Sardi’s offers delicious pollo a la brasa.
The Peruvian version of fast food isn’t a burger; it’s chicken. Getting pollo a la brasa (Peruvian-style roast chicken)is fast and easy at casual eateries where they chop and halve or quarter your chicken for there or to go. There must be something to fast-food chicken, as Peruvian chicken restaurants have spread across the globe with a surprisingly large number in the College Park area. Of course, like fast-food burger places, only a few stand out from the others in terms of quality.
My stint working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed the government scientists’ love of Peruvian food from Sardi’s Pollo a la Brasa, which opened only a few years ago on Route 1, down the street from the department’s Beltsville research center. It is common to see USDA employees stopping by for lunch or taking visiting scientists and students there for a quick bite to eat. Sardi’s has a few other locations in the Washington area, including Gaithersburg, Frederick and Manassas, Va.
National Geographic lists pollo a la brasa as one of the top 10 must-eat dishes from Peru. It claims the secret to the smoky taste is in the marinade (red peppers, cumin, soy sauce and garlic). Sardi’s takes this flavor profile to the next level by also spitting and roasting the chicken in its charcoal-burning ovens. The crisp skin and intense flavor of Sardi’s chicken is what keeps customers coming back for more. Diners can enjoy dipping their chicken in one of the three mayonnaise-based condiments that come in plastic cups on the side (white, yellow and green), ranging from mild to spicy. Opting for the dark meat can practically guarantee a juicy, finger-licking meal.
Fortunately, Sardi’s side dishes match its chicken in quality and taste. The yellow plantains (similar to fried bananas) are pleasantly sweet and cooked to perfection. Spicy, roasted red-skinned potatoes pop in your mouth. Fried yucca look and taste just like French fries but have a paler hue, extra sweetness and a starchier texture. If you want vegetables, opt for the well-seasoned green beans that never fail to give a satisfying crunch. Of course, Sardi’s’ menu does offer other Peruvian specialties, but once you have sampled the chicken, it is difficult to order anything else.
The restaurant’s website lists large portions and reasonable prices as keys to the success of its vision. A quarter of a chicken with two sides is $6.85. If you don’t feel like going up Route 1 to the Sardi’s in Beltsville, the restaurant makes deliveries within a 5-mile radius, which encompasses the College Park campus and much of the surrounding area for an extra $2. It is surprising the Sardi’s catering van isn’t often spotted on the campus, as it is frequently seen zipping around Gaithersburg, going from dentist offices to parties at the state park. Hopefully, this university’s departments will wise up and start ordering Peruvian food for their catered lunches.
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