Guatemala

From Belgium last week I took the culinary-passport across the Atlantic and a bit south to Guatemala in the form of Pollo Campero.  This particular location is on South Blvd in Charlotte but this is a chain that originated in Guatemala with one families secret chicken recipe.  I’m sure there’s a GFC joke in there somewhere if I tried hard enough but I just ate and don’t want to work that hard.

Anyway, the interior is very much a fast food décor, you order at the counter, they give you a number to display at your table and deliver it to you when it’s ready.  I was going to say the menu is limited but in this case I think focused is probably a better description.  Like the name says they are a chicken place and you can get it grilled or fried, and also in a bowl or empanada.  I opted for grilled.  They also have interesting signature sides.  If you want fries with that you can get yucca fries, plantains are an option as well as street corn salad which is what I went with.  They also had rice, beans, slaw and regular fries for the less adventurous.  For drinks they had Pepsi products, water, tea and some you don’t see everywhere; horchata, Jamaica and guava.  Even though I knew it was going to be sweet I got the guava.  I did consider the Jamaica which was made from hibiscus.

OK a side note here on the guava.  When I decided on the drink I said, “I’ll take a guava.”  I pronounced it with the hard G.  The young lady behind the counter looked at me and said “So you want a guava?” pronouncing it basically without a G but adding that little sound I can’t replicate in writing but sounds something like an h & w combined with the urge to spit.  “Yep, that’s the one,” was all I could say as I thought to myself that she sounded just like me when someone mispronounces something and I use it in my next sentence so they can hear it correctly without having to be an ass and blatantly call them out on it.  Well played counter girl, well played.

Alright back to the food.

The chicken was very good.  I honestly couldn’t tell exactly what spices they used other than some mild peppers and a little garlic and maybe onion powder but the citrus was very evident but not in a bad way.  I’m not actually sure if the green sauce on the side was supposed to go on the street corn salad or for the chicken so I tried it with both and it worked for either.  The corn salad was cilantro, tomatoes, corn, with some white crumbled cheese and peppers.  I liked it ok but it’s not something I’d want often.  I got tortillas with the meal instead of the dinner roll since I figured that fit the theme a little better.  Overall it was a nice Sunday lunch and a nice departure from other fast food chains that are so much more prevalent.

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