We love ponko chicken so it was exciting to see a Duluth location open up. The chicken is always good. We like to get the plate and ask for half BBQ and half original. I love the texture and seasoning on their fries. However, their rice has been a miss on all our visits. It's been soggy and it looks like they switched to crushed rice so it doesn't have the same chewy texture as before. I don't know if this is chain dependent but we will be skipping the rice next time. My favs are of the chicken plate with 2 sides and the salad with their ranch sauce. Portions are a great size for the 5 chicken plate, and I always eat my leftovers later. The service is nice, but the workers are still learning the ropes whenever we go.
Kelly Agee
I love ponkos chicken. But this location upset me when they wanted to charge me for extra ranch when I asked for it. Also when checking out we specified we would like extra ranch nothing was said about a charge. So instead of getting the og and ranch. We where given 2 ranches. I have been a fan of ponkos since the original on hwy78. All other locations don't charge for extra ranch and have self serve ranch. So clearly this isn't an issue.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
TheKLK25
Got take out from this location. Cashier was very patient and explained what some popular choices were when asked since it was the first time. Chose the chicken plate with 5 tenders, a side of Ponko rice and Sweet fries.Food was delicious! Even after 15 minutes in the take out box, there was still a light crunch from the chicken andfries which I did not expect. The main highlights were definitely the sweet fries (sweet potato) and the buttermilk sauce! The sweet fries has amazing seasoning and crunch which left me wanting more. The buttermilk ranch was included which I didn't know about, but I'm so glad they added it! Many places say they offer buttermilk ranch; they don't. I can guarantee you this one actually does. It went amazing with the tenders and fries.I didn't really care for the rice as it felt like it lacked something. HOWEVER, it did come with a garnish of ponko pickles. Those were amazing! They're like half sours but are more on the cucumber side which I prefer. I would have gotten that over the rice anytime.I do plan on going back to try out their wings as I'm not the biggest fan of tenders in general. The place is in an unfortunate spot that makes it kinda hidden or seem like there wasn't much traction. Maybe it was just the time I choose. Either way, I hope they can relocate or get their location out there more.
We are a fan of the Ponko Chicken chain and were very excited to see one opening here in Duluth. We've been 3 times since this location opened. The food is consistently good. The chicken is always crispy and delicious, I love their sesame green beans, and the seasoned fries are to die for! I will say, I think they are working out the kinks when it comes to service. They seemed short staffed at lunch time. One visit they offered a lunch special, with a flyer right on the counter. When the employee rang it up, it was $2 more than the flyer advertised. When we asked why, the cashier shrugged and just looked at us. We let it go, and paid the extra $2, but the staff obviously needs some training. We'll definitely be back!
Alisha Panjwani
Went to Ponko last night around 8:15. When we ordered our food we were asked if we wanted to dine in or to go. We said dine in. When our food came it was packed up and we were told they didn’t want to use plates bc they were about to close (okay fair). As we were eating a couple came in and were told they’re closed, it was about 8:40 and the door said they were open till 10. They locked the door and more people came to the door and ended up leaving. While we were finishing up our dinner, the woman who took our order (think she was a manager) said hey just fyi we’re closed basically implying we needed to hurry up. We were cleaning up our trash around 8:50ish and they straight up closed the lights! A guy came from the back and opened the door for us and was like okay good night ladies. It was 8:55 when we walked out. On Google it says close at 9, but it was obvious they were just trying to get us out of there and even refused people service beyond 8:30ish. When we placed our order for dine in we weren’t told they would be closing soon otherwise we would’ve taken our food home and eaten. We practically were kicked out politely before the actual closing time (whether it was 9 or 10). I typically dine at the Chamblee location but was in the Duluth area with a few friends so we decided to eat at this location. Great food but questionable service.
