Pollo A La Brasa Vermont — Restaurant in Gardena

I'm just gonna admit it....

This place looks sketchy as heck from the outside! I remember the first time I came here on a date. I stayed in the car saying a little prayer, clutched my purse extra tight, and made the courageous 10 step journey to the restaurant. Once inside, I was blown away by the superb chicken. Located in the heart of historical Gardena, the railroad tracks and tough looking neighborhood all may have you guessing, what are the people thinking!?! Guess no more...

The chicken is fantastic here! All the chicken is prepared in visible view over a wood fire. Many other places (ahem...Chicken Maison) prepares their rotisserie chicken over a gas oven, but not this place. You can just taste the wood undertones and the chicken is literally fall of the bone. It's got the right amount of juiciness and seasoning to keep you coming for seconds. We usually get the whole chicken with rice and fries. That's fun to say...rice and fries! Anyways, the chicken never disappoints. It's super cozy and tiny inside, so don't be surprised at sitting uncomfortably close to others when you come in. The taste of the chicken will have you forgetting all about personal space. You will be licking your fingers and scraping off every piece you can get from the chicken. Rice and fries are a nice side choice, but nothing extraordinary. I did try their coleslaw on a previous visit and would recommend that. Going back to the Chicken Maison reference, the chicken here surpasses theirs. Not by a dramatic race, but I just prefer the wood fired chicken rather than gas lit chicken. I also appreciate the small business aspect, since the place is owned by an amazing Peruvian couple that migrated from China!

Next time you're in Gardena, brave the journey, and try out their chicken! You'll see what the fuss...

Very disappointing experience.

Yesterday, I went with my wife and daughters to get some rotisserie chicken. As we were leaving, a man approached me and kindly asked if I could get him something to eat—he wasn’t asking for money or alcohol, just food. I told him, “Of course,” and brought him in to order a meal.

When the staff saw him, they claimed they didn’t have any chicken ready, even though it was clear there was plenty being served. One of them said, “It’s for the homeless guy,” and I replied, “Yes, but I’m paying for it.” I insisted on paying for the $12 plate with the sides included, and they reluctantly agreed but told me it would take a long time. I asked the man to wait patiently for number 79 and sit quietly.

As we were leaving, I saw the man being told to wait outside instead of inside. He didn’t smell bad or cause any trouble—he simply looked like someone who needed help.

When we got home, we found our chicken was undercooked (red on the inside), and I had to finish cooking it in our air fryer. But worse than the food was the attitude of the staff—Latino workers who seemed to act like they owned the place, showing zero kindness or basic respect.

That was our last visit. The chicken at Sam’s Club or Pollo Inka is far better in both quality and service. I truly hope the man received his meal, but it was sad to witness such a lack of compassion. God sees everything, and people who treat others poorly will eventually be held accountable. ❌👎 Hay seres humanos que hablan de Jesús pero aun no entienden que significa amarse los unos a los otros....

I'm a big fan of the food, but not the manager. They lady that took my order recommended that I get a whole chicken with two sides instead of a 1/2 chicken with sides because the whole chicken came with larger sizes and I agreed. Unfortunately, I was charged on my debit card for a 1/2 chicken with two medium sized (that wouldn't work for a family of 4). They brought this situation to the managers attention, but he was completely rude. I felt embarrassed and I felt insulted. He said that it was my error because they read the order back to us twice (which she did not) and wanted to swipe my debit card again for app. $1.26+a fee because it was under $10. I didn't think that was fair because it was their error. He smugged me off and ask if I expected him to give it to me for free. I shouldn't be charged again. I should not be charged an additional fee. I work too hard (even on my off days from my primary job) to ask for a free hand out. I graduate this Saturday and was just speaking with the cashier about them catering for my guess afterwards, what a...