Nando's Ottawa Elgin Street

Servers explained any questions very thoroughly and accommodated our needs effectively.food was delicious and the atmosphere was great! Ordered the chicken liver with brussel sprouts on the side, chicken thighs with sweet potato on the side (pictures shown), and halloumi as appetizer.all of it was delicious and their sauces are quite tasty.highly recommend if you're craving grilled chicken in downtown ottawa.

I was there for lunch on a Saturday.
The hostess assign you a table. You go through the menu and you order and paid.
Your order will be giving at your table by an employee. You only need to pick up the ustensiles and sauces.
We had the 1/4 chicken breast with 2 sides. The chicken was good and not dry. Honestly, for the price, it’s a good deal.

Always delicious, I'm a huge fan of the chicken wrap:) I'm also not someone who deals with spice well so the mango lime was perfect for me.

This place needs a SERIOUS cleaning. And this is the areas we see; imagine the ones we don't!

We were 4 persons I asked the girl in the front but she ignored me, I thought that she might be busy with other customer (even though she could say I am busy, better than ignoring a customer. Then another group of 5 people came in, the same girl welcomed them and gave them a menu! I felt we were invisible! I talked to the superviser who was nice at least! Finally we haven’t eaten there

Barkouts to the amazing staff there! Great service and Smiles very helpful and welcomed
Professor as he is a service dog. Kitchen staff also did an amazing job!

This Nando's will give that original South African flavor, job well done guys your stands are as if you're in Africa

Great place for peri-peri chicken.
It’s a chain though, so not as good as genuine place, but still really good.
But unfortunately i went there today, on lunchtime and the servers and service were really disappointing.
I will keep going to the real thing on Dalhousie instead.

Probably the worse nandos I've been to. My chicken sandwich had a small piece of chicken on it. When I opened the bun to investigate I was surprised to see how on earth they'd send this out, or even have the guts to do this. Terrible. I'll attach a photo as proof. I don't want to go to your website fir feedback eather. I went there today December 1 2021, at arround 2pm.

Horrible service, staff at this location are very lazy and don't Wana do their job. I arrived at the location at 9: 35pm and wanted to dine in and the "manager" told me that they don't let people dine in after 9: 30. I've dined in at this location many times past 9: 30 and I've heard managers at this location tell the staff that "we take people untill 10pm"

Used to love nandos.
Fries this time were salty, and the service was really bad. Waited 20 minutes for my takeout. With only three orders up. Watched it sit on the pass for a further ten minutes before being bagged

15 minute wait for a cold sandwich and half a serving of rice. Sandwich is alright but nothing special.

I used to love nandos but I don't think I'll be going again after my last order. Chicken was good but bland. The mash potatoes which used to be my favourite item now tasted like it came from a box and it was disgusting.

I tried 1/2 chicken, and it was perfect. If you want to go with spicy, go with the hot, it would be sufficient enough.

Première fois chez Nando's, le poulet braisé était DELICIEUX, une véritable explosion de saveur en bouche, la surface était grillée à point et plus on allait en profondeur et plus la viande était tendre et juteuse sans jamais être crue. Le riz épicé était incroyable lui aussi, j'ai ressenti tous les aromes qu'apportaient les différentes épices, le coleslaw quant à lui fondait en bouche grâce à sa sauce crémeuse et apportait de la douceur pour dissiper la sauce finement relevée du poulet.

Cerise sur le gateau: j'ai été servi en 10min chrono, le serveur a été très courtois et efficace malgré le rush et mon niveau d'anglais fatigué.

(ps: pour précision, seuls les Nando's de l'Ontario sont certifiés halal, les autres ne le sont pas)

Disappointing food (the hot sauce and the garlic bread were the only good things there), extremely slow service, overpriced considering how generic the food is. Tastes like food a college student would make.

Fairly unorganized and understaffed for a Saturday, took us approx. 40 min to get our pickup order and it was missing a side. Uber eats drivers were waiting for orders not even started yet.

Chouette établissement avec la spécialité "poulet". Point négatif pas de francophones à l'accueil ni dans le service.

The main order of the chicken as specified. Into 8 pieces and well done. Has a bone from what seems to be another order or discarded in my order. Sad to throw away my favorite takeout.

Tasty chicken but AWFUL service. The manager (blond hair) is disrespectful. We are from Montreal and we will never go back. Total waste of money

The food and service was excellent! I'd definitely go back in the future. They also have grape Fanta; my favorite.

