos, right? If they are as good as Rio Grande those would be the side of choice for me. Rio Grande's beans are the best thing they serve.

[Malawry]

Yes, pintos with lots of ground meat, bits of bacon, and some diced veggies. The sides to get are definitely the mashers and the beans. I'll post a full description, along with some images, later today.

[Malawry]

Okay, it took me until just now to deal with my images. I know ya'll were sitting on your hands waiting for me to post this stuff.

I arrived at about 1:50pm at Pollo Campero, Herndon on Sunday. The restaurant is very clean and cheerful. The line was well out the door but clearly not as long as it had been in previous days...

They only let in a few people at a time. I felt bad for whoever was in line right after the last people were let in, because it smelled damn good outside.

You can see they had set up barricades outside for when the line was outrageously long. BTW everybody in line was very cheerful. I chatted with the Salvadoran couple in line in front of me briefly in my crappy Spanish. They said Pollo Campero is popular in their part of El Salvador and that they really missed the chicken after moving to the US.

My Salvadoran friends in line ahead of us said they didn't know the name of the Pollo Campero mascot, although the gentleman suggested jokingly that his name was Pollo. "My name is chicken! Eat me!" The mascot guy seemed cheerful enough about coming outside and entertaining us in line. Hannah cackled over how he got stuck in the doorway. There were some policemen and women around to keep things orderly and one of them had to help push the mascot out the door. Once he was out he hung around for a while playing with the little kids who were waiting in line. They alternated between wanting to be his best friend and needing to hide from his scary self.

We waited in line for a full hour before getting inside the front door. The smell was killing me, Hannah and Hannah's charming husband by this point. We chatted up one of the cops standing by the door. She let me take her picture but then asked me not to post it. She gave us useful menu advice and said the chicken was great. BTW, Pollo Campero sells individually-packaged pieces of Edward's pie and little prepackaged cups of flan, which fill the fridge case you can see in this image. Hannah and her husband shared a flan, which was at least as good as Kozy Shack's and came in a much larger portion.

Freshly fried chicken is dumped into this holding area. Most of what you see here is the Campero wings and nuggets, which nobody was ordering. The chicken was dished onto plates and sorted into boxes as quickly as it came out of the fryer, so it wasn't sitting out at all and tasted incredibly fresh.

I was surprised that the menu boards were almost all in English, even though almost everybody in line clearly spoke Spanish as their first language. (The staff all appear to be flawlessly bilingual.)

I ordered a three-piece meal. This included a drumstick, a wing and a breast. A three-piece meal comes with your choice of tortilla or biscuit; I paid a 30 cent supplement to sample both. It also comes with two sides; I chose the Campero beans and the spicy rice. And it includes a large beverage; I paid a 60 cent supplement to have the tamarindo instead of regular soda for my drink.

The chicken is clearly the star here. As you can see from this close-up, the coating is thin and very crisp. The chicken appears to be brined and coated in-house before frying; I saw people in the back pulling plain chicken from boxes to prepare them for frying. The brine makes the meat juicy, a little salty and quite flavorful. This chicken easily beats KFC and Popeye's for tastiness, crispness and the minimal requisite greasiness. Very very good.

Hannah and her husband ordered almost everything on the menu, so I had the chance to sample most of what Pollo Campero sells. Starting with the other items I tasted from my plate besides chicken:

Tortillas: two corn ones, made in-house. Pretty good.

Biscuit: Not so hot. Lacking in salt and butter flavor. Fairly tender though.

Spicy rice: Absolutely no spice flavor whatsoever. The rice is red, I guess from some sort of tomato product, and has a few tired peas mixed in. Avoid it.

Campero beans: Packed with ground meat, pieces of bacon, and small diced vegetables. Really awesome beans, tender and loaded with flavor. A must-order.

Tamarindo: The drink of choice. This is a fairly sweet version of this beverage but it goes down almost as well as sweet tea with the fried chicken.

Salsas: I liked the roasted chile salsa, which went down well with bits of fried chicken wrapped in tortilla. I'd eat several sandwiches like this in a heartbeat if there were shredded lettuce to top them.

Other items sampled:

Horchata: a fairly standard version of this almond-milk drink. I don't think it matches the chicken especially well...creamy + fatty fried is not such a great combo.

Mashed potatoes: excellent! Piping hot with a meaty gravy on top, creamy and rich and starchy.

Coleslaw: tastes like mayo. Not cabbage and mayo, just mayo. Ick.

Campero wings: breaded in a chemical-tasting mixture much thicker than that coating the fried chicken, doused with a smoky BBQ sauce. Not so great.

I recommend the chicken with tortillas, mashed potatoes and campero beans with the tamarindo and some salsa on the side as the best possible order. I have not sampled the nuggets, the salad with crispy or fried chicken, or the fries. I think I tasted everything else on the menu, though. All so you'd know whether or not to brave the line. I think it's worth hitting Pollo Campero after the lines die down whenever you have a fried chicken craving.

