The UK's Most Popular Fast Food Chicken Chain You Only Find In 5 US States

Published 14 hours ago• 3 minute read

. In fact, chicken restaurants in the U.S. have recently been seeing nearly twice as much growth as other kinds of dining establishments, according to a report by The Food Institute. Yet, while there's no shortage of homegrown chicken chains in the States, there is a British fan favorite that has made a name for itself across the pond: Nando's, the U.K.'s most popular fast casual dining chain. Though there are hundreds of Nando's locations across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the notoriously "cheeky" chicken chain has only landed in five U.S. states so far: Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia (plus Washington, D.C.).

Known for its juicy chargrilled chicken and home-style sides, Nando's is perhaps most famous for its potent peri-peri sauce, a traditional Mozambican condiment (and one of Andrew Zimmern's absolute favorite styles of hot sauce). Building on the base recipe of onions, garlic, lemon, and African bird's eye chilies, Nando's carries five proprietary peri-peri sauces that range from extra mild lemon and herb to pepper-packed extra-extra hot.

Even though every piece of Nando's chicken gets marinated in peri-peri and generously basted while on the grill, the special sauce is so delicious that each restaurant keeps extra bottles on hand for tableside use. Despite there only being locations in a handful of states, all Americans who want to experience the Nando's hype can order its famous peri-peri sauces on Amazon.

A nando's chicken mascot next to bottles of peri peri sauce

Min Jing/Shutterstock

Nando's peri-peri chicken is beloved by most of Britain –– from college students and working families to celebrities like Adele and even Prince Harry himself. However, despite the U.K.'s claim to the chain, Nando's was actually first established a hemisphere away in the heart of South Africa. Founded by entrepreneurs Robert Brozin and Fernando "Nando" Duarte, the premise of the now-popular chain was inspired by a lunch the two friends shared at a Portuguese-Mozambican restaurant. Besotted with the potent flavor of the restaurant's flame-grilled peri-peri chicken, the pair bought a controlling stake in the Johannesburg restaurant, which came to be known as Nando's in 1987.

It wasn't until five years later that Nando's first landed in London, providing a bold shift in the British culinary landscape. The chain's affordable price point and fast-casual service made it a favorable choice for young people and was seen as an exciting new option for diners who wanted something more flavorful than pub food but less stuffy than a traditional restaurant.

Building on its British acclaim, Nando's has since expanded into over 20 countries across the globe, with its first U.S. location having opened in D.C. in 2008. Even though the sought-after chicken chain has caught some recent heat for allegedly using sly tactics to make customers eat and leave fast to increase turnover, it's only a matter of time before Nando's-fever sweeps America from coast to coast.