Nando’s Peri-Peri

4.5/// This place is pretty cool, I was very surprised! First off, the girl at the counter was great/​explained everything to me as I had never been. Secondly, the restaurant is beautiful and also SPOTLESS! I mean every sauce bottle I grabbed was clean and filled to the top; 100’s of bottles of sauces. Had the signature chicken and it was really good. great flavor from that 24 hour marinade & flame grilling! As far as the sauce I liked the «Hot» the best with the «Lemon Herb» coming in second. The inside is huge and like I said at the beginning the service was great! The Manager came by not once but twice & they have spotless well stocked bathrooms. Must try on Diversity Ave! Get dat did!

We decided to try this place since I live so close. I had the Nandocas sandwich with corn and it was so delicious. And the restaurant design is really modern and cool. I would go back but maybe just to order food to go. When we walked in the server gave us menus and pointed us to a table. We had no idea what she was saying or which table. She explained nothing to us so we sat and waited at the table until realizing we had to get up and order. Very very confusing. The food is great but the severs/​hosts need to explain how it all works :)

I love this place — consistently delicious food, amazing selection of sauces, and any level of spicyness you desire… this place is my comfort food, my only «regular», and I will have it every time I go to the only two cities in the country that it exists in (metro DC and Chicagoland). Get their loyalty cards — I’ve gotten lots of free yummy goodies using it! Chicken os fall off the bone and seasoned just right. this isn’t easy to do (and do consistently) if you like really well seasoned, spicy, moist chicken. Yumm!!!

The chicken is tasty. The ordering method is confusing. It’s too dang ‘spensive for what it is. The food takes FOREVER.
On my second visit to Nando’s Peri-​Peri I was less than impressed again. I decided to give them an additional try since the first time was later in the day and they were very slow.
Walking into the restaurant you are greeting by a super friendly individual who spoke to me for way to long about all their sides/​samples/​specials. The person at the door gives you a metal chicken on a stick to coordinate with your table. You have have to chose your table before even seeing it.
I ordered a chicken sandwich with a side of Brussel sprouts, fries and a drink. I was never offered any of the samples the individual at the door spoke about. My total came out to $ 20, I filled my drink and waited for about 20 minutes. I was sat next to the kitchen window so I noticed that my brussel sprouts came out of the microwave.
The chicken sandwich was ok, their chicken is properly cooked and juicy. The fries were insanely salty and since they say in window under the heat lamp for a while waiting on the brussel sprouts to be microwaved they were a bit soggy. The brussel sprouts were worse than green giant microwave pouches. I can’t believe they are charging a premium for them over other sides. Ick.
My consensus is that I’d rather frequent a locally owned roasted chicken place or even Boston market. Their peri-​peri peppers must be made of gold if they are charging $ 20 for lunch.

Y’all, get here. This food is so effing good I could live here… in fact, I am here right now and had to type this immediately. I am usually dubious of sweet-​sounding sauces because I don’t have much of a sweet-​tooth, but they gave me a side of the mango-​lime sauce and it has a fantastic kick. I wish I ordered a bigger piece of chicken. I could eat the PEAS (no joke) for every meal. All the sauces are good (put the garlic sauce on the mashed potatoes, for real). The staff is awesome, they gave me recommendations and coupons and a punch-​card. Good beer list, next time I’m going to try the sangria (it’s pretty). Good seating, good lighting, comfortable temp. My only, only complaint is that you have to get your own everything except the food. As a person that frequently dines alone, I dislike leaving my things at the table to grab silver. That’s it though. Eat here.
Oh, and free wifi!

The food was so good that I seriosuly ate here two days in a row. The chicken is AMAZING and I LOVED the mashed potatoes! The mango and peach sangria was awesome! Really cool environment and the staff was really polite. Also, really awesome artwork!!! Ill be back to Nando’s on my next trip to Chicago

SUCH GOOD CHICKEN. And Sangria. The flavor of the chicken without any sauce is already great, but add the garlic herb sauce and you’re in business. Also delicious mashed potatoes.
I like this place because it’s no frills but still provides a really cute interior/​atmosphere. Food is semi-​cafeteria style where you order at the register and someone brings it over to you, so you rarely have to wait for a table. Deeeelicious.

