I like this review because it sounds like you. I just tightened it up a bit, added some flow, and leaned into the details that would make someone want to visit. Nando's Peri-Peri - Downtown Chicago We stopped by Nando's Peri-Peri in downtown Chicago for lunch yesterday, and it was absolutely amazing! It's such a cool little spot with a fun, vibrant atmosphere. The ordering process is super easy--you order when you walk in, grab a seat, and they bring your food out to you. We had a party of six, so we got to sample a variety of items from the menu. The wings are a little on the small side, but don't let that fool you--they were cooked perfectly. I'm usually not a ranch dressing fan, but their Peri-Peri Ranch completely changed my mind. It was so good! I also added the Peri-Peri Garlic sauce to my wings, and it gave them that smooth little razzle dazzle that took them to the next level. To drink, I had the Poncha cocktail, and it definitely did not disappoint. Refreshing, flavorful, and the perfect pairing with the meal. The service was excellent from start to finish, and the restaurant itself has a great vibe with colorful artwork, large windows overlooking downtown, and a really inviting atmosphere. I'll definitely be making another stop at Nando's before I leave Chicago. If you're downtown and looking for a delicious meal with great service, this place is worth checking out! read more

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Plain and simple - I love Nando's! This was quite literally my first stop after arriving in Chicago. This was my first time having to wait, and we waited so the time suggested then some. But once seated we were able to order at the table and the food came out quickly despite being so busy. Just as flavorful as any time I've been before. My favorite aspect but far is getting to try all of the sauces before committing to a bottle at the store! The restaurant is busy, loud and crowded but if you can manage that you're good to go. read more

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I'm not really sure what the allure is. We waited over 15 minutes to be sat when there were multiple free tables, and the food took quite a while to show up. I also hate the QR code ordering/walk over to a station to order system. If you are going to be fast casual, either have me walk to a station to order when I walk in and then have me pick up the food from the counter/bring it to my table, or if I am waiting 15 minutes to be seated (while just hovering on the stairs - they don't even have a proper lobby to wait) then seat me and have table service with waitstaff. Also, the staff was aloof, clumsy, and not very personable. The ambiance is dull and nothing to brag about. The chicken sandwich had maybe 2-3 ounces of chicken on it - it didn't even fill half the bun. For $10 a sandwich, there should be more chicken. It was edible, but I won't be returning. read more

A must go spot when you are in Chicago especially if you are with a big family including kids and don't want to spend an arm and a leg in food. The food tastes fresh and savory. The kids and adults liked everything. We ordered Mac and cheese, salad, fries, corn and even fried the chicken burger. The service was not bad but.l not great. I like that they have self service unlimited drinks. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped here for lunch and it was delish!! I love Nando's and was so excited to have one nearby during this trip to Chicago. I got the boneless chicken breast with rice and coleslaw, and ordered an extra side of brussel sprouts, and washed it down with the spiked pineapple lemonade! The service was great (everyone was so friendly and helpful!), the food was amazing and came out quick, and my seat was great! Was seated at a booth with great views of the city. I wish I lived in Chicago because I would then be here all the time! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Boneless Breast; Rice; Coleslaw; Brussels Sprouts Spiked Pineapple Lemonade - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My boyfriend was keen on visiting Nando's as he's been to another location before and loved it. As we were in the market for a quick bite before a flight home, we stopped in here. It took a few minutes to be seated as there were parties ahead of us. Once seated, we were told to order via QR code. We ordered a half chicken with sides of mac and cheese and brussel sprouts. It didn't take terribly long for the food to arrive. I primarily ate the sides with a few bites of chicken as I can't usually tolerate chicken but was curious. Everything tasted pretty basic. The sprouts were pretty flaccid and could've used a hit of crisp. The mac didn't have much flavor either. I personally probably wouldn't return unless they added a vegan chicken option or similar, but I'm also not necessarily the target audience. My boyfriend enjoyed the chicken. read more

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In town and seeking a quick dinner, a friend recommended Nando's so I ordered takeout on line, walked over and waited a moment. The order was on point and the Peri peri saka plate was delicious! I ordered a side of "ranch " and it complimented the thighs perfectly. The fries were better than expected for carry out, lightly seasoned and still crispy. The naughty nata was a perfect finish. Definitely recommend this little place! read more

