Nandos: the perfect student restaurant for when you need a break from the chicken rolls, McDonalds and Burger Kings but still don’t want to make an effort or spend a lot of money. It is hard to define, not quite fast food and definitely not a fully-fledged ‘grown up’ restaurant. Whatever you define it as personally, Nandos is undoubtedly a warm and welcoming place to grab a filling bite to eat.
The Nandos menu is mostly all chicken, it does however have vegetarian options such as ‘veggie’ and ‘beanie’ wraps, burgers and pitas. An entire menu of chicken sounds boring – it would be if not for the fact that you pick exactly how you want it. Be that a burger, plain, wrap or pita. The most important part however, is choosing your spice. In my opinion their ‘Peri-Peri’ spice is the best part of Nandos, they cater for everything from the mild, ‘Mango and Limers’, to the more daring, ‘Extra-Hot eaters’.
Nandos doesn’t have table service, you get up and grab your own – the less formal feel suits the Chicken Kings down to a tee. It’s the perfect place to go with friends for a catch up. Despite not having table service, Nandos staff are amongst the best you could find in Dublin: they clearly enjoy their jobs and are passionate in ensuring you enjoy their creations. They almost make you want to work there yourself.
Nandos has great deals, not only are the combos reasonably priced (meals start at just €9.80 for a chicken burger and two sides), they also offer loyal Nandos eaters reward cards which can be stamped in order to avail of free food. For example: three stamps gets you a free quarter chicken, whilst ten will entitle you to a whole chicken, perfect for a cheap get together with friends. Students also avail of a free refillable drink with every meal they buy.
Nandos is the perfect student place to go. It’s just the right side of classy, very speedy and unbelievably tasty. Don’t forget to try their ‘Peri-Peri’ chips or their creamy mash, arguably the nicest mashed potatoes ever. Remember, you won’t know what all the fuss is about until you try it. The closest Nandos restaurants to DCU can be found in the city centre on Mary Street and on St. Andrew’s Street near to Temple Bar.
Claudia May Gocoul
Leave a Reply