Super Pollo - Review #1

Super Pollo 1731 Superior Ave Costa Mesa, CA 92627-3614 (949) 642-7574 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch No known official website.

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Here's Shelly, our Costa Mesa correspondent, reporting on a place I told her I thought I'd seen before while driving around. Basically all I said to her was, "I think I've seen some place in Costa Mesa that has a cartoon chicken on it." She said she knew the place and had been there before and about two weeks later her review was submitted.

You've seen it for years if you live in the neighborhood, or pass through on Newport Boulevard. It's tucked back just a little on Superior. There's a chicken wearing a cape painted on the front, hence the name. If you haven't been there, and you should go there, it's a Grilled Chicken/Mexican Restaurant that's been in operation since 1984. It's mainly a place to get good take out, since there's only ten seats inside the small grill, plus three more tables outside. It's well kept and the employees have always been Super Friendly, pardon the pun.

I've eaten there about six times. One can't go there (initially anyway) without getting the Grilled Chicken with Garlic Lemon Butter -- Its flavor always draws me back for more. When ordering the Grilled Chicken, you'll get to pick a seasoning. The picture taken of the partial menu shows the options. This visit I opted for the ¼ Chicken Meal with a leg and thigh (vs. a breast and wing), which comes with beans, rice and tortillas, corn or flour.

This time I also tried their Taquitos. The meal comes with four Taquitos, rice, beans and guacamole. Since I wanted to try both the Beef and Chicken Taquitos, I ordered ½ and ½, which isn't a problem if you wish to do the same. I wanted to try their beef, but when I got to them, I learned they were all chicken. They must have forgotten -- I was chatting them up quite a bit. Now I have another reason to go back. Please note, the chicken ones were perfect, crispy with nice pieces of white meat chicken inside. The salsa is also worth mentioning -- It's spicy with a really great flavor.

To add a little weight to this assessment, I'll give you some related background about me. I once worked for the El Pollo Loco Corporation for about two years. One requirement for all corporate employees is to work in a restaurant once a year, which I did twice. In doing so, I learned a lot about grilling chicken and making salsa, therefore I respect it when others can make it just as good, if not better. Super Pollo does it right.

Super Pollo also offers Burritos, Tacos and a few other items. The place is too small to take a picture of the full posted menu. For guidance when you get there, the chicken items are on the left of the menu and a variety of beef (Carne Asada) and fish items are on the right. In the event you've been confused on just how to get there, just take Superior North until it practically ends, or South where it virtually begins, then you can't miss it.

Note: Take a look at the pictures, the blue door in front appears to be the main entrance, but it's not. It's the entry into the kitchen, employees only. You will enter through the side door with all the stickers.

Thanks, Shelly!

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