One of my favorite things about Puerto Peñasco is the abundance of great restaurants to try! If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life — it would be tacos. And why not? Fish tacos, tacos al pastor, vegetarian tacos, pollo tacos! Pile your taco high with cabbage and red onions on a corn maize tortilla and — ta-da! — you have all the major food groups covered.

My friends have been raving about Pollo Lucas for smoked chicken in Rocky Point, so I had to try it out. Like most restaurants in Rocky Point, it’s in a palapa, or open-sided building with a thatched palm tree roof. Unlike most restaurants in Rocky Point, Pollo Lucas has a parking lot. Already off to a great start, and I haven’t even gotten out of the car.

As soon as I get out of my car, the delicious smell of smoked chicken consumes me. Smoke is billowing high above the building as full chickens are roasted on the outdoor smokers all day long. It’s 2 pm on a Friday, and the place is packed!

We wander in and catch the eye of a busy server, who tells us to have a seat wherever. There are unas neveras along the back wall with bottles of Coca-Cola, Fanta, Topo Chico (mi favorito) and water. Patrons are helping themselves, so we do the same.

The menu at Pollo Lucas (technically pollos al carbón Lucas, according to the signs) is simple: full, half, or quarter charbroiled chicken; rice; beans; and soup.

Pollo Lucas Menu

Pollo entero (full chicken): 170 pesos
1/2 pollo (medio pollo): 85 pesos
1/4 pollo (cuarto de pollo): 45 pesos

The menu also includes items para llevar (to-go), including a half order of frijoles (beans), arroz (rice), or sopa (soup) for 40 pesos each and extra tortillas for 20 pesos.

Dining in, we receive chips and salsa to satiate our growing hunger while we wait. My husband and I order a half chicken for the two of us, which comes with some fixings and tortillas. As usual, we are asked harina o maize (flour or corn) for our tortillas. As usual, we order maize.

Service is a little slow, but hey — they’re busy and it’s island time. We aren’t in a rush. We are hungry, though, so I start snacking on the thick-sliced red onions on my fixings plate. I don’t think it’s just the hunger saying this: these are the best onions I’ve ever had.

The chicken comes and is worth the wait. Charbroiled to perfection, still on the bone, sticky and juicy. I load up my tortilla with rice, chicken, cabbage, those perfect red onions, and top it off with the house salsa. I have been told this is the best chicken in Rocky Point. So far, I’d have to agree.

Ordering in quarter, half, or full chickens and generous side portions makes this a great, family-friendly restaurant in Rocky Point. It’s easy — and cheap — to feed a whole family at Pollo Lucas.

The rice is decent, but nothing special. The beans are delicious. I don’t know why these red onions are so ridiculously good, but I could eat them all day. And the chicken is incredible — just like everyone said.

When we’re done eating, we pay at the counter. You can also pay your server directly. Pollo Lucas is cash only.

Bottom line Pollo Lucas review: We left Pollo Lucas stuffed and satisfied for under $10 USD total for two people.