I was first introduced to cheeky Nandos 20+ years ago when I was studying in Oxford. The location on Cowley Road was the place to go after drinking heavily with brilliant/tortured English middle-aged academics looking to feel alive and requiring a cheeky Nandos to settle down all that liquor in the belly for the evening before inelegantly making way back across Magdalen Bridge in the small hours; had the college buttery not served such Krusty Brand imitation gruel we likely would have dined out less, but cultural exchange is all about bypassing gross local food for delicious local food, something that made us all fall in love with Anthony Bourdain adventures.
I was first here at this Montrose outpost for a yelp elite event. I reviewed that event separately, as the yelp rules require since it was not an authentic customer experience. At that elite event we did not get to try all of the sides so that was good justification to come back soon to try what I would normally order for myself: the coleslaw. As I ordered things that were not available at the elite experience, this review is only about my experience as a genuine customer with an authentic customer experience.
Nando's outpost in Montrose is an overall great experience for a mighty fine meal. As hard as I can think on it, there are only two demerits, one of which they can control and the other they cannot. The factor they can control - the music inside is way too loud. I am a crotchety old man, and hey kids get off of my lawn while you are at it, but there is no need to turn the music dial up to 11 like this was a gat dang KISS tribute band concert. The factor they cannot control: it is a tiny parking lot shared with a bunch of other bidnesses, so parking is difficult if you are with car. Apart from these gripes, it is a satisfying chicken and coleslaw experience. This is not in the same league as Popeyes, even though Andre Nickatina does not have a song about cheeky Nandos unlike the Popeyes being Certified, according to him.
Cheeky Nandos chicken is unbelievably moist and juicy. Since it is a kitchen you can peer into from most tables, you can easily observe a high standard of cleanliness and that they actually clean the grill frequently. So if you want this thang as mild as it comes (toothpaste is spicy, fight me) then you are in good hands here knowing that the grill will be cleaned off from the super fire megadeath sauce used on the prior patron's flamin' Moe's chicken.
As flavourful and moist as the chicken is, the coleslaw side is even better than the chicken. Coleslaw is one of the few sides that do not come with an additional upcharge - mac and cheese is a $2 bill extra, ranch on your fries is $1 extra, and so on. Meanwhile, coleslaw is the superior (no bonus cost) side to order since it is not just creamy, but a flavourful mouth journey. This is one of the best coleslaws I have had in a restaurant outside of Aunt Jenny's in Gulfport, MS, a place I have stopped in for road trips between Tejas and Florida all the way back to the 80s (several paragraphs above I said I am old, I am actually old-old). If you know that Jenny's magick on the coleslaw, you will be reminded of it here. If you don't know that Jenny's magick on the coleslaw, take one bite of a cheeky Nandos coleslaw here in the Montrose outpost and you will want to get in your car and drive to Mississippi just for lunch before the next hurricane season threatens the Gulf once again.
The workers are all polite and kind at this location of Nandos. I found that we were frequently checked in on by a growing cast of characters while I was doing math on how many orders of coleslaw I needed to order to fill up my bathtub at home so I could splash around in it as the good lord below intended. My reputation as a diva either precedes me, or they just do that for everyone. It is not exactly a quiet meal here among the loud music and constant interruptions to check up on you, but if you like feeling important this is the place to dine since you are literally waited on by hand and foot by several people in the resto.
Each location of cheeky Nandos has unique art and design to distinguish one from the other in different neighbourhoods, cities, and even countries now that they have spread beyond England into the Commonwealth and the Colonies. This location in Montrose is well appointed with the gorgeous lampshades that draw the eye from any corner of the resto. The outside is painted beautifully to entice you on in. There is plenty of other art and tapestry collections on the wall indoors. The place is very nicely decorated and feels far more upscale here than cheeky Nandos felt as a student back on Cowley Road.
As for parking, invest in signs or placards that tell people what to do with their car when the tiny lot in front of (and back) are full, and make clear where you can park without getting ticketed/towed.
Other than that, sign me up for more cheeky Nandos in Montrose. read more