CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

I was south of the border in Honduras visiting my step family. I was able to visit Pollo Campero – a Central American fast food company I have been interested in for 4 years.

There are just a few locations in the US, LA and Houston were the first. People were in line for over 4 hours when the LA Pollo Campero opened. The reason the owner started the franchise there was that he was intrigued by the smell of chicken on the airplane when he was coming back to the US (EE UU) and it was people bringing Pollo Campero back for their relatives.

During my first trip to Honduras in 2003, I spied a Pollo Campero near the airport – I had some time to kill so I started heading over on my own. My Honduran family freaked out because my stepmother was convinced I (an extranjero) was going to be kidnapped. I was not – but the place was closed. Que lastima.

I begged my father to eat there when we arrived in Honduras this time around and we did – now he is a big fan. In fact – we ate there twice.

Mi familia en Honduras lives in Choluteca, a city of 65,000+. The fast food companies must have noticed my dad spending so much time there because Choluteca now has a Wendys and Pizza Hut within walking distance of our family compound. These are the only fast food places you will find within 250 miles (good – but it would be nice to have a Pollo Campero).

Both fast food places in Choluteca are about 4-5 X the size of a place in the US and each have large, multi story play areas for the kids. Each also offers table service and many perks not offered in the US as well as more extensive menus. These are run more like an Applebee’s than a fast food joint.

And here is a shot of some fresh seafood from the beach in Cedeno – about 20 minutes south of the Ellison/Rodriquez hacienda.