Looking for El Pollo Loco vegetarian options? Here’s the full list. You can eat vegetarian at El Pollo Loco, but you’ll be working mostly from the sides and a few build-your-own orders. El Pollo Loco is a fast food chain built around citrus-marinated, flame-grilled chicken, so there’s no veggie burger or meatless entree waiting for you. The good news: the beans, rice, tortillas, guacamole, and salsas are vegan, which means a little customizing goes a long way. Here’s exactly what to order, what to skip, and how to find real vegan options if that’s your goal. If El Pollo Loco doesn’t have what you want, you can always check what about the vegetarians at other chains.
A Quick Look at El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco (“The Crazy Chicken”) started as a roadside chicken stand and grew into one of the best-known names in flame-grilled Mexican-style chicken. Here are the milestones worth knowing:
- Founded in 1974 in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, by Juan Francisco Ochoa, who grilled chicken marinated in a family citrus recipe.
- First U.S. location opened December 8, 1980, on Alvarado Street in Los Angeles.
- Denny’s bought the U.S. restaurants in 1983, while the Ochoa family kept running the separate Mexican chain that still operates south of the border.
- Changed hands several times after that, passing through TW Services, American Securities, and Trimaran Capital Partners.
- Went public on the Nasdaq in 2014 under the ticker LOCO, as El Pollo Loco Holdings.
- Runs more than 500 restaurants today (503 at the end of 2025), headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with locations across California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Utah, and Louisiana.
El Pollo Loco Vegetarian Options: What to Order
Here’s a quick reference for the vegetarian and vegan picks at El Pollo Loco. Most items need a small tweak, like dropping the cheese or swapping chicken for avocado, so the table notes what to ask for.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| BRC Burrito (no cheese) | Yes | Yes |
| Avocado Tacos (corn tortillas) | Yes | Yes |
| Pollo Bowl (avocado instead of chicken, no cheese/sour cream) | Yes | Yes |
| Tostada Salad / Side Salad (no chicken, no cheese, salsa not creamy dressing) | Yes | Yes |
| Street Corn Salad (no chicken, no cheese, no creamy dressing) | Yes | Yes |
| Chips & Guacamole | Yes | Yes |
| Pinto Beans / Black Beans | Yes | Yes |
| Spanish Rice | Yes | Yes |
| Tortilla Chips / Tapatio Fries | Yes | Yes |
| Corn on the Cob (ask for no butter) | Yes | Yes* |
| Broccoli (ask for no butter) | Yes | Yes* |
| Corn & Flour Tortillas | Yes | Yes |
| Mac & Cheese | Yes | No (dairy) |
| Mashed Potatoes with Gravy | No (chicken gravy) | No |
| Churros | Yes | No |
| Coleslaw | Yes | No |
Vegetarian Burritos and Bowls at El Pollo Loco
The build-your-own items are where vegetarians get a real meal instead of a plate of sides:
- BRC Burrito (no cheese): Beans, rice, and cilantro in a warm flour tortilla. It’s vegan without the cheese, and adding avocado or guacamole makes it more filling.
- Original Pollo Bowl, no chicken: Order the Original Pollo Bowl and swap the chicken for extra beans or avocado. Keep the cheese for vegetarian, or skip the cheese and sour cream to make it vegan.
- Fajita or veggie burrito: Build it around rice, beans, grilled peppers and onions, and avocado. Hold the cheese and creamy dressing for a vegan version.
Vegetarian Tacos and Salads at El Pollo Loco
- Avocado Tacos: Avocado, lettuce, and pico de gallo on corn tortillas. Naturally vegan and one of the easiest orders here.
- Tostada Salad (no chicken): A crispy shell loaded with beans, lettuce, pico, and avocado. Keep the cotija cheese for vegetarian, or drop it and use salsa instead of creamy dressing to go vegan.
- Side Salad: Ask for no cheese and a salsa or citrus vinaigrette on the side, and it’s a clean vegan option.
