El Pollo Real — Restaurant in Lake Township

I will always go out of my way to find great charcoal grilled poultry and meats. After scouring the interwebs, I came across several highly rated charcoal grilled chicken restaurants, namely, El Pollo Real on south Pulaski, Pollo Express in Pilsen, and Cluckers in Libertyville....plus, a few more not yet mentioned. As I made my way towards 63rd and Pulaski, I could smell the citrus and spice marinated chicken searing across the charcoal fired grill from a block away! Man, it smelled fantastic!! There was plenty of parking behind the restaurant as I pulled up at 11:30am...a definite plus in my book! The mostly takeout and delivery setup is sparse, but bright and clean throughout. The cashier/order taker was pleasant and more than competent with handling multiple phone orders and mine. I ordered the whole chicken special for $19.08 including tax, which included a dozen tortillas, two grilled jalapenos, a roasted black salsa, a fresh tomato salsa, pickled onions, two sides, and what seemed more like a chicken and a half. It is a good value for the money for sure! They serve two kinds of beans, the charro soup made with whole beans spices, and chopped up hot dogs (yes, hot dogs, ugh!) and your standard refried variety. The idea of pairing sausage and/or hot dogs with beans is nothing new. I do love a good hot dog!!....but will NEVER NEVER get used to them in my Charro beans!! I know, this is all the rage in northern Mexico and apparently now in Chicago's Mexican restaurants, but please tell me why?! At least the New Orleans Cajun and Creole style beans is made with Andouille, well, because it amazing! Anyway, let's move on to the chicken! Wow, the chicken! I give it a solid 4 stars. It was delicious and very flavorful, tender, and juicy! My only complaint is in the choice of charcoal, which I believe was a heavy on the Mesquite, which depending on the quantity and/or brand, can sometimes be overpowering. Secondly, there was a very slight bitter smoke flavor from either from the overpowering mesquite charcoal and/or the fat burning on the coals. Next, let's get to the sides and accompaniments; both the black roasted and fresh tomato salsas paired well with the chicken. The pickled onions and roasted jalapenos tasted great in my chicken and bean tacos!! The Mexican rice was tasty and cooked and seasoned perfectly. I thought the refried beans were decent, but a bit runny. I think was enjoyed most was dipping the, hot off the grill, juicy chicken in the salsas and taking bites of the grilled jalapenos. It tasted incredible! I thought the tortillas were just ok. Overall, I really like El Pollo Real and preferred it over Pollo Express. I will...

Honestly they weren’t my first choice but my normal spot dropped the ball for our thanksgiving meal.

In a scramble, we decided to give this place a try. We’ll be coming here from now on!

The staff was incredibly kind and professional. Yes they are cash only and have an ATM right there for convenience. The food was packed up quickly and still piping hot.

We ordered 4 whole chicken with all the fixings. We got salsas, beans, rice, tortillas, pickled red onions. The chicken was tender and so so flavorful. Great light smokey flavor, well seasoned.

Not only did they save our Thanksgiving dinner but they made it extra memorable. Can’t wait to...

A couple of years ago, I was visiting Chicago, got lost🫤 I was starving and came across this place. I was so hungry I ate in my car! To my surprise, the food was AMAZING! I saved the location in my phone, because I wouldn't be able to find it again😂 Now, whenever I'm in town, I can't leave with stopping by and grabbing a bite to eat! I waited before writing my review wondering it might be a hit or miss spot. Not at all! EVERY time I'm in Chicago, I visit and they're CONSISTENT, it's fresh, seasoned well and...