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Peruvian chicken place..


Soup

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I love Peruvian rotisserie chicken. Chicken dipped in to that green spicy sauce beats any grocery chain rotisserie chicken. I also love the various sides. Yum.

Interested in hearing which place you believe serves the best and why?

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I'd be very interested in the answer to this also. I don't know Peruvian chicken from Adam's off ox, but it sounds like I could get very interested in it quickly :raz:.

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne." John Maynard Keynes

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El Pollo Rico in Arlington

I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you.

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For a quick fix, there is always Granja de Oro. Not Pollo Rico but pretty decent.

"Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam; spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam. "

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  • 1 month later...

Crisp & Juicy all the way baby. We go to the one on Rockville Pike. Last night's order: one and a half chickens (plenty of leftovers), side of black beans, rice, fried plantain, and a surprisingly decent green salad. Containers of the spicy, garlicky mayo-ish, addictive-as-crack sauce to dip the chicken in.

I am munching a leftover drumstick right now. As good cold as it is hot.

  • Like 1

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Crisp and Juicy (Arlignton and Falls Church) is consistent, I like that bird alot. I find their strict "pay for the extra sauce rule" a little annoying, but the food is good.

Although its not Peruvian (Cuban jerk, at least that's how they describe it), the Carribean Grill (Lee Hwy & Geo Mason in Arlington) makes a very good charcoal spit roasted chicken with a mild yellow and a hot green sauce for your dipping pleasure.

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Crisp and Juicy (Arlignton and Falls Church) is consistent, I like that bird alot.  I find their strict "pay for the extra sauce rule" a little annoying, but the food is good.

Must be a difference in management, because I always ask for mild and spicy and get lots of each kind.

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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Crisp and Juicy (Arlignton and Falls Church) is consistent, I like that bird alot.  I find their strict "pay for the extra sauce rule" a little annoying, but the food is good.

Although its not Peruvian (Cuban jerk, at least that's how they describe it), the Carribean Grill (Lee Hwy & Geo Mason in Arlington) makes a very good charcoal spit roasted chicken with a mild yellow and a hot green sauce for your dipping pleasure.

Carribean Grill is my favorite place. It always tasted like peruvian chicken. I didn't it tasted like it had Jerk or even Pollo Asado. What ever it is I usually get my peruvian chicken fix there.

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There's a place at Willston Center (in the same strip with Mark's Duck House) called simply (I think) Peruvian Chicken and Steak, which I used to go to now and then when I worked in the area. I think the location used to be a Boston Market. Anyway, the chicken and the yucca were both always really good, and their green sauce is terrific. They'll give you extras at no charge. They also serve various steaks and sausages (and I think a big pork chop thang), which always looked good but I never tried anything but the chicken.

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Crisp and Juicy (Arlignton and Falls Church) is consistent, I like that bird alot.  I find their strict "pay for the extra sauce rule" a little annoying, but the food is good.

Although its not Peruvian (Cuban jerk, at least that's how they describe it), the Carribean Grill (Lee Hwy & Geo Mason in Arlington) makes a very good charcoal spit roasted chicken with a mild yellow and a hot green sauce for your dipping pleasure.

Carribean Grill is my favorite place. It always tasted like peruvian chicken. I didn't it tasted like it had Jerk or even Pollo Asado. What ever it is I usually get my peruvian chicken fix there.

Caribbean Grill has the best sides around here too. The yuca is crisp and the plantains melt in your mouth.

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Carribean grilled side could be meal by themselves. The ladies know how to do it. I wish it was closer. I like the fact they use real coal on the chicken. Been to the one next to marks duck house. Also good. Actually, now that I've thought about it, not sure that I've ever had a bad peruvian chicken. It that some places are better than others (more on the sides than the actual chicken, although the chicken has slight differences too).

As for the green sauce, anyone know the recipe? Anyone know the recipe for peruvian chicken at home?

Soup

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I stopped by Crisp and Juicy last night and was not really impressed. The Chicken was fair (ok, I have been slated by the excellent chicken's at busboy's) and the sides were ok, fried yucca and a side salad. I should have ordered the beans and rice. Service was ok, was overcharged and had to wait a minute for them to figure it out. I doubt I will be back again. Oh and the "hot sauce" was ok, not additive at all.

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I stopped by Crisp and Juicy last night and was not really impressed. The Chicken was fair (ok, I have been slated by the excellent chicken's at busboy's) and the sides were ok, fried yucca and a side salad. I should have ordered the beans and rice. Service was ok, was overcharged and had to wait a minute for them to figure it out. I doubt I will be back again. Oh and the "hot sauce" was ok, not additive at all.

Hmph. To each his own. :smile:

And the yucca sucks, we ordered it once and never again.

Heather Johnson

In Good Thyme

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  • 3 weeks later...

El Pollo Rico, but their limited sides are the reason I often go to Pio Pio instead.

Pio Pio's sides arent great (although they are decent), but the chicken is good, and at least they have more of a variety than just coleslaw and fries. EPR's chicken is the best though. Not good yuca though).

I like the sides at Pollo Super, but the chicken isn't as good as the other 2. Good yuca.

