Restaurant: Zankou Chicken
Cuisine: Mediterranean/American
Last visited: August 9, 09
Location: Multiple throughout California
Price Range: $10 or less
1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!
Food: 6
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 4
Additional comments:
- Since 1962
- Only available in California
- Fresh, natural, healthy
- Very casual fast food chain
- No cans, freezers, microwaves, or preservatives
- Freshly baked daily pita
- Really juicy and flavourful chicken
- Famous for chicken with their homemade garlic spread – must try!!
- Homemade hummus and falafels
- Garlic flavour in everything, simple recipes
- Voted “Best Fast Food” “Best Cheap Eats” etc.
**Recommendation: Any chicken plate WITH garlic spread, Chicken Tarna wrap
Zankou Chicken is a local favourite for fast food in LA, California. It’s almost like the In-N-Out Burger but for Middle Eastern and Lebanese food. There are no freezers and microwaves and everything is quite healthy too. Almost all their food is made in house, baked fresh, and made with fresh and natural ingredients. It’s not your typical big portion, greasy, bad for you American fast food chain and it’s one of the Californian must try fast food chains. It’s packed with locals at lunch and they’re famous for their secret family recipe garlic spread and grilled chicken.
On the table:
**1/2 White Chicken Plate – 6/6
- $6.99 USD
- 1/2 rotisserie chicken, served with hummus, diced tomatoes, garlic spread, pickles & pita bread
- The chicken is juicy, tender, flavorful, and moist with a crispy golden brown skin – cooked to perfection
- Chicken is all natural and delivered daily
**Garlic Spread – 6/6
- The garlic spread is the highlight and it’s delicious!
- It’s a secret family recipe and it comes in a simple little white sealed plastic container.
- It looks, bland and boring, but its AMAZING!
- It looks like finely minced garlic and it’s almost a bit clear. It’s not really a butter even though there’s butter in it, but more of a spread. Delicious!
- It doesn’t have that spiciness fresh garlic has though, but it’s aromatic.
- Use it on your pita, chicken – on everything!
**Hummus & Pita – 4/6
- The hummus is made of all natural ingredients: garbonzo beans, fresh garlic, sesame seeds and olive oil
- It’s good! I could eat it on its own. It’s so fresh and smooth in texture.
- Simple recipe, and simple tastes good!
- The pita is served warm and it’s fresh baked daily. Impressive for a fast food chain to actually take the time to bake and make these things.
Tri-Tip Shawerma Wrap – 2/6
- $4.99 USD
- Marinated and flame broiled USDA choice tri-tip, diced tomatoes, and tahini wrapped in pita bread
- It was okay, but the meat was really dry.
**Chicken Tarna Wrap – 6/6
- 4.99USD
- Marinated and flame broiled chicken, diced tomatoes, and garlic spread wrapped in pita bread.
- THIS was my favourite!!
- For me, it was better than chicken + garlic spread. Each bite was so full of flavour so it doesn’t need anymore filler in the wrap, I really enjoyed this!
- The chicken is shredded, well marinated and the flavour was a bit tangy.
Falafel Plate – 3/6
- $8.29USD
- 5 falafels served with hummus, tahini, diced tomatoes & shredded lettuce. Pickles and pita bread included.
- Yes it sounds a bit more expensive for a fast food chain, but these are homemade.
- Not a must try for me, and they’re pretty good for fast food and not dry.
- Zankou falafels are simple – made of natural garbonzo beans grounded up and then fried.
- I’m sure they use a very simple recipe and it comes with tahini dip which is nice.
