Pollo Campero is a little-known fast-food brand in the US with less than 100 restaurants.
But it has a cult-like following in Central America and grand plans for the US.
The Guatemalan chain plans to grow to 300 US locations over the next five years as it looks to make its mark in the uber-competitive fast-food chicken space.
"We truly believe that we have flavorful chicken meals with unique sides. It's something you're not going to get as far as a flavor profile in some of the other concepts, whether it's Popeyes or Church's," Blas Escarcega, Pollo Campero's director of franchise development, told Business Insider in a recent interview.
Of course, the biggest competitor in the space is Chick-fil-A.
I visited a Pollo Campero, which stands for "country chicken," in Santa Ana, California. I was stunned by the variety of options on the menu. Campero serves thinly breaded pressure-cooked chicken, empanadas, grilled chicken, nuggets, salads, rice bowls, rolls, tortillas, and unique sides and beverages such as plantains, yuca fries, and horchata.
It was like a mashup of Chick-fil-A, KFC, Popeyes, and El Pollo Loco.
Like Chick-fil-A, Pollo Campero has chicken sandwiches, fried chicken nuggets, fries, and macaroni and cheese. So, I gave them a try and compared them to Chick-fil-A.
Here's what I discovered.