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Hey Seattle, y’all know El Pollo Loco only serves chicken, right? It’s notÌý³Ù³ó²¹³ÙÌýexciting. It’s not even loco; it’s relatively sano.

The first Seattle-area El Pollo Loco is apparently opening soon, and some folks are very, very excited. The franchise announced in 2022 that it would open four locations in Western Washington. The first one, we learned, will open in Kent, though the date has not been announced. Sure, for transplants from SoCal who grew up on this stuff, there’s some nostalgia baked into that flame-grilled flavor.

But since it’s not new to us, this announcement is a little less exciting. And if you think this is going to transform Seattle’s food scene, let me stop you right there.

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El Pollo Loco to Seattle? Uhm, OK?

Don’t get me wrong. El Pollo Loco is decent. It’s a solid chain if you’re craving marinated, grilled chicken paired with some rice and beans that sell the illusion of being prepped by abuela.

But let’s pump the brakes on this faux hype train because the Southern California chicken is hardly the culinary revolution some are making it out to be. It’s just chicken. It’s pretty good chicken, but still just chicken. And, unfortunately, it’s been Taco Bell-ified with new menu items including chicken burritos featuring chipotle (ew) and queso (eww). Abuela also didn’t make chicken avocado stuffed quesadillas.

Part of me wonders if the hype is purely a media creation. KING 5 the arrival of El Pollo Loco as if Seattle were hosting the Super Bowl. But I also know people. And people are … easily impressed. After all, look at the box office of the thoroughly mediocre (and annoying) “Wicked.”

Lots of hype for decent chicken

Seattle’s no stranger to overhyped chain openings.

Remember the hysteria around Chick-fil-A? OK, that one actually lived up to its reputation (with bonus points for upsetting and waffle fries alone in their bedrooms so their token nonbinary friends don’t judge them).

El Pollo Loco? It’s fine, but it’s no game-changer. You’re getting fast-food chicken — well-seasoned and grilled — but fast food nonetheless. It’s neither a Michelin-starred masterpiece nor authentic.

If you’re trying to draw parallels to the In-N-Out craze, try again. Like its burger counterpart, El Pollo Loco is riding a wave of Californians desperate for a taste of home, banking on nostalgia to overshadow the fact that it’s, well, overrated.

It’s still just chicken

The El Pollo Loco draw around Seattle will be for its reliability, not its originality. If you’ve got 10 bucks and a craving for chicken that’s less greasy than KFC, it’s a decent pick. But it’s not about to dethrone your favorite teriyaki spot or, frankly, Chick-fil-A.

By the way, didn’t this region previously pride itself on being a foodie haven? The obsessions used to be farm-to-table ingredients, sustainable blah blah blah, and ethically farmed Chinook salmon (also overrated; it’s just salmon). So why are we rolling out the red carpet for fast food?

At the end of the day, El Pollo Loco’s arrival is cool for those who love it in and around Seattle. But a big cultural moment it is not. It’s grilled chicken. You’ll enjoy it, but you’ll forget about it just as quickly.

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