Nando's PERi-PERi — Restaurant in Arlington

I have missed Nando's since I left the Washington D.C. area, so I was very happy when I discovered one near my hotel. The food was good and consistent with the Nando's quality that I have had at other Nando's localities. The problem was the service and service model. When you enter the restaurant there is a sign that says please wait to be seated, the host will then greet you and ask if you want to sit outside or inside. If you sit outside you are supposed to order through a QR code, and if you sit inside you can order from the register directly. This is where the problem ensued: we elected to sit outside, and the person who seated us was quick to state that if we have any issues please let them know. We tried several times to order through the QR code, but it didn't work - I eventually figured this was because Nando's had updated their system since last time I had dined at one, so when I tried to order through my Nando's account it kept giving me an error because there was no phone number, and yet there was no place to add a phone number. Long story short, after several minutes I frustratingly approached the young lady who had sat us (who also may have been a supervisor or manager) who sort of superficially stated "oh we can assist with that" but did nothing. So I went into the restaurant to order, told the staff I had not been able to order through the app/website and they all looked at me confused and so I finally said can I just order here and they agreed. I also forgot to get a copy of the receipt so I went back to a copy of the receipt so that I can get my Nando's points to use for a future discount, and after initially being told they could produce one they then said they couldn't because the person who took my order never got my name. The chicken was good though, I had the skewers and my husband had the chicken thighs, like I said no complaints about the food just the service. would encourage Nando's to re-evaluate their model as this arrangement doesn't seem to work well when technology fails. Also, the staff, who admittedly were all pretty young, do not really know proper customer service, and I got the impression that they were talking about us like we were idiots for not figuring out their cumbersome digital ordering process instead of trying to truly understand our issue. All would be fine if they didn't expect a tip more like a fast food place, but when you are trying to be a little more upscale than a fast-food burger join then the customer service should reflect that. Regardless, I like Nando's chicken so I will be back but I hope they can improve...

Nando’s PERi-PERi is all about African chilli inspired flame-grilled chicken. The key to their flavorful chicken is based on their signature PERi-PERi sauce that is used to marinate all of their chicken for 24 hours. The African chilli they use draws its roots from Mozambique, and continues to inspire their menu. If you’ve never been before, you will select your food from the menu and decide how spicy you want it – from plainish to extra hot. I’d suggest getting it towards the plainish side, so you can customize your flavoring using one or many of the sauces they provide. There are an assortment of appetizers you can try, but I’d focus on the mains and specifically the PERi-PERi chicken. The classic choice is the PERi-PERi Half Chicken with a side or two. If you’re hungry, I’d start there. For sides, you should try the Macho Peas, PERi Chips with PERinaise, and Red Skin Mashed Potatoes. They offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, and vegetarian-friendly options. You can even find gluten free, nut free, and lactose free items. If you go with a group of hungry people who like similar spiciness or pungency, then consider stepping up to a full or jumbo platter that is slightly better in terms of value and portion size. After placing your order, grab some silverware, any sauces and dressings you’d like to try, and find a table to put your order marker on. They’ll deliver your food to your table. If you find a particular sauce to your liking, note that you can purchase bottles of their sauces. I like the flavorful Lemon and Herb sauce, and Garlic sauce. Some locations even offer catering. All-in-all, it can be a little on the expensive side, but it’s definitely worth trying. You may even find a sauce that you can’t...

What’s concerning to me is the sheer amount of positive reviews from this place. An employee confessed to me that the food is not fully grilled, it is steamed/roasted then “finished” on the grill. My family originates from Zimbabwe, we’ve had Nandos in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Pretty sure this is the Americanized version but I’ve never tasted such flavorless chicken in my life. Maybe this is considered quality to the population they are catering to. But it was bland, chewy, cheap chicken which they didn’t even have the decency to evenly marinate. It just tasted like soggy roasted chicken, no smoky grilled flavor AT. ALL. Yet Nandos uses our African culture, plays random “tribal” music, and vehemently advertises that their chicken is flame cooked. We got a refund and went somewhere else.

I literally witnessed the cook cooking the chicken. Nando’s back home smells amazing from the moment you hit the door. We walked in and it smelled like nothing. No flames, no smoky scent, just a regular kitchen. Disappointing is an understatement.

Maybe we have different taste buds but this is not grilled chicken. This tastes just like classic American grilled chicken that you can get from Cowboy Chicken, or Boston Market; under-seasoned, rotisserie style, Costco sourced chicken. Also followed by a delicious side of frozen bagged fries.

People need to stop abusing African culture and advertising our food in a way that is in NO way similar to the flavorful, love-filled food we cook. Just because the restaurant is an America doesn’t mean it need to be...