Miami Is Unhinged After New Pollo Tropical 'Platter' Price

If you grew up in Miami, chances are you've found yourself at a Pollo Tropical drive-thru, windows rolled down, hoping your "Tropichop" bowl loaded up with chopped grilled chicken, black beans, and white rice, would hit just right. For many of us (myself included), Pollo is more than fast food. It's a rite of passage through the youth of Miami. A taste of abuela's kitchen on a budget. A lifeline after high school sports practice or a late-night party in Kendall. But lately, according to longtime customers, something is off — the price, that is.

Scroll through Reddit or talk to just about any Miami local, and you'll hear the same sentiment: "We miss the old Pollo Tropical." Longtime customers claim that the chicken, which was always juicy, smoky, and packed with flavor, now sometimes, and at certain locations, borders on dry. But one of the biggest recent changes — and the one that's really got people talking — is the platter situation. A Reddit post about the platter change is going viral this week, and some loyal customers aren't happy.
What used to be a complete meal of grilled chicken with rice, beans, and maybe even a roll, now comes with...just chicken. That's right: the sides are extra, tacked on à la carte for about 75 cents each.

Miamians went to the comments to express their frustration, with one writing, "I remember when Pollo was $3 for a 1/4 chicken, rice and beans...and it was quality food, too."

Although it's unclear whether the additional fees for each side are new, most restaurant platters come with one to two basic sides, while all other sides are additional add-ons or labeled as "premium." To longtime fans, this is a price change that affects those who dine here on a budget.

Pollo Tropical's "platter" is now just chicken. Rice and beans are extra.
byu/ctyt inMiami

However, a loyal customer immediately defended Pollo Tropical, explaining that this change is really only a matter of cents. "What exactly are we up in arms over here?" reads the comment. "The platter was previously $7.99 with rice and beans. Now, it's $8.19, or you have the option of the chicken only for $6.69. I'm not getting myself worked up over $0.20."

Let's be clear: We love that Pollo Tropical has grown with locations across Southeast Florida. We're proud that this homegrown, Cuban-inspired chain is still serving up mojo-flavored chicken and delicious black beans.

For so many of us, Pollo Tropical is a nostalgic flavor of Miami, a place that has fed us during childhood, after hurricanes, before big tests, and on lazy Sunday afternoons. But its fans have spoken: They want juicy chicken, generous portions, and sides that don't feel like a luxury.