The Pollo Tropical chain started in Miami in 1988 and has since expanded around Florida and into Texas, Georgia and Nashville and has even set up shop in Ecuador, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and other Latin American and Caribbean spots. As the name indicates, the menu is oriented around the tropics, with Caribbean-style ribs ($8.19-$9.99), Cuban pork ($5.79-$7.49), chicken marinated in citrus ($3.79-$5.59) and sides like yuca both fried and boiled, sweet plantains, tostones and more. You can build a platter with meat and sides, nab a sandwich or construct something called a "TropiChop," a bowl with a protein, rice and beans, veggies and a pick of sauces.

Like at the similarly styled Chicken Kitchen, it's the sauces and condiments that make or break your meal. On its own, the mojo pork is fine, but hardly exceptional. Things improve once you add a dash of whatever seasonings you like from Saucing Island, both the bar that houses the restaurant's pick of flavorings and the name of one's ideal vacation destination. The "spicy poyo poyo" sauce adds a thimble of heat, while the cilantro and garlic sauce brings the cream. Those sauces are good for dunking, too: The restaurant's airy fried yuca is otherwise a bit bland. The plantains, though, are splendid as is.