Super Pollo’s Down-Home Character Makes It Anything but Loco

Costa Mesa’s Super Pollo, near the new Tower Records, was one of the first Mexican-style flame-broiled chicken emporiums to appear in Orange County after El Pollo Loco started the craze in the mid-’80s. But while El Pollo Loco was absorbed by the giant Denny’s chain, and other clone restaurants are now nearly as pervasive as mini-mall yogurt shops, Super Pollo has retained its down-home character.

That starts with high-quality chicken, broiled up tender and flavorful and decked out in the standard varieties of garlic butter and other toppings. The difference here is the freshness and attention to detail, from the piquant salsas and chopped garlic to the refried beans, which are cooked in vegetable oil, never lard. A whole chicken, with lettuce, guacamole, salsa and tortillas is $8.99; a half-order is $4.79.

Super Pollo also makes a chicken burrito that is a meal in itself, and the best in the county for my money ($2.79). Be sure to amend it with their special hot sauce, thick brownish-red stuff that has a real kick. They also excel at a marinated carne asada burrito for $2.99.

Super Pollo doesn’t look like your standard plastic franchise or strip mall joint. The clean, colorfully painted building houses a mismatched cozy dining area little bigger than the adjoining kitchen, where rancheras are usually blaring on the radio.

One thing that sets Super Pollo apart from the rest of the chicken coop is that its long-time, hard-working head cook, Juan M. Delgado, also owns the place. He’s been at the broiler for most of the restaurant’s eight years, and after working for two owners he was able to buy the place himself a couple of years ago.

“It was not easy to buy, but I made the decision right away when the chance came because I like this so much,” Delgado said. “This is what I’ve wanted to do all my life, since when I learned to cook from my mother and my grandmother in Mexico. When I first came to the United States, it was my dream to someday have a restaurant, even before I learned to speak English.”

Now Delgado is doing his best to live up to his dream.

“I enjoy serving my customers. They’re like family, like friends. I never forget it’s their side of the counter that counts. That’s why I make my food as fresh as I can and give the food lots of love. I put my full experience on every plate.”

Super Pollo, 1731 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa. Open Monday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (714) 642-7574.