Hands down, the best chicken ever. The breast which is, most complicated of the time the part of the chicken was so tender and tasty that I couldn't stop eating. The medium spicy sauce was delicious too, I took 2 bottles home. The service although bit slow at the beginning was great too, we even got a couple of treats from one of the managers, she was very thoughtful.

We got the 6 party package and was enough for the 6 of us, quantifies on the package such as salads, garlic bread, etc, were reasonable too. I just wished they had cut the corn in 6 pieces instead of the 2 corns.

Worst experience ever. I sincerely regret not walking back out the door. I was already feeling unwelcome due to my "greeting" by the staff at the front. (my suspicions were confirmed when I noticed that the next four or five people, of varying ages but uniform skin color, were welcomed/assisted in a totally different manner- complete with smiles and cheerful positivity).
Anyway, only half of my ½ chicken dinner was well done as I had twice requested. I had to throw out the leg and thigh because it was really soft and squishy as well as most of the fries and veggies. I'm only visiting Ottawa and was excited to have Nandos again after so long.
My friend who was waiting in the car is the one who encouraged me to write this review because i came back feeling dejected and with a noticeably lowered mood. I still had no plans on complaining until I consumed the chicken and my anger at wasting money matched my hurt feelings. Avoid this Nando's.

Love the food here. Been coming here regularly since they opened.

But the waits for food have been getting longer and longer. Almost an hour on my most recent visit. Not acceptable.

Poor service, our water didn’t arrive until half way through. Our drinks didn’t arrive until we finished. Rude staff, slaps French menu on desk and points at options instead of answering question

The food is great. They would get a 5 stars rating if they had better service. Amateur staff, trying to be nice, but some of them are a bit confronting and rude. Always late on serving pick ups.

Average/okay food, but very very bad service.disrespectful and even racist behavior (especially from the blond waiter, the other staff were nice) despite the generous tips you give (yet before tasting). I highly DO NOT recommend. Just a big waste of money.

These guys don’t deserve any cent of the tips given, mostly the woman with the blue shirt, she was very unwelcoming and had a bad attitude but unfortunately we have to pay before eating! Very bad experience i don’t recommend at all!

Poulet ok, sans plus honnêtement. Le goût est bon, mais rien d'extraordinaire. Par contre, le service pourrait être plus rapide. J'ai attendu 25 minutes pour mon plat.

Poor service and very dirty. Guys change the vibe to attract more customers. Too slow to serve people

Fallon is the best! She was so nice and recommended the Avocado red pepper bowl It was really good I'm definitely going back!

I went with my family and they liked the chicken. I had the veggie burger with halloumi and a side of grilled corn, and I didn't like it at all. The corn 10/10, the bun and sauce were fine, but the burger itself wasn't good 4/10.
The service was bad. One of the waiters was rude to us and he made us feel really uncomfortable: disrespectful and his unnecessary rude comments. I'm giving it a 1 star mainly because of that waiter's bad behavior.
Would not go again.

Best chicken you will ever experience from a Nando's location is this spot right here Elgin Street downtown Ottawa

Servers are not accomodating. We were waiting for 1 hour to be seated, the manager is not resourcefull enough, there 2 people seated on a table with 6 chairs while 2 chairs are emplty on the next table. We could have been seated already

Nandos is always amazing and this location lives up to the name. But the homely feel comes from the staff. Awesome people. Will be back tomorrow

We are from Montreal and needed our Nando's fix after a year without it. We ordered via UberEats. The food was well packed and super fresh. They were out of something we ordered, so they gave us a replacement AND added a bottle of their awesome sauce. Now this is what I call customer service! If you've never been there, choose the side of coleslaw (you'll thank me later). Thank you Nando's, we'll be back soon!

Ordered and paid for a 20oz beer. They gave me a 12 oz beer. I asked about the size and they said that's the 20oz glass they have and argued that it was 20. It says 12 on the bottom but they said they don't know what that number means. Poured the 8oz water glass in. No way it's 20. You decide. Poor customer service. Wouldn't go back. Chicken was good but came out like warm at best.

I have followed up as requested with the owner. Wil update if I get a response.

I forgot how much I genuinely like Nando's. Their chicken is moist and flavourful (possibly brined?) and cooked to order over a delicious grill. You get amazing char and flavour for a decently reasonable price.

My honest opinion though is skip the sides. They're almost not worth it and just focus on the chicken itself. Garlic potatoes were disgusting, Caesar salad was a joke, the fried were delicious but it's just seasoning salt so of course it's good and the brussel sprouts had great potential but were served soft and had a little too much bitterness.

