KFC, Popeyes, Church’s, Chick-fil-A, Bojangles, Dave’s Hot Chicken, PDQ, Raising Canes — all of them chains that focus on fried chicken in some form or fashion.

I’m not looking for fried chicken this week. Give me some fast-food bird that’s grilled. I thought of two places off the top of my head, both of which I’ve eaten at multiple times: Yaya’s Flame-Broiled Chicken and Pollo Tropical.

YAYA’S FLAME-BROILED CHICKEN

Yaya’s used to be one of my go-to’s, back when it had several Tampa Bay locations. The brand was founded in 1985 in Seminole, but moved operations to Michigan at some point. The chain contracted over time, and I effectively stopped going. I was ready for a revisit.

It was a warm and muggy night amid many warm and muggy nights to come when we arrived at the St. Pete location on Roosevelt Boulevard at 7:45 Tuesday. I ordered a Three-Piece Dinner (breast, thigh, leg, $13.99) with mac-and-cheese and corn & peppers as my sides. The counter guy handed me my meal a minute later. That seemed a little too fast.

Appearance

Like the Yaya’s chicken I remembered — medium-sized (⭐️)* pieces , with an attractive char on the outside. The dinner came with a round piece of pita bread and honey butter, just like the old days.

Taste and Texture

For me, the baseline test of any chicken dinner is how the breast rates on the dry-to-juicy meter. This one was neither, but tilted toward moist. The charred skin added extra flavor and a bit of crunch. The restaurant’s marinade, made of a “secret blend of natural herbs and spices,” has always appealed to me, but I’m at a loss to describe it here. Let’s go with … yum.

The succulent thigh was the star attraction. I ate it with my hands, down to the bones.

The mac-and-cheese was a yeoman’s version that did the trick. The corn & peppers side was more ambitious, and I had mixed feelings about it. The generous piece of pita was warm and hearty. Together with the honey butter, it hit me with me with a flash of flavor déjà vu.

POLLO TROPICAL

No sooner do I write a mopey line about the many warm and muggy nights to come than a front rolls through and the weather turns comfortable and breezy. A brief respite, but I’ll take it. That’s how it was when we arrived at the Pinellas Park location just before 7 on Wednesday.

Alas, this Pollo Tropical does not have outdoor seating (that I could see) and, besides, it was a little too windy for eating chicken.

Azalea, the counter person, was a feisty, funny Latina — a native of Miami, where the Pollo Tropical was founded in 1988. She was perfectly on brand.

I ordered the Half-Chicken Platter with black beans and yellow rice ($10.29), plus a Strawberry Lemonade ($3.79). It took a few minutes for our number to be called. As we waited at a two-top near the window, I sipped on the drink, which was first-rate (not too sweet).

Appearance

Everything as hoped for: a generous helping of chicken, with pieces that were not bloated. The yellow rice had peas and small pieces of carrot in it (⭐️). I quickly disposed of the dinner roll; I find them useless, a waste of stomach space.

Taste and Texture

Delicious. And, for good measure, scrumptious. The marinade, a blend of citrus and spices, graced the chicken with a subtle Caribbean flavor. The bird was tender, juicy and flavorful through each piece. I even gnawed every last morsel from the wing.

The black beans and rice were top-shelf, the equal of versions I’ve had at Cuban restaurants run by Cubans.

It was a big meal. I took some home, because I wanted a second stab at it.

And the Winner of the Game of Chicken — Fast Food, Not Fried Is …

Pollo Tropical.

“I have nothing but good things to say about this dinner,” I said to Bonnie as I continued to eat well past sated, purely for flavor.

By the way, my decision does not demean my meal at Yaya’s, which I very much enjoyed.

Although value didn’t factor into my call, it’s worth mentioning. A more-than-substantial meal for a little over 10 bucks? Pretty much unheard of — especially one that’s as good as Pollo Tropical’s. I was left marveling at how it could be fast food.

Just so ya know: Pollo Tropical in Pinellas Park has a drive-thru.

* I use the ⭐️ emoji to express approval for a particular detail. A gold star, if you will.