I was here the other night the food is great I was very happy with my order. The fries are my absolute favorite! I wanted to address this because I saw one of the customers leave a bad review the night I was there (Alisha P.) I was behind them when they ordered they stated they wanted take out. They ended up dining in instead, 30mins before the restaurant was about to close they asked for plates because they ended up dining in when their food was prepared for take out because that’s what they stated they wanted. The lady at the cash register was very sweet and attentive to them, a couple did come in last minute but they wanted grilled food and the grill closes early which that happens at every restaurant so that’s why couple decided to leave that they mentioned in their review. And I left at the same time as Alisha P. no one escorted us out rudely and the lights were not cut off on us as we dined in. I came here to write a good review and saw a lie I just had to address because I was there as it all happened. The only thing I suggest is they change the time on the door because customers think it closes at 10pm but it closes at 9pm. I will definitely be back in the future the place is very clean and the atmosphere is bright and inviting.This is my second time coming here and I recommend eating the food inside, everything is made fresh to order so it tastes better when you dine in. The ranch sauce with the fries are top tier and the spicy sauce with the tenders are really good and they give you a good portion of food. If you like to over eat then go to McDonald’s this isn’t the place for you.I wouldn’t say it’s healthy but you can tell the grease is never old and the it’s a bit lighter than eating at other fast food places.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Chicken 3 Piece
Jace Rhee
Been here a couple of times now for pick up. Clean, nice atmosphere inside. They have kids' meals, which is convenient. I live close by so I'll come once in a while, but it's a bit pricey, IMO, for what you get. Great fries.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Alexa Gough
Loveee this location! The staff are amazing and there so quick! Also there food is absolutely delicious!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Mandy Richey
I picked up lunch at Ponko yesterday and the service was great - the food was ready quickly, the chicken was delicious. Our family loves Ponko Duluth and will keep frequenting this location!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Sweet Fries
Savannah R.
Every time I've had their chicken, it is moist and crispy. The OG sauce is delicious and unique. I LOVE their ranch. You really can't go wrong on this menu. Everything I've had is good. I love the tacos and the sweet fries!
Service was fine... Food was pretty horrible. Very small sides, salty sauce on chicken, small portions too. Felt scammed tbh. I've literally never reviewed before but after seeing the good reviews on google and eating here I had to make this
FollowTheFoodLiz Carter-Sanders
Pick up order: My husband went in to grab the order. The worker gave us a hard time about the order. Instead of checking the pick-up area around the corner where the customer can't see. He asked if we were sure we put an order in. He kept asking, "Where did you put the order in at?" Then finally, he said," Let me check the shelf. "??Got the food. It was cold (tacos and fries). Food tasted like it was old. What is all the black stuff on the fries? Packaging could be better to guarantee some kind of warmth to the food. Poor packaging for to go orders.First time at this location, 3rd time at Ponko Chicken. I've been to the midtown spot, and all my food was hot and fresh.
The service was fantastic! Greeted, patient, and overall pleasant and efficient. The service overshadows the Midtown Atlanta location by a mile. The food tasted fresh and the chicken was crunchy. Not to mention the fountain drinks were cheap! Can’t stress enough the service is awesome. Come here if you live in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Chicken 3 Piece
Kevin Ao
I recently visited Ponko Chicken in Duluth and I am so glad I did! The chicken tenders were delicious - the tempura style batter was light and fluffy. The fries were flavorful and crispy. They had great sauces to dip your chicken in, and the staff were so friendly. Even better, they are halal certified. I would definitely recommend coming here if you are looking for a tasty meal.
B H
I decided to stop by this place for dinner and I was not very happy with the meal. I am a vegetarian so I ordered the tofu tender plate which includes 6 tofu tenders and 2 sides for 14 dollars. I decided to get their island veggies which was an extra 2 dollars. Basically for 16 dollars I received 6 extremely small slices of tofu breaded with panko, a scope of brown rice and frozen veggies which was reheated with a spicy sauce and fried onions. This was not a good value for 16 dollars. I eat tofu all of the time and it's one of the cheapest things you can buy these days. You can get tofu, two blocks for 5 dollars most of the time. Therefore I can not understand why this place is so stingy with their portions sizes. The entire meal was worth probably 7 bucks. I can not afford to pay nearly 20 dollars for food and leave out starving because the portions sizes are so small. I probably will not visit this establishment again.
