About El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a fast-casual chain serving citrus-marinated chicken fire-grilled over an open flame, paired with hand-crafted flour tortillas, Pollo Bowls, and Original Pollo Burritos.
Across more than 40 years of operation, the El Pollo Loco menu has evolved into a mix of long-running classics and seasonal limited-time offers. The 10 items below are organized by menu category — appetizers and shareables first, then soups and salads, entrees, sides, desserts, and the bar program. Use the category links on each row to jump to a full comparison across every chain MenuDive covers.
If you are scanning prices ahead of a visit, note that El Pollo Loco uses a $ price tier on MenuDive, with most entrees priced inside the range shown in each section. Lunch and weekday menus may apply lower fixed-price combos that are not always reflected in the standard dinner card. Where a chain runs a long-standing daily promotion (riblets at similar grill chains, Wing Tuesday at sports bars, Aussie 3-Course bundles at steakhouses) we have noted it inline.
Hours and locations
Operating hours: Mon-Sun 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM. Holiday hours can vary by location, so we recommend confirming with the specific store before your visit.
Headquarters: Costa Mesa, California.
Locations: More than 480 across the western United States.
Signature highlights
- Citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken
- Pollo Bowls with rice, beans, and salsa
- Original Pollo Burritos with hand-made tortillas
Appetizers
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken Tender Basket (3) | Three hand-breaded chicken tenders with house dipping sauce. | $7.99 | 540 |
Entrees
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken SandwichMost-ordered | Hand-breaded chicken breast with pickles on a toasted brioche bun. | $8.99 | 720 |
| Spicy Chicken Sandwich | Hand-breaded chicken with cayenne seasoning, pickles, and spicy mayo. | $8.99 | 760 |
Wings
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Wings (10)10-piece bone-in | Bone-in wings tossed in your choice of signature sauce. | $13.99 | 920 |
| Boneless Wings (10) | Boneless wings tossed in your choice of signature sauce. | $11.99 | 880 |
| Hot Honey Wings (10) | Bone-in wings tossed in spicy hot honey glaze. | $14.49 | 980 |
Sides
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crinkle-Cut Fries | Crinkle-cut fries fried golden and salted. | $3.49 | 380 |
| Coleslaw | Cabbage and carrots tossed in a creamy slaw dressing. | $2.99 | 220 |
Desserts
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Chip Cookie | Warm chocolate chip cookie baked in-store. | $1.99 | 320 |
Drinks & Bar
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| Item | Description | Price | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Tea (32 oz) | Refillable sweet iced tea brewed daily. | $2.99 | 240 |
Nutritional highlights
Across the 10 items on this page, average nutrition lands at roughly 596 calories, 32g of protein, 42g of carbs, and 32g of fat per item. Sodium averages 1313mg, which lands on the high side for any single sitting — a normal pattern across casual chain menus.
If you are watching macros, the leanest pick on this page comes in at about 220 calories (Coleslaw), while the most calorie-dense plate is around 980 calories (Hot Honey Wings (10)).