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Great food, but terrible service. Ironically, we had to pay the tip when we placed our order (using the QR code at our table), but we had to keep getting up to ask for the things that would normally be brought to our table: the utensils, the olives (supposed to some with our drinks), our sides, and the pineapple which was left off the chicken sandwich. I started getting attitude from the hosts when I had to keep going to the counter to ask for things. It felt like we were the ones who should the tip! read more

Honnneeey I am home. When I booked our Bookish Girls trip to Chicago I was casually doing my research on restaurants and shops near our hotel and when I saw that we were 5 minutes walking distance to Nandos, I cried of happiness. I love Nandos but I live in San Diego so I can't get it unless I'm in the East Coast or the UK, when I saw that Chicago had a couple in their city I texted our girls chat to tell them where they could find me. This Nandos is a block or so away from Cloud Gate and it's so beautiful and spacious. Two of my friends wanted to join me while the other two kept shopping. I ended up choosing the chicken thigh skewers with rice and their lemonade. I usually opt for the lemon and herb and have the medium sauce on the side. The sauces are so good, I'm to sure if the States ever had it but in the UK you could actually get packets of peri sauce like how we do ketchup. Ugh, I miss the UK. Alas, the skewers were so flavorful and the chicken was juicy and tender and that rice was so good. I wish I had got the halloumi fries those are my favorite. Service was great and easy too, ordered through the app put our table number and our food came out so quickly. I'm not sure when I'll have a cheeky Nandos again so thank you for making my experience such a good one. read more

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The staff were very helpful and nice. Service was quick. The size of the chicken on the salad was so disappointing. All the food was pretty good though. Nothing particularly special, but not bad. Wouldn't recommend getting a salad though due to the small amount of chicken. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Spicy Chicken Caesar Salad fries PERi Ranch - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of downtown Chicago best affordable eats, their chicken is cooked well and the sauces are excellent catering for every taste buds . Worth the extra dollar for unlimited drinks. Their honey sweet potato with feta is read more

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Such a cute place! I'm new to town (almost 6 months) and my colleague was leaving and headed to another job, we celebrated her here tonight after work. They have a solid HH, 4-6pm and the wings were amazing! We also had fries as well and a lavender lemonade that was out of this world yummy! Mike our server was great! Solid service and he kept checking in with us and we appreciate you Mike! read more

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We came here to eat and escape some of the craziness of St. Patrick's Day, and it ended up being the perfect spot to duck into. We got a window seat and it was nice, calm, and clean inside; a good break from everything going on outside. I got the chicken burger and it was really good. One thing to note: the fries were in the picture with the sandwich, so we assumed they came with it, but you have to order them separately. Overall the food was tasty and didn't leave you feeling weighed down afterwards, which is exactly what you want for a casual spot. I also liked that you could order and pay right from your phone, it made everything super easy. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Chicken "Burger" - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Recently tried Nando's for the first time and had a delicious, but slightly confusing, dine-in experience. When we were seated, our server explained the concept and showed us the QR code ordering system, and from there, everything was self-service. What wasn't mentioned was that utensils, drink cups, and sauces are also self-serve, and I only found out after asking another staff member, who pointed to the station. It would've been helpful to know that upfront, especially as first-timers. Service aside, the food absolutely delivered. We ordered the 1/2 chicken (extra hot), the Nandocas' Choice with mango & lime, PERi chips with PERinaise, and garlic bread. The chicken was incredibly tender and juicy, easily some of the best I've had. The extra hot had more of a flavorful zing than overwhelming heat, while the mango & lime brought a nice balance of sweet and spice. The fries were crispy, the garlic bread was buttery and satisfying, and sampling the sauces was part of the fun (though lemon & herb wasn't my favorite). Overall, the food was outstanding, but the near-total self-service setup felt unclear for a dine-in experience. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Nandocas' Choice with mango & lime, PERi chips with PERinaise, and garlic bread - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My experience at this location was pretty terrible. Firstly, it took over half an hour for my chicken thigh skewers. When I received my order, I was wondering where the Portuguese rice was. After asking staff, that does not come with the order anymore; it's an extra $4. Also, my friend raved about the fries here and when we both tried them, we were disgusted. They tasted terrible and were hollow. My friend politely requested a new batch and while that one was slightly better, it still wasn't the quality we were accustomed to. I will not be coming back to this Nando's location. read more

