Latin chain to bring first Oklahoma location to Uptown (http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=434-Latin-chain-to-bring-first-Oklahoma-location-to-Uptown)


With origins in Guatemala and over 350 restaurants worldwide, Oklahoma City is set to get the first Pollo Campero in the state.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero110517a.jpg


Yet another entry into the seemingly endless chicken war, Campero offers a Central America take with unique spices in offering several versions of fried but also citrus grilled chicken and wings.

The first U.S. location opened in Los Angeles in 2002, drawing huge crowds and favorable reviews. Similarly, new locations in Las Vegas and other American cities have experienced long lines.

The closest current locations are in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area with 16 total in the state of Texas.

Pollo Campero also features aguas frescas drinks, empanadas and bowls, plantains, street corn, flan and other Latin dishes.

The location at 1414 NW 23rd was formerly an Arby's.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero110517.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero110517b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero110517c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero110517d.jpg

Sure looks like a mighty upgrade to me. I miss Arby's from 20 years ago, but can't win against accountants in the kitchen.

I've heard great things about it and it's quite different that the other chicken places. Empanadas, street corn and other sides, desserts and drinks are unique.

It's a lot like El Pollo Loco, which is my absolute favorite of this type of place.

Cool. With this and the new Jimmy John's, this stretch of 23rd is improving nicely.

Same franchisee as Dallas?

This makes me happy.

Well cool. So now we'll have a chain restaurant for when the Oklahoman ranks the top 5 latin restaurants in the OKC area.

I love El Pollo Loco! Was amazed at how fresh everything seemed for a fast food joint. Excited to try this place out.

I have at the one's in DFW. They are ok but not anything special. I was really disappointed when they shuttered all of the DFW's Pollo Tropical which was similar to this concept. We will see if OKC embraces the latin cuisine?

Here is the rendering for this particular site which is now under construction.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pollocampero011218.jpg

Nice.... I figured they would do like Sam's Southern Eatery and just remodel the existing building and slap a coat of paint on it.

Does anyone know why that Arby's just suddenly closed? Was it building related? It always appeared to do quite a bit of business. At least at lunch.

So glad they are really remodeling this Building!. will look so much better.

Does anyone know why that Arby's just suddenly closed? Was it building related? It always appeared to do quite a bit of business. At least at lunch.

The local Arby's franchisee still owns this building.

They are basically remodeling all their area locations so I suspect they decided this location was not worth it for some reason.

Nice.... I figured they would do like Sam's Southern Eatery and just remodel the existing building and slap a coat of paint on it.

Does anyone know why that Arby's just suddenly closed? Was it building related? It always appeared to do quite a bit of business. At least at lunch.

When I worked for the company a decade ago, that store was among the oldest in OKC. The kitchen was a cramped mess and the drive through was not a modern configuration. Lunch business was brisk, but dinner business there was... eh. It was enough to sustain the store, but not much else. I suspect US Beef Corp (the Arby's franchisee that actually owned the store) needed to repair and/or remodel the store but the sales at the store couldn't justify the cost of the necessary work.

Some time ago, I was a consultant on a proposed merger between Arbys and Long John Silvers.

They had entered into an agreement whereby the two concepts would be largely co-branded in almost all locations.

The main motivation was that Arby's had a strong lunch business and that LJS did better at dinner time.

It was fascinating work, trying to merge the two cultures (Arby's was heavily franchised and LJS was not) and in the end the deal was scuttled when they realized there would be too much time and money required to bring the two organizations together.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pollocampero011418.jpg

Whoa. I was under the impression that they were going to renovate the existing structure. This took me by surprise.
14530

Yeah, they meant to renovate then determined it was better to scrape and build new.

Yeah, they meant to renovate then determined it was better to scrape and build new.

Having worked in that building when it was an Arby's, truthfully, this decision actually doesn't surprise me all that much - and it plays into my theory that US Beef closed the location because of needed repairs that were deemed too expensive. That store was originally built in 1967, and the kitchen and back office looked every bit of 50 years old.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero042218.jpg

I feel fear for the el pollo chulo location on 50th in Warr acres. The wife and I drive there often even though it’s pretty far outside the hood. We also have to flip a coin because it’s across the street from Abel’s and we can never decide between our two favorite Latin joints in town. If I can get relatively healthy grilled chicken plates a mile from my home in paseo? I might only be driving to Abel’s from now on.

