Zankou Chicken

Zankou came highly recommended. We heard things like ""best chicken on earth"" so maybe our expectations were a little high. Rich had the chicken and Chris had the beef, we split a hummous appetizer which ended up being overkill because you get so much hummous with the shawerma anyway. Both meals were very good. The chicken was tender and juicy. The beef started out kind of mild, but the more we ate the better it tasted. Rich loved the sides of lettuce, tomato, hummous, unidentified purple pickled things, and the great sauces. For all the signs advertising ""best cheap eats"" though, $24 for lunch for 2 seemed a little steep to us. Overall, a good meal, but not something we would drive out of our way again for. Pros: large portions, great sauces Cons: cash only, parking more

Zankou came highly recommended. We heard things like "best chicken on earth" so maybe our expectations were a little high. Rich had the chicken and Chris had the beef, we split a hummous appetizer which ended up being overkill because you get so much hummous with the shawerma anyway. Both meals were very good. The chicken was tender and juicy. The beef started out kind of mild, but the more we ate the better it tasted. Rich loved the sides of lettuce, tomato, hummous, unidentified purple pickled things, and the great sauces. For all the signs advertising "best cheap eats" though, $24 for lunch for 2 seemed a little steep to us. Overall, a good meal, but not something we would drive out of our way again for. Pros: large portions, great sauces Cons: cash only, parking more

Love the garlic dip and hummus. The chickens are way too fatty. Even a fat and carb lover like me can't get through it, particularly as it congeals. The line wait is interminable; two of the evening gals will talk for HOURS before they take your order, completely oblivious to the customers, which is why the line at this location is almost always longer than at the Glendale location. Al Wazir at Gower and Hollywood can be better, but only if the good chef is on. Otherwise, it can be far worse. Pros: cost Cons: no parking, fatty chicken more

Love the garlic dip and hummus. The chickens are way too fatty. Even a fat and carb lover like me can't get through it, particularly as it congeals. The line wait is interminable; two of the evening gals will talk for HOURS before they take your order, completely oblivious to the customers, which is why the line at this location is almost always longer than at the Glendale location. Al Wazir at Gower and Hollywood can be better, but only if the good chef is on. Otherwise, it can be far worse. Pros: cost Cons: no parking, fatty chicken more

Zankou still has no equal. Everything still tastes exquisite and exotic, especially the schawerma plate! Can't get enough of that succulent spindle-roasted beef. The accompanying fixings are still superb, and I still can't remember their correct names, so I'll call 'em something I CAN remember; (1) that onions/tomatoes/pickled ginger/other-stuff thingy, (2) that mashed-up white beans and garlic thingy, and (3) that spicy yogurt thingy. All this beef and stuff comes with pita bread that tastes good enough to order by itself. Four hungry folks ordered beef schawerma plates, and four of us needed take home boxes. Talk about tuck for the buck! But wait! There's more. Zankou is better than it was before! The expanded and redesigned facility is much more customer friendly. One less business in the mini-mall (Zankou now occupies its former space) translates into MORE PARKING for Zankou customers! And, speaking of friendly, Zankou's owners seem to have discovered how to staff the counter with friendlier folks who actually talk to and smile at customers! When a proven winner improves, it's got to be good. What, you say? Why no comment on the chicken at Zankou Chicken? After all, how can a review of Zankou exclude Zankou's signature meat? I'm trying, but I can't get past that schawerma, spindle-roasted, succulent, spicy, melts-in-your-mouth beef... I'd better quit! Pros: Food, Inexpensive, Exotic Cons: Perceived safety of neighborhood more

Zankou still has no equal. Everything still tastes exquisite and exotic, especially the schawerma plate! Can't get enough of that succulent spindle-roasted beef. The accompanying fixings are still superb, and I still can't remember their correct names, so I'll call 'em something I CAN remember; (1) that onions/tomatoes/pickled ginger/other-stuff thingy, (2) that mashed-up white beans and garlic thingy, and (3) that spicy yogurt thingy. All this beef and stuff comes with pita bread that tastes good enough to order by itself.\r \r Four hungry folks ordered beef schawerma plates, and four of us needed take home boxes. Talk about tuck for the buck!\r \r But wait! There's more. Zankou is better than it was before! The expanded and redesigned facility is much more customer friendly. One less business in the mini-mall (Zankou now occupies its former space) translates into MORE PARKING for Zankou customers! And, speaking of friendly, Zankou's owners seem to have discovered how to staff the counter with friendlier folks who actually talk to and smile at customers!\r \r When a proven winner improves, it's got to be good.\r \r What, you say? Why no comment on the chicken at Zankou Chicken? After all, how can a review of Zankou exclude Zankou's signature meat? I'm trying, but I can't get past that schawerma, spindle-roasted, succulent, spicy, melts-in-your-mouth beef... I'd better quit!\r Pros: Food, Inexpensive, Exotic Cons: Perceived safety of neighborhood more

