Cheap Food Critic

932 N Kenmore St
Arlington, VA 22201

Mon-Sun 11:00 am – 10:00 pm

I don’t know why there are so many Peruvian Chicken places in the DC area but I’m not really complaining…this stuff is awesome. My favorite place in this area (along with Anthony Bourdain) is El Pollo Rico.

Conveniently located right by George Mason University it’s easy to get to by train. They also have a good sized parking lot but it stays pretty full during lunch and dinner rush. Inside the restaurant there are tons of tables and seats. However, during lunch time you will have to poach a table as people finish eating. When ordering there are now two lines, one for cash and one for credit card. If you have cash you can normally cut your time in line by half.

My last trip here I had the quarter chicken with fries and rice. Nothing really special about the rice or fries but when eaten with the green or white mayo sauce I could not stop eating. The chicken was probably one of the best pieces chicken I have ever had! The skin was nice and crunchy while the meat was super moist and juicy. There was also some type of seasoning over the skin that gave the chicken a little salty flavor. Add the green sauce to the chicken and you have the makings of an awesome lunch or dinner. My only compliant was that I need more of those sauces…I finished all the ones they gave me but still had some chicken left over. The total for my whole meal was just over $10.

Note – Don’t forget to bus your own table

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 (548 Ratings)

900 Rainier Ave
Seattle, WA 98144

Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat-Sun 11:00 am – 2:00 am

20815 67th Ave W
Lynnwood, WA 98036

Tue-Sun 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

After having Peruvian chicken in the DC area I remembered we also have a really good place in Seattle.  San Fernando Roasted Peruvian Chicken in the Rainier/MLK area just outside of the International District is Seattle’s answer to Peruvian food.  All of the other Peruvian restaurants I’ve been to focus the menu on the roasted chicken.  Here at San Fernando they have roasted chicken also but its the other items that I would keep coming back for.  A lot of the food is a mix of Asian and Hispanic food (including the Arroz con Pollo and the Tallarin Saltado listed below).  So far I’ve tried the following items:

• Papas Rellenas – which is mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned meat, formed in the shape of a mini football, and than fried.  Papas Rellenas is good for a very filling appetizer.
• Arroz con Pollo – which is quarter chicken with seasoned rice (taste kind of like curry fried rice).  My favorite at this place!
• Tallarin Saltado – is a sort of like a Peruvian chow mein, spaghetti noodles fried with chicken, tomatoes, and peppers.
• Arroz Chaufa – Peruvian fried rice!  Don’t order this expecting Chinese fried rice.  There are similarities for sure but there are different seasoning used in this fried rice.  I really like the huge chunks of chicken and the moistness of the rice but come here with an open mind and try it yourself.
• Lomo Saltaldo – Fries and white rice with sauteed beef, red onions, and red peppers.  Sounds simple but it is seasoned amazingly well.

Notes – Come here ready to eat with your fat pants.  They really load up on food here.  Also, don’t forget to try both the sauces.  Both add a little something special to the food.  If you can’t do spicy avoid the orange one, it’s habanero.

Update – I finally had a chance to get back to the Lynnwood location and get a few pictures of the place. The food is exactly the same as the Rainier location but a tad bit more expensive (about a dollar).

Seattle (Rainier) Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (53 Reviews)

Lynnwood Location:
Yelp – 4.0/5.0 (51 Reviews)

5240 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041

Sun-Wed: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Thu-Sat: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm

I read a Zaget review online claiming this place had better Peruvian chicken (pretty much roasted chicken) then the better known El Pollo Ricco. Being too far from El Pollo Rico I was excited to give this place a try. The chicken was juicy and flavorful but the sides were complete disappointments. I had the half chicken with salad and Peruvian potato salad for about $8.50 after tax. Both were pretty bland and not worth the stomach space. I could have also gotten the fries or yucca as sides (which I assume would have been better) it’s pretty difficult to mess up fried starches. The green sauce and white sauce were very good though. If I was in the area again I probably would come back but skip the sides and just get the chicken and fries or yucca.

The location itself is very large. Tons of seating and parking especially compared to El Pollo Rico.

Long story short, I don’t think this place was better than El Pollo Rico . However, it was still a good, healthy, and cheap lunch. Definitely worth a try.

Yelp – 3.5/5.0 (89 Ratings)