Jose’s Pollos Estilo Acapulco

This is definitely a hidden gem. It is not in the best location, but the food is sooo good. Very unique taste on the chicken, it’s almost a mestique smoky taste. They give a very generous family size meal (chicken, rice, beans and lots of tortillas). Very affordable, I think it was all under $ 20. The chicken was also good for left over tacos. I wish they would deliver!

I was excited to. see that this had good marks. I’m not sure what the food was like I didn’t get that far. I must have waited 15 minutes before just walking out.

I had to try Jose’s Pollo based on the reviews of several fellow Unilocalers. Located on the corner of 28^th and Ocean View this is not a part of San Diego tourists ever see, and this is a good thing, for them and for us. Located in a compound that includes a car wash, another restaurant and a tortillerilla, you notice the large BBQ smoking the minute you pull in. They cook the birds whole and then cut them up. The grill has room for about 30 chickens or so. Serious stuff!
You can buy ¼, ½ or a whole chicken. A whole chicken with sides costs you $ 16.50 and comes with Beans, Rice, Onion, two Salsas and Tortillas. A whole chicken without the beans and rice is $ 14.00. Some reviewers call this a great deal. That it is not, it’s expensive and the chickens are small. However the taste is great. We’ve gotten the chicken «natural» and it has a smoky flavor that permeates the meat and has only a hint of a marinade. It is better and juicier «BBQ» style which comes with a fantastic rich, sticky, tangy sauce, which is not sweet, but vinegary with a hint of spice, and a big mess to eat. (Phil’s BBQ can learn a lot about BBQ sauce here) If you have a mustache, you will need to wash it after eating, otherwise the world will smell like BBQ sauce wherever you go. The sides are excellent, especially the tortillas, so I would say get the sides. The chicken also comes with whole BBQ’d onions which you can pull apart when you make your taco.
Try this: Warm up a tortilla, add chicken meat, a few slices of onion, some cilantro an avocado wedge and generous lashings of Tapatillo, Cholula, Pico Pica or whatever your poison is and you’ll have a taco most people only dream of!
Is this the best Mexican Style BBQ’d chicken in San Diego? Probably not, but it comes damn close in the BBQ sauce mode. This is a competitive field. The main reason I do not add the fifth star is the high price for small chickens. I think it is overpriced considering the competition. I may revise this at a later date, but I think four stars is very fair at this point in time.

Jose’s Pollo will serve you the finest BBQ you’ll have in San Diego, hands-​down.
The gracious people who work here speak English as well as I speak Spanish, which means my first visit was replete with awkwardness, but I’ve since returned and, now that I know what I want, it’s smooth sailing. And what I want — no, need! — is Jose’s mesquite-​smoked achiote-​marinated whole chicken dinner with all the fixins’ (rice, pinto beans, corn tortillas, grilled onion, green sauce, and red sauce) for $ 16 and change.
The chicken is spatchcocked and finished on a charcoal grill «al carbon» and then split into pieces after being heavily treated in the massive smoker across the lot. The result is a juicy, smoky, spicy bird that would delightfully feed 2 – 3 normal people, or one hungry, gluttonous pig (guilty as charged).
Jose’s Pollo is a San Diego «hidden gem» that flies completely under the radar, but I’d highly recommend it to anyone else who lives here who wants to explore some of our better legitimate Mexican cuisine.
I’d give this joint a 5-​star rating if the location provided just a few more creature comforts, but it is what it is, doesn’t aspire to be more than that, and that’s just fine with me. Despite the humble venue, Jose’s whole chicken dinner is one of the best meals you’ll have in this city, and you absolutely need to come here.

The chicken is amazing. Best I’ve had in a long time. I had the hot sauce chicken.

