Review of Pierna del Pollo

The streets of Tijuana's famous Zona Norte, are dingy, and area is famous as Tijuana's red light district. However, I wasn't walking the streets looking for entertainment, or to enter the many bars in the area, as my mission is always for food, especially food that's interesting, and unique to Tijuana. Such is the small, shabby restaurant, Pierna de Pollo, which translates to "chicken leg," in English.

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: Enthusiastic local shoppers, walk past the unpretentious facade of Pierna de Pollo, located on Articulo 123, in Tijuana's famous Zona Norte.

Early Saturday afternoon, March 10, 2007, as I was wandering Articulo 123, a.k.a. First Street or Calle Primera, between Av. Revolución and Av. Constitutión, I spotted what I was looking for: A small, locally owned and operated restaurant that featured a favorite local Tijuana cuisine. What cuisine? A whole chicken leg, deep fried, served with pinto beans, diced cabbage, salsa verde, and a stack of tortillas on the side.

Photo: You can walk up to the open window, which faces the sidewalk, and place your order, as these gentlemen are doing. This is your "drive-up" window, Tijuana style. If you're like me, and you prefer to dine, inside, there are a rown of benches that face each wall, for your dining pleasure.

Restaurante Pierna de Pollo is one of those small restaurants that you'd miss if you were a tourist, riding in one of the many limos that shuttle tourists to the strip clubs, such as Chicago, or Adelita's, yet if you are a local, or an informed tourist such as your author, you can't miss a place such as Pierna de Pollo. The whole place just screams of local flavor, cuisine and character, and it's the sort of place that the gringo, or uninitiated Tijuana diner should experience, but few of the aforementioned characters would choose to enjoy the experience of a meal at Pierna de Pollo.

Well, I'm the adventurous type, so I boldly marched up to the window of the restaurant the faces the street, and at that point I said to myself, "What the heck, let's do it..." and I walked into the dimly-lighted place and sat down at the bar, that faces the wall, just behind the kitchen. Friendly "Ace," who was cooking, asked me what I wanted, and I blurted out loud "Polo, frijoles y tortillas!" Grinning, "Ace" said it was coming up.

Photo: The menu is posted near the window to the sidewalk, and is as simple as it gets: Chicken legs or tacos.

Restaurante Pierna de Pollo isn't a one-man operation, as in addition to "Ace" (I swear, that was the name he gave me...) Franco was in the rear of the restaurant, giving many heads of cabbage his best effort with a huge meat cleaver. While my lunch was cooking, I had the opportunity to engage both of the guys in conversation, and I found out that "Ace" actually owns the place, and Franco works for him, but "Ace" has owned the place since 1990 in the same location. He proudly informed me that his business has a huge local following, and during my pleasant 45 minute at his restaurant, I can guarantee that statement is true, as I observed many locals purchasing meals while I was enjoying my lunch. Most of the local customers purchased orders "para llavar," or, to go, and I found that quite interesting, but, gee... Tijuana is a big city!

Photo: "Ace," who is a master at cooking chicken legs. Note the big pan of seasoned flour on the counter, which will be used to coat the chicken leg. Note the menu posted on the wall, on an "old school" white board.

Photo: The kitchen at Pierna de Pollo, looks out to the street from an open window, where "Ace" takes orders from walk-up customers. Note the big pots full of pinto beans.

So I sat myself down at a dingy stool that faced an equally dingy wall, and watched as "Ace" cooked my chicken leg in a huge wok-like bowl filled with cooking oil that reminded of a rather antique 1970's trucker's expression that reverberated around the phrase "road tar." Actually, the oil was just well-used, as obviously "Ace" must be very ecology-mined since he seems to firmly believe in recycling the cooking oil as long as possible. However, "dingy" is good, as it adds character to any meal consumed in downtown Tijuana. As I sat on my dingy stool, I had to opportunity to watch "Ace" coat my chicken leg with flour, and plunged it into the cooking oil, that was boiling over the propane-fired burner. Franco, finished chopping cabbage, and immediately brought a huge bowl full of the stuff to the front of the restaurant, where a portion of it was placed on a plate, obviously intended for me. All the while, "Ace" and Franco exchanged pleasantries, with each other, and with pedestrians passing by on Articulo 123. Only in Tijuana!

Photo: "Ace" and Franco to the right, in the kitchen at the front of the restaurant. The narrow shelves, which are mounted to the walls, serve as tables, and the stools are where the diners sit to enjoy their meal. I sat at the stool to the right, near the middle of the photo. Plastic spoons and forks are stored in the cut-down plastic bottle mounted on the wall, at the center-fight of the photo.

Photo: Chicken and tortillas, pre-cooked, by the order window. The pre-cooked chicken and tortillas are for take-out orders, and when you dine inside, you're treated to chicken, cooked right before your eyes.

When I walked into this place, really I had no idea what to expect. I just waked in to the place, smiled at "Ace" and ordered a chicken leg meal, as per their menu, posted on the outside of the restaurant.. Well, was I in for a surprise, as "Ace" presented me with a perfectly cooked thigh and leg of a chicken, a side order of pinto beans, salsa verde, and a stack of eight, warmed, corn tortillas. All of this for MEX $19.00, which is around $1.70 in U.S. dollars! You can't even purchase a cheap, generic burger, cold off the Sysco truck in the U.S. for that kind of money.

Photo: "Ace" and Franco, hard at work in the kitchen. Note the lady standing across the street, seen through the open window. She's a Tijuana, "working girl," and her profession is completely legal in the Zona Norte.

Photo: Today, I ordered the "Combination Plate" which included a deep fried chicken leg, pinto beans, shredded cabbage, salsa verde, and a stack of corn tortillas. My order arrived quickly, in about ten minutes after placing, and paying for it.

The chicken was coated in flour, and deep fried in a large wok-like pan, with cooking oil that seemed to be quite well-used, in true Tijuana fashion. The restauant keeps pre-cooked chicken, mostly for take-out, but since I was dining inside, "Ace" deep fried my chicken, as I waited. The chicken was crispy tender on the outside, and chewy tender inside, as these chefs know how to deep fry chicken. Great chicken!

The pinto beans were nothing special, as they were simply "pot beans," which are pinto beans with little, if any, seasoning. The cabbage was simply shredded cabbage, with a slice of lemon for dressing. The very generous stack of four large corn tortillas were toasted on the griddle, and made an amazing addition to this wonderful lunch. I used a corn tortilla to scoop all of the bean juice, so I could enjoy all of the godness.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful lunch, cooked to perfection, and enjoy a slice of life not often witnessed by Norteamericanos to this part of Tijuana. As I chewed on my chicken leg, I as able to observe the street life of Tijuana's Zona Norte, and watch the street grills, and the prostitutes ply their trade, but I was also able to savor the local cuisine and enjoy the whole spectacle presented to me, all in Spanish, with not a word of English spoken. What an experience! I highly recommend Pierna de Pollo for a delicious, Tijuana-style meal!

Pierna de Pollo
Articulo 123
Zona Norte, Tijuana, Baja California
Mexico