My friend dragged me out to try this. After going in London she insisted that we HAD to go and that it was the best restaurant ever. I told my other friend that went to college overseas I was going here and had high expectations, she laughed at me and told me this was the Panera of the UK. … She was right.
I ordered ¼ mild chicken, fries and a pitcher of sangria. The chicken had a tangy flavor to it I liked that there were a ton of different sauces to try on my chicken. My fries had seasoning on them, i liked it, no complaints there. The sangria was good too… but I found my pitcher to be rather small for the price I paid.
Overall my meal was ok, nothing to drag me out of the burbs for. Its rather expensive for what it really is and the smaller portions that are served. Id be much happier eating chicken from Chapala in Streamwood for less then half the price of this meal.

This place has great chicken ! Ok done with the review ! lol
Some things to note: when you walk in you greeted and seated. But you go to the counter to order your food .A little different from the norm.
The chicken: juicy and so good, but get the super hot flavor. The hot wasn’t hot, more like mild really.
The sides: the fries !! So good !!
The rice with the mashed potatoes was a perfect side to the chicken .
The butternut squash with corn and cranberries was super healthy but still tasty
but go for the hottest flavor option !

COST:
$ 7.75 (¼ Breast and Wing Plate comes with one side)
$ 2 (Upgrade cost for a small side salad instead)
This is literally THE reason why I moved to Chicago. Well this place and Shake Shack of course.
Kidding aside, I first had Nando’s in the UK and then again in Toronto. When I learned they have multiple Chicago locations, I was in!
It’s so fresh and the food is so great. The way their dining works is you come in, they ask you for the size of your party, they give you a table number and walk you over to your table. After that, you look over the menu and make your way to the cashier to order. Then they bring you your food.
To be honest, I don’t really understand the purpose of this! It’s too confusing. I just thought I’d throw that out there.
As for the food itself, it’s BOMB bomb bomb. The sauces are delicious and this restaurant is top notch. GO! NOW!

I’ve heard a lot of good things about nandos from everyone that has gone here. However I thought the flavor was too lime-​y for my taste. The chicken was very tender, which was a great plus. But all the sauces had an overwhelming tangy flavor. The garlic bread was amazing btw. The service was excellent, I believe the manager even checked in on us. The ambiance was really warm and welcoming. The swings were a great touch and the everything was clean and well kept with great arts.

I’ve been to another peri-​peri chicken place before and this definitely tops my experience! As far as the look and atmosphere of the place is well lit, music not loud, and very spacious with variety of seating options including 3 pairs of swing seats! Food was amazing! We tried the ½ medium spicy level chicken with fries, 12 chicken wings half mango lime/​lemon and herb, chicken sandwich with rice, side garlic bread! Service was quick! And you know its as good as it gets when the manager makes the effort to thank you as youre leaving!

If I could, I would give Nando’s a 3.5. The food is good but the price is a bit high. It’s great if you’re looking for a casual spot for tasty chicken, salad, or wraps. The portions are comfortable but are not really worth the price you are paying. The rice and mashed potatoes are a safe option for sides but if you are adventurous, I’d recommend trying the Macho Peas as well. I got the flame-​grilled chicken breast with Medium sauce and my friends enjoyed their Country Salad (very generously portioned) and Halloumi Wrap. Be wary that the Medium spice is comfortably spicy so do not try any hotter unless you are used to Habaneros and Jalapenos. They also have sauces on the side so don’t be afraid to experiment with their various garlic, herb, and citrus sauces.
Nando’s is great for larger groups. Be sure to take advantage of their loyalty card rewards or order take-​out if you are in a rush. It’s truly a unique offering in terms of food.

I really liked this place! A unique spin on chicken and counter-​service dining.
I ordered the half chicken with lemon sauce and a side of mashed potatoes. It was $ 12 which is CHEAP for the size and quality of food. The lemon sauce was delightfully spicy, but also had flavor aside from spice. The mashed potatoes were heavenly, red — skin potatoes with garlic, my favorite! Even though it was counter-​service, servers came around frequently to refill drinks and ask if we were enjoying our meals. I loved this place, I will definitely make another stop on my next city trip!

