Nando's PERi-PERi — Restaurant in Virginia

The food is very flavorful and well prepared. In particular, the mashed potatoes are dangerously addicting.

The aspect that I dislike about Nando's is ordering at the counter if you plan to eat in. Upon arriving, an employee will ask if you plan to eat in. If you are ordering for carryout, the procedure makes sense. You order at the cashier, pay, wait for your food, and leave.

However, if you are eating in, the process is ridiculous. The host guides you to a seat only to have you return to the cashier to order and pay. Then you return to your assigned seat to wait for a server to deliver your food on stoneware. While you wait, you get your own drinks, utensils, napkins, and sauces. Why not simply have servers wait on customers from beginning to end? It comes across as if management doesn't trust servers to get your drink orders correct, or management doesn't want servers to handle money.

What adds to this silly arrangement is that you're asked to tip at the cashier before you've ever been waited upon. I don't like to tip for anything until I know what tip is appropriate. And I can't know that until I've been served.

To further add to this experience, I'm left wondering why I'm being asked to tip at all. I've managed to get my own drinks and sauces, and I've set my own table. It seems that I'm perfectly capable of finishing the job by bringing my food to the table and cleaning trash from my table without much calamity. Isn't that what we do at Five Guys? Moreover, the server will never stop by your table again after they have delivered your food.

This is a very strange business model. But the food is delicious.

UPDATE:

Tonight magnified more than ever the flaw with Nando's business model. Some people sat themselves before ordering at the cashier, which caused a mess when the people assigned to those seats were trying to claim the seats.

Also, I didn't receive part of my order until I was almost finished with my main course and other side dish. I had to go to Victor and ask for the rest of my order. He's quite unpleasant.

Further, a large family eating at the large booth in the back had at least four SCREAMING toddlers who confused the cushion for a trampoline. When I asked an employee to speak with the clueless parents, the employee refused, saying "That's not my job." Wrong answer.

Moreover, the biggest issue is that Nick and Victor remove dirty dishes from tables at one moment, then--without washing their hands--bring food to tables. That is absolutely disgusting.

I can't give more than two stars for this location until I am satisfied that these problems...

Let me preface this by saying I have always been patient and understanding when mistakes have happened. But at some point, enough is enough. I’ve been to other Nando’s locations and have never had this many issues.

Please train your staff to prepare orders correctly. This is the third time my pick up order has been messed up and I have had to come back and have it remade, but I shouldn’t have to keep coming back like this. It is a big waste of my time and energy.

Just a few months ago, I was served a bowl with avocado that was obviously spoiled. It was clearly inedible, and I shouldn’t have been served that in the first place. When I returned, the manager apologized and agreed it was bad, and they replaced my order and I opted to get something else— but it was still an inconvenience to come all the way back to have them fix the issue.

A few weeks ago, I was charged for a sweet potato side that was never included in my order. I did not realize it was missing until I arrived home and opened the bag, as it was listed on the receipt and I naturally assumed it had been packed. I did not have the time or energy to return or contact the restaurant about it, so I simply let it go and absorbed the cost — which should not happen. I work hard for every dollar I earn, yet I chose to overlook this mistake at the time.

For another takeout order, I was given the completely wrong sandwich. It wasn’t even busy. I had to come back again and ask for it to be fixed — and when they handed me the new sandwich, no one even bothered to offer me a new bag as my original Nandos bag I brought the food back in was torn, so clearly I needed a new bag for my new sandwich. I had to ask for that myself.

I can accept that mistakes happen, but this many times? AND I even tip for every takeout order which I should never have or feel like I have to but for some reason that section is always there when you place a pick up order.

The lack of care and overall customer service here is unacceptable. I’ve only come to this Nando’s because it’s convenient, but I shouldn’t have to keep coming back to have them fix my order. I won't be coming here and I don’t recommend this location until the staff is properly trained. The renovations are nice, but they mean nothing if the food quality and staff training...

If you want $3.49 smart waters, decent food and non-existent customer service then the Nando’s in Mosaic is for you.

We have visited multiple establishments in the area and have been pleasantly pleased by the customer service and quality of the food so when we walked by Nando’s and they hardly had anyone inside we were shocked. This should have been a clue.

We were barely greeted and what greeting we did get was not welcoming. We sat and the gentleman dropped of a menu and showed us on the little sign at the table where to scan and order. From there you order all your food and put in all your information and pay. And then they have a section for a tip that start at 15%.

The customer service only improved from that point. The gentleman then Dropped our waters off without saying a word. Then another gentleman brought out the food a little after and sat it down, once again without any pleasantries. We asked about silverware or napkins and he pointed across the room.

The Food was decent at best. She had the 1/4 chicken leg and it was good. My chicken bowl had chicken breast meat that was somewhat dry but not horrible. So the food was about 3/5.

With the customer service the way it is I saw why the majority of people that get food at this location is take out. We will not be dining here again and with all the options in the area I do not understand why anyone would subject themselves to this location either. Maybe not all are like this but it is some of the most unfriendly staff that we have encountered. They are more interested in conversing with each other than any of the customers. I’m writing this while dining in, no one has checked on us and as we leave no one has acknowledged that. We are walking out the doors for...