Rocky’s Chicken

The half chicken with beans and rice are 10X better than El Pollo Loco or any other chicken place…

I agree with many people that have been eating here for a long time: the food, service, and value all used to be GREAT when the previous owners ran this place. I wish I could say the same about the current operation. Now the chicken is small and dried out, the service is slow, and the music is way too LOUD! And to top it off they rip you off if you pay with credit/​debit. Twice they tacked on and extra buck to my bill when I paid with credit. The first time I thought it was an honest mistake but when it happened again I confronted the new owner and he explained they charge an extra 50¢ if the bill is less than $ 10. Dude you charged me a dollar more. What’s up with that? SHADEY! He gave me a refund but I never returned. One more complaint: they are no longer open on Saturday. We miss you Eli and Samira :(

Always love their chicken with rice and pinto beans! Chicken is juicy, the beans are very authentic and tasty. The rice is pretty good too. Rocky’s is kind of like a diner experience if you choose to eat there, but I typically get take out. Do not leave without their pico de gallo… it sounds crazy but it’s so money and it just makes the entire meal in my opinion.

I loved Rocky’s from before the new owners. The food was great and the husband and wife were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.
I have not tried the new chicken from under the new management but I have tried the Mexican food. If you get the chance try the torta cubana or the the torta ahogade both are great. The former is packed with a bunch of meat and the latter is covered in their mole sauce which I quite enjoyed. I had their taquitos and was also very pleasantly suprised.
My only gripe is that I have a disgusting addiction to pico de gallo at Mexican eateries and I don’t care much for the salsa they have. Other than that I’ve enjoyed my meals here.

I have been coming to Rocky’s for years and it WAS the best chicken and service in south OC. I’m sad to say that they’ve changed ownership along with the quality of food as well. The previous owners always remembered me and how I order even I haven’t come in for months.
The chicken while had the same flavoring has now become an el pollo loco and dries out their chicken. The rice now is terrible. Dry. The tortillas are smaller and also not fresh.
My time with Rocky’s is done. I wish the previous owners well and hope they made off like a bandit in this terrible economy.

Update 10/​01/​2012
My co-​worker went to Rocky’s yesterday for lunch. Her description of the service and food was so poor that I have to change my rating. She scored them «0» out of 5. Tells me that the chicken is now deplorable and bone dry. That’s pretty sad. The cops don’t go there anymore either.

Rocky’s Charbroiled Chicken used to be one of my favorite spots. I patronized the wonderful couple who owned the restaurant for over 11 years. They put pride and care into their food, which was evident by the quality.
However, the couple sold the eatery and now it is run by people who obviously have none of the care or pride of the previous owners.
It took me over five minutes to order, because the woman at the register (by her own admission) did not speak English.
The food was bland, greasy and thrown together like a skid-​row soup kitchen.
I was not happy. I let them know that, and the response was to yap in Spanish to each other, with hand gestures referencing me. How thoughtful.
Never again.

I work nearby and have tried so many different places for lunch but this is honestly the BEST place where you will get such great quality for a low price. It’s definitely a hole in the wall in a quiet little center and the décor isn’t anything fancy, but the food here is amazing! I have been here a few times and have tried the Guillermo Special (chicken, jalapenos, avocado), fries (perfectly crispy), and the Steak Torta.
By far my favorite is the Steak Torta. That thing is filled to the max with delicious steak, huge chunks of avocado, chunks of onion, and melted cheese. It literally just melts in your mouth. Grab a lot of extra napkins because it can get messy! It’s a different take on a torta because it’s more of a wrap with thick pita bread than a sandwich. It will definitely fill you up so you won’t really need a side or anything.
Sandwiches here run about 6.50, fries 1.95, and you can get a whole chicken for 10 (If I remember correctly) to bring home to the fam if you aren’t in the mood to cook. The owners are very friendly and enjoy getting to know their clientele. Since it’s run by the owners themselves, the food might take a little longer than your nearby Baja Fresh or Rubios, but it’s so worth the wait. I call ahead and normally my food is ready in 15 minutes.

