Are you chicken?

Reading reviews about the newly opened Penn Quarter establishment Nando's had me wondering if I was woman enough to handle the Peri- Peri or African Bird’s Eye Chilli infused chicken that has created quite a buzz around this global "medium" food chain. Located at 819 7th Street, Nando's promises a wake up call for your taste buds at a reasonable price. I decided to face my fears and headed over for Monday night dinner.

We were greeted by a hostess who schooled me and my fellow food enthusiast on the Nando’s way. We were whisked off to our table and given a number. After checking out the menu, we were free to head up to the counter and place our order. Pay up and head back to your seat to await your feast. I guess that sounded simple enough.

The atmosphere was nice. The space was clean and modern with a touch of rainforest chic. There’s interesting artwork on the wall and big windows facing out onto 7th street. The food, lets say it was worth the wait. A wait which was nearly 30 minutes! Hence the “medium” food reference earlier. This was hardly a typical fast food experience. When the food finally arrived I was ready to dive in. After a few small order mix ups, we dug into our ¼ chicken meals. I opted for a Portuguese salad side and he had coleslaw and fries. The chicken was tender and the Peri Peri was a lot tamer than I imagined.

All in all a good meal for 2 with drinks and a never ending frozen yogurt bowl for a little over 20 bucks. Would I go back? You bet your Peri-Peri I will! Hopefully they’ll work out the opening kinks and get the food to the table before we start deciding who to eat first.

As far as the venue value of Nando’s, it’s not a bad casual meeting spot and they do offer large platters to share or carry out. Check out their website for information on booking special occasions in the space.

Another mysterious chili conquered!

Until next time…try something new, and always live fabulously!

Guru