Pollo Tropical @ SJTC

[David]

I've renamed this thread.

[wsansewjs]

Pollo Tropical is to Grilled Chicken and rice as McDonald is to Hamburger and Fries.

I can't say much more than that. I went there last night. It was decent. It is pretty good for what you pay, but please please don't think its a fancy dancy place to go eat. Trust me, its not the best food I ever eaten in its own category.

For the Town Center, it will commit its own economic suicide in a decade or less when people will get tired of the traffic, style, and other reasons, that people would go back to the 'indoor' malls.

-Josh

[simms3]

Outdoor malls will be more popular in good weather places, but most outdoor malls built today are retrofits of dead indoor malls, and they feature higher density and a mix of uses rather than simply an indoor mall without a roof.  They truly can be called "town centers" as that is what they have become.

Pollo Tropical definitely isn't fancy and doesn't advertise itself as such, but it does have a decent wine and beer list for a fast food restaurant and offers higher quality food and something different with a sauce bar of creative sauces.  There is a similar fast food "organic" burger chain here in Atlanta that offers more adult products and a fun katsup bar with a variety of flavored katsups.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I think the towncenter is typical Jacksonville in a nutshell.  They started with something nice, intimate (as you can be with a development that scale) and walkable, but it's turned into a microcosm of typical J'ville.  Now it's sprawled across several acres forcing most (read - lazy) people to hop in their cars and drive around the corner from DSW to PF Changs passing by all the other stores to 'window shop' from the comfort of their shiny cars.  This leads to a terrifying experience when you're trying to walk around - I've been hit 3 times, nothing serious, but still.....

I'm willing to bet that most of the people who live in the apartments behind still get in their cars to go to the Cheesecake Factory, I'm just saying....

[mtraininjax]

I think the towncenter is typical Jacksonville in a nutshell.

No such thing! Come to Avondale or Riverside for us to show you A-Typical.

All the brew-ha-ha over chain food. LOL!

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I think the towncenter is typical Jacksonville in a nutshell.

No such thing! Come to Avondale or Riverside for us to show you A-Typical.

All the brew-ha-ha over chain food. LOL!

After living in Murray Hill for the first 5-6 years in J'ville, Riverside & 5-points were the only places I went.  I find it laughable that people drive 30 minutes to put up with all of the BS.  Shopping, maybe, but for the food - never.  You're correct, there's too many awesome choices here without having to support some national chain, with their pre-packaged food and such. 

I prefer to walk in the kitchen of one of our local restaurants on a tuesday afternoon and smell the many different stocks that they're preparing for the week to come.  Mmmmmm.

[Ocklawaha]

Chain restaurant it might be Westsider, but this is one little place that is well worth the trip... Having lived in Colombia/Panama/Brasil and Suriname, on and off since 1982, this is about as close as it gets. I frequent most of the Caribbean-Spanish restaurants around town and with few exceptions I found this to be the more typical, or at least more consistent.

OCKLAWAHA

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Chain restaurant it might be Westsider, but this is one little place that is well worth the trip... Having lived in Colombia/Panama/Brasil and Suriname, on and off since 1982, this is about as close as it gets. I frequent most of the Caribbean-Spanish restaurants around town and with few exceptions I found this to be the more typical, or at least more consistent.

OCKLAWAHA

Maybe.  I won't judge this one until I try it, I was more or less talking about the other chain restaurants at SJTC.  Why would I drive to Maggiano's when Primi Piatti is in my backyard?  As far as the Carribean / Spanish places, I stick with Carribean Sunrise on Main, Carribean Express at Lem Turner & Ribault Scenic and Puerto Plata on Blanding - all three of these are within a few miles of work and home. 

If I'm out on the SS, I'll stop by and give the Pollo a try, but I am truly a fan and supporter of the local restaurant.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Chain restaurant it might be Westsider, but this is one little place that is well worth the trip... Having lived in Colombia/Panama/Brasil and Suriname, on and off since 1982, this is about as close as it gets. I frequent most of the Caribbean-Spanish restaurants around town and with few exceptions I found this to be the more typical, or at least more consistent.

OCKLAWAHA

Maybe.  I won't judge this one until I try it, I was more or less talking about the other chain restaurants at SJTC.  Why would I drive to Maggiano's when Primi Piatti is in my backyard?  As far as the Carribean / Spanish places, I stick with Carribean Sunrise on Main, Carribean Express at Lem Turner & Ribault Scenic and Puerto Plata on Blanding - all three of these are within a few miles of work and home. 

If I'm out on the SS, I'll stop by and give the Pollo a try, but I am truly a fan and supporter of the local restaurant.

Had lunch there yesterday, Mojo Pork, Rice & Beans - I gotta say, it was pretty good.  The pork was tender and juicy with a just enough spices to keep it interesting, without overdoing it  The rice and beans were, eh, rice and beans, but the flavor once everything was mixed together - awesome.  Added some of their Poyo Poyo spice and all was well with the world for about 15 minutes. 

Then you figure that I was out the door for about $8 with more food thatn I could eat.....

I think I need to try and find more work off of Gate Pkwy.

[Keith-N-Jax]

Pollo Tropical is good, dont know why it takes Jax so long to get most things.

[KenFSU]

I grew up in South Florida, so I've been desperately missing Pollo Tropical, but man do we ever need a few more locations here. I went to the Town Center location a few nights ago and there was a hostess. The line was out the door, and the wait for a table was 20 minutes. Craziness.

[fsujax]

because Keith, most of them think of us as poor, uneducated folk who cant afford to eat at places like Pollo Tropical!

[Jaxson]

because Keith, most of them think of us as poor, uneducated folk who cant afford to eat at places like Pollo Tropical!

LOL!  I think that there be more truth to your comment than we might believe.  Is there a perception that Jacksonville is not "Florida" enough when compared to cities that are south of the "Sweet Tea Line"?  Florida is a unique state where we go north by going south, you know! ; )

[fsujax]

I was at a meeting yesterday and no kidding the chair of this Commission joked about Jacksonville being in Georgia! I about fell out of my chair! I told him some of us may talk like we are, but we are a part of Florida!

[simms3]

Perception is reality.  About 46% of all residents of Northeast Florida are from out of state and 7% are from outside the country.  1.9% are from Puerto Rico or US Territories.  That leaves about 45% from inside the state of Florida where many of those residents are actually domestic migrant families from South Florida who have relocated.  I would pin Northeast Florida's "southern" population at only about 10-20% max, though in certain areas on the outskirts or on the westside/northside it seems much higher than that.  We certainly let the minority southern group, many of whom have come from Lake City or smaller more rural Florida areas over the past few decades, run things in town.

Of the 46% from out of state, the cities/states that bring the most people to NE FL are Atlanta, NY/NJ tri-state area, San Diego, Norfolk, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Of the 7% from foreign countries, most come from Cuba, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico, and perhaps China or one of the Caribbean counties.

Of the 1.9% from a US territory, probably 90% come from Puerto Rico and 10% from Guam or some military territory.

And finally, of the 45% from in-state, probably 30-40% are from South Florida areas and another 30-40% are children of northern or South Florida transplants.

A county like St. Johns County is mostly northern transplant (like upwards of 60-70% from north of the M-D line).

Finally, our Hispanic population has grown immensely this past decade and anyone can see the difference.  I bet when Census figures come out, they will show that close to 10% of Northeast Florida is Hispanic, up from about 5-6%.  More Pollo Tropicals in the pipeline?  I would think so!