We walked in off the street after another placed was extremely hot inside and zero service. We entered Nando's and it was a refreshing cool temperature from the 85° heat outside. You order at the counter and we were not familiar with parts of the menu. The man taking our order was helpful and informative. The kitchen was visibly and I noted it was extremely clean. I ordered the rainbow bowl and he ordered the quarter chicken with rice and mash potatoes. This was one of the best meals we had in DC and we've done some fine dining this weekend as well. The rainbow bowl was bursting with exotic flavors and spices and fresh vegetables, hummus, rice, and goat cheese. As he devoured the quarter of chicken is only regret is that he didn't get the half chicken because he was savoring more after every bite. The rice was perfect and left us wanting more. read more

We've loved Nando's since our first visit in London, so when we stopped in last night after a long travel day, walking over from our hotel for dinner felt like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, this location didn't hold up. The ordering process was a mess from the start. They were out of boneless chicken, so we pivoted to a half chicken... only to be told they were out of that too. Then it turned out they did have it. We ordered the hummus appetizer and got the side portion instead, which meant another trip to the counter to sort it out. We ordered medium peri peri sauce and got something noticeably spicier. Too tired and hungry to send it back, we just ate it... and the meal just didn't hit the way Nando's usually does. The mushy peas we'd been looking forward to aren't even on the menu anymore, which was its own small disappointment. On the bright side, I ordered a 5 oz glass of wine and got what looked like a double pour. Not complaining... but it does sum up the vibe. The staff seemed indifferent, whether it was end-of-night fatigue or just an off-night, hard to say. We'll probably give Nando's another shot elsewhere, but this DC visit was disappointing enough that I can't really recommend this location. read more

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DONT COME SERVERS ARE MEAN AS HELL! they made our friend wait 40 mins for his food and blamed us for him not receiving it. SHE SCREAMED IN MY FACE We asked for our money back cus we didn't want the food anymore, to which they said no read more

Delicious chicken. Made fresh so it will take 5-10 minutes for them to cook it. A bit pricey but that's just the way the world works now. All the sauce was good. Highly recommend! read more

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This location is pretty consistent. The food & service are always decent & the restaurant is typically pretty clean. I recommend placing a mobile order through the app-- they also have a nice rewards program where you can earn free food/drinks! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - PERi PERi Chicken Bowl , Peach Cocktail -- 7/10 pretty good - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A 3.5 rounded down on this occasion. Staff were personable and rectified the issues immediately, but a poor food representation of a chain I grew up on in the U.K. We ordered from our table on our phones and that's probably where we went wrong. The experience went from restaurant to school cafeteria fast. Food: for starters, the hummus platter was served cold--as in the pita bread was not even warmed up. The main ingredient for the hummus, the sauce, was missing. The chicken was okay, and my bowl was nothing to write home about. Drinks: the lemonade special was meh, and we had to go up three times to ask for it. By the time it arrived, the food was finished. We ended up sending back the hummus platter and got a refund, which the manager on duty executed immediately and was very apologetic for our whole experience. We then saw her round up her team and talk to them--what about I'm not sure, but we were impressed with her prompt action to relay information to her team. Can't say I'll come back any time soon; will try again if in the area in hopes for improvement. read more

I love Nando's so when I realized that there is a Nando's here in DC I have to come. I first tried Nando's in Melbourne and as a chicken and fried chicken lover this is just perfect. The Nando's here is more formal than the ones in Melbourne as it's more like a sit-down restaurant which I don't prefer but it's alright. The food especially the peri peri chicken legs and thighs and also the wings are just perfect. The chickens are grilled to some charring on the skin which adds so much flavor to the chicken meat. I love it when meat has fat and skin because that means the cook knows how to make real food for foodies. The sauce is really not that spicy but they do add flavor so I recommend you go medium at least because otherwise there is not enough sauce. I always prefer the two 1/4 quarter leg/thighs but I can also recommend the chicken wings. It's a little weird last time I went they didn't have fries, sweet potatosor cauliflower because that sounds like logistics issues but as long as they have chicken it's fine. Service is bare minimum if you dine in but that's fine if you treat it as fast food which I prefer. You refill your drinks yourself and you can always get extra sauces. Overall I love the chicken and for that alone I'll rate this 5 stars. If the owner is reading this please come to NorCal Bay Area. read more

