Nan-Do! (Nandos)

Member Name: heatherrr13

Product:	Nandos
Date:	02/04/07 (210 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: reaonsbal prices, great tasting, informal

Disadvantages: soooo spicy!

Nando's is a Portuguese themed restaurant chain that specialises in good-quality, well-cooked chicken, and is well known for it's famous Peri-Peri sauce. There are branches all over the UK, and new ones are regularly being opened. Right now there are restaurants due to open in 2 months in Fife, Colliers Wood and Walton-on-Thames, with other branches scheduled to open in 4 months and then 6 months. The one nearest to me is in Maidstone, and is the branch I have visited most often, but I have also eaten in the outlet in Staines and near Elephant and Castle. I have found that in all the different branches, the layout and format is pretty much the same, but then as this is a chain you cannot really expect anything more.

On entering the restaurant a sign tells you to wait to be seated. There are usually many tables available, and these are usually quite well spaced out. I have never had to wait for a table, even when one time about eight of us went. I am unsure of whether you are able to book, I never have. After arriving, a server takes you to your table. Currently, Nando's has both a smoking and non-smoking section, although this will have to change soon. Once seated you are presented with menus, though these are usually already on your table.

Nando's is a cross between a restaurant with waiter-service, and a fast-food outlet. This cross mainly becomes apparent when it comes to ordering your food. Once you have decided what it is you want, you go up to the counter and place your order, as you would in a restaurant such as McDonalds or Burger King. After you have ordered your food and paid for it you return to your seat, with your drinks. I usually buy a fruit juice when I am here as I don't really like fizzy drinks, and these are about £1.50. Other drinks are much more economical though, as you can refill your glass as many times as you want if you're ordering coke, fanta or the like. On returning to your table you pick up the cutlery you require and any napkins, along with any extra sauce you feel you may want. However, I would advise you to be liberal with the sauce as the chicken is usually pretty spicy already!

The décor of Nando's tries to imitate its Portuguese 'roots'. There is Spanish-style music playing, and the furniture is all wooden (although the seats aren't uncomfortable to sit on). There is often a very friendly atmosphere, usually because there are families dining.

Nando's is a restaurant that specialises in chicken. Now, although this may sound like quite a boring menu, this is not the case. On the menu are both chicken burgers and chicken wraps, along with wings and the option to order a whole or half chicken. The usual option is to buy one main, such as a burger, and one side. The sides available are chips, rice, coleslaw or corn on the cob. You can also order olives, nuts or pitta bread as a starter, which is brought to you before your main meal. Once you have decided what it is you want to eat, the next decision is how spicy you want it. There are four levels of 'spiciness', which are lemon and herb, medium, hot, or extra hot. Now, this is the point in the meal where you have to use discretion! It is tempting to go all out and plump for the extra hot sauce, but I would highly recommend this. I nearly always go for the lemon and herb, which you would expect to be extremely mild, and still this leaves a very spicy taste in your mouth. This is probably why Nando's have the refill option available on some of their drinks; you would probably over-heat and pass out if you didn't have a drink to gulp down! The Peri-Peri sauces are available in bottles to take to your tables, so if in doubt, go for the mildest and then add the hot sauce yourself. When you are placing your order they will ask you how spicy you want it to be.

As I previously mentioned, Nando's is a cross between a restaurant and a fast-food chain, and when it comes to the time taken between ordering and when your food is brought to you, I would say that Nando's lands right in the middle of the two. You, obviously, have to wait longer for your food than you would do in a KFC, but nowhere near as long as you would in the majority of restaurants where you order with a server. I would say that on average you usually receive your food roughly 10 minutes after ordering, which I think is a pretty good amount of time, especially when you consider that you collect your cutlery and fill up your drinks yourself.

The food at Nando's is very tasty. I usually go for a burger or a pitta wrap, although I have had a Greek salad there before. The chicken is usually cooked for what seems like the perfect amount of time; it never seems too chewy, and similarly it never seems undercooked. The chips are a little on the bland side, but I usually cover mine in salt anyway. On the occasions that I have ordered a salad, I have found it to be very tasty, with the olives and feta both tasting very fresh. There are also desserts available, but I have never had one so cannot comment.

I personally have found the prices at Nando's very reasonable. A main meal and drink usually comes just shy of £10, and for a very filling meal I think this is more than acceptable. OK, so it might not be the healthiest food in the world, but when you're craving some fast food, it is by far healthier than a lot of the competition.

In all of the Nando's I have been too, there seems to be a very reasonable amount of wheelchair access, with at least a few tables being situated on ground level. The toilets also generally seem to be in good condition.

Nando's is a nice, reasonable, fun and tasty place to eat. On their menus is written 'don't be chicken to get a bit messy, use your hands, it adds to the delicious fun and saves us on washing up.' This is definitely the sentiment here, the staff are very friendly and the atmosphere is loud and friendly. Nando's is a firm favourite with my friends, and me because it is a great place to eat, with reasonably priced food, and is a perfect place for a natter.

http://www.nandos.co.uk

Summary: Great tasting low-cost food