Btw. Get to el pollo chulo it’s omg amazing, inexpensive, and guilt free. The defacto dish is the bone in chicken that flame grills so long that the fat melts away yet it’s still tender & moist thanks to the marinade, wherein the recipe is probably locked in a vault somewhere. It is decidedly low key and extra casual. The guy who I can only assume is the owner because he’s the only person I’ve ever seen working there and performs every job simultaneously, also keeps his office in the corner of the dining room so he doesn’t miss a thing.

^

I've been meaning to try El Pollo Chulo and now I will!

That area is actually pretty great for food: EPC, Abel's, Del Rancho, Tim's Drive-in, and Cajun King is just a mile north. There is also a Thai place right there I want to try.

^

I've been meaning to try El Pollo Chulo and now I will!

That area is actually pretty great for food: EPC, Abel's, Del Rancho, Tim's Drive-in, and Cajun King is just a mile north. There is also a Thai place right there I want to try.

If it's Charm Thai you're talking about, don't bother. Tom Kha soup was way too thin, didn't have nearly enough coconut milk, and they left the inedible parts of the lemongrass in. Duck curry was OK, but the flavor just wasn't there enough in the curry, and spice level of 4 barely did anything for me. Wife had Pad See Ew, I believe, and she wasn't thrilled with it either. For reference, we used to really like Lemongrass Thai in Edmond, and Bistro 38 before they started cutting down on the amount of chicken in their Tom Kha (but it's still the best tasting and thickest Tom Kha we've had in OKC). If you're looking for good Thai, try Bistro 38, hopefully during mango season 'cos their mango sticky rice is wonderful.

If it's Charm Thai you're talking about, don't bother. Tom Kha soup was way too thin, didn't have nearly enough coconut milk, and they left the inedible parts of the lemongrass in. Duck curry was OK, but the flavor just wasn't there enough in the curry, and spice level of 4 barely did anything for me. Wife had Pad See Ew, I believe, and she wasn't thrilled with it either. For reference, we used to really like Lemongrass Thai in Edmond, and Bistro 38 before they started cutting down on the amount of chicken in their Tom Kha (but it's still the best tasting and thickest Tom Kha we've had in OKC). If you're looking for good Thai, try Bistro 38, hopefully during mango season 'cos their mango sticky rice is wonderful.

Not to be "that guy," but can someone explain the love for Abel's in OKC? I've tried to keep an open mind and I've been there five different times, and while OK, I don't think it offers anything spectacular. Am I ordering the wrong items? Please tell me what I should be ordering at Abel's?

If it's Charm Thai you're talking about, don't bother. Tom Kha soup was way too thin, didn't have nearly enough coconut milk, and they left the inedible parts of the lemongrass in. Duck curry was OK, but the flavor just wasn't there enough in the curry, and spice level of 4 barely did anything for me. Wife had Pad See Ew, I believe, and she wasn't thrilled with it either. For reference, we used to really like Lemongrass Thai in Edmond, and Bistro 38 before they started cutting down on the amount of chicken in their Tom Kha (but it's still the best tasting and thickest Tom Kha we've had in OKC). If you're looking for good Thai, try Bistro 38, hopefully during mango season 'cos their mango sticky rice is wonderful.

TBH, I liked Charm Thai much more than Bistro 38. Perhaps it's because on my lone visit to Bistro 38, they had a sewage backup and there were plumbing personnel in the house working while we were having dinner. Nice way to set the ambiance. You know, sometimes it's OK to just close for the night and get stuff fixed. That septic aroma has lodged a permanent olfactory memory in me and I haven't returned. Sewagy smell or not, I didn't particularly like my food at Bistro 38.

Not to be "that guy," but can someone explain the love for Abel's in OKC? I've tried to keep an open mind and I've been there five different times, and while OK, I don't think it offers anything spectacular. Am I ordering the wrong items? Please tell me what I should be ordering at Abel's?

I never order anything Tex mex. I think they’re Tex mex is not spectacular. Nor do I think much of any Tex mex, Ted’s fails 4/5 times, all the chelinos are in decline, except when the sw 29th location hits it knocks it out of the park. Tarahumara doesn’t impress me a lot either although, perhaps to their credit, I’ve only gone on sooner football days.

