The Port of Peri Peri — Restaurant in Santa Clara

Extremely disappointing experience at the new location.

I was genuinely excited to try this new branch near my home, especially after enjoying visits to their SF and Fremont locations. I had high hopes, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a total disaster.

From the moment I walked in, the vibe was off. There was a man wearing a black t-shirt and cap — possibly a manager or someone in charge — who was incredibly rude and arrogant. His attitude made me feel like I was being done a favor for simply placing an order, even though I was a paying customer. Zero courtesy, zero professionalism.

The restaurant was crowded, but not in a good way. It felt more like a private party than a place of business. The staff seemed more focused on chatting and serving people they personally knew, completely ignoring the rest of us. I felt invisible and unwelcome. There was no greeting, no smile, no sense of customer service at all. The whole environment was cold and uninviting.

Now let’s talk about the food — honestly, it was just bad. The chicken was cold and undercooked, which is both disappointing and concerning from a safety standpoint. The rice was also cold and tasted like it had been sitting out for a while. No flavor, no freshness — it felt like they were cutting corners and rushing everything.

What made it worse was that there was no apology or effort to fix things. I didn’t even bother complaining because, based on how they were acting, it was clear they wouldn’t care.

I left feeling frustrated, uncomfortable, and like I had completely wasted my time and money. I wouldn’t recommend this location to anyone — not to my friends, colleagues, or neighbors. They seriously need to reevaluate their staff, service standards, and food quality if they want to earn the community’s trust.

Definitely...

Excited to have a Peri Peri in San Jose instead of having to drive up to Fremont. We’ve been to the other locations and love having another halal option in the area. Ordered takeout and when picking up, the location was clean and the order was hot and ready to be served. It looked like there were only a couple tables filled but plenty of takeout orders.

We got a family platter (2 whole chickens or 8 large leg & thigh pieces) which was plentiful but got another whole chicken (4 large pieces) just in case. Sauces are spicy even for medium. And I’m glad we got lemon and herb for one of the chickens. Although we had 6 sides come with the platters, we ordered a few extra sides. Ordered messy fries (because couldn’t find peri fries on the app only fries) which are about two orders of fries with their house sauces on it and bbq sauce, but I think that can be skipped. At Peri Peri, we don’t usually deviate from the usual sides that we like which are peri fries and peri mayo corn. Paneer strips are also always a must for us. I really also enjoyed the pastel de natas.

They give you extra sauces to take home and the flavors and delicious, especially the white sauce.

Interestingly there was a happy hour timeslot on DoorDash (not a DoorDash promotion) when we ordered for pickup but if you order through their own website or in person there wasn’t?

Parking is slightly difficult as there is no dedicated parking lot.

Location is still newly opened and has a few things that could be fixed in comparison to the other locations but will look forward to grabbing...

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. It seemed like the owner treats customers differently based on how they look, how they’re dressed, or how much they’re ordering. There was an offer going on that included a free cake slice — I wasn’t given one, but I saw the customer before me and several after me receive it. I’m not upset about the pastry itself, but it was the clear bias that bothered me. It honestly felt like I was being judged and treated unfairly because of my small order or how I was dressed.

My suggestion to the owner: change your mindset about customer service. You are not a fine dining establishment — you cannot expect every customer to be dressed up. Also, stop misleading people with fake advertising. Most of the "customers" in your posts are clearly family members, creating a false image of a busy, happening place.

And lastly, the food quality needs serious attention. If you're serving grilled chicken, make sure it’s fully cooked. The wings I received were undercooked and simply tossed in sauce — not safe or appetizing.

Would not recommend, and I definitely won’t...