PONKO Chicken Auburn — Restaurant in Auburn

Food is great, but the service at this location is horrible. I’ve come here about six different times, and there has been an issue 3 of them. First issue was simply a random sign tapped to the door saying they weren’t opening until late afternoon, can’t remember the time even though it was past noon when I came. The second time, I walk in and an employee on a cell phone is at the register. He raises a finger indicating I should wait and then talk for 3-4 minutes before putting the phone down and taking an order. Finally, today, two issues. I pull up at about 1110 A.M. and there is a cash only sign on the door, and the door is locked. The chairs are still on the tables and there is a employee inside randomly walking around. She starts removing chairs from tables and see’s me tug on the door but completely ignores me. I’ve been sitting here another 15 minutes and even though there are at least 2 employees inside now, the door hasn’t been unlocked...

The last thing Auburn needs is another chicken restaurant! However, this one is not like the "others". Ponko seems to head east a bit, far east. If you like Asian flavors in your chicken this is the place. Also, the breading used is more of a panko-style rather than a standard flour/buttermilk based coating. I liked that.

I had one of each flavor, OG, Spicy, and BBQ, and all had good flavor. I just wish they had more flavor. I also selected rice and potato salad as my sides and they we're good although the potatoes were a little too al dente for my liking. In general my experience was good. The only suggestion I have on the environment is to please add some trash cans. I ate outside and there was no where to put my trash. I then went inside and there were no trash cans inside either. Overall I think it's worth a try and I'm sure I'll be back to...

For anyone reading this, if you are doing a take out order, please DOUBLE CHECK your food before leaving the restaurant.

I tried Ponko a couple weeks ago and I enjoyed the food very much. So I decided to treat my family to Ponko for lunch. I ordered a 5 pc plate with sides, two sandwiches and sides, and a kids meal. Upon receiving my bag, 3 small boxes and 1 big box total, with the big box thinking it was the plate order, I went home thinking everything was fine. When it was time to distribute the food, there was NO 5 pc plate. One of the boxes was just the side beans. No 5 pc, no rice, no fries, no sauces for all meals. $12 out of $45 down the drain. I am very disappointed in this outcome.

I will not recommend people to order Ponko via take out or through a service like GrubHub. If you decide to eat at Ponko, it's best to eat at...