Nando's Burwood East — Restaurant in Melbourne

This restaurant truly excels when it comes to food, especially the chicken, which is no surprise given that it's their specialty. The flavors are rich, the texture is just right, and the seasoning is well-balanced. Whether you prefer something mild or enjoy a good spicy kick, there's an option for everyone. However, one small drawback is the limited space inside the restaurant. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it could be an issue during peak hours when it might be difficult to find a seat. If you're planning to dine in, you may want to consider visiting during off-peak times to ensure a more comfortable experience.

One of the convenient aspects of this restaurant is the ordering system. Customers can place their orders either by scanning a QR code at their table or by ordering in person at the counter. This flexibility makes the experience smooth and hassle-free. The wait time for food is also quite reasonable, which is a big plus. No one enjoys waiting too long when they’re hungry, so the efficiency of the service was definitely a highlight of my visit.

As for the menu, the restaurant offers five different peri-peri flavor profiles. Two of them—BBQ and Lemon & Herb—are on the milder side, perfect for those who prefer little to no spice. The other three options gradually increase in heat, ranging from mild to extra hot. In addition to the peri-peri flavors, there are also a variety of sauces available to enhance your meal, including a refreshing salad dressing and an extremely hot sauce for those who love intense heat.

The chicken itself was absolutely excellent. The flavors were well-developed, the meat was tender and juicy, and the seasoning was spot-on. As someone who enjoys spicy food, I personally found that the "hot" peri-peri chicken had the best overall taste. While the "very hot" version was certainly spicier, I felt that it leaned more towards heat rather than enhancing the flavor. The hot version struck a better balance, allowing the spices to complement the natural taste of the chicken without overpowering it.

Portion sizes are generous, with options to order a whole chicken, half a chicken, or a quarter chicken, depending on how hungry you are. Each portion is satisfying, and even the smaller sizes are filling enough for most people. In addition to the chicken, there are plenty of side dishes to choose from, including rice, chips, salad, corn, and more. These sides make for a well-rounded meal and add variety to the dining experience.

The only disappointment for me was the chicken wings. While they weren’t bad by any means, they simply didn’t match the high standard set by the rest of the menu. They lacked the same depth of flavor and tenderness that made the other chicken dishes so enjoyable. It wasn’t a deal-breaker, but if you’re looking for the best items on the menu, I’d recommend sticking to the main chicken options rather than the wings.

Overall, this restaurant offers a great dining experience, especially for chicken lovers. The flavors are well-developed, the service is efficient, and the portion sizes are satisfying. The only minor drawbacks are the limited seating space and the slightly underwhelming wings, but these don’t take away from the fact that this is a solid choice for a tasty, well-prepared meal. Whether you're dining in or ordering for takeout, it's definitely...

I came here last week for a dine-in, with a group of nine people including a baby and my elderly (79 y.o.) parents. The premises can only have 16 people on site, which we can totally appreciate and understand.

There were six diners at the time of our arrival, so we asked if we can have our elderly parents to sit inside, which they allowed, but the rest of us must wait outside, which, again, we understand and were happily comply. Then three of the former diners went out, so my wife, myself, and our baby went in; as it was very windy and rather cold outside.

Someone named Caleb, which I assumed was the Manager, came and asked the three of us to leave and wait outside, despite there were definitely less than 16 people in the premises. His reasoned that there may be people coming in for takeaway. We tried to reason with him, by saying there was no seat outside and it was windy and we asked him to be considerate to our baby. However, he was pretty rude and adamant that we need to wait outside by keep mentioning about the possibility of takeway people coming in, which at the time of conversation, there was none.

We asked if we can wait inside and IF there are more takeaway people coming in, to the point that there are more than 16 people in, then we are happy to go outside. However, this Caleb kept on insisting for me, our baby, and my wife to leave immediately. Appalled with his attitude, we chose to leave the premises and Caleb did not even say sorry. He clearly has no manner nor hospitality skills.

As for us, we found another Nando's outlet nearby that welcomed us into their premises without breaking the social distancing rule.

We shall never step our foot back to this Nando's. I would strongly advise future patrons, especially family wishing to dine-in, to stay away from...

I took an elderly man with mobility/intellectual challenges to eat out here. He was not treated with respect by the two staff- male/female of Asian background on duty. They don’t smile, greet and looked rather angry. It was like they were unhappy someone with a disability came to eat here.

The elderly man doesn’t have a credit card, lives in permanent residential care and pays by cash only. As I was putting the order -getting ready to pay, the man shouted abruptly to the elderly man “card only”. Didn’t even say ‘sorry we only accept card’. Respect and gentleness to the elderly didn’t cross his mind.

I paid for both mine and his order and decided to work it out with the staff at resi care later.

As I went to sit the elderly man down, I couldn’t fit his walker through the narrow space so I had to move chairs and table to the side to get him through.The customers noticed me trying to physically assist him into the seat and immediately helped out. The male/female staff couldn’t give a hoot to help.

I then returned to the counter again to order. While I was putting an order with the female staff, I had to turn around for a few seconds to check on the elderly man to make sure he doesn’t walk off without my assistance. I then turned back and she walked off to do something else. I saw her go to the kitchen. I watched her while I waited. She took her time.

The food came out from another young male staff of African descent, who was much nicer- brought cutleries and napkins to the table. He was kind and made sure we were looked after.

I’m giving two stars instead of 1, with extra for the lovely young man who helped. If I could, give zero to the two cold Asians on duty I would. No excuse for disgusting behaviour. Basic courtesy and some compassion isn’t too...