It’s Jose’s fault.
I bought a chicken dinner from Jose last night, and on the way home, my car smelled so good I had to roll the window down so I could concentrate on driving. So a bug flew in and hit me in the eye, and so now, I’m driving como un borracho out the 94, not trying to get pulled over, ’cause besides all the other trouble that would make, I don’t want the chicken to get cold.
But I got home ok. Thanks for asking. I know you were thinking this was going to be the story about how Omar lost Jose’s Pollo over in lockup, but no… you don’t take a fat man’s food.
My wife was home already, and she was hungry, so I started to break the chicken down so we could make tacos or quesadillas. But it smelled so good that every time I’d pull a piece of meat (and burn my fingers… how does it stay so hot!?) I’d eat the bite.
So by the time I’d pulled the whole chicken apart, I swear to God, there was a quarter-​chicken left. And not the good parts. It was all necks and scrawny stuff.
So now my wife’s pissed at me, ’cause all she got was a couple of wings and a backbone, plus part of a thigh. And I can’t even say she was wrong to be mad. Or that I was sorry.
I can only say that ese pollo era bueeeeeno, and like I told you: it’s Jose’s fault.
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Jose’s Pollo Asado al Carbon (Estilo Acapulco) is mesquite-​grilled chicken, plain, or sauced with an achiote-​based marinade that shouldn’t be missed. It’s cooked whole, then cut into halves or quarters, and served with Mexican-​style rice; pinto beans; and hand-​made salsas and tortillas. At $ 16.50 per whole chicken dinner, Jose’s food is a bit pricey, but it’s so damned good, it makes getting into trouble worthwhile.
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Editorial assistance from Marlene J. and Andy M.

las salsas son excelentes el pollo y las costillas de lo mejor sin olvidar las cebollas al carbón

This place is fantastic. Jose the owner brings a very unique and delicious pollo asado recipe to San Diego. He cooks all the chicken right over mesquite fire and the grilled chicken has that authentic Mexican BBQ flavor. You can do either spicy sauce which is delicious red sauce or natural chicken which is with no sauce. Everything is served with rice, beans and corn tortillas. This is as close to being in Mexico as you can get.

Simply fantastic!!! I live less than 2 miles away in SPark! How did I miss this place over the last 20 years! Friendly, great service, great prices, great food!

Jose is all business. Double wide grill in the corner of the lot. Covered grill area to the front side of the entrance with 2 guys working it. 2 counters inside. Not the friendliest or great with English, but they make some great food at one hell of a deal.
Been here twice. Got the ribs the first time and had to obviously try the chicken due to their name and what they do. Ribs are big and grilled right. This is my first time having ribs done this way and need to try again. Been too acclimated with US BBQ ribs and need to try these again. Chicken is delicious. The half chicken with rice, beans and tortillas for under $ 10 will feed 2 adults. Rice, beans and tortillas are right on the money. Jose’s is very generous with their portions.
This is a cool place with hard working people. Need to come back for some pozole and menudo. You’ll get a lot of great food for a steal, so TIP HARD.

Yummy!!! I was in the neighborhood and wanted some authentic Mexican food — not burritos and tacos. Found this gem on Unilocal and went over. First, this place is a bit hard to find because there are four business’s on one lot, including a car wash! So don’t fret when you can’t see it. Just follow the giant charcoal grill and smoke.
Pay inside and take your ticket outside to the grill guys. Then, grab a seat and they will bring you your fresh tortillas, rice, beans, salsas and meat. I ordered half a chicken for two, and left with many leftovers. The guy was so nice and also let us try the pork as well. They’re both so good! All for $ 9.69. Cash only.
I like the Mexican marinade because it gives it a little something extra and authentic. The green salsa is legit — super spicy. The rice and beans are also very solid. They don’t give you a knife because the chicken just comes off the bone… yum. The onions are delicious as well and go great with the pork. Definitely worth trying! Just get some Spanish ready!

I was drawn in by the smoke coming from the BBQ chimneys. Doesn’t look like a restaurant. But there’s actually two separate restaurants in the building. A taco shop, and the barbecue. I was greeted by a pleasant cashier who assisted me in ordering my lunch. I got a quarter chicken combination plate with beans rice and tortillas. They threw a couple ribs in to taste. I was quite pleasantly surprised the marinated chicken was delicious. tortillas were fresh and the combination worked well. I had the red hot sauce, which the cashier warned me was hot, and it was hot, I loved it but I like it hot. Overall a great hole in the wall find. I will return.

Hole in the wall are the best! My dad came to visit and spotted the place. He came to check out the grilled chicken and we ended up staying for some tacos. Great service and food was amazing! Coming back for sure!

I had the California burrito and my girlfriend got the chicken burrito. We shared chips and salsa. The salsa comes out on a tray with 3 different types of salsa. The darkest red one was our favorite. I have no idea what the names are. The burritos were both amazing. The meat was seasoned so well. If you’re looking for authentic mexican food, you’ve found it. This place is great and it’s not too pricy.

