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With the exception of chicken tacos, chicken is rarely associated with the Tijuana dining scene, yet if you get out and hike around town, like I do, you'll see diners, taquerias and restaurants that specialize in chicken practically everywhere. In Tijuana restaurants that specialize in chicken, the bird is either deep fried or grilled... Tijuana chicken restaurants generally provide lots of chicken at very reasonable prices, and Mi Pollo is no exception to that statement. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Mi Pollo is located in a very sturdy and attractive building, on Blvd. Agua Caliente, just north of Calle Ramos Milan, near the famous Tijuana Tower.. Check out the large smokestacks on the roof of the restaurant, as they'e used to vent the charcoal and mesquite smoke. Like most restaurants in Tijuana, Mi Pollo is open to the street. Tuesday afternoon, December 29, 2009 found me hiking in the Col. Maderos of the Zona Co. Juarez neighborhood, always on the prowl for another small restaurant or diner to sample, and I spotted Mi Pollo, and noticed smoke coming from a large chimney, and smelled the delicious smell of chicken, grilling over charcoal. I knew where I'd be enjoying my next meal... Mi Pollo is a small taqueria, open to the street, staffed by a talented chef, along with a handy manager, and specializes in grilled chicken. The restaurant is located in the Col. Juarez neighborhood on Blvd. Agua Caliente, about two blocks north of Calle Ramos Milan, in the vicinity of the Tijuana Tower. The restaurant is clean, attractive, and staffed by two guys who know how to grill chicken from a compact kitchen, facing the street, providing the cook with a good view of the goings-on of busy Blvd. Agua Caliente. Mi Pollo features a very limited menu of grilled chicken, salad, tortillas, beans and salsa plainly posted on a attractively illustrated menu board in the restaurant. The menu features several combinations of the house specialty; the item caught my eye was one half chicken, grilled, salad, tortillas, beans, salsa and a soda for MEX $55.00 - what a deal! However, I wasn't in the mood for a soda, so I asked one of the guys if he could leave out the soda and drop the price, and he readily agreed to provide me the half chicken, macaroni salad, tortillas and salsa for only MEX $45.00; which translates to less than four U.S. dollars. Such a sweet deal!
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll note the small dining room, and the very compact kitchen, which is centered around the grill. There are two staff members, a chef, and a manager, who seemed to be busy keeping the restaurant spotlessly clean.
Photo: If you love grilled chicken, you've come to the right place. This is the restaurant's menu posted on a wall near the grill... and this is what the menu offers. Note that all selections include a salad, cooked beans, tortillas and salsa. Most tortillas are corn, but you can get flour tortillas, if you ask, which is rare in Tijuana.
Photo: As the chef works the grill, he gets a great view of busy Blvd. Agua Caliente, which ia major noth-south artery in Tijuana, and also serves as part of BC Highway 1 Libre.
Photo: The chef grills butterflied chicken, along with jalapiño peppers, over the charcoal-fired grill. I snap a photo of him, as he turns over the grilling chicken using a fork. Rather than piercing the chicken and letting out off of the juice, I noted he used the fork as a spatula. They already had chicken cooking over charcoal on the grill, so as I sat down, the manager placed a bowl of salsa and a bowl of pasta salad in front of me. Pasta salad is a very common side dish in Tijuana at many small chicken restaurants; again, pasta is not commonly associated with Mexico. Naturally, I whipped out my trusty digital camera, but the staff weren't overly friendly towards my photo-taking, and really didn't seem to encourage photos or conversation. The chef, who was cooking the chicken asked me where I was from, and then asked the usual question of "Why are you taking photos?" I gave him my standard answer and a business card, as he was familiar with the Internet, as there are many Internet cafes in Tijuana. I noted that the chicken cooking on the grill was butterflied, flattened, and with most of the bones removed. They also season the grill by rubbing an onion on it, which seasons the grill, cleans it, and implants a delicious aroma. Jalapiño peppers were cooking alongside the chicken on the grill as well, which added to the delicious aroma.
Photo: Check out the flattened, butterflied chicken, and note the attractive grill marks. The chicken is cooked over a charcoal fire, and seasoned with mesquite. The jalapiño peppers add color, zest and spice to every plate.
Photo: Before the main dish of grilled chicken arrived, I was served a bowl of fresh salsa, along with a small plate of pasta salad. Not shown in the photo is a stack of a dozen grilled corn tortillas, which combined with the "salad" and the salsa, made a perfect appetizer to enjoy before my chicken arrived.
Photo: I smile, as I know I'm going to be enjoying some of the best grilled chicken in Tijuana! I was just starting to nibble on the pasta salad when the guy working the grill placed the remainder of my meal on the table. The half chicken arrived on a styrafoam plate, which wasn't exactly the most attractive presentation, but it was perfectly grilled, and featured a grilled, jalapiñd pepper tucked under the chicken. My server - who also happend to be the chef - profusely apologized for lack of beans; I didn't fully get the reason why beans were absent, but he give me a dozen corn tortillas and told me that refills on the pasta salad and corn tortillas were on the house. For me, Mi Pollo was a first, as I've never had a dozen tortillas placed before me with the offer for more.
Photo: From the posted menu, I went with the "Paquete Solo" which is one half chicken, salad, beans, tortillas and salsa, but without the soda, which is included in the meal. All meals included tortillas, salad, beans, tortillas and salsa. Since the restaurant was out of beans - which happens frequently at Tijuana restaurant, the staff "comped" me by starting me off with a dozen corn tortillas, and offers for all the salad and tortillas that I could eat! The half chicken is the star of the meal, and it arrived marinated, seasoned, and perfectly grilled over charcoal and mesquite. The chicken sports grill marks, which makes for an attractive presentation, and adds to the appeal. I asked the chef what marinade they used, and, naturally, he was vague, but eventually say one of the major ingredients is pineapple juice, which I could definitely taste. The chicken had a nice, grilled skin, and was incredibly moist, juicy and tender inside. Delicious! The gilled jalapiño added to the taste sensation, but was a little hot to handle. The "salad" was simply pasta, with a few diced chili pepper, onion and mayonnaise, drizzled in lime. As previously mentioned, the restaurant was out of beans, so I received a dozen toasted corn tortillas, along with the promise of free refills of salad and tortillas, should I still be hungry. The red salsa was fresh, spicy, delicious, and I assume made "in-house," but I neglected to ask. Such a great lunch! The chicken was grilled perfectly, the was fresh and tasty, the pasta salad was made just right, and the corn tortillas were heated on the griddle, and cooked perfectly. Mi Pollo grills delicious chicken, serves great sides, and you just can't beat the price. When you're south of downtown Tijuana, and you're in the mood for amazing grilled chicken, stop by Mi Pollo. Si amas el pollo a la parrilla, ¡te ENCANTARÁ Mi Pollo! Mi Pollo Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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