When popular South African fast food franchise, Nando’s, known for its peri-peri chicken ceased business in Namibia, Grill Addicts Namibia came into existence. The restaurant had huge shoes to fill, they were going against a huge brand like Nando’s which was adored and appreciated by many Namibians.
Grill Addicts Namibia was literally forced down our throats, majority Namibians were a bit skeptical about the establishment and their reception was a bit shaky to say the least. Six Unwrap.online staff members visited the Grill Addicts restaurant at Independence avenue in Windhoek’s CBD area on Friday, 08 February 2019. We went around 13:30 and when we got at the restaurant we were met with friendly and swift customer service.
The employees made sure they took our orders and we waited less than five minutes before we got our order, a huge one for that matter. We ordered a full chicken, it came with 2 large portions of french fries and 1.25 litres coke. The other order was one quarter chicken, that came with a portion of large french fries and a 600ml diet coke. We should point out that we were impressed with how quick our order was dealt with and we also appreciated the clean and tidy restaurant while we were there.
We got our take-away and left very thrilled about our food. The price for the full chicken, 2 large portions of french fries and 1.25 litres coke cost N$199 while the quarter chicken, that came with a portion of large french fries and a 600ml diet coke cost us N$110. In total we spent N$309, not bad for a meal that six people will eat. Now that we’ve established that the meals are affordable let’s get into how the food tastes.
Here’s the thing about eating food from Grill Addicts, people will always compare it to Nando’s chicken. Right before we even ate our food there was a debate about what the best was, Nando’s or Grill Addicts? We think it’s a bit unfair to compare the two, Nando’s is a huge franchise with a tested and proven track record across the world. However, Grill Addicts Namibia is fairly new and don’t deserve to be compared to Nando’s. One of our colleagues Romeo pointed out that Grill Addicts is very similar to Nando’s and that there is not much of a difference in terms of taste. “What made Nando’s was not the chicken, it was the sauce they made. I loved their sauces. Grill addicts tastes like Nando’s but they do not have the same zazz as Nando’s,” Romeo shared. Another one of our staff members, Sarah says she prefers Grill Addicts because it is a much healthier option compared to other fast food chains in Windhoek. “Their chicken is grilled and does not have a lot of fat, that’s why I eat here,” she said. One of the main issues we learnt is that when we were eating the chicken many of us kept comparing it to Nando’s without enjoying the good food as is.
Starting the meal off with french fries, we were a little bit disappointed with how they tasted. The texture of the fries were not crunchy enough, it was not as crispy as we wanted it to be. The flavour of the fries we ate was good and you could tell the quality of potatoes was amazing because they were fried in clean fry oil. The appearance of the fries was a bit pale and yellow not that golden brown look we were anticipating. The taste was a bit mushy but yet we still enjoyed eating them regardless.
When it came to the chicken, majority of us agreed it kind of tastes like Nandos but with a twist. The chicken was tender and juicy and was not overcooked, it was sensational. It was a fine grilled chicken with a rich balance of smoke flavour from the grill. The chicken smells delicious and was spiced to perfection.
The salad was a bit dry, and the onions were cut into large and thick rings, however after we mixed the sauces into the salad it was a hearty and tangy meal.
The portions of the food we had was large, if you order a full chicken at Grill Addicts chances are when you see it it will be bigger. The volume of the french fries was also colossal. The portions are enough, after the six of us ate the food there was still a bit of chicken and fries left. Size is not a problem at Grill Addicts.
We loved the food we ate at Grill Addicts Namibia, they make delectable chicken. Besides chicken, they also have beef based foods such as burgers and wraps. We do however think there is a need for aggressive marketing campaigns to make people aware of Grill Addicts. The owners can also add Namibian dishes that appeal to the Namibian food lover.
We would go back to Grill Addicts Namibia in an instant. Head out there and support local!!
