As one walks the 2 1/2 blocks from the Clarendon metro to El Pollo Rico, the smell of mouth-watering grilled chicken gets stronger and more enticing. It's hard to pass by this place if you're hungry for a tasty good deal. But, then again, it's not much to look at.
Situated next to a 7-11 and karate school, El Pollo Rico is nothing if not understated. The tables and chairs are quite ordinary, sometimes not even bussed because clientele come in and out so quickly. However, it's hard to beat this amazing chicken that is rotisserie grilled to perfection. If you're a chicken bone-chewer, even the bones are softened and tasty!
Like the many "Peruvian chicken joints" that lurk on various corners of Arlington, Va., El Pollo Rico offers customers a quarter of chicken (white or dark), cole slaw and steak fries plus drink for less than $5. And that's what people come for. Yes, you can get empanadas and maybe a couple of other things that are native to Peru, but what keeps people coming and returning is the chicken.
Served with a choice of a yellow mustard mayonnaise or a spicy cilantro-jalapeno sauce, the chicken is perfectly cooked and appeals to so many that a line out the door is not uncommon on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons. Carry-out is a common alternative to eating there because of the sparse decor and the fact that the place is often filled!
Whether here on a business trip or just to take in the sights, El Pollo Rico offers customers an inexpensive, delicious taste of Peru.