POLLO TROPICAL #52

Few Orange County kitchens score higher than POLLO TROPICAL #52 — an A at 100/100, among the cleanest kitchens in Orange County.

Its most recent inspection on January 27, 2026 came back clean. Diners give it 3.7 across 2,175 reviews. It's a Cuban spot in Orlando. Menus here flag options for vegetarian, dairy-free, and healthy diners.

A · 100/100 · among the cleanest kitchens in Orange County

Get directions Call (407) 293-6118

Restaurant details

Health grade
A (100/100)
Violations
None recorded
Address
7643 W COLONIAL DR, Orlando, FL
Cuisine
Cuban
Categories
Chicken restaurant, Cuban restaurant
Price
$10–20
Rating
3.7 stars (2175 reviews)
Seats
78
Phone
(407) 293-6118
Website
Official website
Photo of POLLO TROPICAL #52
Photo: Pollo Tropical

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
3.7 Community-sourced rating 2,175 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

This listing's ratings cluster at the two ends of the scale. Freshness and temperature is the sore point: those reviews average 2.8. Front-of-house is the next most common subject, in 33% of reviews (averaging 2.6).

How long an order takes shows up in 20% of reviews as well, averaging 2.3. If you had to pick one number to represent this corpus it would be 5, the most frequently given rating (9 reviews). The split is 9 positive to 6 negative across 15 rated reviews.

On the inspection side the picture is cleaner: DBPR graded this kitchen an A (100/100) with no violations cited. Whatever the reviews argue about, sanitation is not the weak point. DBPR last walked in on January 27, 2026. The trend across inspections is improvement. Ranked against Orange County, it is safer than 100% of the restaurants we score. Nothing was written up at that inspection at all.

Neither signal is decisive on its own here, which is why both are shown. The individual reviews are below, newest first, if you want the raw material.

Our own analysis of 15 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 29, 2026

    Food is always super good. Went late night around 11 and they had to substitute some stuff but I still had plenty of food! The chicken is always so good.

  • June 29, 2026

    I ordered a family meal, the girl on the speaker said it was going to be 20 minutes, i said it was fine. I got to the window and it was ready and they handed it to me right away and the 2 girls working the window were laughing. I don’t understand what was funny. What was the point of lying and saying it was going to be 20 minutes when it really wasn’t. I went at 8:40, not even close to closing time. So I don’t understand the issue. This isn’t even the first time I’ve had an issue with this location and I don’t usually complain, they have forgotten items on my delivery orders. They mix up family meals with individual meals.

  • June 18, 2026

    Great service and delicious food

  • June 18, 2026

    Raquel was very sweet and helpful ! 10/10 visit

  • June 16, 2026

    This is my pollo tropishop loaded. The only thing is they forgot the chicken, good luck trying to speak with someone. Their sorry answering service is just as bad.

  • June 10, 2026

    Got a half chicken with yellow rice and beans. Spent under $11. Flavor is good and chicken is tender. Cilantro sauce is amazing. I went to this location @ 11:30 pm and they still had all the items unlike other stores.

  • June 7, 2026

    Good place to eat

  • June 6, 2026

    I stopped at Pollo Tropical because I wanted a quick, affordable meal that wouldn’t be a nutritional disaster. I’ve been keeping a food journal recently using ChatGPT, tracking what I eat, drink, and how I feel throughout the day, so I was looking for something that would fit into a normal, active Saturday without feeling like a compromise. What I got was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in weeks. I ordered the quarter chicken with black beans and brown rice, a Diet Coke, and enough Poyo Poyo sauce to make responsible decisions impossible. The chicken was hot, juicy, and flavorful. The beans and rice were simple, filling, and exactly what I needed after a day spent gallivanting between used bookstores, Barnes & Noble, and the mall. The whole meal came to just $11.91, which feels like a bargain these days. Things escalated quickly. The chicken was so good that during one particularly enthusiastic bite, a small piece achieved escape velocity, flew off my fork, landed on my phone, and activated ChatGPT’s voice mode. For a brief moment, my food journal became a live-action event. ChatGPT immediately began offering observations about my afternoon while I frantically tried to explain that I was under attack by airborne poultry. I regret nothing. The Poyo Poyo sauce deserves its own paragraph. Tangy, creamy, and highly addictive, it transformed an already good meal into one of those meals where you’re chasing every last bean and grain of rice around the container. As the…

  • June 6, 2026

    I was not a fan of the chicken Cesar wrap it was so bland and gloss and the yucca fries were kinda cold and hard disappointed the two stars is for the girl in the window she was sweet

  • May 31, 2026

    Got a classic tropichop with grilled chicken, there is no chicken at all

  • May 28, 2026

    Employees were arguing so much they couldn’t hear the orders and the is not edible.The food wasn’t even hot and had no flavors it was just plain.Most of the workers didn’t even speak Spanish and all of the customers spoke Spanish.

  • May 21, 2026

    Horrible establishment.!!! I was given raw chicken in the drive-thru in my order because they were rushing the orders instead of preparing it properly. I went inside to address this issue and show my chicken still pink, the young Spanish manager name (NICOLE), gave me an attitude and stated, “I didn’t serve it to you”. So I politely waited for a fresh order of chicken to grill and NICOLE picked a piece up with the fork and stated to me, “Is it done how you like it?” The lobby was filled with aggravated and impatient customers waiting for food to be prepared, while the manager stood behind the counter being unprofessional and laughing. I’ll never order from this place again.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fresh, hot food. The Yucatan cheese bites were delicious, as well as their chicken Ceasar wrap!

  • May 4, 2026

    I went when they opened on Sunday 5/3/26. I noticed the difference right away. The place was clean, everything was stocked and most importantly the food was ready! Maria prepared my order and she was great! I’m really glad for the staff that was working there….they were all working together. I’m sure other customers have noticed the difference too✌️

  • April 29, 2026

    Excellent foods

Overall Score

73 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 40/40
    Grade A
  • Dietary transparency 10/20
    3 options listed
  • Community rating 15/20
    3.7★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 8/10
    Improving, 50% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Tuesday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Wednesday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Thursday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Friday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Saturday
10:30 AM to 12 AM
Sunday
10:30 AM to 12 AM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. January 27, 2026 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 0 basic

    No violations cited.

  2. July 10, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 2 basic

    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 22 — Food-contact surfaces clean and sanitized
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: January 27, 2026