El Pollo Loco Menu Prices

Published on May 23, 2022
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

El Pollo Loco can be translated as “The Crazy Chicken” and is the name of a restaurant chain in the United States of America that specializes in serving food items inspired by Mexican cuisine. This restaurant is famous for its signature citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken.

El Pollo Loco's menu includes items such as quesadillas, tacos, burritos, family meals, different salads, a wide variety of sides, bowls, and desserts. Their prices tend to be similar to those you can find at Chipotle Mexican Grill and Taco Bell.

In the table below you will find the latest El Pollo Loco menu prices.

Brand History

El Pollo Loco was founded in 1975 by Juan Francisco Ochoa and the first location was opened in Sinaloa, Mexico. By 1979 the restaurant expanded all over the northern area of Mexico. In 1980 the first location was opened in the United States, on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles, California. People fall in love with the fresh and delicious food, so the restaurant expanded quickly all over California. In 1983 the American restaurants were bought by Denny’s, while the Ochoa family continued to run their business in Mexico.

You might also like our articles on the costs of the products on the menus of Chipotle, Pollo Tropical, or Taco Bell.

In 1991 the 200^th El Pollo Loco restaurant was opened. Over time new items were introduced to the menu such as burritos, the Pollo Bowl, Pico de Gallo, and Avocado salsas.

In 2005 El Pollo Loco was purchased by Trimaran Capital Partners and became a publicly-traded company in 2014. The Loco-Value menu was introduced the same year.

Over the years El Pollo Loco expanded in the United States and currently, there are around 500 locations in states such as Utah, Arizona, Texas, California, and Nevada. Locations were also opened in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, and Virginia, but these closed between 2011 and 2012.

On July 31, 1995, El Pollo Loco was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the world’s largest burrito in Anaheim, California. Also, in 2010 the World Franchising Network recognized this restaurant as a top franchise for Hispanics.

Our review

El Pollo Loco's menu includes a wide variety of items besides the famous flame-grilled citrus-marinated chicken. There you can find starters, a snack menu, salads and bowls, desserts, family chicken meals, an “Under 500 calories” menu, individual chicken meals, kid’s combos, sides, favorites, and drinks. Expect to pay anywhere between $5 and $8 for the starters, while the snack menu items cost $8 to $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage).

Depending on the size ordered, the family meals cost anywhere between $25 and $35 (≈2.3 hours of uninterrupted labor at $15/hour), while for an individual meal you will have to pay anywhere between $9 and $12 (≈48 minutes of continuous work at a $15/hour job). This includes the fire-grilled chicken leg, two- and three-piece combo, fire-grilled chicken thigh, half chicken combo, fire-grilled chicken breast, and fire-grilled skinless breast meal.

As for the sides, you can choose between loco side salad, rice, coleslaw, pinto beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, black beans, macaroni and cheese, corn, and broccoli. Each of these costs anywhere between $5 and $7.

The salads cost anywhere between $8 and $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage) and include the Classic salad, the Ultimate Double Tostada salad, the Tostada salad, and the Mexican Cobb salad. For a bowl, you will have to pay $8 to $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage) and you can choose between the Pollo Bowl, the Ultimate Double Chicken Bowl, and the Grande Avocado Chicken Bowl. For a chicken burrito, you will have to pay $8 to $10 (≈40 minutes working at a $15/hour wage). These include various types such as Classic Chicken, Avocado, Ranchero, Spicy Chipotle, and Poblano Avocado.

For dessert, you can enjoy churros which cost anywhere between $2 and $4. The items from the kid’s menu include the two-piece Chicken Legs, the Mini Pollo Bowl, and the BRC Burrito Kids. These cost anywhere between $5 and $7 each.

The “favorites” items include the Avocado Tacos, the Ultimate Chicken Bowl, and Avocado Quesadilla. Each of these items costs anywhere between $6 and $12 (≈48 minutes of continuous work at a $15/hour job).

The service from El Pollo Loco restaurants is decent and the locations are relatively clean. The customer’s favorite is the chicken, but burritos are also highly recommended. There is something for everyone, regardless of whether it is an individual or family meal, salad, or burrito.

El Pollo Loco FAQs