- Street Corn Salad: Order it without the chicken, cheese, and creamy dressing. What’s left is super greens, avocado, corn, red peppers, and a chili-lime kick with salsa fresca. It’s one of the newer builds, and it works well vegan.
Vegetarian Sides and Snacks at El Pollo Loco
- Chips & Guacamole: Crispy tortilla chips with fresh guacamole. Vegan and a reliable standby.
- Pinto beans, black beans, and Spanish rice: All made without lard or chicken broth, so they’re vegan.
- Corn on the cob and broccoli: Vegetarian as served and vegan if you ask for them without butter.
- Tortilla chips and Tapatio fries: Both vegan-friendly, though fries can share fryer space, so ask if cross-contact matters to you.
- Salsas: House salsa, pico de gallo, salsa roja, avocado salsa, and the hot sauces are all vegan and add a lot of flavor.
- Mac & Cheese: Elbow macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce. It’s vegetarian, but the dairy sauce means it’s not vegan.
Vegetarian Drinks and Beverages at El Pollo Loco
Most of the fountain and bottled drinks are vegan, so you’ve got more to order than water. Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Dr Pepper, Diet Dr Pepper, Sprite, and Barq’s Root Beer are all vegan, along with the Gold Peak iced teas, the Fuze Raspberry Iced Tea, Minute Maid Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade, Hi-C Fruit Punch, vitaminwater, and bottled water. The Aguas Frescas, Mango Lime and Strawberry Hibiscus, are vegan too and worth ordering if you want something lighter than soda.
Horchata is the one drink to watch if you’re vegan. El Pollo Loco makes its horchata with rice, almonds, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk, so it’s vegetarian but not vegan. The limited-time ChataCoffee and Iced Coffee Cream drinks are cream-based too, so treat them the same way.
What’s Vegan at El Pollo Loco?
Vegans actually do well here once you know the rules. The beans, rice, tortillas, chips, guacamole, fries, salsas, and most of the drinks are all plant-based, so a little planning turns this into one of the easier fast food stops for vegan options. A BRC burrito without cheese, avocado tacos, or a loaded bowl with avocado instead of chicken all work. The one thing to know: the Vegan Chickenless Pollo that El Pollo Loco once sold systemwide has been discontinued, so don’t plan a visit around it. Stick to building your order from the vegan components and you’ll be fine.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
El Pollo Loco publishes allergen and nutrition information on its website, and it’s worth a look if you have specific needs. A few things to keep in mind: cheese, sour cream, and the creamy cilantro dressing are all dairy, so leave them off for a vegan order. The cotija cheese on salads is dairy too. Churros and coleslaw aren’t vegan. Skip the mashed potatoes as well if you’re vegetarian, not just vegan. El Pollo Loco tops them with chicken gravy, so the dish isn’t meat-free even though the potatoes themselves are plain. And because this is a chicken-focused kitchen, cross-contact is possible, so tell the staff what you’re avoiding and ask how items are prepared.
Tips for Vegetarians at El Pollo Loco
- Lean on the build-your-own bowls and burritos. Swapping chicken for extra beans or avocado turns a side-dish meal into a real one.
- Say “no cheese” and “no creamy dressing” up front if you’re eating vegan, and reach for salsa instead.
- Ask for corn and broccoli without butter so they stay vegan.
- Menus and prep vary by location and state, so confirm with your local restaurant before you order.
- Watch for limited-time items, but don’t count on the discontinued Chickenless Pollo coming back.
That’s the complete rundown of El Pollo Loco vegetarian options. Bookmark this guide so you always know what to order, and check our other restaurant guides for more El-style meatless picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line on Eating Vegetarian at El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is a chicken chain at heart, but a vegetarian or vegan can still put together a satisfying meal with a few simple swaps. Build a burrito or bowl around the beans, rice, and avocado, add chips and guacamole, and you’re set. For more meat-free fast-food ideas, see our guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants or browse all of our restaurant guides. If you’re in the mood for similar build-your-own Mexican food, check out what’s vegetarian at Chipotle, Qdoba, and Taco Bell.
