Pollo Tropical - Sarasota

I decided to give this restaurant a try for the first time today after leaving church, and I must say, I am very disappointed. My wife and I immediately noted an unappetizing smell in the place, which I jokingly attributed to the "naked wings." When we got home and opened our order of five pieces, we realized the true reason for our dissatisfaction. It's frustrating to pay so much for wings that are subpar; it feels like customers are being shortchanged with what they receive, regardless of the price! I'll be looking for another spot before making a final judgment, but I definitely won't be returning to this location. We also found the staff at the drive-thru and the windows to be quite rude, which initially I chose to overlook, but now I wonder if it was intentional.

This was my first visit to Pollo Tropical since I lived in Atlanta, and I drove all the way from North Sarasota for what turned out to be a terrible experience. The girl at the drive-thru window at 7:00 this morning really needs a customer service 101 class. The only thing she said was to tell me the price, and even if I wanted to thank her, I wouldn’t have felt welcome. I ordered a whole chicken and a side of mac and cheese, but the chicken was unappetizingly dry, and the skin was burnt to a dark black. I definitely didn’t want to serve that to my family, and it wasn’t worth it to drive 30 minutes back to return it. The mac and cheese, on the other hand, was overly runny. I’ll definitely be spreading the word to avoid your restaurant. I hope to enjoy your chicken when I return to Atlanta. However, I did go back the next day and was given a full refund from a manager, which is why I've changed my rating from one star to three stars.

I sampled two sauces with the chicken, but both had an unusual flavor. I'm not sure if it was an overload of lime or a spice I wasn't accustomed to, but neither was enjoyable. Overall, the quality and aroma of the food left much to be desired. To add to my disappointment, the restaurant itself felt unclean. I had to search for a clean table, and the counter where I picked up my tray was wet and also felt dirty. It definitely needed to be wiped down. When I finished my meal, the trash bin was so full that I couldn't dispose of my waste. I don't often eat fast food, but since I hadn't tried this place in the 2.5 years I've lived here, I thought I'd give it a chance. Unfortunately, I won't be returning.

Eating is okay. Sometimes under boiled sometimes too dry other times just right. It really depends on whether you're lucky. But does not matter when you come the staff is rude and lazy. I was once said, if I ask for an additional utensils that I can't help you, I'm too busy. Other time when I picked up my order, I asked for my drink and the waitress told me she can't do that the drinks are picked up at the checkout, what happens to be 3 feet left. Instead, I had to go past people waiting in the line for the cashiers and ask for the drink again, while everyone looked at me as I am in the line. I was here a few times because the other places are too far, but honestly, if you want the typical great experience you get at other Pollo Tropical locations, then don't come here. Looks like the manager's trying. He's always nice, but the employees are terrible.

Always hit Pollo Tropical When I am in Florida. They shut them all down in Texas. The chicken was great, the service was awesome a great price