Abel’s exceeds in everything non-Tex mex. All the seafood is great and the “7 mares” seafood soup is a must have if you like the sound of 7 species swimming in a spicy sour veggie broth. There’s a pork rib dish that’s essentially deep fried ribs smother in peppers & onions, all the stews and guisadas are killer, and say yes to anything topped with a fried egg. There’s also a take away business being operated inside the lobby that operates as a taqueria: tacos, tortas, burritos, gorditas, etc. If you just ask for the taqueria menu when you sit, you can dine in(you can also call ahead for take away.) But keep in mind it doesn’t come with rice & beans although you can order them ala carte. I don’t recall if the chip&dip setup is included with dine in taqueria orders. And it’s what most big tables of Mexican families do on weekend lunch, that and the seafood soup. Or if you can best 5x 4” street tacos you can order the “calvillo” and they come on a platter with botana, fried onions, and grilled Serrano. Don’t forget to order fruit from the case as desert or appetizers they always have sliced mango, papaya, watermelon, etc. ready to go and also sell aguas frescas that I don’t believed are printed on the menu. I usually have a beer or two in the frozen mug. Honestly the rule of thumb is just to avoid the Tex mex and embrace the platillos mexicana, mariscos, huevos, and taqueria menu. As and order the $7 special salsa of the menu, just trust, it quite spicy however as are a lot of the authentic dishes.

Not to be "that guy," but can someone explain the love for Abel's in OKC? I've tried to keep an open mind and I've been there five different times, and while OK, I don't think it offers anything spectacular. Am I ordering the wrong items? Please tell me what I should be ordering at Abel's?

I never order anything Tex mex. I think they’re Tex mex is not spectacular. Nor do I think much of any Tex mex, Ted’s fails 4/5 times, all the chelinos are in decline, except when the sw 29th location hits it knocks it out of the park. Tarahumara doesn’t impress me a lot either although, perhaps to their credit, I’ve only gone on sooner football days.

Abel’s exceeds in everything non-Tex mex. All the seafood is great and the “7 mares” seafood soup is a must have if you like the sound of 7 species swimming in a spicy sour veggie broth. There’s a pork rib dish that’s essentially deep fried ribs smother in peppers & onions, all the stews and guisadas are killer, and say yes to anything topped with a fried egg. There’s also a take away business being operated inside the lobby that operates as a taqueria: tacos, tortas, burritos, gorditas, etc. If you just ask for the taqueria menu when you sit, you can dine in(you can also call ahead for take away.) But keep in mind it doesn’t come with rice & beans although you can order them ala carte. I don’t recall if the chip&dip setup is included with dine in taqueria orders. And it’s what most big tables of Mexican families do on weekend lunch, that and the seafood soup. Or if you can best 5x 4” street tacos you can order the “calvillo” and they come on a platter with botana, fried onions, and grilled Serrano. Don’t forget to order fruit from the case as desert or appetizers they always have sliced mango, papaya, watermelon, etc. ready to go and also sell aguas frescas that I don’t believed are printed on the menu. I usually have a beer or two in the frozen mug. Honestly the rule of thumb is just to avoid the Tex mex and embrace the platillos mexicana, mariscos, huevos, and taqueria menu. As and order the $7 special salsa of the menu, just trust, it quite spicy however as are a lot of the authentic dishes.

TBH, I liked Charm Thai much more than Bistro 38. Perhaps it's because on my lone visit to Bistro 38, they had a sewage backup and there were plumbing personnel in the house working while we were having dinner. Nice way to set the ambiance. You know, sometimes it's OK to just close for the night and get stuff fixed. That septic aroma has lodged a permanent olfactory memory in me and I haven't returned. Sewagy smell or not, I didn't particularly like my food at Bistro 38.

Wow, incredibly poor judgement on their part, you're right that they should've closed, taken the $$$ hit and done it right, that sucks! Even if it would've been the best food ever made in a 3-star Michelin restaurant and they would've been doing that kind of work, your taste and smell would've been tainted and it would've tasted horrible. Most likely you can never go back either, that kind of olfactory/taste memory will stick with you forever. :( However, all of the people we've taken there have loved it, so most likely it was the taste/smell that made you not like the meal (unconsciously or not).

I will give Charm Thai more points for ambiance than Bistro 38, though, 'cos their decor was very nicely done (blacks/whites/greys).

I enjoyed charm as well. Given the distance from me though it's also in the running with Tana a and Thai la moon.
I'd need a reference point of what is being compared to Abel's. I enjoy Abel's too though. Unfortunate that Mexican of any sort is my least favorite cuisine

I actually like Abel’s for their Tex-mex and their more authentic Mexican dishes. Not sure I’ve ever had a bad experience there.

We tried Charm once and won’t be back. Felt their food was lacking flavor and it wasn’t spicy at all. Been a long time since we’ve been but love Bistro 38 as well. For Thai buffet, we go to Thai House.