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I've spent a decade knowing about Nandos but never getting to try. Since my work sent me to DC, I knew I had to finally take advantage and try their famous chicken. Arrived in the afternoon and were seated right away. While being sat at our table, our host gave us a brief rundown of Nands and what was the most popular items. I was super excited to try everything. Ultimately, I opted for the (2) leg quarters in the level hot and it was yummy. Honestly, I chickened (no pun intended) out for the extra hot and next time I'll order that. I'm a spicy lover and when trying the sauces on the side, it wasn't too spicy for me, but no worries. I love learning a lesson. The day we went (Sunday) it was pretty busy, so we probably waited around 20 min for our meal, but didn't mind it too much. I was vibing with the music and enjoying the ambiance a bit. I was surprised to learn that Nandos served alcohol too which was a great surprise. We got a draft beer and a lemonade cocktail which were great additions to my meal. Loved my first experience at Nando's! It definitely lived up the hype for me! I hope we eventually get one back at home in LA. I think it would be majorly popular since people where I live absolutely enjoy a good protein rich meal. Until then, I'll have to live on the memories of this visit to Nandos. read more

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tiny and expensive. $25 for 12 tiny wings, two spoons of mash and a handful of fries. Sheeesh. And they ask for tip upfront without any table service except when they provide the food. It was burnt and dry. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Wings potatos and fries - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was really excited to try Nando's but I did not like the service or experience of this location. My husband and I got our orders at very different times. Mine took the longest and the waitress even brought it to another table and then brought it to me. It was just very weird. I also didn't like that there was no one at the front door seating people, this poor man was waiting for 10 min to get seated. The food is okay. They were out of potatoes and bread, which limited some of the things we wanted to order. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nandos is my go to for a quick no-frills, but filling meal. Their service is a little bit weird because you have to get the items yourself. But I love that they have a huge selection of sauces. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My first time trying Nandos from CA and it did not disappoint! Was so good I went back again the same week!! Mac and cheese is my favorite with the mango chicken. The service is great, people are always nice. Ice machine was broken so an employee got me ice from the back without me asking. Their $10 lunch deal is soooo good!!! So cheap for all you get. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - PERi Mac, Brussels Sprouts, 1/4 Chicken Breast - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nando's never disappoints! We ordered the Full Chicken Platter with the PERi Chips (fries) and Portuguese Rice as a side. They didn't have any chicken ready, so it took about 30 minutes to cook it. However, everything tasted amazing and had so much flavor! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Full Chicken Platter - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The staff here is very kind. The different spicy sauces are soooo good. The roasted chicken (even the white meat) is flavorful and juicy. They also have buffalo chicken wings. Must try! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Here I rarely write negative reviews, but this place absolutely earned it. The service was genuinely some of the worst I have ever experienced. It was slow, dismissive, and delivered with an attitude like we were inconveniencing them by being there. Not once did anyone check on our table without being flagged down, and every request was met with an eye roll or a sigh. The food was not worth the wait. It arrived lukewarm, bland, and definitely not what was described on the menu. For the prices they charge, you would expect at least basic professionalism, but instead you get hostility and incompetence wrapped in a miserable dining experience. There are too many great restaurants in this city to waste your time or money here. I would never return, and I strongly recommend others avoid this place altogether. read more

Nando's Peri Peri on 18th St. has some of the best, most flavorful chicken, and the medium spice sauce is great. The decor creates a warm atmosphere, and the staff answered my questions about the menu and extra sauce, but their greeting wasn't especially welcoming. As a hospitality industry member with over 20 years of experience, I take sanitary conditions seriously. I was disgusted to see the manager put her finger in someone's food order without any embarrassment, which is simply unacceptable. I'm not trying to get a free meal, just pointing out a major issue that should be addressed. read more

