KFC's new grilled chicken contains rendered beef fat & beef powder, El Pollo Loco goes on attack

[Amerigo Vespucci]

The marinade on the chain's new grilled chicken contains beef powder and rendered beef fat. And competitor El Pollo Loco wants you to know every finger-licking detail.

The plucky Costa Mesa restaurant company is making those beef byproducts the centerpiece of a new advertising campaign tweaking KFC.

"The use of beef ingredients in grilled chicken just seems wrong to me, and we believe most consumers would agree," said Steve Carley, chief executive of El Pollo Loco. The Southern California chain learned that KFC was using beef thanks to a customer's tweet to El Pollo Loco's Twitter account.

In one television commercial, Carley stands in a cow pasture and talks about a "fun fact" concerning KFC's grilled chicken, then discloses the beef ingredients.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-kfc13-2009jun13,0,2676386.story?track=rss

[cagesoulman]

1. Good for the Crazy Chicken.

That KFCrap will get you hospitalized eventually.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

4. The majority of reviews I've read on their new grilled chicken...

...contain statements like "I don't understand how GRILLED chicken can be so GREASY."

Meanwhile, I just used the $2.99 El Pollo Loco coupon that came in yesterday's paper for a killer lunch: one wing, one breast, two tortillas, salsa, corn, and refried beans. For $2.99!

:toast:

[cagesoulman]

7. Where'd you get that coupon??

I'm cravin me some pollo, beans and a corn tortilla.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. It came in the supermarket flyers / etc that arrives with the daily mail

Sometimes they are on the E.P.L. Web Site as well...you might want to check.

The ad was a large color two-sided flyer with the $2.99 coupon I mentioned (you can get a breast and wing or a leg and a thigh, whichever you prefer).

The other coupons in the ad:

$2.99 chicken tostada salad
69 cent Taco Al Carbon
6 legs & thighs (chicken only) $4.99
8 legs & thighs (chicken only) $6.99
FREE BBQ Chicken Slider with purchase of any regularly priced item
$3.99 Chicken Slider Combo (2 Chicken Sliders, 1 small side, i small drink)
FREE Classic Csirspy of Spicy Crispy Chicken Slider with purchase of any regularly priced item
99 cent "Taste The Fire" special: 1 leg, 1 thigh, 2 tortillas & salsa

They ran a similar local ad when KFC introduced the grilled chicken. They have been kicking KFC's ass, especially on price and value (quality too).

:toast:

[cagesoulman]

11. Christ, that looks good.

I gotta check the recycle bin and see where my girlfriend stowed the ad.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. Absolutely, do it, or check with the neighbors...

...that's a LOT of good food for "not a lot of money."

:toast:

[cagesoulman]

22. I'll check my neighbor's trash cans for that

They're gonna wonder what the fuck I'm doing, but ok. :evilgrin:

[MineralMan]

14. I really like El Pollo Loco.

It's a first choice when I must eat "fast" food. Sadly, there are none here in MN.

Good healthy options at that place.

[NV Whino]

28. That was my thought, too--how can grilled chicken be so greasy.

I thought I would give it a try the other day. I mean, it's grilled right? How can your ruin grilled chicken? My gut still hasn't recovered. No more Kentucky Fried (or Grilled) Colonel for me.

[MadMaddie]

2. We tried it for the first and last time!

I will grill my own damn chicken thank you very much!!

[emilyg]

5. Thanks for the heads-up. Was

going to try it - now I won't bother.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

8. The O.C. Register did a "taste wars" piece on KFC vs. El Pollo Loco:

This was published very shortly after KFC introduced the new grilled chicken.

Review: Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC) vs. El Pollo Loco
April 22nd, 2009, 6:32 am · 73 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer

http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2009/04/22/kfcs-new-kentucky-grilled-chicken-vs-el-pollo-loco/18537/



El Pollo Loco, left vs. KGC, right

Overall, El Pollo Loco tasted better and was less greasy. I needed several napkins and hand washings after eating KGC. However, I think the opinions varied, depending on what kind of meat everyone ate. Ron, who didn’t like KGC, ate the drumsticks. I tried the drumsticks first, and KGC did not go over well. Too little meat, not enough flavor.

