Barcelo's Flame Grilled Chicken (Guildford)

I've always loved Barcelo's Flame Grilled Chicken.  Even more so than Nando's, however, I do like them both.  I just think Barcelo's is better.  Did you know that Barcelo's was actually first to the scene in South Africa?  Nando's actually showed up much later despite most people thinking it was the original.  Anyways enough with the history lesson...  Jackie and I were invited to try out their Guildford location within the T&T complex on 152nd at 101st.  Upon entering the store, it struck us that the dining space was large and well-appointed.  No wonder they have a sign outside advertising that they can accommodate 50 people for a private party!

Well, there was only 2 of us and we arrived in the time between lunch & dinner, so we had plenty of space!  We started with some appies including the Cauliflower Bites and the Corn Ribs.  Solid dishes with the bites being still firm with a thin and crispy batter.  Corn ribs were almost like street corn, but instead, these were lightly battered and fried.  They were drizzled with spicy mayo and topped with cheese.  There was this spicy and sweet thing going on here.

Of course, the thing to get here is the chicken, so we had the Peri Plate #2 that consisted of 1/4 chicken, 1 skewer and 2 wings.  These were all nicely charred with plenty of smoky nuttiness to go around.  We asked for mild, so the spice was in the background while the sweetness of the onions came through.  The dark meat chicken was super juicy and tender.  I found the white meat skewer to be moist despite the char.  Wings were solid too with elements of both the leg and white meat.  We got to choose 2 sides and went for the veggies and mashed potatoes.  Those potatoes were really good with the skin providing texture and flavour.

We also had the Half Pack so you can see how one of the family meals look like.  This featured a 1/2 chicken, 4 wings and 2 skewers.  This was essentially double the Peri Plate #2.  With all these pieces of chicken, we could experiment with all of the available sauces such as Lemon Pepper, Mild Peri, Very Peri and Supa Peri.  For me, it was all about the Supa Peri as it had the most impact and flavour.  I have a high spice tolerance, so it wasn't too bad for me.  You still can't go wrong with the other peri sauces as you can taste the slight spice, tanginess and sweetness.

For those who don't just want to eat pieces of chicken, especially on the bone, then there is the Peri Chicken Sandwich.  This was actually quite good with a grilled piece of chicken breast.  It was moist and tender with some mild peri sauce.  Naturally, I dunked it into the Supa Peri!  The veggies were fresh and the brioche bun was nicely toasted.  For our side, we had the Yam Fries which were crispy and not overly greasy.  It came with a spicy mayo.

Now I wouldn't blame you for laughing at me for Peri Sirloin Burger.  This almost seemed out-of-place, but let me assure you, it was actually good!  This featured real ground sirloin (and not some processed patty) that was meaty and lean.  It was seared up nicely with a nice crispy exterior.  Despite being lean, the meat was moist and not dry at all.  It was flavourful and combined with the fresh veggies, it was delicious!  I only wished it was served on the brioche rather than the Portuguese bun.  However, I get it, Portuguese grilled chicken, so need to use Portuguese bun...  The Peri Fries on the side were crispy and nicely spiced.

For dessert, we were served an Oreo Ice Cream Cake as well as a classic Portuguese Tart.  I would say the ice cream cake was pretty typical and did the job.  I did like the Oreo crust!  The tart was very silky and soft where the filling had a hard time staying within the flaky shell.  It was sweet, but was appropriate for the flavours.  Overall, this visit to Barcelo's was exactly like my other experiences (which have been many).  Chicken is prepared right being smoky and not dry.  Loved the peri sauces.  Always satisfying.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Well-charred chicken that is not dry
- Surprisingly good burgers
- Affordable

The Bad:
- Sides are hit and miss