If you have lived in Hemel long enough you will know, or more likely will be told about, Pepe's. Frankly there are cults with less devoted followings. I half expect people to chase you down the Marlowes asking if you've tried their chicken yet. Well one rainy evening I cracked and tried them. We don't normally review chains, but I couldn't resist all the hype. I tell you what - sign me up to the cult!
Pepe's is your standard Nando's equivalent. Doing various versions of chicken with varying heats of sauces to go with. Nothing wrong with that all, but 'fancy' it is not. But that's totally fine - as it nails the offering. Firstly be VERY careful with how spicy you want your food. I handle spice quite well and went for hot (which is not the hottest option) and I was running to the kitchen to stick my head under the tap. It wasn't inedibly hot (there's a funny story about me full on dribbling in a pub in Sussex when I overestimated my spice tolerance which we won't go into), but you definitely know you've been in a fight with some chilli. Order wisely!
I went for a wrap combo (a chicken wrap, fries and a drink), plus three wings. That came to £10.28 or £13.28 after delivery and JustEat's fee. Very reasonable and on a par with Nandos and other fast food chicken places.
The wrap was lovely. It had great grill lines running down it, with succulent chicken that was well cooked, soft but not dry. If we're splitting hairs, it had a bit too much sauce, so was a bit soggy, and the wrap itself was starting to lose a little of its cohesion. But it held together and I suspect it was in much better shape when it was originally made in store. I added Peri Peri salt to the fries for 30p. Pro tip - if there is ever an option to add a speciality salt to fries for 50p or under - just do it. It makes a world of difference and I have yet to be disappointed I have 'splashed out' on it. Live a little!
The wings were my favourite. The meat fell off the bones, again the meat was cooked beautifully - not dry, nice and moist and spiced really nicely. I only ordered f, but I could have eaten a lot more of those.
The obvious point of comparison to Pepe's is Nandos. So the big question... Is this better? I think unquestionably, yes. If you want a cheap chicken meal, which is well spiced (or if you have a high tolerance for spice) - give Pepe's a go.
Service:
Ordered via JustEat (although do try and go direct and save yourself some money) and it arrived hot within 30 mins.
Price & Value:
Excellent value at £10 for a full meal - but it didn't feel budget. Yes, it's not a gourmet meal, but for the price, it offers excellently cooked chicken.
Quality:
It's obviously on the basic side for the price range, but it is still cooked well and tastes good.
Overall:
VERY GOOD - If you want a cheap, well cooked, well spiced, chicken meal - this should top of the pecking order.
Comentários