We have been coming to Zankou for several years now, and have always enjoyed the food. The service has always been nice and helpful, so we cannot agree with some of the posts that criticize their help. The roasted chicken meal with extra garlic sauce and pita is a great meal for a reasonable price. We will continue coming here and suggest others to try Zankou as we feel their chicken is much better than the other fast food offerings available. Pros: GOOD, Fast, Reasonably Priced more

We have been coming to Zankou for several years now, and have always enjoyed the food. The service has always been nice and helpful, so we cannot agree with some of the posts that criticize their help. The roasted chicken meal with extra garlic sauce and pita is a great meal for a reasonable price. We will continue coming here and suggest others to try Zankou as we feel their chicken is much better than the other fast food offerings available. Pros: GOOD, Fast, Reasonably Priced more

I have no clue why people are rating this place so high. Their chicken is good. Not great. Their staff has always been rude to me. Every. Single. Time. They don't accept cards, so unless you have exact change, and I mean EXACT, they'll give you an earful. The place is an eyesore, so don't bring dates, family or friends. Why is this place so popular? No idea. Pros: good chicken Cons: rude staff, ambience?, only cash more

I have no clue why people are rating this place so high. Their chicken is good. Not great. Their staff has always been rude to me. Every. Single. Time. They don't accept cards, so unless you have exact change, and I mean EXACT, they'll give you an earful. The place is an eyesore, so don't bring dates, family or friends. Why is this place so popular? No idea. Pros: good chicken Cons: rude staff, ambience?, only cash more

This has got to be the best chicken in LA. Anyone who says anything else does not know what they are talking about. Pros: Inexpensive, great chiken, Must Try more

This has got to be the best chicken in LA. Anyone who says anything else does not know what they are talking about. Pros: Inexpensive, great chiken, Must Try more

I love Zankou chicken, but the service at the L.A. location is less than desirable. The person working the counter was acting like the soup nazi, she acted as though she resented having customers. I recommend eating Zankou chicken at another location not L.A., Pasadena is the best. Pros: food Cons: service more

I love Zankou chicken, but the service at the L.A. location is less than desirable. The person working the counter was acting like the soup nazi, she acted as though she resented having customers. I recommend eating Zankou chicken at another location not L.A., Pasadena is the best. Pros: food Cons: service more

Even if you're not a chicken lover, Zankou will win your heart. Make a point of trying the excellent garlic butter (what's a little more cholesterol?), and I recommend eating the skin. Fattening? Sure, but a tasty and economical treat. If you visit the branch in Pasadena, don't forget about the little known free parking lot in back (access through the alley next to McDonalds). Parking on Colorado Blvd. can be tricky because of Pasadena City College across the street. Pros: Taste!, Bargain, Speedy Cons: Ambiance more

Even if you're not a chicken lover, Zankou will win your heart. Make a point of trying the excellent garlic butter (what's a little more cholesterol?), and I recommend eating the skin. Fattening? Sure, but a tasty and economical treat. If you visit the branch in Pasadena, don't forget about the little known free parking lot in back (access through the alley next to McDonalds). Parking on Colorado Blvd. can be tricky because of Pasadena City College across the street. Pros: Taste!, Bargain, Speedy Cons: Ambiance more

People in line with us were raving about the wonderful food, but - okay, the chicken was good, but not fabulous - certainly no special flavoring that might have made in unique(ly Armenian?). Waitstaff were rude and impatient and unaccommodating when we had been misguided about what to order and wanted to add to what we had gotten. The best thing was the eggplant hummus, everything else ordinary. Pros: inexpensive, parking okay, not too busy Cons: ordinary food, rude waitstaff more

People in line with us were raving about the wonderful food, but - okay, the chicken was good, but not fabulous - certainly no special flavoring that might have made in unique(ly Armenian?). Waitstaff were rude and impatient and unaccommodating when we had been misguided about what to order and wanted to add to what we had gotten. The best thing was the eggplant hummus, everything else ordinary. Pros: inexpensive, parking okay, not too busy Cons: ordinary food, rude waitstaff more

The first 2-3 times I really enjoyed the chicken then the Mayo with garlic in it get's really sicking. So we stopped eating there. The faflals are so so. The better place is on melrose near Cantors. Pros: dry chicken Cons: price more

The first 2-3 times I really enjoyed the chicken then the Mayo with garlic in it get's really sicking. So we stopped eating there. The faflals are so so. The better place is on melrose near Cantors. Pros: dry chicken Cons: price more