Pollo Campero

Pollo Campero--"country chicken"--is the Dallas outpost of a Guatemalan fast-food chain that is hugely popular in Central America. Legend has it that Guatemalans often carry boxes and bags full of Pollo Campero victuals on their flights to the United States, filling the plane with the aroma of fried chicken. The chicken is either distributed to homesick relatives or sold by the piece for a profit. It's the only mass merchant of what it calls "Latin American fried chicken," crispy and coated with adobo seasonings. If you don't mind chicken that still has a few deep-fried pin feathers--the "country" attitude evidently extends to plucking--you'll find the stuff addictive. It's served with white corn tortillas or rolls, plus a few sides--the best was the "Campero beans," fat pintos spiked with strong bacon flavor.