Zankou Chicken
Category: Greek and Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: Glendale1415 E Colorado St
Glendale, CA 91205 (818) 244-1937
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
50 reviews
Neighborhood: Glendale
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62 Reviews for Zankou Chicken
Just came back here after a long absense--DELICIOUS! I got the Chicken Shwarma wrap for $4.99, and it was delicious! I added the garlic sauce into it, which made it 100x more amazing than it already was. I also tried some of their Basmati Rice, which was very good. The service was quick, and the food came out looking fresh and warm.
Beware, you'll be breathing out garlic sauce for a few hours if you eat too much! Remember people, everything in moderation.
Whenever I am ordering at Zankou Chicken, I find myself saying to myself, "Please don't give me a receipt. Please!" But unfortunately for me, I always get one. Dammit! One day I hope the lady at the register will forget about the receipt so I can a free meal! Oh well.
Great things on the menu to eat are the rotisserie chicken or the tri-tip shawerma. Avoid the wraps because they are 1) overpriced and 2) too small to be filling.
Other locations have kebabs, but I've had better at places that really specialize in kebabs. The ones I had at the Pasadena location were dry and chewy. So stick what they are known for...the chicken and garlic sauce.
Go Trojans! Fight On!
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Consistently good rotiserrie chicken. The bf loves this place and the half chicken (ordered extra crispy) although he's not too crazy about the purple pickled turnips. When I first moved in the area, I was coming here a lot, so I am getting a bit burnt out on it. I do feel that their sides, the basmati rice, hommus, falafels and matubbals are tasty and satisfying.
BTW - Way back when... the garlic sauce was made onsite and used to come in these little see-through plastic containers - it was a bit on the hot side and fabulous! Much smaller than the packaged, processed, vacuumed-sealed, tasteless white glob they throw into your container. Some of us remember and know the difference oh Lords of Zankou - shame on you!!
Dude - good chicken. Cheap too. Everything is on the greasy side, but they have good gyros and rotisserie chicken. The staff's English could be better, but I consider that a plus. I like to watch white people get frustrated while I eat.
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Zankou has delicious chicken, hummus, tahini, and garlic sauce (I don't care WHAT it's made out of, ok?!). It's always a toss-up on whether to order the chicken plate, or the chicken tarna plate. Both are delicious. The food alone gets 4 stars from me.
The parking pretty much sucks, and the interior of the restaurant is basically as sweet as a fast food joint or cafeteria.
THE ORDER
chicken schwarma
beef schwarma
YIIPPPEEE
Meat is flavorful
BOOO
The meat isnt very high quality
For all us high protein low carb peps
Dont even try to order meat as a side THEY WONT DO IT
how much longer did i think i could avoid eating at this location that i see ev er y day going to and from work? well, today was the day i decided to give zankou another shot. (see: http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
hmmm... slightly more satisfied than my first experience. since me and the bf had to be in and out of the place, we both ordered wraps. chicken tarna and a felafel wrap were ordered and up in less than 5 minutes.
the portion was small... for 5 bucks i can get a monster sized burrito and be full all day. but since we live in a gluttonous over-sized-portion country, i retracted my initial judgment and decided that it was a perfect sized lunch. i'd be a happier customer if they included a drink with the price instead of having to pay for it separately tho.
keep in mind that i didnt even know what a felafel was when i picked, but it was pretty good. the sauce kind of looked like it was ejaculated into my food, but i ignored that because it tasted pretty good as well. the beets werent as over-pickled as i remembered them being, which is good because i kept munchin on em; then my bf said they tasted like earth. so then i stopped munchin on the em.
good but not great. maybe i'll just order straight up chicken here and carry it on home to eat with food that i make.
The Chicken Schwarma plate is fantastic and a great value - one plate easily feeds two. I don't like the tri tip nearly as much. The food is really salty so I need about a gallon of water to go with, but its very good!
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The chicken here is excellent. My favorite has been the Chicken Tarna plate, it's amazing. The pita bread is so fresh and that garlic sauce is to die for. The price is pretty right on, especially since I generally eat only half of the platter and have the leftovers at another meal.
This place definitely satisfies!
