Nando’s Canada
www.nandos.ca
1782 Stone Church Road East, Stoney Creek, L8J 0K5

Have you heard of Nando’s yet?

Though they have been popular around the GTA for a few years now, the busy chain recently made it’s first foray into the Hamilton market and opened up a restaurant on the East Mountain in March 2018.

Nando’s is famous for its legendary butterfly-cut, flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. They are a Portuguese / South African restaurant that serves up lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks and dessert.

In terms of the food…don’t get overwhelmed by the menu! It looks a bit wild, but it’s pretty straightforward, sorted into: “Appeteasers”, Salads, Premium Salads, Peri-peri Chicken, Share Platters, Shareable Sides, Regular Sizes, Fancy Sides and Sandwiches and Wraps.  On the left-hand side of the menu, is their Peri-Peri meter – showing the levels of heat in each of their sauces. Advice I received: always go one level lower than you think you can handle. At least to start! They have sauces on the side that you can add in as you see fit. On the back, there’s all the drinks and desserts. P.S. I hear their sangria is delicious!

It was our first visit, so while there, we went for the famous Peri-peri chicken. How could you not start with that?! Specifically, we tried:

Mixed Olives
I personally loved these. They were almost semi-sweet with the tang of the olive. Tasty!

Portuguese Garlic Bread
The perfect accompaniment to the roast chicken, buttery and crispy.

¼ Chicken Breast and Wing with Two sides – Peri-peri Potato Wedges and Coleslaw
Loved both the chicken and the coleslaw. The chicken was cooked to perfection, with a crispy outer skin and moist inside.

¼ Chicken Breast and Wing with Two sides – Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Spiced Rice
I’m a sucker for Garlic Mashed Potatoes, this might be my go-to when visiting.

Pasteis de Natas
Warm from the oven, these natas were the bomb. I’m still dreaming about them!

Chocolate chili cookies
These had a slight spice to them, and were more chocolatey than chili… but that’s not a bad thing in my books!

Unlike other chains, the Nando’s brand is all about doing things differently, rather than every location being identical. Though the food is the same quality, and with the same options across all of Canada, when you step foot in other locations – you’ll notice they are varied through layout and décor. Many of their décor items are handmade, sourced directly from South Africa.

I was particularly interested to hear about the art in their locations, which they source directly from burgeoning artists in South Africa. Once the artist gains popularity, and establishes themselves, Nando’s assists another artist starting out. Every location has original art, making each Nando’s basically like an art gallery.

The service works a little bit differently here, too, which you can find listed on their website. Basically, you will get seated with a table number that you’ll have to remember (I forgot when I got up to order, oops!). Look through the extensive menu and decide on your meal. Go up to the counter and place your order. From there, grab sauces and dressings and cutlery, and your order is brought to your table to enjoy! For extras and desserts, you can order from your server.

Are you ready to eat some chicken?!

Follow them on social media at:
Facebook: NandosCanada
Twitter NandosPeriPeri
Instagram nandoscanada
Website http://nandos.ca

Have you been to one of the Nando’s locations? What’s your favourite dish there?

*Thank you, Nando’s Canada, for providing this meal for free. Thoughts and opinions are my own.