Charga Grill is a WONDERFUL hidden gem on Lee Highway in Arlington, right near Virginia Hospital Center (how I discovered it). As other reviews have mentioned, it's a small storefront in somewhat small strip mall with lots of other ethnic restaurants surrounding it. It is not to be missed! I ate lunch there 2x in three days, and left absolutely STUFFED both times, and taking photos of my meals and describing how amazing they were to friends and family. From 2-6 PM Monday-Friday, they have a "linner" special of 1/2 chicken plus two sides (and if the owner likes you, a small serving of their fantastic lentil soup) for $7.99 + tax. If you're not really hungry like myself, it could easily feed two people, or leftovers saved for dinner. My first visit, I tried the Peruvian 1/2 chicken, which, having had Peruvian chicken numerous times at other establishments in the area and being a big fan of the dish, I knew I would enjoy. It was quite delicious, and of course very filling. As previously mentioned, it came with two sides, I selected the yellow rice smothered with red beans and chickpeas (per the owner's recommendation), and fried yucca. If I had any criticism at all, the fried yucca (albeit delicious) was VERY heavy and filling (that's what I get for ordering two carbs as a side dishes though, I suppose). For my second lunch visit, I ordered the house specialty Charga chicken (pictured), per the recommendation of the owner (as an aside, the owner is super friendly, hospitable, and very proud of his restaurant and its product and happy to provide samples of items if a customer is undecided as to what to order; he'll make you feel right at home and a friend immediately). The Charga chicken, although not quite life-changing, is pretty damn close. The chicken is rubbed in a mixture of Pakistani herbs and spices, and then flash fried for 30 seconds. I was kind of fearful of the frying part at first because I knew it would be a big serving of food and can only handle so much "fried food," but there's no breading on the chicken to weigh it down/make it heavier, and it was fried to perfection. The chicken came out moist, tender, and full of flavor. The lemon wedge served with the chicken is a perfect touch, adding the perfect acidity and citrus to complement the symphony of flavors already present. My sides on the second visit were a repeat of the yellow rice with red beans and chickpeas (again, per the owner recommendation), and a serving of roasted potatoes. The roasted potatoes were a very good choice, and not nearly as heavy as the fried yucca.
If I have the opportunity to visit a third time this week (a distinct possibility tomorrow), I have a feeling I'll either order to the Sajji chicken (another chicken native to Pakistan, a different region), or the "better than Popeyes" fried chicken sandwich.
If I had ANY other criticism at all (and it's really hard to find one), I'd suggest to the employees to order larger water cups (the ones currently in stock are tiny 4 or 6 ounce clear plastic cups), that I needed to refill at least a half dozen times each time I was there to eliminate the need to do that.
If you're in the Arlington area, or visiting loved ones at the Virginia Hospital Center like myself, do yourself a favor and enjoy a meal at Charga Meal, your stomach (and your wallet) won't regret it! read more