When Eduardo Nunez first tasted Angel Ochoa’s grilled chicken, he asked, “Why aren’t you selling this and getting rich?”
It turned out Ochoa didn’t have the money to open a restaurant, so Nunez, who worked 14 years at Panda Express, offered to form a partnership.
The result is Pollo Picante BBQ Grill Chicken, which opened last month on Country Club, a quarter-mile north of University, in Mesa.
The small strip-mall eatery offers just one thing: Chicken that’s been marinated overnight, then grilled over mesquite charcoal.
That, and its custom marinade, are what separate Pollo Picante from national chains like El Pollo Loco, Nunez says.
“We use 100% mesquite charcoal,” he says. “The big guys use gas.”
“Picante” often is translated as “hot” or “spicy,” but Nunez (pictured above) says his chicken is neither.
Nor does it have a sweet taste like typical barbecue sauce. “It’s just really good,” Nunez says.
Pollo Picante sells chicken by the quarter ($5.49), half ($7.64), or whole bird ($13.25).
Each plate comes with a choice of sides – rice, beans, salad, or macaroni salad – plus tortillas, salsa, roasted peppers, and pickled onions.
On Wednesdays, the eatery offers a “buy one, get one free” special.
Beverages include house-made horchata and jamaica, Coca Cola and Jarritos sodas, and sangria. There’s flan for dessert.
In the coming weeks, Nunez plans to add a second marinade – a spicy version – to give people an option. He’s also working on a grilled chicken burrito.
Pollo Picante is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.
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