Rosticeria Chico Pollo, delicious fried chicken, Tijuana style...

When you think of Tijuana restaurants, what comes to your mind? Visions of gringo-friendly places, such as famous Sanborn's, located at the corner of Calle Ocho and Ave. Revelución, honky dives like Adelitas, or the typical street vendor that sets up a small cart, along a busy street in Tijuana's famed Zona Norte, and sells tacos de carne asada for just a few pesos? Have you ever thought of Tijuana as a fried chicken lover's paradise? Well if you love delicious fried chicken, served with lots of delicious side dishes, you should plan on an excursion into Tijuana's Zona Norte to the corner of Calle Articulo 123 and Niños Heros to Rosticeria Chico Pollo for a delicious and inexpensive plate of fried chicken, with all of the trimmings.

Photo: Rosticeria Chico Pollo is located along busy Calle Articulo 123, in Tijuana's fabled Zona Norte.

No, the trimmings don't include mashed potatoes, gravy or coleslaw; remember, you're in Mexico and the trimmings are somewhat different, as at Rosticeria Chico Pollo, the plate includes a quarter of a chicken, deliciously deep fried, rice, refried beans, and ensalada de coditas, which is a Tijuana version of macaroni salad. Oh yes, there's a stack of warm, in-house made corn tortillas on the side, and this delicious lunch will only set you back MEX $28.00, which is a bargain any way that you look at it. You walk into the restaurant, which is open to the street, and immediately, "Chico," the friendly owner of the restaurant will greet you. He's the guy standing behind the counter, wearing a white ball cap and a friendly smile, and he'll invite you to sit down anywhere you want to and he'll point out various daily specials, and items that they feature on their menu. For me, considering that it was 10:00 am on Thursday, September 27, 2007, the chicken combination platter sounded good, especially for the small price of MEX $28.00, which is around $2.50 in U.S. dollars... could you purchase a fast food combo meal for that price north of the border? Hardly!

Photo: Chico and the gang behind the counter. Note the colorful plastic table cloths and the patriotic decorations.

Although Rosticeria Chico Pollo is open to the street, it's not a street restaurant, as it features sit-down dining, and many comfort features, such as a clean and working restroom that's available to customers. When I say sit-down, it means you walk into the restaurant, which is open to the street, sit down at a table, and Chico, or one of his nephews will walk up to you and ask you what you want to order. Like many small restaurants in Mexico, Chico Pollo, doesn't have a formal, printed menu, so you just look at the signs that are posted around the restaurant advertising the menu and tell him what you want. Basically, that's the protocol adhered to in many small Mexican restaurants. Oh yes, DO NOT offer to pay for your meal in advance, as that's a no-no in Mexico, as restauranteers trust their patrons, and most restauranteers do not keep a running, computerized tab on their diners.

Chico isn't alone in this endeavor, as he has a couple of helpers, who assist him in keeping the business operating. But Chico steals the show, as the man is flamboyant, ever-smiling, and quite chatty. I'm not exactly shy, so when I come across someone like Chico, I have a tendency to carry the conversation to the highest level. Engaging Chico in pleasant conversation, as he cooked my meal, I learned that a) He has owned the restaurant since 1983, b) He's single, actually divorced, and is quite interested in the working girls that frequent nearby Tijuana's famous Zona Norte, c) His help is mostly family; the two guys assisting him on this Thursday were nephews, d) He buys from local vendors and makes everything in-house, as much as possible, e) He tries to open up for breakfast, around 0700, and closes when he runs out of ingredients, or when he gets tired. Yeah, in engaging Chico in pleasant conversation, I learned lots of things about Chico's life, as he was frying a quarter of a chicken for me, and putting rice, beans and macaroni salad on my platter.

Photo: Chico stands behind the counter, while my chicken cooks on the stove. As shown in the photo, the kitchen faces the street, and offers Chico a great view of what's happening along busy Articulo 123.

Rosticeria Chico Pollo isn't KFC, so don't expect to find a heavy, battered crust, seasoned with mystery herbs and spices on your chicken. What you will find is a leg and thigh, and a drumstick, coated in flour, and deep fried in vegetable oil, along with delicious, mouth-watering refried beans, Spanish rice, and ensalada de coditas, not to mention a slab of fresh, in-house made corn tortillas, for only MEX $28.00. Heaven at such a small price...

Photo: My delicious lunch of chicken, beans, rice, pasta salad and corn tortillas.

Believe it or not, a fried chicken platter is a regional specialty, only known to Tijuana, and if you want to savor the local cuisine of Tijuana, I can think of no better restaurant than Rosticeria Chico Pollo, as the food is delicious, the price is rock-bottom-basement oriented, and the friendly owner, Chico, will treat you right. Rosticeria Chico Pollo... for delicious fried chicken, Tijuana style!

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