El Pollo Rico – I LOVE this chicken!

Delicious chicken from a drive-thru take-out? You bet! Austin’s El Pollo Rico is not your typical fast food. Perfectly seasoned charbroiled chicken is wrapped with a grilled onion to go in butcher paper. The Pollo Entero Combo — an entire chicken, rice, beans, a lime, eight corn tortillas and two kinds of incredible salsa — is only $11.99.

El Pollo Rico

The chicken is tender and flavorful. The beans have big chunks of onions and sausage. Yum. And I could devote an entire page to the salsa. The green sauce is a mystery – I tasted jalapenos and cilantro. Whatever it is that has been added to the sauce has all been blended to a smooth creamy green consistency. The red salsa is spicy and delicious.

El Pollo Rico

If you’ve never tried the chicken from El Pollo Rico, you have no idea what deliciousness awaits beneath the butcher paper, plastic and foil.

El Pollo Rico

There are five locations in Austin. This one in Round Rock is not a drive-thru and has tables inside if you want to eat and watch TV. There are also other items on the menu besides the chicken, however, I have yet to find anyone who has tried anything other than the chicken.

El Pollo Rico

El Pollo Rico 1
9437 N I H 35
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 339-7325‎

El Pollo Rico 2
9717 N Lamar Blvd # B7
Austin, TX‎
(512) 997-7300‎

El Pollo Rico 3
1702 N Mays St
Round Rock, TX 78664
(512) 388-7373‎

El Pollo Rico 4
704 W Stassney Ln
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 326-1161‎

El Pollo Rico 5
1928 E Riverside Dr
Austin, TX 78741
(512) 326-1888‎

El Pollo Rico 6
539 W Oltorf St
Austin, TX 78704
(877) 339-7305‎

El Faro – My New Favorite Austin Restaurant

I have a new favorite restaurant — El Faro Taco & Cafe on Wells Branch Parkway in North Austin. The food at this family-owned restaurant is incredible. And so is the service. Owner and Chef Morales — as well as his wife, son and mother-in-law — made my husband and I feel like we were part of the family.

El Faro Taco & Cafe

Friday nights feature an all-you-can-eat buffet. I decided to try a few items and then go back if I had room for more.

On my plate and in my tummy:

  • Pozole
  • Enchiladas Tejanas
  • Tacos Dorados
  • Picadillo
  • Lengua
  • Chicken Pepe  (this was my favorite)
  • Carne Guisada
  • Rice
  • Flour Tortillas

The chicken and lengua were incredibly tender and tasty.

El Faro Taco & Cafe Friday Night Buffet

I was stuffed and wanted to save room for dessert, so I will have to wait until my next visit to try something different from the buffet.

What I will try next time:

  • Costilla de Puerco
  • Huesitos de Res
  • Puerco a la Mexicano
  • Charro Beans
  • Chiles Rellenos

El Faro Taco & Cafe Tres Leches Cake

Mrs. Morales is the pastry chef at El Faro. My husband and I shared a flan and a piece of tres leches cake. WOW. The flan was great. And the tres leches cake has to be the best I’ve eaten in Austin. The photo above is a tres leches cake that she had prepared for a birthday party.

If you are a fan of fresh and delicious food, served with care and a smile, then El Faro is just the place for you!

El Faro Taco & Cafe
1779 Wells Branch Pkwy # 108
Austin, TX 78728
(512) 252-3430

Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday through Friday: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM

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