I tell all my friends who come to DC they have to drop by a Nando's. It's a local chain and while they are expanding, they aren't quite at the West Coast yet. I'm not really great with spice so I always get their mango lime chicken. This time around I got two legs but if dark meat isn't your thing, you can definitely get white meat. The portion of chicken is also extremely customizable (whatever your hunger level--they have a plate for you). Got a side of the rice and coleslaw. Service is by QR code at the table though I'm sure if you wanted physical menus they probably will have that. Once you order, they will come out to your table. Ambiance is pretty fast casual. It's a popular place for groups and people usually eat and chat. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Two 1/4 Chicken Legs - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The deliciousness of the food and the quality of my photos are inversely proportionate!!!! Please forgive my poor quality photos. We inhaled the food before I could gather my wits to take photos! We enjoyed the hummus and pita appetizer, and juicy quarter-chickens with deep fried Brussels sprouts. Fruity sangria served as our beverage and as a touch of sweetness for dessert. The servers were friendly and the decor was fresh and comfortable. I recommend! read more

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I've loved Nando's for years and I came here with some friends while I was in DC. This location, however, isn't really great for groups. We had some issues getting our order and our drinks and there was always a ton of confusion. The location was also very messy. The food, however, was great and lived up to the Nando's brand. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very sad with how this food was prepared. I ordered lemon herb wings with medium sauce on the side. The only saving grace was the sauce, which is premade. The wings were devoid of all flavor to the point where it didn't even taste like chicken let alone the lemon herb sauce. I didn't even give an extra star for it being halal because it was that bad. read more

Yuuuum!! I loved this place! Everyone was very kind and welcoming, along with being happy to explain how to order and their suggestions. I went with a few other people and we all loved everything. The chicken was delicious and super juicy. The sauces were also a favorite. I like to change it up every so many bites, so I appreciated being able to take several sauces back to my table to alternate between. I wish I lived closer or a Nando's was near me so I could have this all the time! read more

Waited more than 20 minutes at a table after placing my order online for a simple quarter piece with drink. Other tables were served piece meal. Definitely a management problem. read more

Great place for casual dining. You can order via barcode or walking up to the register. My bf and I shared 1/2 chicken (medium spicy) with fries. Unfortunately, they ran out of thigh so they gave us breast. Still very juicy and delicious. Medium was a great spice level for us. Not too spicy but had a nice kick. Loved the option to try a ton of diff spice levels at the table. The lemon herb was my favorite and the sauce I kept going back to. Very big inside with plenty of seating. Bathrooms were a bit nasty. 1/2 chicken with 1 side, water bottle, and fountain drink cost $30 because of the fees and tip. We weren't expecting it to cost this much but still delicious and a place I would definitely go back to. Chicken was so juicy it would taste great in a sandwich. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 1/2 Chicken and Chips - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

So I have been to this Nando's before. It has been a few years. The food is excellent. But, after my most recent visit, never going back. Here's why. I Showed up at the busy lunch service. The place was pretty packed. The people at the register did say it was going to be a little bit slow because of the unprecedented Monday afternoon crowd. Totally fine with me. I have worked in restaurants before and I get it. But... Here is my problem. It took a while for them to even take my order because the one guy who ushered me over to this one cash register, apologized, and said that the register wasn't working. So I had to go back to the other register. Which took about five extra minutes or so. Not a big deal. Here is where it becomes a big deal. There were people who ordered after me who got their food before me. I had to go and remind the staff about me. And they said "oh yours is next coming up". Which was clearly not true. I saw them sort of spring into action to get my order together. But I think spring into action is a bit generous. Very slow to react, like they were almost annoyed that I had the temerity to remind them of my order. After I had already paid in full. I didn't get one word of apology or anything. It was just like "here's yo food". I will say that the people who got the good service all had one physical characteristic in common. Can you guess what that characteristic is?hmmm... I think this is Nando's not so subtly telling white people that they don't really want their business. Well, I'm going to give them what they want. I won't be back. read more