To me the real magic of Zankou Chicken is in the sides. Seriously, the Hummus is like slightly creamy and really good, and the garlic paste is some concoction of garlic magic, I keep what I don't use and put it on everything I eat for the next 2 days. Don't even get me started on the pickled turnip, I could eat those hot pink strips of tasty goodness for days.
Zankou Sides = Win.
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When the SO and I went on vacation for Memorial Day weekend, we decided to go to the Los Angeles area, in particular, the Glendale area. I've titled our weekend the "Glendalian Memorial Day Weekend Extravaganza". What's there to do in Glendale? Well, eat, and eat we did.
A Glendale native suggested that we eat at Zankou's because it had the best chicken in Glendale, and after eating here three days in a row, I think we agree. This has to be some of the best chicken I've ever had. The first time we ate there, I had the chicken wrap and the mutabbal. The chicken was well-seasoned, and lathered in their famous garlic sauce. The mutabbal was freaking good, and you could really taste the eggplant.
We tried to go to another Armenian restaurant only to find that it was closed, so we headed to Zankou. I got the Chicken Tarna plate, and it was massive. A huge pile of chicken, hummus and tahini dips in two of the dividers, two little containers of their garlic sauce, and two pitas. Let's just say that it was an Atkin's diet eaters dream. It was awesome. I had enough to last me to bring me back to the hotel and had it for breakfast in the morning. Yes, that good.
The third time was when it was time for us to return to San Jose, and we got a chicken, cut in half, and put it in Gladware and brought it on the plane with us. Freaking hard core.
I love this place, and if we ever return to Glendalian, we will definitely return. The clientle for this place really embodied Glendale, too; it was a mixture of Armenians, Filipinos, and Mexicans each time we went.
Just FYI ... there's parking underneath the shopping complex and it was empty the times that we went. It's better than having to deal with the parking upstairs.
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I don't understand what everyone raves about. I found the meats and hummus too greasy. I had to spoon out the oil from the hummus, as there was a puddle of it. The sandwiches are too small to be filling.
Also, I understand it's fast food, but do the seats really have to be so uncomfortable. I didn't like the environment, either. It gave off a cold feeling; not a warm, welcoming experience.
I'm not a big fan of middle eastern food. But I am a fan of Z-chicken. The girls at the counter can turn that frown upside down. But that must be an Armenian thing. It's all good, at least they don't be hatin' on me when I share my huge -ssed meal with my honey. If you can eat the whole thing, you're a pig. Their portions are huge.
I really wish they would open one up close to Irvine. I know everyone raves about their chicken, but if you want to try changing it up, the tri tip schwarma is good too.
For the price, it is definitely a great place to eat. A wrap is somewhat filling and about 5 bucks. A plate is just under 8-9 bucks. Make sure to eat it with the pickled turnips. They're refreshing and the texture adds crunch to your bite.
I've only been to the Zankou in Pasadena. The decor is kind of empty and depressing. If you look out the window you can see a Scientology place right across the street. It's easy to accidentally park in McDonalds parking lot next door. It wasn't busy at all the times I have been there.
Make sure to dine with friends if you eat inside (of the Pasadena location) because I have seen some shady characters.
I give it 4 for the food, but the atmosphere is pretty bad. But I mean, this is pretty much a fast food place so I don't hold it against them.
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If I want to ward off women
and
or
vampires
and have a heart attack all at the same time
I GO HERE!
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All I can say is the GARLIC SAUCE!!!! well, and the chicken too...I love this place!
I thought this place was really tasty!
I love places that give you a million little sides...well... maybe not a million, but a bunch normally helps. :)
Get the chicken and put everything together and eat it with the bread! Yum!
You get a LOT of food. I made two meals out of it and I was stuffed each time I ate.
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This, like all Zankou Chicken locations, is fabulous in my opinion, especially for the price. I've eaten tons of Middle Eastern food all over the world. I still think Zankou Chicken is delicious.
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I've been coming to Zankou and its other locations for so many years but the jig is up!!! Their chicken isn't to die for, it's their garlic sauce and hummus. Thanks to my Nu-wave I broil the chicken at home and dice some tomatoes then head off to Zankou to buy their over priced garlic sauce and hummus.
