South Harrow - James RYN Review

Staff were a mixed bag - one of the managers Tiago was a really nice guy and made us feel very welcome, continuously checked up on us, and made sure our food was top notch (more on that below). He would have earned this visit a 5/5 if it hadn't of been for some of the other staff, who gave us a rather frosty reception. 3.5/5 overall for staff!

As for the decoration, this Nando's is clearly in need of a refurb, and I have to say I haven't seen a Nando's in this old style in a while. Other local branches I visit (Lido, Edgware, Enfield etc) have all been done up, so I'm not sure why South Harrow got left behind! That said, the staff did a good job with what they had, and the restaurant was generally clean (bar some cobwebs in the skylight above us). Some points we picked up on which would all be seen to in a refurb - wobbly chairs, old pock-marked tables which have clearly seen a lot of abuse, limited artwork and design features.

The wait at the tills was negligible, and the wait for the food was an average 10-15 minutes - can't complain about that! And when the food came it was very good indeed, with special emphasis on the chips and rice, which were covered in peri-spice, and warm and moist respectively. The only reason the food misses a 4.5/5 is because the burger was on the small side - for a 4.5/5 it would have to at least fill the bun.

Overall, this branch was a mixed bag, with some staff making a return visit worthwhile, some not, poor decor, but excellent food. I'd therefore put it firmly in the 'return if I'm in the area' category, though since I rarely go to Harrow, that may not be for a while. It may however be worth picking over Harrow-on-the-Hill branch, just for the food quality alone.