Edited October 21, 2003 by Malawry (log)

[guajolote]

I recommend the chicken with tortillas, mashed potatoes and campero beans with the tamarindo and some salsa on the side as the best possible order. I have not sampled the wings, the salad with crispy or fried chicken, or the fries. I think I tasted everything else on the menu, though. All so you'd know whether or not to brave the line.  I think it's worth hitting Pollo Campero after the lines die down whenever you have a fried chicken craving.

I assume it didn't suck?

[Malawry]

Well, some things sucked. Like the rice and the slaw. But the chicken most definitely does not suck.

[vengroff]

As someone who has experienced neither, I wonder if those who have been to both Pollo Campero and the Cheesecake Factory could recommend the better place to spend an hour or two in line.

It must just be me, but I barely have the patience to stand around waiting at Zaytinya, and at least they have really good food and a nice bar to hang out in while you wait.

[Malawry]

Vengroff, the line should die down over the coming weeks and months. There's a location opening in Langley Park next year, just around the corner from my house. I plan to wait until they open and the lines there die down before I eat it again, unless I happen to be near one of the two existing Pollos Camperos with a fried chicken craving and I see there's no line out the door.

The food is better than Cheesecake Factory if you order well and it's also cheaper, more interesting and more worth the wait.

[specialteach]

Okay, it took me until just now to deal with my images. I know ya'll were sitting on your hands waiting for me to post this stuff. 

I think it's worth hitting Pollo Campero after the lines die down whenever you have a fried chicken craving.

This is one of the best posts ever! Thank you for putting time and energy into fried chicken. It looks and sounds amazing. I can't wait to go try it myself.

I thought I would share the experience of a Latino student of mine. She has waited for weeks for this place to open. On Saturday 12 members of her family went to pick up chicken for a picnic near Regan National. Many adults took off the day of work and a car was borrowed in order to celebrate the arrival of this place. It was as big a family event as a wedding. She has had chicken for lunch both days this week.

This crazy little chicken place has brought joy most of us could not experience. For many, it is a like a piece of home coming to them while they try to make their world a better place. All this with from some fried chicken.

[hjshorter]

This crazy little chicken place has brought joy most of us could not experience.  For many, it is a like a piece of home coming to them while they try to make their world a better place.  All this with from some fried chicken.

That is exactly the aspect of it that I was most interested in. Thanks Malawry, hannnah, and Mr. hannnah for checking it out, and thanks specialteach for the story. All of this from some fried chicken.

[elyse]

That picture of the chicken is deadly. I hate you for posting it.

[mrs-j]

This is right down the road from us in Herndon. I've been looking for authentic fried chicken for awhile now and am so excited to see this opened so close by. Just informed Mr. J that we're going to have to make a visit there soon!

I will be certain to report back!

Edited October 22, 2003 by mrs-j (log)

[Joe H]

Wait a minute! This is not that big of a deal unless you are Hispanic and grew up with this chain that ripped off American chains. I'm being serious. The chicken is excellent but it's NOT as good as Popeye's spicy WHEN Popeye's is served hot from the oil AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED THE NIGHT BEFORE. Nor is at any better than Bojangle's under the same circumstances. I've linked reviews of it which show that not everyone who goes automatically falls in love with it. http://www.b4-u-eat.com/houston/restaurant...ews/rsv2594.asp

http://u.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,211~...1703191,00.html This last link to the restaurant critic of a Los Angeles newspaper commenting on the incredible lines and comparing it to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

I think a lot of people on this board are really impressed with lines formed for social reasons that have little to do with how something really tastes! This is excellent chicken, but there is no way that it justifies the lines that you all seem to think it does. It also has absolutely nothing in common with fresh chicken tossed in flour and egg and other seasonings then fried in Crisco or Fluffo in a black cast iron skillet that is well seasoned. If anyone thinks this is really good chicken then I 'm going to suggest that they've never had really good fried chicken.

Incredible that so many of you will jump on a bandwagon!

[elyse]

Didn't you just post something very similar?

[bilrus]

I think there is more of interest to it than just whether the chicken is good.

Part of the interest is curiosity about what makes it so special that people will wait for hours to eat it. People on this board are endlessly fascinated by food related issues and phenomena beyond what tastes good. That's not necessarily good or bad, that's just the way we are.

I don't think anyone (on eGullet) has said that they are planning on going back next week to wait in line again or that this was the best fried chicken they have ever had.

[Al_Dente]

Wait a minute!  This is not that big of a deal unless you are Hispanic and grew up with this chain that ripped off American chains.  I'm being serious.  The chicken is excellent but it's NOT as good as Popeye's spicy WHEN Popeye's is served hot from the oil AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED THE NIGHT BEFORE.  Nor is at any better than Bojangle's under the same circumstances.  I've linked  reviews of it which show that not everyone who goes automatically falls in love with it.  http://www.b4-u-eat.com/houston/restaurant...ews/rsv2594.asp

http://u.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,211~...1703191,00.html This last link to the restaurant critic of a Los Angeles newspaper commenting on the incredible lines and comparing it to Kentucky Fried Chicken.