I never order anything Tex mex. I think they’re Tex mex is not spectacular. Nor do I think much of any Tex mex, Ted’s fails 4/5 times, all the chelinos are in decline, except when the sw 29th location hits it knocks it out of the park. Tarahumara doesn’t impress me a lot either although, perhaps to their credit, I’ve only gone on sooner football days.

Abel’s exceeds in everything non-Tex mex. All the seafood is great and the “7 mares” seafood soup is a must have if you like the sound of 7 species swimming in a spicy sour veggie broth. There’s a pork rib dish that’s essentially deep fried ribs smother in peppers & onions, all the stews and guisadas are killer, and say yes to anything topped with a fried egg. There’s also a take away business being operated inside the lobby that operates as a taqueria: tacos, tortas, burritos, gorditas, etc. If you just ask for the taqueria menu when you sit, you can dine in(you can also call ahead for take away.) But keep in mind it doesn’t come with rice & beans although you can order them ala carte. I don’t recall if the chip&dip setup is included with dine in taqueria orders. And it’s what most big tables of Mexican families do on weekend lunch, that and the seafood soup. Or if you can best 5x 4” street tacos you can order the “calvillo” and they come on a platter with botana, fried onions, and grilled Serrano. Don’t forget to order fruit from the case as desert or appetizers they always have sliced mango, papaya, watermelon, etc. ready to go and also sell aguas frescas that I don’t believed are printed on the menu. I usually have a beer or two in the frozen mug. Honestly the rule of thumb is just to avoid the Tex mex and embrace the platillos mexicana, mariscos, huevos, and taqueria menu. As and order the $7 special salsa of the menu, just trust, it quite spicy however as are a lot of the authentic dishes.

Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to offer these suggestions.

I have had the Tex-Mex, and it's like any other Okie-Mex in this city, which is to say mediocre, but I only tried that once. I actually like good Tex-Mex, but I cannot find it in OKC, only Dallas and Austin.

As for the botanas, I've tried them at Abel's. They were good but not gobsmacking.

I've settled for the taqueria menu the last two visits, and while good, I found their taqueria tacos to be inferior to offerings at other joints in the city.

I have not yet tried the fresh fruit. I'll give that a shot next time.

honestly, what's the difference between Tex Mex, Okie Mex (I guess this is mediocre Tex Mex), and authentic Mexican? Granted, I have not lived in OKC for a very long time but I do visit and enjoy the Mexican (and other food) offerings there in OKC FAR better than those very few up here. ...

honestly, what's the difference between Tex Mex, Okie Mex (I guess this is mediocre Tex Mex), and authentic Mexican? Granted, I have not lived in OKC for a very long time but I do visit and enjoy the Mexican (and other food) offerings there in OKC FAR better than those very few up here. ...

In Mexico you do not see deep fried burritos, nachos, enchiladas covered in yellow goop. Cheese as we think of it is not popular there. Cheese varies wildly upon region and is often named after the region. Like English & French cheeses it is often named after the region like Oaxaca and Cotija. And it’s rare to get chicken & vegetable (Spanish) flavored rice. Beans vary upon region but are usually not “refried.” Tortillas are almost always corn, unless in the north, and if you are lucky they will be hand pressed. Tacos, burritos, tamales (usually a weekend dish), and enchiladas still exists but they are almost exclusively street food. And burritos are essentially non existent in southern or pacific Mexico. When you start exploring the cuisine varies wildly and even dips into Afro-Cuban in places. What we get up here is sort of the “greatest hits” album and a lot of northern cuisine that is ranchero style like stews and stir fries.

I concur with the notion that okie mex is an inferior product. But there are several really good taquerias and a couple places that do good authentic. We go Mexico twice a year and always have a blast as the dollar stretches 2-10x the value and there are very few “rule.” But kidnapping is real and I’ve been shaken down for cash by small town gangsters once before. So plan accordingly :)

I've always considered Okie-Mex to be any place that serves complementary cheeze jelly and Tex-Mex to be places where you have to pay to get queso that actually contains a pasteurized, processed, cheese product in it..... For the most part I've always found the rest of the menu to be fairly similar in items and flavor.

I concur with the notion that okie mex is an inferior product.
Not to get into a deep conversation, but quality food is quality food! Okie Mex is not necessarily "inferior". It isn't "authentic" Mexican cuisine but it can still be excellent and I have eaten at some excellent Okie/Tex Mex places. I am a fan of the growth of authentic Mexican but bad authentic Mexican is still bad food and I have had plenty of that too.
C. T.