Any place you walk into and find the local law enforcement eating in, it is usually a good sign. The first time I walked into Rocky’s I found 3 Orange County Sheriff Deputies on their lunch breaks … nuff said.
This is a hole-​in-​the-​wall mom and pop place which specializes in charbroiled chicken and tortillas. You can get anything from 2 pieces to a whole chicken with a variety of sides (Fries, Onion Rings, Side Salads, Pinto Beans and Mexican Rice). The menu also has a selection of sandwiches and Mexican food items. The chicken is juicy and tender, never dry and has a great flavor!
I did find the guacamole, the beans and rice to be a little bland … my suggestion is to stick with the chicken, tortillas and salsa. I haven’t tried the sandwich items.
If you are in the mood for great charbroiled chicken, give Rocky’s a try!

I love this place. I love that it’s a hole in the wall with chairs from 1972. None of this matters, of course, once you smell that food. As I walk in, I go blind, and prepare to eat.
As I get older, it seems that I’ve lost interest in major fast food chains, and crave more homestyle cooking at every meal. A Chicken sandwhich combo from here is just so much more filling than the same order at Wendy’s. Plus it’s not deep fried, and made with an entire skinless chicken breast.
One sad point — They recently changed their fries to the thicker kind, which is a travesty — especially since the old kind were just like McDonald’s.
This place is owner owned & operated. This couple is taking your order, cooking & serving you themselves. Who wouldn’t want to support a business like this? Trust me, go try it. You won’t regret it.

Yummy chicken!
Such a mom and pop restaurant inside a business park, and it packs a flavorful punch. Knowing that after this lunch there would be some cupcake action across the street, my associate and I split the #1 meal — half a chicken, 3 tortillas and salsa for less than $ 6. It was just the right amount of food to fill us up without feeling stuffed afterward.
The charbroiled chicken was crispy crunchy on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside. The tortillas were a standout and although my friend chose the mild salsa (I like my sauce to be en fuego!) it was pretty tasty. Great local lunch spot with plenty of options.

Soooooooooo yummy. Fresh, soft and tender, flavorful and delicious chicken. The owners are a married couple who work there, so they put the heart and soul in it. I’ve had a few of the other items and they are okay. The star is the chicken, just eat that with tortillas and salsa, or without salsa, the chicken is that good.
The prices are very reasonable and cops/​sheriffs are always there, a good sign, they know the good priced good eats.
Rocky’s Chicken is very unassuming, at the end-​cap of an industrial type lot, there is no décor or ambience, don’t expect it.
I’d compare to El Pollo Loco, except much, much better.

Absolutely amazing. I had the chicken gyro and it was only $ 6.25, super fresh. A good pita bread base, white mayo like sauce, big piece of well seasoned chicken, topped with lots of fresh tomatos, parsley, and onions. My only complaint would be that the pita bread fell apart because it was so stuffed. I posted a picture of my meal.
The mom and pop style is great, the service was timely and polite. The décor is dated, but the place is very clean, lots of windows. It was basically empty when I came in, so fast service. Highly recommended.

Rocky’s Chicken is like going to your mom’s house and buying chicken.
Seriously, the couple that owns and runs the place are gems. Its the only place that I’ve ever been to where a homeless guy has been walking by and the «mom» will run out with a bag of food and chase the person down to give it to them. They are THAT kind of good. The kind of good that you hear about and think to yourself, «yeah right».
If you don’t like them you probably aren’t a useful person for society.
If you eat at El Pollo Loco and live close to Alicia and Jeronimo … stop. Go to Rocky’s. Its just as good and the same price. Personally I like the beans and rice better, but thats a personal thing.
Their salsa is excellent, their tortillas phenomenal, and the guacamole is … indescribable. Seriously, I’m a guacamole fanatic. I’ve had it everywhere. This guacamole is very unique. Its avocado with spices. There are no tomatoes or onions or other … things … that may take away from the avocado. It unique and BELONGS with a little bit of chicken, rice, and beans rolled into a tortilla.
I want to give them five stars and here is the catch. They make the stuff fresh, so when you go ORDER AHEAD or be prepared to wait.
You can’t just show up at Rocky’s you have to let mom know you are coming. Goodness doesn’t just HAPPEN … it needs time to simmer.

