A fun international restaurant chain that has a few locations in the States, is Nando’s Peri-Peri. The South African chain originated in Johannesburg, but is now an international food chain. In the United States there are locations in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Illinois. The Illinois locations are in the Chicago metro area, and we recently visited the location just north of Millennium Park near the canals. Nando’s is located on the first two floors on a massive skyscraper. Inside the decor has strands of brightly colored plastic links. There are wood elements throughout with vibrant pops of color. Visitors order on the 2nd floor, but can venture to either floor to dine.

The cuisine is centered around peri-peri chicken, a South-African/Portuguese style of chicken that utilizes a particular pepper for flavoring. Visitors can try an assortment of peri-peri chicken presented in different ways, such as bowls, salads, sandwiches, and, of course, simple peri-peri chicken. For visitors who are vegetarian or just in the mood for something else, there is also appetizers, salads, veggie sides, and dishes centered around sweet potatoes instead of meat. We visited in the middle of the afternoon, in-between lunch and dinner, and the restaurant was still busy! We ordered a bowl and a salad. Both were quite tasty, and a great way to try peri-peri chicken! Nando’s was fun, easy, and tasty, making it a great option if you are looking to try something new.