Carl's Jr. vs El Pollo Loco: Which Is Better Value?
Carl's Jr. vs El Pollo Loco, compared on real prices and published nutrition — not vibes. Every figure is the median across the items we track at each chain.
🏆 Carl's Jr. edges it on overall value
Head-to-head
| Metric | Carl's Jr. | El Pollo Loco |
|---|---|---|
| Median price | $6.74 | $3.99 ✓ |
| Protein per $ (median) | 4.3g ✓ | 2.3g |
| Value score (median) | 69 ✓ | 51 |
| Health score (median) | 62 ✓ | 56 |
| Items with a real price | 68 | 24 |
Each chain’s best pick
🏆 Carl's Jr.: Big Cheeseburger (value 84) 🏆 El Pollo Loco: 3 Tacos al Carbon Combo (value 88) 💪 Carl's Jr. cheapest 20g+ protein: Big Cheeseburger ($4.54) 💪 El Pollo Loco cheapest 20g+ protein: 3 Tacos al Carbon Combo ($6.99)
See the full menus: Carl's Jr. · El Pollo Loco. Or rank every chain by value.
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