It's a semi home made meal that's way cheaper and environmentally friendly (Zankou uses styrofoam containers).
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This is the only Zankou Chicken I've ever been to. I know I'm Armenian, but I'm not a Glendale Armenian, and I don't eat meat, so cut me some slack. I actually went here before a high-school football game. My high school doesn't have a stadium, so we play our home games at nearby (to this restaurant, not to my high school) Glendale High School. Anyway, I was at a playoff game (I think?) a few years after I had graduated high school. I figured I should as least give Zankou Chicken a try.
I don't remember what I had, but I remember it being good. The atmosphere I can live without, but that's true basically everywhere in Glendale.
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best rotisserie chicken evAr. i'm a fan of the garlic paste and pita, too. a lot of bang for the buck.
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Yum....tasty, tasty chicken. And that stuff that they give you to spread over everything...it's some evil combination of lemon juice, margarine or oil, and 5 tons of fresh garlic whipped into a paste. You can eat a ton of it, then watch your friends dissolve when you breathe on them. Not an optimal date place in that regard.
Seriously shitty tiny parking lot here. Good luck with that.
Zankoooooooooou!
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Ah, another good lunch spot. Kind of grimy and always had a line during weekdays anytime from 12-3pm. Guess it doesn't help that there's a school nearby. It can get pricey real quick when ordering any of the plate items for lunch.
To me, it's good comfort food although nothing spectacular.The shawermas and chicken tarna wraps are delicious. The falafel is prepared correctly and is tasty, especially with hummus. What more can I say? The red violet beet pickles are crunchy stain causing stalks. Perfect to refresh the mouth after so much meat and carbohydrate intake.
Parking space here is minimal and there's no option to park on the street. There is a parking attendent who monitors traffic flow. What a job.
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Warning! Do not put the garlic paste on your face!
Do not smear it around on your pita bread with your fingers!
You will smell like you've been doing the backstroke in a pool full of fermenting garlic cloves and no woman or man will want kiss you or manhandle you for days. Maybe even a week or two.
Classic: Chicken Tarna combo meal
Not so into the falafels here.
I'd take it home with you, don't eat in the establishment itself. Then you can wash down your garlic, chicken-based meal with big, manly swallows of a good paired wine. This is gonna sound funny but...go get a bottle of cheap ass merlot from Trader Joes. Then munch down on your meal from here. You might have one of those zen foodie moments people talk about where you stop hearing dialogue around you and the heavens open up and God appears and he's like: SEE LIFE AIN'T SO BAD IS IT, TURKEYBRAINS.
PS I have never put the garlic paste on my face. But it is SO GOOD that a little part of me thinks about it.
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The Best, the best , the best. Great rotisserie ( not as good as cost-co in my book , but pretty damn good) and I love the chicken schwarma and tarna sandwiches. Do your friends a favor and don't EVER grab a quick bite from zankou before meeting up with friends - your breath will haunt you!
Never had a bad meal at zankou - stick with the chicken.
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the garlic sauce is a bit lardy for me (leaves some sort of buttery film in my mouth) and isn't really as "garlicky" as a garlic fiend like me desires.
but, the chicken is dank....
the salad is good...
the marinated turnips and beets are the bomb...
the warm pita is good....
i like to make my own gyro using hummus as the spread, rather than the garlic sauce...it's healthier and helps the lettuce and veggies stick better in place....
also, the hot chilis are a perfect compliment, for those who enjoy a spicy kick!
it's an overall good value for the amount of food you get and the fullness you feel as you leave.
also, it's usually pretty clean inside, when considering how busy they get at times... which is a good indication of how clean it is on the other side of the counter!
mama likey!!
xo-
andrea
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Oh my Jesus God. I couldn't stop thinking of this place the whole week I was in Glendale. We took a tub of that garlic sauce back to Chicago with us. Get this, my boyfriend can eat two of those chicken wraps in one sitting. He is so lucky.
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FUCK YOU! Every time I go here, you guys are assholes. Just because you mumble in your thick weirdo accent doesn't mean I'm stupid. It means I can understand you. Don't ask me if I want it "like peektoor?" WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!
I'm never coming here again. Instead, I'm heading north to Soumarelo.