^^^^^^ This

I agree ctchandler!

Some days I think diners need to be required to take a BBQ judging class before they are allowed to leave reviews online. We are taught to judge what's put in front of us and not compare it to what we've had before. Every dish gets judged on it's own merits.

Welcome to my world. EVERYONE is a restaurant critic!


I agree ctchandler!

Some days I think diners need to be required to take a BBQ judging class before they are allowed to leave reviews online. We are taught to judge what's put in front of us and not compare it to what we've had before. Every dish gets judged on it's own merits.

Welcome to my world. EVERYONE is a restaurant critic!

Is it more difficult now than it was 18 or so years ago when you opened Cheever's? The reach of social media and ratings platforms has to be rough, aside from the positive sides of spreading good news faster.

Social media goes both ways, but think all in all, it's a positive. When Cheever's first opened, we really didn't have a way to get information from our guests, to hear what they're saying. We use these rating sites more as a forum for us to listen to our guests and hopefully get better in the process. We have learned not to take things too personal; it's hard sometimes.


Is it more difficult now than it was 18 or so years ago when you opened Cheever's? The reach of social media and ratings platforms has to be rough, aside from the positive sides of spreading good news faster.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero061018.jpg

Getting close. They've filed their sign permits.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero062818.jpg

I'm kinda glad that the building wasn't able to be remodeled and they had to build a new structure. this is an improvement for sure.

I'm curious to try it and compare to El Pollo Loco, which has always been my favorite fast food place.

I'm kinda glad that the building wasn't able to be remodeled and they had to build a new structure. this is an improvement for sure.

Helps to be in an Urban Design district with strict(er) build-to lines, etc.

Signage is up on the new restaurant.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/campero072918.jpg

Opens next Tuesday, August 21st.

Opens next Tuesday, August 21st.

Its open and there is a line for the drive through backing up several blocks into traffic on 23rd. Impressive.

Its open and there is a line for the drive through backing up several blocks into traffic on 23rd. Impressive.

Krispy Kreme effect.

Its open and there is a line for the drive through backing up several blocks into traffic on 23rd. Impressive.

Same situation around 330 today.

Yeah it's been crazy this last week. I went last Friday at lunch and it took me at least 30 minutes to get out of there. I thought my Fried Chicken had a pretty good flavor personally and they had a nice variety of sides there, but I'll probably wait to go back when that line has died down some. It seemed a little chaotic inside the kitchen when I was paying for my food.

Tried going here last night and the line was several cars out into the street so I kept driving west down 23rd and decided to stop at Samurai (very underrated, I'd put it as a top 5 sushi place in OKC/Tulsa) which I forgot was closed on Mondays so I ended up grabbing Jersey Mike's instead lol.

Finally got around to eating there today.

Crowds have definitely calmed down. It was busy, but no more than 4-5 people in front of us a noon at the counter.

Did some nuggets, some fried and baked chicken, several sides (corn salad, rice, mashed potatoes, plantains) and flan. Had the Horchata to drink.

It was all good - not wait in line for an hour good, but good. Some of us preferred the fried chicken while others preferred the baked. I think I liked the baked best - but both were tasty.

My least favorite were the nuggets (camperitos - boneless wings). I thought they had too much breading, were too bland and were too crispy and not moist and lightly breaded like is shown on their website.

Definitely not a destination lunch spot for me - but, I'd go if someone in my group wanted to, or if I was in the immediate area and the mood struck me. But, for what it is - fast food - it was different and good. I really like that they serve the food on real plates.

This should definitely be another hit for the City Bites brothers. I hear this location set a record for 1st day and 6-day sales of a new opening. I'm sure they will be opening new locations soon.

I have no idea what people are lining up for. This place would hardly crack the top 10 of fast food chicken restaurants in OKC. Even the pics of the food on the windows looks bland and boring.

I have no idea what people are lining up for. This place would hardly crack the top 10 of fast food chicken restaurants in OKC. Even the pics of the food on the windows looks bland and boring.

Some people like to try new things and some people like to be the first to try new things.

Finally tried this last night. I had both the grilled and fried chicken, as well as the rice and beans. Fried chicken was pretty good but the grilled chicken tasted funky to me. Beans were too intense and the rice was just whatever. So, pretty typical fast food fare. Gave it a shot, but not for me.

I think their fried chicken is the highlight personally.