We love ponko chicken so it was exciting to see a Duluth location open up. The chicken is always good. We like to get the plate and ask for half BBQ and half original. I love the texture and seasoning on their fries. However, their rice has been a miss on all our visits. It's been soggy and it looks like they switched to crushed rice so it doesn't have the same chewy texture as before. I don't know if this is chain dependent but we will be skipping the rice next time. My favs are of the chicken plate with 2 sides and the salad with their ranch sauce. Portions are a great size for the 5 chicken plate, and I always eat my leftovers later. The service is nice, but the workers are still learning the ropes whenever we go.
I love ponkos chicken. But this location upset me when they wanted to charge me for extra ranch when I asked for it. Also when checking out we specified we would like extra ranch nothing was said about a charge. So instead of getting the og and ranch. We where given 2 ranches. I have been a fan of ponkos since the original on hwy78. All other locations don't charge for extra ranch and have self serve ranch. So clearly this isn't an issue.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
Got take out from this location. Cashier was very patient and explained what some popular choices were when asked since it was the first time. Chose the chicken plate with 5 tenders, a side of Ponko rice and Sweet fries.Food was delicious! Even after 15 minutes in the take out box, there was still a light crunch from the chicken andfries which I did not expect. The main highlights were definitely the sweet fries (sweet potato) and the buttermilk sauce! The sweet fries has amazing seasoning and crunch which left me wanting more. The buttermilk ranch was included which I didn't know about, but I'm so glad they added it! Many places say they offer buttermilk ranch; they don't. I can guarantee you this one actually does. It went amazing with the tenders and fries.I didn't really care for the rice as it felt like it lacked something. HOWEVER, it did come with a garnish of ponko pickles. Those were amazing! They're like half sours but are more on the cucumber side which I prefer. I would have gotten that over the rice anytime.I do plan on going back to try out their wings as I'm not the biggest fan of tenders in general. The place is in an unfortunate spot that makes it kinda hidden or seem like there wasn't much traction. Maybe it was just the time I choose. Either way, I hope they can relocate or get their location out there more.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Chicken 3 Piece, Ponko Pickles
We are a fan of the Ponko Chicken chain and were very excited to see one opening here in Duluth. We've been 3 times since this location opened. The food is consistently good. The chicken is always crispy and delicious, I love their sesame green beans, and the seasoned fries are to die for! I will say, I think they are working out the kinks when it comes to service. They seemed short staffed at lunch time. One visit they offered a lunch special, with a flyer right on the counter. When the employee rang it up, it was $2 more than the flyer advertised. When we asked why, the cashier shrugged and just looked at us. We let it go, and paid the extra $2, but the staff obviously needs some training. We'll definitely be back!
Went to Ponko last night around 8:15. When we ordered our food we were asked if we wanted to dine in or to go. We said dine in. When our food came it was packed up and we were told they didn’t want to use plates bc they were about to close (okay fair). As we were eating a couple came in and were told they’re closed, it was about 8:40 and the door said they were open till 10. They locked the door and more people came to the door and ended up leaving. While we were finishing up our dinner, the woman who took our order (think she was a manager) said hey just fyi we’re closed basically implying we needed to hurry up. We were cleaning up our trash around 8:50ish and they straight up closed the lights! A guy came from the back and opened the door for us and was like okay good night ladies. It was 8:55 when we walked out. On Google it says close at 9, but it was obvious they were just trying to get us out of there and even refused people service beyond 8:30ish. When we placed our order for dine in we weren’t told they would be closing soon otherwise we would’ve taken our food home and eaten. We practically were kicked out politely before the actual closing time (whether it was 9 or 10). I typically dine at the Chamblee location but was in the Duluth area with a few friends so we decided to eat at this location. Great food but questionable service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Kamikaze Fries, Ponko Chicken 3 Piece