Food: 4* Service: 3* Ambience: 3* Variety of dipping sauces: 5* Stopped by here for a late night bite. We had the chicken, hot flavored with mashed potatoes, rice, and chips. The chicken was good, a little dry, but the dipping sauces (hot, extra hot, and garlic) were delicious. Rice was good, mashed potatoes from a box. Meh. Everything was dipped in them and it was great! Service, while friendly, was slow and lackluster. Couldn't be bothered to be honest. Overall a good experience. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 1/2 Chicken with Red Skin Mashed Potatoes and Portuguese Rice (hot) - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Ok this was tricky to find. Maybe it's just us but we walked in the main door from the street and went straight to a locked door. We then stumbled around outside then came in again and finally saw the door on the left. So when you walk in look for the door on the left. Once we finally got inside we were promptly seated and given menus. We then had to go to the counter to order and they brought our food out to us. I ordered the rainbow bowl which comes with rice and various veggies, hummus and chicken thighs. It was good but it was a little spicy for my taste even though I ordered the mild seasonings for the chicken. I also ordered their honey lavender lemonade which was delicious, so refreshing. read more

Very inconsistent. Sometimes it's fast, sometimes it takes 40 minutes when there's no visible crowd. Sometimes the vegetables are perfectly tender, sometimes they're hard, undercooked, and inedible. Sometimes they're randomly closed because someone rented them out. The chicken is good but don't come here if you want reliability. read more

I have never given a one star review in my life, but this place was the absolute worst experience. They gave me the wrong order and didn't provide a receipt, which I didn't think much of at first. However, when I politely pointed out that my order was incorrect (I ordered two plates of chicken but only received one), the staff seemed genuinely angry. One of them kept insisting that I received what I ordered, even though that wasn't the case. I was willing to pay for an extra plate, but when I mentioned the mistake again, the staff member muttered "the f***" under her breath and went to get the manager. The manager was equally rude, sarcastically asking, "So what do you want, a refund or a free meal?" At this point, I just wanted to leave. I've never experienced such awful customer service. read more

Horrible, 3 hours wait time, incorrect and horrible unorganized orders. Incompetent waiter, had to switch out with a better waiter--but that barely covered the collection of students who had to wait two hours for a chicken sandwich. Sides weren't paired correctly, we had spare food because they didn't know who's was who's, we were a church group so expected a wait, but not such disorganized service. Our supervisors had to help hand out the food, horrible. read more

Placed an order online for delivery the following day. Delivery was over 1 hour late. There was no communication from store. Do not order from this location. read more

The customer service was superb, but the speed at my food game out was flat out criminal. My friends and I came after class and had to wait 30 minutes to receive my food (a chicken sandwich and mac and cheese) and they haven't even inputted my friend's order. I haven't had the food yet but I've waited almost 40 minutes by now. The host graciously compensated with a free slice of cheesecake but the wait was still completely unacceptable read more

There's one reason to come here and it's the chicken. The chicken here is just delicious and there's no way around it lol. Unfortunately that's the only reason to come here. The fries we salty,and the service wasn't the best. We didn't even get cutlery with our food. Felt like I had to ask for everything. The ambiance felt like a sit down fast food spot. I'm gonna just order chicken to go next time around. It'll do you more justice. I ordered 12 mango lime wings and 2 sides. With a tip it came out to about $30. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - 12 mango lime wings with 2 sides $27 ish bucks - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Visiting DC for the weekend and gave this place a try since my sister couldn't stop raving about it. It was not disappointing! If you are looking for some south African food , definitely check this place out. Let me start with how cute it is when you first walk in! They have beautiful artwork as well as a wall explaining the history of PERI-PERI ( the main ingredient that pulls all the dishes together). Our waiter was so polite, he took his time explaining some of the new items that were added on the menu as well as giving us some pointers on what to try. We got the Peri Chips plater ( 24 wings with Chips). It was perfect for our group of three. I definitely would recommend trying the mango lime and getting plain so you can try some of the PERI PERI sauces.It was delicious! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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WOW I love Nando's! I got their quarter chicken with rice and peas for a light lunch. I absolutely love roast chicken and Nando's does an excellent job. The chicken is super juicy and the skin is so nicely seasoned and crispy. I tried all the sauces and I like the lemon one the most for the sweetness and fragrance, but I'd also dip it in one of the hotter sauces for kick too. The staff is super helpful and attentive too. read more

