Pollo a La Brasa

This is the second time ive eaten here and im only back because the first time the food was great so i brought my wife. Thus second time the food is just a good the service is excellent. The food is fresh and made to order. The price are good for the food that is served.

Hubby and I were desperate for something ‘different’ as we’d spent a week helping a relative with their house after driving to MD from Michigan.
We’ve been all over the US and Europe and love trying new things. Don’t bother here. I had the quesadillas and hubby the rotisserie chicken plate. I knew it wasn’t going to be optimal as I watched one of the 3 ladies behind the counter pour ranch from a giant unrefrigerated/​cooled bottle of dressing onto a generic salad on the side. The ladies were friendly and speaking Spanish (?) I think to each other.
The ambience doesn’t exist unless you like metal and linoleum. A/​C is inadequate, so they have a large floor fan on a pole. (Poor ladies doing the cooking.)
We may have fared better if we’d gone for the yucca and papusas, etc. But if you can’t do your headliner item well…
The cheese quesadillas were exceedingly indifferent — something a kid would make on a dorm room hot plate, if such a thing still exists — and no good salsas or pico de gallo to jazz it up.
Try a different place.

This is what I get for cheating on Sardis (see review of Beltsville location).
So what had happened was… (I know grammatically terrible but I like it– you know excuses or a bunch of lies are coming next).
I was in this dismal run down strip mall for a late afternoon dental appt. (I am considering changing dentists-​not because there is any problem with Ulrey-​the location just depresses me). It’s Wednesday, getting dark and I was craving, for some weird reason, fried Yucca. I looked over, saw the Spanish on the sign and gave in.
I am dating myself but for those of my era this is a great summation.
Sardis: Sophia Vergara
La Brasa: Charro
Not that Charro wasn’t cute, not that you wouldn’t have fun with her– but come on. Its just not the same league.
That is the case here. If you don’t mind spending $ 9.00 bucks for more food than you should eat in one sitting this place is adequate. There is not a lot of ambiance. It was late on a Wednesday and the chicken was pulled from a warming tray and reheated on the grill-​yucca, however was freshly fried.
Maybe at the height of lunch hour the place is swarming with Spanish speakers and the chickens are fresh off the spit etc. Then who knows maybe another star is appropriate.
As it is, I am sorry Sardis– please take me back.

Here’s the deal. I’m a (wanna-​be) hipster pescetarian, but my hubby is a Mexican-​born carnivore who loves this type of rotisserie chicken. I love going with him for the yucca and pupusas! At Pollo a La Brasa, you’ll find nothing fancy with the décor or foam plates and plastic flatware, but WHO CARES??? The food was awesome and all handmade on site. The service is quick, staff friendly, the portions are generous, and the price is very reasonable. We paid $ 13 for a pupusa, side of yucca, sangria drink, and a half of chicken meal that was delicious. The the white sauce is especially delicious. It goes very well with the yucca which is cut nice and thin so that they get a good crisp in the fryer. We’ll back — many times — to try many new things.

Finally made it to one of the la Brasa’s! This location in Laurel would more be considered the «little brother» because (despite its 10 – 15 tabletop setup) it just has a carryout feel. The store is located in a shopping center that houses a Food Lion and is smack dab in between a Chinese food store and some other off-​brand eatery so when you pull into the shopping center just start looking immediately to your left at the signs on the top of the building or you will miss it.
They have a number of entrée specials (totaling at least 20) but the Fajita Mix caught my eye. There were four options for the fajita (chicken, steak, shrimp and complete mix) but for a small amount more than the one meat fajita selection, I chose the $ 12.99 mix and went with only chicken and shrimp. You could get the tortilla but since you get your choice of rice (yellow or white) and beans (black or brown), it seems less gluttonous to eat the meat with the sides but hey, strokes for folks! Especially since the serving is enough for two, you could do an entrée for one serving and fajita with the leftovers! I call that well worth the money.
My only suggestion would be more peppers and onions but that could be my fault because the food is being made right in front of you so I could have requested that with the cook. Besides, if I had to sacrifice any of the meats then I would go chop up my own veggies!
Is this the best Peruvian Chicken I’ve had? Not hardly (meat can be a little tough and the overall flavor lacking a bit without the sauces). But I am very pleased with the price of the entrée and the value you get for your dollar (especially since I didn’t pay for it) so I definitely plan to visit here again! A small tip: GET THE WHITE SAUCE AND LOTS OF IT!

August 2013
Food was great and they serve large portions (at less to me they do). I only ate half my food.
10 Dec 13
Ok, so the last couple of times I have been here the food has not been as good. The rice has no taste and the chicken kabobs have been tough. So disappointing.

Am I a glutton? I watched them grill my tilapia on the grill while I danced in my seat to Latin music. Grabbed a Sunkist bottle of soda and ordered #23! Again! Such a lush I know!
There were about 5 men eating when I walked in and they smiled friendly. This time a man took my order and literally started cooking my food right after I ordered.
Smell: exotic and foreign– salts, spice, lemon, yumminess (?)
Taste: too good, but no veggies in my tasty rice.
There is seating, but I don’t know anyone and so… I eat and drive/​swerve.
I prefer seafood so I happen to prefer this to Pollo A La Brasa :0