Overall 4/5. Service was okay. Once we get back to dine in I think things will improve. The fragmented order and pay before you are served is a bit odd. We got our drinks after the food had already arrived, and had to ask for our apps after our mains had already come out.

Terrible experience. I got takeout.only to get home and realize that the order was wrong and less than what I paid for. I called them and issue was not resolved as the manager said it would be.

First time trying to try,: (just opened after lockdown) The sign on the door says 11 closing time, we are there at 10: 05 I wait there, people are working in the kitchen and front and client sitting in the patio I asked what time your clothing she says you're closing right now!

A fantastic meal with a very nice ordering system. You place your order in advance and just get up and leave when you're done.

A wide selection of sauces (extra hot is great) and a beautiful portion size for the price.

Chicken salad was great with a side of coleslaw and potato Peri Peri wedges.

Additionally the chicken wrap whose name I forgot was also amazing.

Fantastic service through and through.

Nando's is amazing. Went there for the first time today; amazing food at affordable prices, awesome staff, lovely music, the décor is kinda rustic and I love everything about it. I've already made plans to visit again

Great location, very cozy atmosphere. I ordered the ¼ (quarter) chicken with two sides coleslaw and mashed potatoes and it was brought out relatively quickly with a nice smile. The meal was delicious, however I was only moderately stuffed as I had expected the sides to be a little bigger for the price of the meal. All together a good time. 10/10 would recommend.

Awesome experience! The atmosphere was inviting and very up beat. Music was lively and matched the decor. The staff were friendly and service was great. They do not take reservations but were able to seat us right away. Menus are on the table, you order and pay at the cash register. I love that you can choose the level of heat on the PERI-ometer. You are also able to take a bottle of hot sauce to your table to add to your particular taste. I had the chicken, hot, with PERI-PERI fries. The chicken was tender and the fries were spiced perfectly. They also have a spicy mayonnaise to go with the fries that is great for dipping. Portion size was perfect for lunch. Definitely will go back to experiment with the level of burn on the hot sauce. There is the option of purchasing the hot sauce if you so choose. I highly recommend this restaurant.

My favorite place to have grilled chicken.their Perri Perri sauce is amazing. Service is always on point. Would recommend it to anyone

First and Last. I ordered a quarter chicken leg and fries. There was hardly any meat on the chicken and the fries were terrible. The noise level was so loud that we had to yell at each other. Service and beer were very good though. There are many excellent restaurants near by!

Food is good they put the take out in cardboard boxes even olives.everything was dripping oil and all from bags. My car's smells like chicken

My family told me Nandos chicken is not good but I think they went to a bad branch in another city. The chicken and chips were ok. But the mash potatoes and whole wheat chicken wrap with the sweet cilantro sauce was so good. I would come back for that. And I hate cilantro but you don't taste it in the sauce. Staff was great and walked us through how the restaurant works. I like the system as you don't have to wait for the waiter to bring the bill because you already prepaid for your food. Atmosphere is nice. They went through lunch traffic quickly and apologized for the wait.

People don't go there.very bad and rude service. Worst ever and not professional. If you want to feel good and happy think well before you decide to go there.
They are nice with you till you mention that the portion of the chicken is too small or you ask them why they don't provide straws any more. After that they will show you their real face!
(I understand that they care about the environment but if they care of their customers too they could provide ECO straws which are very cheap on Amazon and very friendly with the environment)
Their manager Andrew completely spoiled my evening.he even said that he is happy that I'm not going to come back there.goodbye Andrew! I hope they will fire you very soon:) before it's too late!

Excellent petit restaurant familiale portugais. Avec de bon choix, et surtout du poulet piri-piri délicieux.

The food is not bad, as it tastes like some Portuguese restaurant from Montreal, but Nando’s is the only place in Ottawa that offers this type of cuisine (from South Africa like their ad states).

The service is very unusual from other restaurants, because you have to order at the bar counter by saying your table number, drink, food and how spicy you want your meal to be. You have to pick up the sauces and drinks (even water), but they bring the food to you.

They should put the music a bit down, because it is also a family-oriented place. I understand the kind of the music Nando’s play must differentiate from other restaurants, but you also want sometimes to relax your mind and mostly hearing.

Other than that, if you love chicken, order the chicken liver, because you cannot go wrong with that and ask “hot” only if you can handle spicy food. The price is correct $14.47 for the meal including two regular sides, see picture.

Tasty and quick. This location is well run: the manager told us there would be a 30-min wait for a table on a Saturday evening but we were sitting within 15 min and had our food in 30.