Great service, nice atmosphere, but most importantly, delicious food!! As a first timer, I was greeted with patience and suggestions to help me decide without pressures. But the food was the center stage. Fresh, very tasty and with a little heat!! Will definitely be back! read more

I've been to this location a few times and normally I'm in and out after I order my meal, but this time my experience was a little different. I placed my order with one of the members there and I remember her pleasant demeanor (wish I got her name), but I ordered the chicken caesar wrap with regular tomatoes rather than the sun-dried tomatoes that comes with it. Now the restaurant had a few diners, however, they were all either dining or waiting for the food to be delivered to their tables. I was so engaged in my phone that I didn't realize I was waiting 20 minutes for something that I deemed to be so simple. And the gentle behind me received his food before me! Once I arrived back to my office, I couldn't understand why at least I didn't have warm fries. I didn't have a far distance to walk to, so I was expecting some warm temperature from the fries. The fries were VERY salty. Although I asked for a different type of tomato . . . they were not sliced. It was a whole cherry tomato in my wrap!! I was so confused. I mean I couldn't get the sliced tomatoes like you have for the sandwiches? Anyway . . . the location is well kept, clean, and spacious considering the narrowness of the building. The staff is always pleasant and helpful. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Chicken Caesar Wrap and Peri Chips - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This Nando's location (18th St NW) has been declining for a couple of years now and seems to be worse most recently. The food quality remains good enough, but the service and food options are diminishing. 1) Food Options - No matter what day of the week or time of the year, it seems that this location cannot seem to support the full menu. For example, today, you were not able to order any option that had chicken thighs or chicken wings. I don't know if it's an issue with mismanagement or improper ordering, but this location has this issue often (seemingly once a month). They also do not communicate with each other so the cashiers do not know what is/is not available, therefore only after the order is being placed and getting ready to be cooked, do you find out that they no longer have what you ordered. And instead of honoring a refund for a cheaper order, they will give you a free soda - which is ridiculous. 2) Service - I think this location would benefit from retraining their staff on how to behave, especially during peak times. I came in for dinner around 7pm for a takeout order. Even though there were two members of the Nandos team available, they asked a full line of people waiting to order, to continue to wait while they argued about who would go on a break next. Additionally, their etiquette is not up to the standard that I'm used to from Nandos - the team members shout out to each other from across the restaurant, don't pay attention to waiting customers, and take personal calls often. I waited 35 minutes for them to prepare one takeout order for a chicken sandwich and two sides. I should note that they did not have a lot going on except other takeout orders - they purposefully put the chairs up on the tables after 6 pm at this location to discourage customers from dining in. This is the closest Nandos to me so I put up with it but I wish corporate would take a closer look at this location. read more

This is a nice location than the one in Chinatown in terms of cleanliness and service. Our waiter was chatty and had a big smile at all time. Covid-19 does have some positiveness that people may even miss n being patient to those whom they may dislike the most The chicken is very tender all right off the bones. A bit salty to my taste. But everyone else gave the food thumbs up. It is South African but more like Peruvian in many ways. read more

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Good food, good sauces, perfect portions. Yum Nando's never disappoints. Service is always top notch, swift and helpful. I always look forward to Nando's. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Moon - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had peri peri food in Australia and Spain, that was great, but yesterday I ordered some from Virginia Beach location. nothing close, bad experience read more