I was here the other night the food is great I was very happy with my order. The fries are my absolute favorite! I wanted to address this because I saw one of the customers leave a bad review the night I was there (Alisha P.) I was behind them when they ordered they stated they wanted take out. They ended up dining in instead, 30mins before the restaurant was about to close they asked for plates because they ended up dining in when their food was prepared for take out because that’s what they stated they wanted. The lady at the cash register was very sweet and attentive to them, a couple did come in last minute but they wanted grilled food and the grill closes early which that happens at every restaurant so that’s why couple decided to leave that they mentioned in their review. And I left at the same time as Alisha P. no one escorted us out rudely and the lights were not cut off on us as we dined in. I came here to write a good review and saw a lie I just had to address because I was there as it all happened. The only thing I suggest is they change the time on the door because customers think it closes at 10pm but it closes at 9pm. I will definitely be back in the future the place is very clean and the atmosphere is bright and inviting.This is my second time coming here and I recommend eating the food inside, everything is made fresh to order so it tastes better when you dine in. The ranch sauce with the fries are top tier and the spicy sauce with the tenders are really good and they give you a good portion of food. If you like to over eat then go to McDonald’s this isn’t the place for you.I wouldn’t say it’s healthy but you can tell the grease is never old and the it’s a bit lighter than eating at other fast food places.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Chicken 3 Piece
Been here a couple of times now for pick up. Clean, nice atmosphere inside. They have kids' meals, which is convenient. I live close by so I'll come once in a while, but it's a bit pricey, IMO, for what you get. Great fries.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Loveee this location! The staff are amazing and there so quick! Also there food is absolutely delicious!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
I picked up lunch at Ponko yesterday and the service was great - the food was ready quickly, the chicken was delicious. Our family loves Ponko Duluth and will keep frequenting this location!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Sweet Fries
Every time I've had their chicken, it is moist and crispy. The OG sauce is delicious and unique. I LOVE their ranch. You really can't go wrong on this menu. Everything I've had is good. I love the tacos and the sweet fries!
Restaurantji Recommends
Service was fine... Food was pretty horrible. Very small sides, salty sauce on chicken, small portions too. Felt scammed tbh. I've literally never reviewed before but after seeing the good reviews on google and eating here I had to make this
Pick up order: My husband went in to grab the order. The worker gave us a hard time about the order. Instead of checking the pick-up area around the corner where the customer can't see. He asked if we were sure we put an order in. He kept asking, "Where did you put the order in at?" Then finally, he said," Let me check the shelf. "??Got the food. It was cold (tacos and fries). Food tasted like it was old. What is all the black stuff on the fries? Packaging could be better to guarantee some kind of warmth to the food. Poor packaging for to go orders.First time at this location, 3rd time at Ponko Chicken. I've been to the midtown spot, and all my food was hot and fresh.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Ponko Sweet Fries, Ponko Fries, Ponko Chicken Taco Meal
The service was fantastic! Greeted, patient, and overall pleasant and efficient. The service overshadows the Midtown Atlanta location by a mile. The food tasted fresh and the chicken was crunchy. Not to mention the fountain drinks were cheap! Can’t stress enough the service is awesome. Come here if you live in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ponko Chicken 3 Piece
I recently visited Ponko Chicken in Duluth and I am so glad I did! The chicken tenders were delicious - the tempura style batter was light and fluffy. The fries were flavorful and crispy. They had great sauces to dip your chicken in, and the staff were so friendly. Even better, they are halal certified. I would definitely recommend coming here if you are looking for a tasty meal.
I decided to stop by this place for dinner and I was not very happy with the meal. I am a vegetarian so I ordered the tofu tender plate which includes 6 tofu tenders and 2 sides for 14 dollars. I decided to get their island veggies which was an extra 2 dollars. Basically for 16 dollars I received 6 extremely small slices of tofu breaded with panko, a scope of brown rice and frozen veggies which was reheated with a spicy sauce and fried onions. This was not a good value for 16 dollars. I eat tofu all of the time and it's one of the cheapest things you can buy these days. You can get tofu, two blocks for 5 dollars most of the time. Therefore I can not understand why this place is so stingy with their portions sizes. The entire meal was worth probably 7 bucks. I can not afford to pay nearly 20 dollars for food and leave out starving because the portions sizes are so small. I probably will not visit this establishment again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4