I think a lot of people on this board are really impressed with lines formed for social reasons that have little to do with how something really tastes!  This is excellent chicken, but there is no way that it justifies the lines that you all seem to think it does.  It also has absolutely nothing in common with fresh chicken tossed in flour and egg and other seasonings then fried in Crisco or Fluffo in a black cast iron skillet that is well seasoned.  If anyone thinks this is really good chicken then I 'm going to suggest that they've never had really good fried chicken.

Incredible that so many of you will jump on a bandwagon!

As a Guatemalan fried chicken farmer I take great offense.

[herbacidal]

Wait a minute!  This is not that big of a deal unless you are Hispanic and grew up with this chain that ripped off American chains.  I'm being serious.  The chicken is excellent but it's NOT as good as Popeye's spicy WHEN Popeye's is served hot from the oil AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED THE NIGHT BEFORE.  Nor is at any better than Bojangle's under the same circumstances.

well maybe that's part of it.

if these chains don't do it anymore, and pollo campero does,

why is that a problem?

to me, it points the finger even more at popeye's and others,

who developed the system, then fucked it up, allowing competitors

to take their thing and make it better.

that plus various other factors mentioned.

[Joe H]

Bilrus: "While the chicken is excellent overall this is really a social event. 100% of the 50+ people in line at 10 Sunday morning were Hispanic with many running into people they knew. Most were getting larger orders and taking it elsewhere, only five or six of 50+ actually decided to eat in the store. For them this was literally a taste and an event from home." This is an excerpt from my post above. Of course it's interesting; but it's still fast food fried chicken. No more, no less.

Mrs.J wrote:

"This is right down the road from us in Herndon. I've been looking for authentic fried chicken for awhile now and am so excited to see this opened so close by. Just informed Mr. J that we're going to have to make a visit there soon!" This is not authentic fried chicken. Authentic fried chicken is fried in a cast iron skillet.

Both of these quotes lead to the real point of my post: I'm guessing that both of you are relatively young, perhaps 35 or 40 or less. I say this because so many people have FORGOT what really good food, even simple food, really tastes like. Or never knew it when they grew up. People rave about Five Guys, I rave about In 'n Out Burger in CA; but there was a time when most hamburgers were as good as these, even a Hot Shoppes Mighty Mo or a Tops Sir Loiner. A lot of places had really authentic pan fried chicken where you waited 30 to 40 minutes for it after you ordered it. Why? Because that's how long it took to cook it. Only to order. Stroud's in Kansas City has it today. Around here, as recently as three or so years ago the original Crisfield's in Silver Spring offered real made to order pan fried chicken that was fried in, I believe, pure Crisco. So many people have forgotten what really good homemade American food tastes like. We talk about Neilsen's or Milwaukee Frozen Custard or Thomas Sweet, etc. How many have ever really had real home made ice cream made with a hand cranked freezer using pasteurized cream, not ultra pasteurized? How many have ever even seen cream top milk? How many have ever used real fresh strawberries or peaches to make ice cream?

I am reacting the way that I am to Campero for one simple reason: this IS excellent fast food chicken. But it is only that. The lines are there for a social reason NOT because this tastes anywhere near as good as what you could make at home if you knew how to do it.

One last comment: I have a black cast iron skillet that is over 100 years old that was handed down to me through three generations. It has NEVER been near soap. The crust is a 1/4 inch thick. Pork chops, chicken, anything fried in this skilet is just unbelievably good. Combined with french fries fried in pure lard which no longer exist in the D. C. area this is one of America's best meals. Forty, fifty years ago a lot of places served it, it could be found in most homes, just as people went to real markets because supermarkets had only begun to open in this area. I'm NOT attacking anyone on this board; rather I just find it sad that so few of you really seem to have ever experienced food as good as it could be. So many things have been compromised, so many have changed. Once upon a time McDonald's was good, Gifford's was the standard bearer for store bought ice cream and Benny's had a five inch fish sandwich on the Maine Avenue wharf made with fresh perch, served with fries cooked in lard. Benny's had lines on Saturday night as long as Campero in the 50's; Stephenson's bakery in Anacostia did also. Well over an hour long every Sunday morning. These were D. C. traditions. Even the first McDonald's on Richmond Highway in Hybla Valley had lines thirty yards long to the far end of the golden arches when they opened in the mid '50's. They also used fresh hamburger, fried potatoes in 70% animal fat and scooped ice cream for their milk shakes. All of these really good food that tasted awfully much like real homemade.

They don't exist anymore. I can't help but be critical of what has taken their place.