El Pollo Loco now offers a decent selection of signature bowls, each offering a unique selection of garden items accompanied by two generous portions of shredded chicken or shrimp. The bowls include:
- Double Chicken Power Bowl (Double chicken, avocado, spinach, corn, black beans, cotija cheese, citrus sauce, pico de gallo salsa. Dressing not included in calories.)
- Double Chicken Superfood Bowl (Double chicken, avocado, spinach, onion, brown rice, black beans, pico de gallo salsa, cilantro, and citrus sauce. Dressing not included in calories.)
- Double Chicken Fresh Bowl (Double chicken, avocado, spinach, brown rice, cheese, carrots, cabbage, citrus sauce, cilantro, and pico de gallo salsa. Dressing not included in calories.)
- Double Chicken Bowl (Double up on a double portion of delicious citrus-marinated chopped chicken breast or Baja shrimp on top of authentic pinto beans, rice, cabbage and garnished with sour cream, shredded jack cheese, avocado slices and pico de gallo salsa.)
- Double Shrimp Mango Bowl (Double shrimp, avocado, spinach, carrots, brown rice, mango salsa and cabbage. Dressing not included in calories.)
The basic (if you can call it that) Double Chicken Bowl I received was tasty and flavorful. The garden items were cool and crisp, the chicken warm and moist. I have to confess I’m used to eating El Pollo Loco chicken off the bone, so getting it in this format threw me a bit. Also, I think serving it as two lumps in diagonal corners of the rectangular bowl looked strange. From a presentation perspective, I’d have found the chicken in the middle and topped by corn or some other contrasting topping more appealing.
All in all, though, this was a satisfying meal. And my $5 coupon made it a worthwhile and thrifty dinner.
