Pros
The chicken is pretty good, and you get a 50% off discount when working. El Pollo Loco is a "step up" from other chains, but it's not somewhere you want to be long term.
Cons
El Pollo Loco brought me on at $10.75 hourly and after 5 months of working with them they refused to give me a raise -- even after accepting dozens of call-ins and covering for a cashier at a second store (I worked at 2 stores for 3 months). The company expects a lot and they're not willing to pay for it. They spend a lot of money on renovating stores, but they don't spend any money on maintenance in the back. Our grill was half broken, and this is a huge health violation because raw chicken takes a long time to cook from start to finish. All-in-all, it's not terribly different from other fast food chains so just be wary when you apply.