-Jason

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I haven't had it in about a year, but Edy's Chicken in Falls Church (on Leesburg Pike?) was always the best by far!

Edy's is really good. I do wish they would use coal but I love their green sauce (one of the best). Sides are also good.

I had Chicken Pollo on little river turnpike. Really good chicken and sides.

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  • 10 years later...

Bumpity bump!  At the risk of ruffling the feathers of some fellow locals I have to say based upon a recent visit to the much lauded El Pollo Rico Peruvian chicken restaurant in Arlington, well, it just isn't magical anymore.  It used to be but IMHO it's just decently cooked rotisserie chicken.  It used to be so addictively wonderful that you almost wanted to eat the bones.  Even their formerly addictive green sauce has gone downhill and merely tastes of ground jalapeños with a dash of vinegar.  Whatever it was that made this place special--it was even featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations--is long gone.  However, based upon my most recent visit there was still a long line or people placing their orders, so go figure.

 

Anyway I was hoping for a recommendation for a current challengers to El Pollo Rico.

 

Peace out!

Inside me there is a thin woman screaming to get out, but I can usually keep the Bitch quiet: with CHOCOLATE!!!

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Our local peruvian chicken joints in DE are thoroughly disappointing. Over-cooked birds and crappy service. I sense the germ of a good thing, but it isn't more than that.

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This won't help divalasvegas unless she travels to this area, but we have a really good mom and pop chain with 4 restaurants in the NC Triangle area. Used to be Mami Nora's and when she sold/transferred? it to her kids maybe a year ago, they changed the name to Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken. Quality seems not to have suffered. They use good chicken and charcoal, have great Latin sides and the prices are quite reasonable. The fried yucca and maduros are worth the small 50 cent upcharge for the combo price.

 

Here's their menu, and here's what yelp has to say, with several mouthwatering photos.

 

If anyone is in the area, I highly recommend it.

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

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9 hours ago, divalasvegas said:

Bumpity bump!  At the risk of ruffling the feathers of some fellow locals I have to say based upon a recent visit to the much lauded El Pollo Rico Peruvian chicken restaurant in Arlington, well, it just isn't magical anymore.  It used to be but IMHO it's just decently cooked rotisserie chicken.  It used to be so addictively wonderful that you almost wanted to eat the bones.  Even their formerly addictive green sauce has gone downhill and merely tastes of ground jalapeños with a dash of vinegar.  Whatever it was that made this place special--it was even featured on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations--is long gone.  However, based upon my most recent visit there was still a long line or people placing their orders, so go figure.

 

Anyway I was hoping for a recommendation for a current challengers to El Pollo Rico.

 

Peace out!

Another vote for the Cuban chicken at the Caribbean Grill on Lee Hwy at N. George Mason Dr. 

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Thanks everyone!

 

Your recommendation for the Caribbean Grill gulfporter couldn't be more convenient since I literally live down the street and around the corner from this place. Will try to get there soon and report back on the results. BTW, I love Cuban food so I hope they have some black beans and rice to go with that chicken.

 

Thanks for the Crepes I'll add Mama Nora's to my growing list of reasons to visit your beautiful state. Maybe this restaurant is not too far from Mama Dip's restaurant where I've always wanted to dine as well.

 

My gut feeling (and my taste buds) about El Pollo Rico is that the subsequent generations have decided, for whatever reasons, to deviate from what put this place on the map in the first place, maybe not sourcing the same ingredients for the marinade and the green sauce and/or cutting the marination time for the chicken to save or make more money.  Hey, maybe the keeper of the original recipes is no longer with us, didn't write anything down and they're just winging it (pun intended)xD.  Whatever the reasons, I think that they are definitely making the most of past rave reviews.  Again, just IMHO.

Inside me there is a thin woman screaming to get out, but I can usually keep the Bitch quiet: with CHOCOLATE!!!

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19 hours ago, divalasvegas said:

Thanks everyone!

 

Your recommendation for the Caribbean Grill gulfporter couldn't be more convenient since I literally live down the street and around the corner from this place. Will try to get there soon and report back on the results. BTW, I love Cuban food so I hope they have some black beans and rice to go with that chicken.

 

Thanks for the Crepes I'll add Mama Nora's to my growing list of reasons to visit your beautiful state. Maybe this restaurant is not too far from Mama Dip's restaurant where I've always wanted to dine as well.

 

My gut feeling (and my taste buds) about El Pollo Rico is that the subsequent generations have decided, for whatever reasons, to deviate from what put this place on the map in the first place, maybe not sourcing the same ingredients for the marinade and the green sauce and/or cutting the marination time for the chicken to save or make more money.  Hey, maybe the keeper of the original recipes is no longer with us, didn't write anything down and they're just winging it (pun intended)xD.  Whatever the reasons, I think that they are definitely making the most of past rave reviews.  Again, just IMHO.

 

Hi, divalasvegas.

 

If you come to NC, please don't do so for Mama Dips. They are another that is resting on past laurels. It's a tourist trap now, but was great in its heyday. $3 for an iced tea anyone? 

> ^ . . ^ <

 

 

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