I’ve been here 5 times in the past 7 days. :(
The garlic bread is AMAZING.
The mango and medium peri-​peri sauces are what’s up.
The slaw and the mashed potatoes are so good.
I held off on trying this place forever, and now I’m addicted. I’m telling any and everyone that they must have THE CHICKEN.
One day I will try the sandwiches but I just can’t pass up the quarter or half chicken with two sides. I can’t!

Overall: Easy go-​to option for some quick delicious chicken.
The good: Great sauces that had great flavors, mild or spicy. The portions are good sized for the main courses and the food tastes great. Lots of different options to choose from. Atmosphere is cool and unique.
The bad: The prices get a little high. They aren’t too bad, but if you get more than a regular item it can be more expensive than it needs to be. The breadsticks were so small. Just two pieces of bread.
Atmosphere: ⁸⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀

I like the concept of this place. You stand in line to order, place your order, receive a number and the food comes out to you.
The chicken was tasty. The family meal was enough for 3 people. The garlic bread wasn’t anything great.
I especially loved the the different dipping sauces. Also a HUGE fan of the self-​serve frozen yogurt.

3.5 stars
The flavors are really good but the portion sizes leave much to be desired. I’m a small girl with a medium appetite but this place definitely does not fill me up in the least. I ordered the ¼ chicken breast and wing with a salad ($ 9). The mango sauce is where it’s at! I like that they have a large variety of sauces for the chicken which are really delicious but for the pricing, it’s super disappointing. My dining companion ordered the ¼ thigh and drumstick with rice and salad and was still starving at end of the meal.
Both of us left hungry and ended up at crisp. Maybe I’ll try the ½ chicken next time but it’s overpriced so probably won’t come back.

Portuguese — style Chicken that began in South Africa. It eventually wondered it way to Europe and finally Washington D.C. in the US. Now in Chicago I decided to give it a try. Actually I have a friend who works here so I get to sample many of their menu items. The chicken is quite good actually I like it better than pretty much all fried chicken places in Chicago. However the other day I had some of their Lemon & Herb wings and whoa! the lemon citrus-​y flavor was just too much. Not an enjoyable experience. It’s gotta be a subtle flavor not «hey you want some chicken with your lemon juice». The other times I had their chicken I had plain and medium sauces. Both were very good. Tastey juicy chicken that melts in your mouth. I was quite impressed.
Inside the décor is quite interesting. State of the art Coke Machine that is pretty cool but unnecessarily complicated. It takes a few minutes to figure it out. The seating is interesting as they have these swinging birdcage seats by the window that offer great people watching in a bustling area of Lakeview/​Lincoln Park. However away from the window the seating can get quite cramped if it’s really busy. You might get an unwanted body part rubbing your back when it’s busy. Never saw erotic massage on their menu. I’m just saying.
Overall the Chicken is delicious and the décor is quite interesting to look at. However a few quirks need to be improved such as inconsistency amongst their flavors and cramped seating. Customer service still needs a little work depending on the server. They have only been open 3 – 4 weeks now so some quirks are to be expected. They deserve 3.5 stars but since Unilocal does not provide half stars I will round up to 4 because I really do like their chicken. Hopefully soon they will DESERVE 4.

So happy for the new location near me!
My coworker who has had Nando’s overseas was so excited about Nando’s coming to Chicago that she wouldn’t stop talking about it for weeks. Then when it finally opened I had to go. The Randolph location is really nice but it’s far for me to frequent since I live in LP. When I noticed that they were opening across from Trader Joe’s and next to Kuma’s I couldn’t be happier!
Today was their grand opening and it wasn’t as packed as I expected. There was a consistent line but it moved quickly. The service is great considering it’s mainly a self-​serve kind of place. I hope they stay friendly and helpful even when it’s no longer new.
I ordered the ¼ chicken leg and thigh with 2 sides. I can’t eat spicy so I got the lemon herb seasoning and for my two I got the Portuguese rice and Macho peas. For me the peas were a tad too spicy (but I am sensitive to spicyness). The chicken was great, just like the Randolph location. It’s juicy and the meat falls off the bone.
The interior makes you feel like you’re in another country and the lively music isn’t too loud. I will definitely be coming here often!