ottawa foodies

Yum yum yum!!!! We ate there (Nepean) on Saturday. It was pretty busy but even then the food took about 25 minutes (they estimated 20). We hadn't been so we got the meal for two - half of chicken, 2 skewers, 8 wings and 2 sides. With one drink it was $35.

The chicken ( we got half lemon and half medium - they just split the leg from the breast) Delicious! Best part of the meal hands down. Flame grilled flavor, juicy, and the sauces are awesome. Nice size too.

The skewers were nice. All white meat, perhaps ideal for people who are squeamish about skin and bones, but not as juicy as the whole bird.

Wings were fine but a bit small and dry.

We got 2 piri piri fries. Not fresh cut but hot out of the fryer, fluffy, and the sprinkling of seasoning was tasty. The rice looks good.

There are sauces at every table - hot piri, garlic piri, and herb piri. The herb tasted like piri mixed with Italian dressing. The other sauces were great.

It was a ton of food for two people, and next time we would just split the half chicken and one side. Awesome fast meal of fresh great chicken that left us feeling full but not heavy. We will most definitely be back.

You know those nights when you want a quick meal but don't want fast food? You want take out or a casual eat in, you think maybe Swiss Chalet, but you want something better? Nando's is what you're looking for. Flavorful chicken plus more sides and extras than other similar places offer. In addition I've never experienced my pet peeve here, food that has clearly been reheated multiple times before you receive it (st. hubert used to be like this but not anymore). Everything looks and tastes fresh. Bonus points for super fast take out. I call as I'm walking out the door and five minutes later when I arrive my order is ready.

Nando's is probably my favourite place to get grilled chicken in Ottawa. I tried Yre's down on Rideau, it was just OK... maybe it was an off day from all the reviews I hear about the place. Nando's is consistently good. You can get anything from mild to blazing hot, and there's something about those french fries... mmm... yummy...

Edit: I've been back since they moved onto Merivale, it's still great! They even have grilled corn on the cob, which is a nice option with the chicken.

Chicken livers... not my thing, but the eater said they were good!

Even though it's a franchise and it's fast food, there's something charming about this place. I love their various offerings of hot sauces and the colourful, if garish, appropriation of Portuguese folk decorations. The chicken's why you go.

People told me these wings were great. They are all non-drumette pieces, and they're skewered for easy grilling.

This is the stuff! Probably the tastiest grilled chicken you'll find in Ottawa. Certainly better than the rotisserie stuff.

The marinade options are Lemon Herb (no heat), Medium, Hot, and Extra Hot. The Extra Hot had a pretty good burn to it. If you pick jalapeno peppers off your nachos and munch them as though they were cucumber slices then Extra Hot is for you! ;-)

Well... Nandos chicken is spicy enough to be quite tasty, but even the hottest option didn't have much burn to it last time I went.

If you don't like things too spicy, you'll be happy to know they have three choices of sauce/marinade:
* Hot
* Medium
* Lemon and Herb

If you prefer your mild wings with sour cream you're probably best off choosing Lemon and Herb. It is heat-free. :-)

Thinking about hitting this spot on Saturday while Xmas shopping on Merivale (I know - insane).

Is the Piri Piri chicken very hot/spicy? I don't really care for anything too spicy. Mild wings with lots of sour cream are my style.

Don't know if anyone else in the country is selling this stuff commercially, but it's damn tasty.