It is not my habit to detract from the focus of a Dish review by bringing a competing venue into the mix.
After all, every restaurant has its own identity and deserves to be considered on its own terms. However, in the case of this week’s subject, there are similarities to another operation that are too numerous and striking to ignore.
The recently opened Barcelos Flame Grilled Chicken, located in the new Northwoods Village shopping facility on Old Dollarton Highway, bears an uncanny resemblance to another poultry parts emporium, Nando’s. I’m not talking about a few things in common here, I’m talking full-on mirror image, like the two businesses were born of a dramatic family rift or a particularly vindictive divorce.
For those who followed the retro sci-fi hit Stranger Things on Netflix, Barcelos is like the Nando’s of "The Upside Down" dimension. Both businesses (of which there are multiple locations of each) describe themselves as African-born Portuguese cuisine.
Both focus on flame-grilled chicken, prepared to order, seasoned with tart and fiery Peri sauce, the spiciness of which is determined by a visual scale of colourful, stylized chillies.
Side dishes are nearly identical too, and include spiced rice, Peri fries, classic fries, grilled corn (when in season), coleslaw, garlic bread and baked potatoes. In addition to the signature grilled chicken, the menus of both Nando’s and Barcelos include chicken sandwiches served on a Portuguese bun, chicken wraps, chicken wings, and vegetarian options that feature grilled cheeses (the former makes use of haloumi, the latter paneer).
The emblem for both businesses is a black and red cockerel, and the colour scheme of the interior of each restaurant is a vivid, African-inspired pallet.
Both restaurants tell the story of the cockerel logo on their websites, citing a miraculous incident in Barcelos, Portugal, in which a man accused of theft was granted a pardon after a grilled rooster, about to be eaten, sprung back to life to attest to the innocence of the accused.
From what I can tell, the biggest differentiator between the two is size: Barcelos has 120 outlets in 16 countries, while Nando’s is bigger, with 1,000 outlets spread across 30 countries.
I have enjoyed grilled chicken in Peri sauce (Peri-Peri sauce, if you’re at Nando’s; they like it so much they’ll say it twice) since I first tried it at a location on Lonsdale Avenue many years ago. Irrespective of who ultimately lays claim to the original concept, I feel that for the time being, the market is big enough for both players and their charming brand of rustic, undeniably tasty food.
I opted for takeout at Barcelos as the place was hopping on a recent rainy Saturday and my brood was mud-soaked and cranky following an epic session at nearby Inter River Bike Park.
The venue has only recently opened and the growing pains are still evident, particularly in what restaurant folks commonly call “expo,” the assignment of dishes put up on the pass by the kitchen to their respective recipients.
At a place like Barcelos, this is a tricky business because of the sheer volume of combinations that issue from a menu with so many mains and even more sides.
After a bit of initial confusion with my order, a seasoned pro was summoned to the line from behind the scenes to expedite the passage of food to customers, and, after about 20 minutes from the time of my order, I received a weighty bag of food to bring home.
Alas, I was initially dismayed to discover that a side order of rice and another of classic fries did not make it into my bag, but in the end it was of little consequence because my meal, a deliberately ambitious sampling of the menu, was ample and left me wanting for nothing.
A chicken platter (Peri Plate #1) included Barcelos' signature grilled chicken (prepared Very Peri, which is to say, quite spicy), grilled chicken kebab, two wings (whole wings, which would qualify as four pieces in most establishments) and two sides, in this case Peri fries and coleslaw.
Barcelos' Peri chicken is simply outstanding. The skin and exterior is nicely singed by flame, caramelizing the spicy sauce, while the interior remains moist and tender.
Chicken this style comes in a variety of configurations and possible flavours, and there are some reasonable value pack options for multiple diners, most notable of which is the Super Family Pack, comprised of two whole chickens (read: two chickens’ worth of grilled parts), three large sides and garlic bread or buns for $57.
The kebab on my platter was equally impressive, moist and nicely steeped in its marinade, and the wings (of which I ordered another side in Mild Peri flavour) were plump and satisfying.
I ordered two chicken sandwiches, one with the meat (a sizeable, marinated breast) slathered in tangy lemon sauce, the other in mild Peri. These were, in my estimation, great value at $7.29 each given the size of the fillets they contained and were relatively healthy alternatives to conventional burgers, featuring exceptionally lean meat, fresh lettuce and tomato.
I preferred the Peri iteration to the lemon, this latter seeming tame, if not flat, compared to the house specialty.
The Double Veggie Kebab, with its two skewers of grilled paneer squares with red and green peppers and red onion, was an inspired vegetarian option and one I’d be inclined to order again.
The highlight of the meal, however, was an order of Chicken Liver, a generously portioned and beautifully prepared dish sold for a trifling $7.50.
Delicate, super fresh and tender morsels of chicken liver were prepared in a thick and spicy, rich sauce that I mopped up with a Portuguese bun and French fries. Even my kids, decidedly anti-offal eaters, had to concede the dish was tasty, as far as liver goes.
My thorough investigation of Barcelo’s menu was $70.
Barcelos is located at #119-2120 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver. barceloscanada.ca. 604-770-2990
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