I was craving Gyros and stumbled on to this place while on my lunch. their chicken is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good! and the service is amazing! i felt like I walked into my family’s kitchen :)
the owners even gave me a banana to take with me! VERY nice and would def recommend this place to anyone who is in the mood for good ol home made style chicken! in one word, YUM!

The chicken was just good. Better than every other chicken shack in south OC. However, it was just good. What was worse is that the rest of the Unilocal community was correct, the beans and rice are horrible, like out of a can, straight out of a can. The mom and pop place was immaculate in the cleanliness department, but all the fixtures are old. Nice and humble folks, trying their best. I ate a quarter chicken and would go back again JUST for chicken, but not any time soon. Oh and the salsa is horrific, watery out of a jar or left in the fridge too long.
Sorry.

This place gives you a ton of food for $ 6.95. With a drink and tax it still only came to $ 9.03. You get half of a roasted chicken. A cup and and a half of Spanish rice, and a cup and half of pinto beans. You get the choice of spicy or regular salsa in a plastic, lidded cup and three corn tortillas AND an orange! The drink is NOT self-​serve. It was SO MUCH food, I couldn’t finish the rice and beans or tortillas. This place is a grade above El Pollo Loco, because it is one of a kind. They weren’t too busy for lunch, it must be hard for them to serve such big portions and only charge $ 6.95. I liked getting the fresh fruit. Great value, good food, and good service.

Great lunch specials.
$ 7 gets you chicken, rice and beans, tortillas, salsa, and a fruit!
YUm! Chicken was moist and the spices on the skin were delish. Salsa was fresh, wish it were hotter! Rice and beans were bland. Definitely needed the salsa to add flavor. That was one disappointment. Love that they give you fruit with your meal! I got a plum :)
Overall, 3.5 stars because of the rice and beans. Will definitely try out this place again for lunch!

My family has been going to Rocky’s for years, and I have to admit, between the four of us, we’ve really only ordered a handful of items: half-​chicken with all rice (simple and tasty), gyro (made up of meat-​patties rather than traditional shaved), guillermo special (my personal favorite — a grilled chicken, avocado, pickled jalepeno sandwich), and kefta kabob (like middle eastern meatballs in a pita). We ordered the same thing so much that the owners knew them as our «usual».
This year, we decided to be a little more scandelous, ordering items we’ve never even considered before! I must say, sometimes it pays to be adventurous.
Steak Torta — not a traditional torta, more of a steak flatbread/​gordita. sliced filet with grilled onions & fresh jalepenos, melted cheese and avocado makes it a gooey creamy warm burst of flavor in your mouth.
Crispy Chicken Tacos — filled with their moist, well spiced chicken, then deep fried, topped with a fresh salsa of onion, jalepeno, and cilantro and just a little sprinkling of cheese. on top of 3 gigantic tacos, comes a mountain of rice and beans. my favorite part is to eat the rice after all the goodness from the tacos have fallen into it (which it will).
Their salsa is excellent (skip the salad dressing and use this instead) and their rice is yummy traditional mexican-​rice. Sit outside and flip through the old magazines as you wait — you can never learn enough from Vogue circa 2005.

Good eats. I read J.E.‘s review and I wanted to check out Rocky’s. I got sick of the same food chains. I went two times today b/​c I wanted I saw the chicken after I started eating.
Here’s what I think: The beef or lamb gyros with fries and and a soda $ 6.75. I don’t know what kind of meat it was, but it was good. I’ve had better. The fries were good. They had a good crisp outside and soft inside. The soda sucked. You get a cup of mostly ice and some soda. The soda doesn’t taste like a fountain soda should. I recommend just buying a bottle of soda or beer from them. Personally, I would just bring my own drink.
I got the half chicken with beans and rice for I think $ 6.75 or maybe 2 bucks more. It’s good tasting. The chicken breast is a little dry, but most places are. The beans and rice are nothing special.
My girl got the chicken gryos with fries and a diet coke. It was delicious. I believe they used the grilled chicken breast like I had for my half chicken. The fries needed salting (should have been done the second they came out of the fryer. Diet coke had same problem as the rest of the fountain drinks.
This place is a good find and good change from the norm.