Chicken a la Caribbean
Pollo Tropical restaurant chain to make its Texas debut in Addison
The Fiesta Restaurant Group, which owns Taco Cabana, moved its headquarters to Addison in 2012, and already we're reaping the benefits. The company will open its first Pollo Tropical in Texas, at 5290 Belt Line Rd. in Addison, at the southeast corner of Belt Line and Montfort roads.
According to a statement by Addison mayor Todd Meier, the restaurant is slated to open by Thanksgiving.
Pollo Tropical began in Miami, where it was known for its citrus-marinated grilled chicken and Caribbean-inspired atmosphere. Although the menu has been expanded to include pork and ribs, chicken still figures prominently on the menu — in platters, wraps, salads, and a make-your-own-bowl option called TropiChops.
Platters come with chicken, ribs, pork or salmon and your choice of sides. Side dishes range from Latin-flavored items such as black beans, rice and yucca with garlic sauce, to comfort foods like mac and cheese and healthy options such as broccoli with carrots.
TropiChops are basically bowls combining your choice of rice with chicken or pork plus various sauces. Among the wraps are chicken Caesar and chicken-pineapple with Monterey Jack cheese in a lavash.
Like its sibling Taco Cabana, Pollo Tropical features made-from-scratch cooking, a fresh salsa bar and drive-thru service.
As of March 31, there were 129 Pollo Tropical restaurants in the United States (including 94 in Florida), Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela.