There’s no denying the success of Nando’s PERi-PERi (Nandos.com), named after co-founder Fernando Duarte.
The fast-casual chain, which originated in Johannesburg, South Africa, has more than 1,200 restaurants in almost 40 countries—and it’s slowly moving west throughout the United States
I had to try this myself to see if all the hubbub was worth it—and it does seem that there’s a good reason Nando’s PERi-PERi has all this success happening: the food.
However, here’s a warning: The fare definitely packs a kick, thanks to the African bird’s-eye chili (or PERi-PERi) that’s used to flavor a lot of dishes.
We hit the West Loop location (953 W. Randolph St.) but there are also restaurants in Lincoln Park (1500 N. Clybourn St.) and Lake View (670 W. Diversey Pkwy.). (In late November, a fourth location will open in the Loop at 22 S. Wabash Ave.) According to General Manager Jason Reese, each is decorated in a different way and I was previously told that the spot my friend and I went to is the “most vibrant” of them—and vibrant it is, with punchy colors, African patterns and intriguing portraits decorating the walls.
The menu centers around the Portuguese/Mozambican flame-grilled chicken that can be basted in lemon and herb, mango and lime, or medium, hot or extra-hot spices. Knowing how sensitive I am to spices (and not wanting to sweat while eating), I opted for chicken in mango and lime—and it was pretty tasty and moist. My friend also enjoyed his whole chicken, which was on the spicy side. (There are also bottles of mild, lemon & herb, and mango & lime sauces to add even more taste to your experience.)
As for the sides, they’re also intriguing—but, again, watch out for the kick. The hummus is harmless enough, but it comes with a tiny bottle of PERi-PERi drizzle—and, as the saying goes, a ‘lil dab will do ya. Even the peas (called “macho peas”) can be challenging for the uninitiated, being a combo of whole peas, parsley, mint and chili. The same can be said for the butternut squash-and-grilled corn combo, with chili dotting that as well—but the corn was especially tasty.
If you can somehow put away that food (or are smart enough to allocate some of your stomach for later), try the desserts. Options include chocolate spoon cake, cheesecakes and, yes, chocolate-chili cookies.
By the way, vegetarians have choices as well, including butternut squash-and-couscous salad, veggie burgers and various wraps—and you can bet the chili isn’t too far away.
The women sitting next to us really admired our dishes. I asked them if they were longtime customers. They said they were first-timers, but they definitely plan on returning soon. Take it from them (and me): Nando’s is certainly worth (re)visiting.