Let me begin by saying nothing was really bad, and nothing was really good. My problem was I went comparing it to Pili Pili on Dalhousie I was expecting great grilled chicken it wasn't anything to get excited over. Give it a shot. See what you think. But, go in with managed expectations.

Good flavour, quick service. Little bit odd ordering and self service combined with table service, but a good experience

I liked this location better than the other one I have been to in Merivale. Having eaten at Nando's at many locations in England and Wales I want impressed with the one in Merivale. This one on Elgin was better, the chicken was moist and flavorful. There was a bit of a wait, but as this was in the aftermath of the tornado the day before which had crippled a lot of Ottawa, so I don't hold it against them. Two complaints, they brought the appetizers and the meal together. The Super Grain Salad is not the same as the one in the UK, the dressing is different and the green beans in the salad were very sad looking. Overall I recommend this Nando's if you're looking for a decent meal that is healthy, flavorful and reasonably priced.

The food is tasty but the piece of chicken was too small. I visited Nando’s in the last year and it used to be better than what I experienced yesterday.

J'aime le concept. Accueil chaleureux la bouffe est excellente service à la clientèle superbe vraiment

Good service, nice atmosphere, and notice that you choose your own sauces/utensils (plus, they have an easy access sink+soap!)

I usually order here from Skip the Dishes because I don't plan on driving downtown if I don't have to. I absolutely love their food. The sides are the right slice of spice for my taste! Their chicken is the the only chicken I trust in Ottawa. KFC and other places reported for having little furry animals around. I always trusted nando's and to this days they have days had a warm place in my heart along with the spicy sauce hehehe. 10/10

Love the food and staff. Use to love Nandos in the UK her though it's a weird convoluted concept for no reason. A sit down restaurant, where you go up to cash to order food, but don't get it there, they bring it to you, you have to go get your own drinks, forks and frozen yoghurt though, then if you want more food, ask your server at the table? ! Like in a normal place. If you do get more food or a dessert, you just ask the server but pay at the cash again. So a normal visit will have you pay twice and waste the time you normally spend with your loved ones waiting to pay.twice! And why can't they just have the utensils on the table already? ! You may say, what if you order a desert from the get go so you don't have to pay twice? Well, you then have your dessert next to you while you wait for your meal, while you eat and then you can have it. Also, nuts or olives where free on every table in the UK but here their like $5 each and just on the counter so no one is buying them. This chain tried to get a gimmick to make people come when they have the best chicken, that gimmick is not getting people through the door as you have to go in the first place. You want to attract people? Streamline the whole thing giving people more time at the table instead of paying. Do like in Europe and have a small plate of the periperi almonds and olives on the table while people look at the menu and talk. Then every single person is gonna tell everyone about the restaurant that stands apart. It's my favourite restaurant yet I always tell people that the best thing is the food and the rest is just a bad hybrid concept that gets in the way of the enjoyment. I love this place, if they stop trying to be clever and slowing us down, we will invade their establishment once a week and throw our money at them!

Different experience - to review the menu, go up to the counter, place your order and pay, proceed like a buffet to get your cutlery and beverage.
The food was very good, the atmosphere was nice, the staff was friendly and helpful and many of them checked that we had everything we needed and that we were pleased with our meals. Prices reasonable too.
I will definitely return.

No matter where in the world you go, Nandos is a great choice! First discovered them in Bangladesh and have eaten here in several other countries! I really recommend this place for families, groups or even just yourself!

Good food. Bottomless fountain is amazing. The hot sauces rack is phenomenal. Only bummer is the waiting time to get a table.

You get a table. You choose what you want and then you go to the cash and place your order and they bring it to you. That is ridiculous. I dont want to pay before I ate because then I won't tip. Tip depends on service. And only one waitress smiled. The girl at the cash was the most unfriendliest thing I saw. The washrooms are ok.

My family (husband and 3 children) were on a one day holiday in Ottawa; on our return home from a 3-day bike tour in Vankleek. We ate a Nando's on Elgin for lunch. The food was fantastic. Our ten-year-old ordered the wing-plate; he shared the spicier wings with his dad. Our oldest was able to find several vegan options (a wrap minus the feta & yogurt). The peri-peri chicken sandwich with casa salad was awesome. The manager and staff were super-nice and helpful.

Amazing personalized service, fresh tasty food and relaxing outdoor patio in the heart of Ottawa. The owner was very attentive, would definitely come back.

The food is always amazing, but the service is hit or miss. I have had my order either not show up until the rest of my table has eaten, or had parts of the meal not show up without reminder staff several times. They have been always good about complimentary chocolate kisses when some issue arises, but would like to see this be the exception and not the rule.