Tis the season of whittling down the Unilocal bookmarks. My list of places to check out and post a review are just too damn high.
I got a recommendation from reliable sources that this place is worth a visit. I live in the ‘burbs, so making a trip to what some culturally misguided folks refer to negatively as the barrio could be an adventure in itself.
Just a regular lunch trip across town for grilled chicken. Traffic getting into and out of the area was simple, although a late weekday afternoon visit might be bogged down with extra pedestrians when school is done for the day. Niños everywhere!
Restaurants as metaphoric hidden gems get thrown around a lot on Unilocal.Like, seriously omg, call me out if I start abusing the phrase. Yeah, it’s cliché. Jose’s Pollo is hidden in plain sight because some businesses around the old neighborhood sometimes blend and overlap one another. I almost drove right by it, but the grill is easily found in front of Taqueria El Korita, on the northeast corner of Ocean View Blvd and 28^th St. Cash only and speaking Spanish are the keys to a more successful visit.
Just get to the damn chicken… I hear you.
It’s tasty. Good amount of smokiness and crispness to the skin. The meat wasn’t overcooked into jerky oblivion. Lunch: a ½ chicken, which included the basic sides: fluffy yellow rice, slow-​simmered pinto beans, soft corn tortillas, and a grilled sweet onion, along with homemade salsas. They also have a savory red sauce, previously mentioned in other reviews, that I can’t quite describe perfectly. It’s a sauce that you can have either smothered on the meat, or on the side as a condiment or dipping sauce.
Fast food this is not. The prep needed to prepare a tasty meal takes time. Building your taco by hand takes time. Savoring the flavors of the pollo al carbon with the spiciness of the salsas is worth the time. If I lived closer I would be here. All… the…time.
Jose’s Pollo is a neighborhood gem. It’s not a game changer or the next food fad. El Pollo Loco might be convenient and just good enough for you. Joe’s Chicken isn’t flashy, highly polished, or prominent by corporate standards, but that doesn’t diminish it’s value as a humble street cart eatery dishing out delicious grilled chicken.

UPDATE 8÷13÷14− Came back down today to try the chicken without the marinade. Ordered a half chicken with onions and that’s it. Total was $ 7.00. I’m pretty sure I got some leftovers and pieced together ½ chicken. I got one wing, one thigh, 2 drumsticks and a half of a breast. This was the smallest damn chicken I have ever seen too! It tasted good because of the charcoal but it was really dry also. Maybe the marinade is the secret? Regardless, this bird was TINY. I will have to go back one more time to make a final determination on this joint. The cashier is super friendly and the cook is nice too so I will leave it at 4 stars for now. Another small, dry bird though, and I may be over this place.
First review below… update up top.
7÷30÷14− I was reading Brad B’s review of this place and it struck a nerve. I needed to get some chicken… pronto! I decided to drive down here today and see what it was all about. I’m a HUGE fan of Mexican style grilled chicken. Its my favorite preparation of chicken.
I drove down to the corner lot, pulled in and saw the huge grill with 2 big sacks of mesquite charcoal next to it. I placed my order for a half chicken. Jose himself was not there right when I arrived (He would show up shortly after) and some other nice dude was manning the grill. Anyways… in my gringo Spanish, I ordered «Medio pollo por llevar por favor» which in my mind was «Half a chicken to go, please». I think my medio may have sounded like marinado (marinated)…as you will see below. Anyways… a lady came out from the little storefront and told me that I could pay her inside. Total was just under $ 10.00 for a half chicken, a pint or so of rice, a pint or so of beans, and about 6 tortillas. They did not have onions ready at the time, so I decided to forgo them (probably should have just waited the 5 minutes to have them hook them up) since I had to pick up different food for my wife. Got my stuff loaded up and jumped in the car. Took it home and dug in. Here is how it tasted…
I opened up my box of chicken and noticed that it was covered in something. This is where the mixup of marinate/​medio comes into play… at least I think that’s what it was. I was expecting a kind of crispy skin bird but this was wet with sauce. You now what though? It was gosh darn delicious! The «sauce» is like a flavored mix of BBQ sauce, mole, chili paste and charcoal combined in one. It was not sweet though, more savory. Kind of hard to describe but it was damn good. If they potentially got my order wrong, and its still this good? I have no complaints. They use a decent sized bird. I ate the wing first, then the leg. I got to the thigh which I normally do not like… not enough meat on it and kind of skimp. This thigh was awesome though! Had plenty of meat, great sauce etc. The last thing I ate was the breast. It was big and moist yet not from the sauce. It was moist because it was cooked properly over charcoal. I’m doing my low carb thing so I did not eat the rice or beans (my wife tried them though… nothing special). I did eat one tortilla and it was delicious. Seemed like homemade. This whole giant mound of food could easily feed 2 people, if not more?
I will definitely be back and order it without the marinade next time. Ill see which one I like better. If the chicken WITHOUT the marinade is as good as the one with the sauce, I will be in heaven. This is perfectly cooked chicken that is absolutely delicious. Hell of a find Brad B. Hell of a find!

