El Pollo Rico

Wheaton, MD is a melting pot of ethnicities and cuisines, and thankfully one of the best Peruvian chicken places in DC.  My previous favorite Peruvian chicken place - El Pollo Rico of Arlington, VA - is now closed.  It's not so much that it was better, but that it had rice and beans - a favorite of mine.  However, on my most recent trip to El Pollo Rico in Wheaton they had rice and beans!  After waiting in line among the bustling dining room, they take your order and quickly butcher your bird with a huge cleaver.  Hot sauce, mild sauce, fries, and...

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Pollo Rico is delicious, clean and cheap (a whole meal for $2.99!?), plus the same really nice guy always works the grill every time I've been in there. If the interior wasn't so depressing (weird paint selection and there aren't ever many other customers), I'd give it five stars. It's kinda like a barrio Feed.

I just hope this place doesn't close any time soon. The food is awesome, but I don't think many folks know about it. I know the location isn't great, but the rent is probably right, so the only thing the owner needs to do is step up the marketing effort. I bet this place could become cool with a better atmosphere--softer lighting, some wall art, a little music, etc.

Anyway, if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and order a chicken or two. I bet you'll thank me.

Yo, yo, yiggity-yo! Pollo Rico has the best meal deal I've ever seen. For the insanely low price of $2.99, you get a 1/4 chicken and two sides. Yes! Seriously!

Alright, so it's a little sketchy looking inside. Bare bones decor, one sad looking guy manning the grill and a cashier that barely speaks English do not make for a reassuring first impression, but hell, in these economic times? I'll take a cheap meal where I can get it.

The food is surprisingly good. Well, the chicken is what's really great. Roasted, insanely moist and well seasoned, I was digging it big time. So much in fact, that I practically picked my chicken breast clean off the bone. Classy, I know. My sides were just okay. I got the salad with vinaigrette and fries. Nothing too earth-shattering there, but a nice accompaniment to the chicken.

I triple dog dare you to find a better bang for your buck!!