There are many Guatemalan chains. There’s Sarita, a cheap ice cream shop that can be found every couple blocks. In Quetzaltenango there’s Xelapan, a great place to fatten yourself with danishes, sausage rolls or cupcakes.
But no chain is as quintessentially Guatemalan as Pollo Campero.
Shhhhh. Don’t tell a Guatemalan this, but Pollo Campero is basically the same thing as Kentucky Fried Chicken. Well, maybe a tiny bit more delicious, but that could be because I associate the taste with being on the road in Guatemala.
Xelawho magazine jokes that Pollo Campero’s chicken comes in two varieties: “greasy ‘n salty and greasier ‘n saltier.”
It’s true. When my brother was visiting, on his last night we ordered Pollo Campero takeout to our Guatemala City hotel.
“Caitlin, there’s oil dripping down my arm,” he said. A few minutes later, he added: “I feel greasy. I gotta go take a shower.”
Nonetheless, the stuff is as delicious as it is disgusting.
So, how is a chain clearly modeled after American fast food quintessentially Guatemalan? Besides being from Guatemala (duh), the fact of the matter is that Guatemalans are crazy about Pollo Campero. Seriously.
At work the other day, I was informed that we would be having a “special lunch” because some important people were visiting. What was for lunch? Pollo Campero. And judging by the sounds coming from our guests it was, uh, finger lickin’ good.
Pollo Campero has expanded to other countries. There’s a sizable number in the United States, partly due to the large number of Guatemalan immigrants. I’ve been told that when the first US Pollo Campero (in L.A., I believe) the lineup was blocks long, full of people wanting that familiar taste of home.
Anyways, this morning I had breakfast at Pollo Campero. This wouldn’t be my normal choice, mind you. But today, I had to get up super early to go do some blood and urine tests (just making sure my kidneys are fine before leaving for Mexico where healthcare is more expensive) and I couldn’t eat beforehand. Now, I can’t think straight in the mornings if I don’t eat right away, so when I finished the test around 8am, all I could think was “Ughnnnnn neeeeed fooooood.” Pollo Campero was the only close place open, so in I went.
(For the record, breakfast at Pollo Campero is not delicious. I would use them only for your fried chicken needs.)
I was astounded at how many people were in there! Whole families, businessmen grabbing breakfast before work, and tons of others. Apparently it’s packed at all hours of the day.
The man at the next table from me ate two breakfasts. 1) A croissant with ham and egg plus a hashbrown. 2) A tipico breakfast: eggs, beans, plantains, sausage and tortillas.
I was already astounded as his ability to inhale Pollo Campero when the waitress brought his lunch in a to-go bag. Looks like this man was going to be eating fried chicken, french fries, coleslaw and a bun for lunch.
After that, there’s always dinner too.
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