However, when I ate KFC’s grilled chicken breast, it was juicier and much more girthy than El Pollo Loco. Note: My $4.99 six-piece EPL order came with legs & thighs. So, I did not compare the chicken breast in the same eating session. However, I’ve had the EPL breast before and I’d have to agree with some of my readers who have said in the past that El Pollo Loco chickens often seem malnourished.

But here’s the killer difference for me: price.

El Pollo Loco is selling six pieces of legs and thighs for $4.99. A six-piece bucket of KGC cost $9.99 and the 8-piece bucket (2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 wings) cost $12.99. I bought the 8-piece. (Note: prices are same for fried chicken.)

[emilyg]

23. Thanks.

[lame54]

3. Their chicken has beef? - KFC here I come

[konnichi wa]

6. That doesn't disturb me but anyone putting chicken powder on my t-bone better have an updated will!

:D

[Amerigo Vespucci]

9. "Chicken Powder On My T-Bone"...by far, my favorite all-time Lightnin' Hopkins song.

:rofl:

:toast:

[dorkulon]

31. I prefer "Ham Hock in my Corn Flakes."

:headbang:

[Initech]

12. KFC sucks no matter which way you look at it.

Give me El Pollo Loco any day of the week.

[quakerboy]

20. KFC chicken

always tastes sour. and undercooked. I don't eat there

[BuddhaGirl]

21. Fast food in general sucks

meat from big industrial operations...loaded with hormones and antibiotics - yuck!

[Mari333]

30. One also wonders whether the chickens are in cages

packed together so closely they peck each other to death..add to that they are swimming in their own feces which is why they are forcefed antibiotics. no thanks.

[Jack Sprat]

15. I like the Extra Crispy KFC

I could eat a bucket of that crispy skin dipped in ketchup. Not that the chicken isn't good itself, but I could eat a meal of chicken skin, cole slaw, and potatoes/gravy.

Now let's kill a fatted calf and have some Extra Crispy KFC right now.

[tomreedtoon]

16. El Pollo Loco is out of business in Florida. Soon everywhere!

They've been overtaken locally by Pollo Tropical, which seems to have a lot more Hispanic workers and Hispanic ownership. And also expanded their menu to beef, pork and shrimp.

I loved the flavor of El Pollo Loco, but that wasn't enough to keep their chain alive. If they can't make it in Florida, how can they make it anywhere else?

As far as the KFC Grilled Chicken, my big complaint is that the pieces are MUCH smaller than their fried chicken. They're almost as miniscule as the chicken pieces in TV dinners.

[AlCzervik]

17. i don't eat at either place anymore but i'd take the crazy chicken of KFC any day of the week.

KFC is farkin narsty.

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. good for El Pollo Loco for outing KFC

[quakerboy]

19. They have made their way to Oregon

it was weird. I went to so-cal, and had their food, was unimpressed. Came home, and within weeks, there was an El Pollo Loco here.


I have to admit the BRC is a decent deal for a reasonable meal.

[BlooInBloo]

24. (shrug) I'll never try it. I'm an Original Recipe guy.

[jmondine]

25. Beef... it's what's for dinner, no matter what

[JI7]

26. KFC Grilled chicken tasted dry and without flavor to me

the chicken pieces were also very small.

[blue_onyx]

29. It was dry

but I like meat that way so it didn't bother me.

[bumblebee1]

27. I miss that place (Elo Pollo Loco)

My hubby and I ate there quite a few times when we lived in southern California. Talk about awesome food. I miss this place and its great food.

[dorkulon]

32. The Hindus are gonna be pissed.

There was a big to-do about beef tallow in McDonald's fries a while back.

[itsrobert]

33. Not that it matters, but El Pollo Loco is owned by Denny's

Didya know?

[Touchdown]

34. Ooooh! Snipey companies!

"Hello. This is Macy's. You didn't hear it from us, but JCPenney eats aborted babies.