Pollos Los Gallos

Let me start with the negative first. This place is very old and dirty. There is like one fly per sq ft. Table and chairs are sticky and moldy looking. I don't know how it pass health code. So do not dine in. Lets talk about the food. Chicken and tacos are great. Tacos are fully loaded for $3. Good size too, not the little ones from taco trucks. I know they smoke their chicken outside because you can see the smoke. Chicken is flavorful and marinated well. If white meat is too dry for you then you can dip it in the salsa. Sides like rice and beans are great too. Better than a lot of restaurants out there. Next time I just get it to go and eat at the park. It is too dirty to sit there with flies and mold.

As I drove up to Pollos Los Gallos I saw a column of smoking rising from the grills on the side of the building. I was a bit confused since this was my first time visiting and the building was completely bereft of any signage. But as the other reviews say, just follow your nose! I walked into to the grill area, where the cook, who was busy slathering chicken on the grill with a red sauce, directed me inside through the nondescript door on the front of the building.Ordering is really quick here. They take pre-packaged food out of a hot box, bag it up, and hand it to you. It was a little disappointing since I was expecting to get chicken fresh off the grill. Maybe during busier hours they continuously refill as customers file through? Unfortunately, I figured the earlier I went the fresher the chicken would be, but I guess I was wrong. The place was completely empty after all and I didn't see any other customer the entire time I was there. Whole Chicken Meal ($17) - Pollos Los Gallos isn't really a place you eat in so I got the bag to bring home with the delicious smell of smoked chicken and fresh corn tortillas filling the car as I drove. My first impression as I opened the box and looked at the chicken - woah, super nice char and coloring on each piece. The chicken was chopped up into smaller pieces, making things easier to eat but also increasing the number of small bones to pick through. As expected, that smoky char flavor mixed with the spice glaze on the exterior was phenomenal, but the interior even on the dark meat was dry. Again, I'm wondering if this was because it had been sitting in the hot box for a while.The meal comes with a choice of beans or rice. I got both for $1 extra. The beans were tender pinto charro beans with nice flavor and appropriately seasoned. The Mexican rice was as good as anywhere else in the area, light and fluffy and was only an extra dollar. Also included are some pickled jalapenos and red onions in a small cup. These added a good acidity from vinegar and lime juice and some spiciness from the jalapenos. Two small containers of decently spicy salsa are served on the side. I recommend moistening the chicken up by dousing it in the salsa. Finally, ten fresh hand made corn tortillas complete the meal. Put a bit of everything inside to make a delicious taco!Pollos Los Gallos is cash only, but the food is outstanding value for only $17. I'll have to revisit during the dinner rush and see if I can get fresher chicken next time.

I DO NOT GET IT! this place has such good reviews and it fucking sucked like nothing has ever sucked before .We ordered the whole chicken dinner. They hand it to you in a Styrofoam container out of a warmer which makes the skin taste like you're eating a condom and it's supposed to be a whole chicken yet there's no breast. I don't know what they were giving us chicken assholes? And then when we mentioned it to the guy and said there's no breast here how are you saying this is a whole chicken? He just said oh sorry.... it's filthy as fuck inside and I would never go back. I can't believe people think this is good ... this food, place and service is complete SHIT

Oh man. If you have a tough time finding the place just look for the smoke. The delicious smells will lead you to the promised land.20 bucks and it could have fed 3 easily or even stretched to four. We got a whole chicken dinner with rice, steamed corn tortillas, pickled onions, fresh pickled jalapeños, and plenty of house made salsa. Wow. The chicken is addictive. Grilled on the bone and chopped into handy pieces. Its good on its own or made into little self created tacos. My husband added on a chicken quesadilla and was very happy with it. You can't go wrong, they have other meats but the chicken is just so hard to resist Grab cold beverages from the cooler and eat in at one of approximately six tables. We did and were happy. We loved it so much we got some to go for my parents too. People were friendly despite my limited Spanish and it would have been torture to smell this all the way home without eating some first.We will be back

I stopped today and it was so phenomenal that I knew it was time to update my review. I want to start off my saying that chicken is my least favorite meat in general but not this chicken! This chicken is always on point. They do not have "off" days. It was so charred, juicy and delicious as always! Even my husband loved it and he rarely eats meat!

Tough critic/biased review incoming... I LOVE Taqueria El Rey. I almost cried when it burned down, and I've been an avid supporter of them at Batch, waiting patiently for rebuild etc etc. Batch was too busy with the SW Detroit Restaurant Week Food Truck, so we called an audible and stopped here. Very much doubting they would have a high chair for our lil Yelper, and somehow appearing even more of a dive than original El Rey, I left the fam in the car and ventured in for takeout. Chicken- came out of a hotbox, unfortunately not right off the grill and likewise was a pretty big letdown. Even old El Rey chicken is always juicier after days in the fridge even. For the price I would maybe give it one more shot but cautiously. Saving graces- steak and also El pastor tacos. Cooked very promptly, ate a few in the car before crossing back to Canada, and all of them extremely good. The pickled onions with just the right amount of habaneros are a really nice touch. Frijoles (beans) were pretty good. I like El Rey's just a bit better, but you get more here at Los Gallos. Their rice is amazingly light and fluffy, and the lil guy was doing his best Pac-Man with the stuff!I'd like to like this place more, but it's going to play second fiddle to The King!

Pollos Los Gallos is an amazing spot to grab up some delicious chicken & tacos. The restaurant is located right at the Vernor/Dix split, on Dix. Don't blink, or you will miss it! There is a pink awning with their name across it. We did street parking and ate our deliciousness inside. We chose a whole chicken, aka Pollo al Carbon. It was the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. Nice char, perfect flavor, super tender. They nailed it!! The best chicken I had so far in Southwest Detroit, thanks to my Yelp friend, Al P.! He knows all the spots off the beaten path. I rely on his recommendations, and he knocked this one out of the ballpark! Thanks, Al! :) The pollo al carbon came with homemade corn tortillas- yummy- with a large side of beans, and a large side the of BEST rice ever. I usually skip the sides, but this rice was so good I found myself eating it the next day. It was so flavorful!The tacos are stuffed to the max with the most delicious, flavorful meat cooked to perfection. I got two asada, I had to take one home! The staff is very friendly, the prices were right, and we left with smiles on our faces & full bellies ready to come back! This is the best pollo al carbon in Michigan. I guarantee!

Because this is a place you need to go to and needs to stay around. Do you want chicken? Good chargrill bbq chicken? Rice? Beans? Tortillas? Then go here, for $13 dollars you get a whole chicken and all that. Its a little hole in the wall where you smell the chicken before you see it. They cook the chicken outside and you go in and order at the counter.Small menu. Most go for chicken meal. The meal is $12 add a side for $1. It has THE BEST chargrill and fresh taste. I love that they chop up a whole chicken and put it in a container. Its definitely easier to eat. Tear up and eat with tortillas. Try the carnitas that are available on the weekends. OMG. So flavorfull and tender. Served with tortillas too. Small eating area.

No frills, just good meals.Grilled/smoked/blacken chicken, beans, rice, and corn tortillas. Cash only, carry out and limited parking. Very affordable and tasty.

The place ain't much to look at but the chicken is great and cheap There is a steady stream of locals coming in and out