Nando's PERi-PERi — Restaurant in Austin

I worked there briefly when they first opened, and had never tried a Nandos before, so getting to try a new restaurant seemed great. The place is nice, a little cramped tho. I didn’t expect to be mixing drinks as part of being a cashier/runner…..also, as a food runner, we also bussed tables(which I feel is a huge NO, just due to the image it gives of people touching dirty dishes then serving food, it just doesn’t look clean ( even if washing hands), the dishes are entirely too heavy, and the patio door makes it impossible to clean the patio areas quickly….the music was way too loud indoors, the bathroom design is going to make it difficult to keep clean because of the sink/hand dryer set up that splashes water onto the floor during regular use. While the outdoor patio is great, it definitely needs an awning to help keep the leaves/bird dropping/weather off the furniture and area in general. Bussing was a hassle because the kitchen was too small to be properly organized, it seems too small for the volume of sales they are doing, it was annoying climbing over people in the kitchen throughout your entire shift. Also, I wasn’t given a break, and was told they likely wouldn’t be giving breaks, even for a 7 hr shift, for me this was a second job, so it was a problem for me. They also over scheduled me, I asked for 15- 20 hrs/wk and was scheduled 30 during training and 30 during the first week, the week I left. The mgmt/leaders seems confident in what they were doing, and yes they're very competent as they opened a whole restaurant , but they definitely had some oversights in the final execution, as stated. I didn’t approach mgmt with any of this as there seems to be plenty of them so I assumed they’d figure it out. I was much older than most of the new staff and management for that matter, and I hoped that mgmt would recognize that and maybe inquire more about my work history, which is, that I’ve opened and managed a few restaurants new/existing in Austin, I’ve been a waiter and bussed (all of this thru the 90s and early 2000s) Boiling Pot, Schlotzskys, Carmelo’s, Hot Jumbo Bagel, fast food, Texas Picnic Co. , a tamale house a friends family owned, etc. I’ve had to operate them, pass health inspection, work with TABC licensing, comptroller’s office, just the normal business operations. But they never did. The interview was simply “tell me why I should hire you “ and then show up for orientation, and training. lol I guess when you see an older person (how am I now the “older person”…tf. lol) working a service job you’re looked down on. lol. Anyway, that was my experience....

I was so excited to see that a Nandos was opening near where I work. The building is gorgeous and clean, and the food was great, while higher prices are to be expected. The staff is especially kind, from seating to greeting you to even checking in on you.

I ordered the Rainbow Bowl and the 32oz Hibiscus Lemonade. Both were new items I haven’t tried, both super flavorful and plentiful in terms of ingredients; maybe a little bit light on the chicken portion for that bowl though.

This Nandos has self-service in terms of grabbing your own utensils and napkins, but the food and drinks you order off of the QR code or the counter are self service.

Every Nandos I have been to, including in the UK are like this. Some even have you just fetch your food yourself, so the runners are a bonus.

My only complaints are that the music was far too loud indoors, but the playlist was great; just had the volume way too high.

Speaking of music - An older man sat next to me (a table over) was being VERY difficult and rude to servers about a ‘beeping’ noise (literally just from the music), but everyone handled it as professionally and smoothly as they could, and tried to explain it to him. Especially the manager. They also had to explain the QR code AGAIN because he kept complaining about wine, and turning to me to stare and CONTINUE to complain.

I just couldn’t enjoy my meal because of this, but that’s not the restaurant’s fault, I just needed to not hear this guy mumbling next to me the entire time. I will be coming back in the future, just maybe with a preference of outdoor seating since it’s super loud.

And to patrons reading this, PLEASE be kind to service workers, many of whom are under 18. They are literally just trying to...

I recently visited Nando’s for the first time, and the food was absolutely incredible! The thighs were juicy, the mac and cheese was creamy, and the fries were perfectly seasoned. Every bite exceeded my expectations.

Unfortunately, my first impression wasn’t as great due to the hosts outside. When I asked about the wait time, they seemed dismissive and irritated. Christian asked if we were okay sitting outside. I mentioned that I’d prefer to sit inside if possible. There were four clean and open tables inside. That’s when things became uncomfortable—Christian code-switched and whispered to Jenny in Spanish, saying, “sit them outside.” As someone bilingual, I understood exactly what he said, and it left me feeling disrespected.

I asked again if it would be possible to sit inside, and Jenny rolled her eyes, erased something on her clipboard, and begrudgingly said, “just sit them in table 42.” The whole interaction made me feel like we were inconveniencing them simply for asking to sit inside.

Thankfully, the rest of the staff, including Nisha at the cash register, were warm, welcoming, and went above and beyond to provide recommendations and ensure we had everything we needed.

Nando’s has phenomenal food and excellent service from most of its team, but first impressions matter, and the hosts play a crucial role in setting the tone. I hope the hosting team improves their attitude so all guests feel welcome from the moment...