Again, fuck you, Zankou. Fuck you.
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Sometimes when I'm eating chicken from somewhere else, I'm thinking, "Why can't this be Zankou?"
And that garlic sauce, to die for!!
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I make a pilgrimage to Zankou every time I come down to visit the parents. The chicken is amazing and the garlic sauce is so good that it might be able to turn brussels sprouts into a tasty treat.
Note to Mr. Zankou: You would make a freakin' fortune up north.
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i LOVE zankou. Best hummus, best chicken. Chicken tarna wrap is delicious or even the chicken by itself.
not all that great the chicken is dry to me and i dont like the sides too much...except the bread...
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oh my freakin God! I have no idea why people like this place. It was the wost tasting chicken i have ever had in my life. I took 2 bites, just to give it a second chance and I couldn't stand it. I don't know what it was, the sauce? The dryness of the chicken? The saltiness? I'm baffled.
Why do I love this place? Two words: GARLIC SAUCE. Otherwise, the food is slightly above average. Tasty, but...MUST... HAVE... GARLIC... SAUCE. They are beginning to get a bit stingy with the garlic sauce and are starting to CHARGE you for it, but to me, it's so worth it.
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If I were a chicken, I want to be marinated and served with pickled radish like at Zankou's.
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Did you guys try the rice? It's sooo freakin good! And with that garlic chicken sauce, spread, whatever, it's why i come back. Those delicious roasted chicken make my heart skip a beat. I come here all the time. Love , love, love their babaganoush. (on menu as eggplant spread, or something like that.)
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Zankou Chicken ties with Joe T Garcia's in Fort Worth, Texas, as my favorite restaurant EVER. All of the Zankou's are good. The Zankou in Glendale and the one in Anaheim are both in strip malls with outstanding pastry shops, so those two are extra special. The new Zankou in Burbank is nice enough to take a date. But all of the Zankous will satisfy your need for GARLIC. And perfect roast chicken. And a perfect chicken tarna sandwich. Perfect.
To the Zankou family: please considering opening a Zankou in the south bay - maybe near LAX? There are a lot of aerospace engineers who would keep that place PACKED.
I'm like "Say what?? I haven't written a review for ZanKOU yet??? I eat here ALL the time!"
And so I do. And there are enough folks out there who know how delightfully crispy, salty and flavorful that roasted chicken is. Serve it up on the puffy warm pitas with hummus, pickled beets, and that tremendous garlic sauce that comes in a tub. We always ask for extra garlic tubs. And we use em.
Went out dancin with the girls post garlic tubbin' one night. I burped the teeniest tiniest most Thumbelina burp ever. Silent. 30 seconds later the whole SUV was like "Damn!! That's some crazy garlic bref!! Girl, you need some gum or something??"
The rest of the night, I would let out a Thumbelina garlic bomb, and sneak away. I think I maintained pretty good cover. Except I kept waving my hand in front of my face, and had to fess up a few times. I just said "Zankou." Big laughs all around - everyone understands the magical Zankou garlic sauce!!
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Update: (Just for Pavel) -- The three stars is deserved, considering the place is generally crowded, and the chicken too salty for my taste.
I suppose this place really deserves 3.5 stars, but I can't do halves. :o(
------------------
Yes, yes, the hype about the garlic sauce is totally understandable -- it is good stuff!
As for the chicken itself... crispy, yes it is, but it's just a little too salty for my liking (the skins, I suppose). The actual chicken meat itself is quite good, however. Try it with a slice of those flat breads (pita) they give you. Slather a liberal amount of garlic sauce, stick some pickled beets in and some hummus, and stuff the bread pocket with chicken. Then eat it.
Hamana, hamana, hamana -- ahh, yummy stuff.
Try Zankou Chicken out if you're in the area... it's relatively cheap.
One and 1/3 thumbs up!
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Bombalya Jambalaya - this place rocks! I would eat it every day if I could, but I live in the Southbay now. Hint hint Zankou dudes!! Never has the skin of the chicken tasted so yummy. And the pickled beets? Please! I'm getting hungry just thinking about 'em...
Word to the wise, watch your gaseous emissions after eating - faces can and will be fried right off the skull.
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