Nando’s is here – and if you judge from the line up outside the door, there are a lot of people in Edmonton who were just as excited as we were about the opening as we were. We showed up right before opening, at 11 am, and neared the front of the line to try the delicious flame-grilled Peri Peri chicken.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were seated at a table. We made note of the number and then made our way to the counter, where we ordered our food. The kids colored on the menus, with crayons the server handed them, and the restaurant filled with people excited to get their fill of Nando’s chicken. 
For our family of four, we chose the Familia share platter ($43) and an order of red pepper dip ($6.50) and three drinks. The portugese buns and pita, almost immediately after we sat down, and the kids began to rip them apart with the butter.
The Peri-Peri chicken was the best I’ve had, and perfect from start to finish. The skewers were a hit, with both of the kids, and us. The tender, perfectly cooked chicken, fries and spicy rice was enough food for the four of us, with a piece of chicken leftover to bring home. We went with medium spice level, and the skewers had an almost citrus flavour, perfect with the garlicky sauce served on the platter with rice, and fries on the side.
With over 100 drinks to choose from, the kids made their way through pink lemonade, Fanta and cherry sprite. Me, I opted for vanilla root beer and want to go back to try more combinations, as soon as the opening week hype dies down. The line-up for the drinks was consistent when the restaurant is full, but doesn’t take overly long to get a refill for your bottomless beverages.
Next time, I think we’ll go for the Party Pack ($60.50) and bring home leftovers for some delicious Nando’s at home. Next time around, we’ll also sit the kids on the outside of the booth – because those bottles of sauce elevated on a rack above the booth didn’t fare well against six-year-old clumsy elbows.
See the entire Nando’s menu, here. You can find Nando’s Edmonton at 4228 Gateway Blvd and at the new second location in Clareview, at 13324 50 street.