I was lucky enough to live in Panama for five years when I was a kid, and it was there that I had my first taste of pollo al carbon. We’d pull over at a small roadside shack with a wooden sign, which read, «Flinstone’s Chicken» about once a week to order what quickly became our favorite meal. I still to this day have no idea why it earned that name, but I do know that it forever etched a memory as some of the most delicious chicken I’ve ever tasted that has been difficult to track down ever since… until a few weeks ago!
A recent trip to rural Mexico brought pollo al carbon back into my life when I spotted a makeshift grill and a hand painted sign advertising a whole bird and sides for 100 pesos, (just over $ 8.00). Deal! It was exactly what I remembered as a child and got me thinking that we must have something comparable in San Diego. I wasted no time and with the help of a little website called Unilocal,I found Jose’s Pollo just down the street from my house. How could this be? I travel 28^th street constantly and have never seen this place and it’s only been reviewed three times — I had to investigate!
As I pulled to the corner of 28^th and Ocean View I saw the small taco shop that has always been there with a small fenced in parking lot. Upon further inspection I noticed a large smoking grill, which was almost hiding behind the parked cars and a crude sign painted on the wall describing their delicious offerings including pollo al carbon. Bring. It. On.
Prepare yourself, folks. They’re not ready for you, they don’t seem to care that you’re there, English is a distant second language and the food is on point! There isn’t a waitress taking your order and you may have to break into hand gestures and sign language to get your point across, but it’s worth it. It’s little rough around the edges and flies in the face of everything we desire when it comes to customer service — in my eyes, it should be no other way.
A whole chicken with rice, beans, 10 homemade tortillas and two different salsas will hit your wallet for $ 16.00, but it’s a mountain of food. When they offer you BBQ sauce, say «yes!» I ordered mine on the side and could not stop dipping the meat in it once it had been stripped from the bone. It’s not BBQ sauce at all actually, but does carry some similarities. A little tang to it but much thinner and clearly loaded with Mexican influence — truly delicious. The green salsa will be your friend and packs a little punch but the orange will knock you on your ass if you load up and aren’t one for spice, so be careful.
I just loved everything about this place and maybe because it took me back to a moment of nostalgia. No glitz, no glam, no marketing and a little bit of a cultural disconnect happening right in front of our eyes. Selfishly I don’t want there to be a long line here, I don’t want crowds, I don’t want Bourdain to pay them a visit and above all else, I don’t want them to change a thing… but I do wish them massive success. Such a conundrum.

after a long conversation about mexican roadside charcoal (al carbon) chicken with a co-​worker, and how we would go to LA for it until we found one in coronado ave (pollo don pepe). he was like «why go that far, there’s one in ocean view blvd». he didn’t know the name all he knew was it was on OVB. so i searched and searched and saw Jose’s Pollo.
JP is another place that no one would know about unless you lived in the area or someone told you about it. when you get there its not just a chicken place but a taco shop as well. go inside and order the chicken and take your ticket and hand it to the guy outside grilling.
the chicken is like and unlike Pollo Don Pepe, at first i was like PDP was better tasting. unlike PDP, JP is not as citrusy but its just as smokey and charry but actually more tender than PDP and not as dry. i wonder if PDP citrus marinade has something to do with that. the whole chicken comes with rice and beans, corn tortillas, grilled onions (must have) and their lip burning hot sauce.
its good to know there’s another great pollo al carbon in SD because a few years ago it was hard to find any.

really polite service great atmosphere. ive ate here quite some times the chicken is fresh and juicy. its quite addicting actually. id recommend going down there if you’d like a great meal more a great price :)

Driving by this shanty-​town of a parking lot, you wouldn’t think twice about stopping by for some pollo al carbon estilo Acapulco. My work had them cater two lunches for us and both times they came through like a fist through a wet paper bag! For $ 90 we got 6 freshly grilled birds, and a bounty of sides including arroz roja, frijoles, tortillas de maiz, and salsa roja y verde. Also included in this family fun-​pack, were grilled onions that complimented the whole meal.
If you’re craving some authentic Mexican grilled chicken, you’d be muy loco to go to El Pollo Loco!
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