Mexican food that will warm your stomach and your heart!

Highly Recommended **** Mexican food is truly one of my favorites. Perhaps it is all my years with LaRaza and TeleGuia as well as doing the Spanish yellow pages and of course, Nueva Semana and my “Peruvian” amigos, The Reyes family, but I have always enjoyed the flavors of the food. While meat is always a fan favorite, I am of the opinion that Chicken is where one can truly judge a dining spot. One of my friends, who has made many a stop in Palatine suggested that I visit with a new “fast food” spot,  El Rey del Pollo Asado located at 1114 East Dundee Road in Palatine. I am not sure what was in this location before, but I can almost guarantee this building now has something that will appeal to the locals, Latinos and “Gringos”!.

Yes, the building looks like a “fast Food” drive -thru (by the way, it does offer the opportunity to place your order and drive thru to pick up) but if you opt to enter the building you will be greeted by a family of workers that care about the welfare of each and every diner. They have a special kids menu and while they offer many different items, I opted to do the Family Platter- chicken that was heavenly. It was juicy and tasty along with the veggies and the sides. By the way, the Mac/cheese is a meal unto itself and any of my grandkids would be in heaven just eating that dish. We also enjoyed the steak with onions and rice along with some juicy avocado. Made for one juicy Fajita!

The other side dishes were the re-fried beans and some rice. The portions are amazing and allows a family of four to eat a complete dinner at under $16.00 not including any soft drinks. A great value and to be honest, despite appearing to look like a “fast Food” diner, this is a real restaurant serving food the way it should be served. The seating area is well- lit and there is music playing. Even with several families dining, it never seems loud. In fact, it feels like you are home enjoying your dinner with friends and family. Who could ask for anything more., There is plenty of parking and this location is very close to the neighboring Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling and even only 19 minutes west of Northbrook. The phone number is 847-701-8509.

The original location is in Waukegan at 505 S. Green Bay Road (just North of Rte 120/Belvidere Rd) phone 224-656-5260 and features the same menu and atmosphere. This is a definite family restaurant owned and operated by a family who truly wants your family to feel good, inside and out! They do a great job! check out http://www.elreydelpolloasado1.com ( Waukegan) and www.elreydelpolloasado2.com (Palatine). Both locations are open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.

They also offer catering for parties off-premise and if you are heading up to The Genesee for a show, they are on the way and worth the extra minutes.