Nando's is one restaurant chain in Chicago that I absolutely can't skip every single time I visit. It's become a must-have experience for me. This time, we went as a group of three and ordered the family platter, which included a whole chicken, two chicken skewers, and what was advertised as three large sides meant to feed 3-4 people. While the food itself was delicious across the board, the "large" sides felt more like medium portions, to be completely honest. We chose the garlic bread, Portuguese rice, and mashed potatoes, and all of them were flavorful and well prepared just smaller than expected. Overall, everything tasted fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed the meal. My only real complaint is the portion size of the so-called large sides. Other than that, Nando's once again delivered on flavor and quality. We ordered via the QR code and everything but the drinks came straight to the table. We were given cups to serve ourselves from the soda fountain as expected. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went out with a group of friends who were big fans of Nando's (they have restaurants in DC and a few other locations). For those who've never been - you order at the table with your phone, and you get your own water and utensils. (They bring out your food and any drinks you order of course.) For my meal, I got the Portuguese rice and 1/4 chicken coated with the famous Nando's sauce (my level was hot, but this can be customized). The chicken was cooked just right - the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the sauce had just enough heat without burning (there was an extra hot, FYI). For the sauce flavor, think lemon, chili, onion, garlic, some vinegar). The rice was not bad (flavor here was a little more subtle; didn't blow me away but went well with the chicken). Our server was nice and checked on us frequently. I liked this place and recommend it if you're in the mood for something different. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 1/4 chicken with Portuguese rice - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The chicken here is absolutely delicious! I like how you can self serve beverages and additional sauces. Services is pretty decent with a moderate wait time. Great view of the streets and pretty nice decoration. Restrooms are pretty small and tends to be busy. Overall it's definitely worth checking out when traveling to Chicago. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food here is actually delicious but the service is not. First off they were out of chicken with bones in them. What chicken place runs out of chicken!? Besides that we were still able to order boneless chicken. When we walked in we were seated but were never told we needed to order in the front or using the table qrcode. We ended up waiting and waiting until we asked someone just for them to tell us to order in front. Now for the food this is what I think. Chicken Sandwich - We had this with fries and rice. The chicken was moist and super flavorful. This was good. (4.5/5) Rainbow Bowl - A healthy yet delicious option. The chicken was so flavorful and the items all complimented each other. Would recommend. (4.5/5) The food is delicious but the experience is not. It's actually a nice and chill restaurant though but yeah go for the food not the experience and service. read more

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Craved their awesome lemon herb leg quarters- tasty, juicy, tender, fresh & hot even delivered and on time! Tasty sides include sweet potatoes, creamy buttery mashed potatoes but the dirty rice was too small a portion and the cauliflower (which substituted brussel sprouts unknowingly) had a sweet sauce that didn't seem to go with it. Overall still worth it dine in or take out. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Lemon herb leg quarters with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice, cauliflower - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Stopped in for dinner. The grill chicken caught my eye. It's on the 2nd level and they had an elevator if you can't take stairs. You order two way. One walk at the counter or you can qr scan the code and order and pay through that way. I got the half chicke. With mild peri peri sauce with the side of grilled corn. Chicken was good, order it with no sauce and you can get the sauce and put it on the side. Chicken was good and sauce brought a flavor to it and enjoyed the corn as well. No servers only someone to bring you food to you. Not a bad experience read more

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1000000000% recommend this place. The food and service were both amazing. The staff is extremely helpful and friendly. The decor feels cozy and modern. The food was all fresh and consisted of Whole Foods which I loved. I ordered a bowl with chicken , the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were my favorite. Prices are very reasonable. I would definitely come back if in the area. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent food. Fast service. They have an extensive menu, and a everything I have tried is good.

We ordered the full platter, which includes a whole chicken and two sides. For the chicken, we chose half hot and half lemon herb--both flavors were excellent. The "hot" had a good level of heat with a noticeable afterkick, so I imagine the next level up, "very hot," might be a bit overwhelming. The Portuguese rice was a pleasant surprise--flavorful and satisfying. The coleslaw, on the other hand, could have used some salt, and we weren't fans of the onions in it. The ambiance is vibrant and upbeat, with colorful decor. There are two waiting areas--one on the ground floor and another upstairs--which seems to be a common setup in many Chicago restaurants. Overall, a great experience! read more

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Came here on a Wednesday evening after an architectural boat tour. It's on the second floor. Ordered one haloumi wrap with rice and coleslaw, and 1/2 a chicken with garlic bread and fries. Wanted corn, but they ran out so ordered the bread instead. Everything was really good. The chicken was super flavorful and the wrap was fresh. The garlic bread was probably my favorite side. Came out to like $46 with tip. Would come back to try other chicken flavors and sauces. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 1/2 Chicken - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I don't think much of eating in the tourist district of Chicago (with the exception of the Goddess and the Baker which is a legendary establishment and Garrett's popcorn which is always good.) But sometimes you are just between the Loop and the Lake and you gotta eat and that is all there is to it. If this is you, Nando's Peri Peri Chicken is an absolute oasis. Never mind the fact that the Peri Peri Chicken itself is first rate. I recommend it highly. That said, They have Peri Peri Chicken livers. Underline. Exclamation point. Neon arrow pointing to that part of the menu. I don't care if these are standard factory chicken livers filled with all of the stuff that Purdue feeds all of its chickens to make them the way Purdue wants to make them. I'll survive one serving of factory chicken livers. Put Peri Peri sauce on any chicken liver on the planet ... And better yet get a whole bowl of said livers. And your day has just taken a dramatic turn for the better. Someone could make you go on another stupid architecture tour and it would still be a good day. (Want to see Chicago architecture? Just go to a beautiful Chicago building and look at it. You don't need someone giving you 1800 words about the difference between Mies van der Rohe and the Prairie School.) * * * Two minor notes about Nando's to keep in mind. a) The ordering system on your phone is incredibly awkward - even for intelligent undergraduates and graduate students who use their phones to run their whole lives. No one could get the ordering system to work. We had to go up to the cashier and order manually. About a third of the restaurant was also doing this - so we were not alone. b) The hot very hot and super super hot sauces would count as medium mild by Texas standards. They would also count as not too threatening by Portuguese people who eat piri piri chicken at home. Don't worry about the number of peppers next to your item on the menu or on the bottle you are going to pour on your food. The scary lion is really a kitten. The sauces ARE good though. Get whatever bottle you want and dump the contents copiously on your stuff. * * * Overall a fine place. If you are too far East for the Goddess and the Baker, you don't want popcorn, and you are not eating at one of the museum cafeterias, Nando's Peri Peri Chicken is a good call. read more

If you are looking for a quick place to eat in the loop, this is a great option. The restaurant is located on the second floor. But, my goodness, what a sight to see in terms of the decor. From the art on the walls to the fun fixtures in the ceiling, the interior design blends together beautifully. The customer service as a fast food restaurant is great. They ensure to greet everyone who walks in and are just very kind. I ordered the chicken thigh skewer and the golden cauliflower. The skewer was a hit! The chicken was so tender. The cauliflower was good as well especially when I added some of their signature sauces. I highly recommended this location if you are in the area. read more

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Peri what? This was fantastic! To order is a bit odd...sit, get a paper menú, order on your phone. But with chicken this tasty, it's ok! We had a rainbow chicken salad, a three thigh meal, and fríes and cheesecake. They forgot the fríes, so we had them after everything else, but it was fine! After all, with chicken this good, it's ok! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 3 thighs - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nando's was delicious for lunch and the service was quick and friendly. For a fast casual restaurant, the ambiance is great. It is more expensive than I believe it should be so I will not be quick to return but all in all, a delicious meal that I would eat often if it were more reasonably priced. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Rainbow Bowl Rainbow Bowl - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food decent but not the best service. Probably won't return. Better options out there.

The sign at the top of the stairs has order at the counter, but the counter staff stated something different so that was confusing. We ended up ordering at the counter and given a table with a number. The service was slow during lunch time and you can see chicken that were ready but they all came out at different times for different tables, which looked chaotic! The flavor of the mango lime was good and the chicken was juicy. My friend ordered the medium but the spice level wasn't really spicy. There were bottles of sauce on the counter you can grab to spice it up more. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I usually don't leave one-star reviews, but the service was very disappointing. I traveled from California to Chicago and had dinner at Nando's. My waiter brought my meal with only one side and said he'd bring the second one shortly. It never arrived until I had completely finished my meal. I asked another waitress about it, but she never came back, and I had to remind my waiter two more times. The missing side finally arrived about 15 minutes after I finished eating. The waiter also offered me a complimentary brownie but forgot to bring it until the very last minute. After a long day of traveling, I expected much better service. Time matters, and this experience took away from what should have been an enjoyable dinner. read more

There food was very good! I got the peri peri chips and half a chicken this food is good! read more

Bought a 24‑piece wings for takeout and I'm never doing that again. The wings were ridiculously tiny, they even threw in a literal chicken butt as part of the "24 pieces." One wing looked like someone had already taken a bite out of it, and another was the same size as that chicken butt. I love Nando's, but this was beyond disappointing. Absolutely not going back for wings here. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Not sure why the ratings were so low but this was the best grilled chicken I have ever had...ever. Aside from the skin being super salty, the chicken itself was the juiciest, most tender one I've had. All I had to do was tear off the skin first before savoring every bite. I got the 1/2 chicken with red skin mashed potatoes and my boyfriend got the ¼ chicken legs with peri peri chips (aka fries). He loved it even more than me that he ended up ordering himself a whole other entree. We waited a bit in line which was odd considering there were a lot of seats by the time we were seated. I'm assuming they were understaffed because it was about 8 p.m. at night so we went after the dinner rush. It's worth the wait though and I still can't stop thinking about it to this day. read more

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Nando's never disappoints! The chicken is consistently delicious and full of flavor. perfectly cooked every time. The staff is friendly, and the service is impressively fast, even during busy hours. The sides are just okay, but the wide variety of sauces definitely makes up for it. I personally love the garlic sauce; it adds the perfect kick to every bite. Overall, a solid spot for a tasty, satisfying meal! Great location and they have seating over look the city streets. Ohhh and the olives are a must! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Family Platter Family Platter - Portuguese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yum! I ordered the peri-peri bowl and it was delicious! I ordered take out, and my food was ready when I arrived to pick it up. There were quite a few people waiting to be seated, so I was glad I opted to carry out. My service was quick and friendly and I was soon on my way back to my hotel. The chicken was tender and juicy, the rice was tasty, and so was the hummus. The size was generous. I would 100% go to Nando's again. read more

We joined our friends for a quick bite to eat here before our train home since we knew this was a fast place based on our great previous experiences. Unfortunately the service today wasn't on top of anything. We ordered our food on the website a couple minutes after our friends. They got their food in a timely manner, but ours took another 30 to 40 minutes to start coming out. We checked with the counter two or three times and they said ours was almost ready but that wasn't so. Half of our order came out at the 30 minute mark. The server was carrying another order that looked exactly like the other half of our order. We asked about it and she left with it being very rude. We waited another ten minutes, and the other half came out but without the corn. We had to leave to catch our train at that point, so we grabbed boxes and had to eat our meal on the train. Food was still good, but the service was not it this time. All of this after waiting thirty minutes in line with almost no communication. read more

From Tulsa, we'd only had Peri Peri sauce from the grocery store, this was our first time in an actual Nando's. We are in love and really want one closer to us now! The variety of sauces and heat levels allows a lot of customization. I loved the seasoning on my chicken and that Portuguese rice was fantastic. The side of avocado was a nice complement when I overdid the heat. Overall I was dancing in my seat and can't wait to find one on our next adventure!! read more

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Took several minutes to be seated with no line. We (party of 2) asked to be seated at a booth and they told us the booth was for larger parties, but all 3 booths with people were a party of 2. We opened the menu they gave us and it had a piece of old food in it!!! read more