Every time I go back to LA, my friend Mo tells me to go eat at Zankou Chicken. He’s a big fan, and so are a lot of the food bloggers who have been to Zankou Chicken. My friend Sandy and I were actually hunting down taco trucks on Colorado Blvd, but instead, we found Zankou Chicken. I quickly told her to turn around because I had to try it.
We walked into a not-so-fancy looking place, but it sure smelled great. Sandy and I decided to just share a 1/4 chicken platter for $6.99 that came with a piece of chicken, hummus, salad, and 2 pitas. I stabbed the chicken with the fork and took a bite. The chicken was super tender, flavorful, and the skin was crispy. The 2 sides and the pitas were all pretty good too. I can see why people love it. The chicken was so good, I could eat just the skin forever.
About Zankou Chicken
Zankou Chicken was first opened in 1962 in Beirut, Lebanon, and established in the United States in 1983 by Mardiros Iskenderian. The chain has multiple locations in the Los Angeles area, including East Hollywood, Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys, Montebello, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, and Santa Clarita. The original location is at 5065 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA.
Menu Highlights
Zankou Chicken is known for its spit-roasted chicken, hand-sliced, boneless chicken marinated in an herb bath and spit-roasted to perfection (Chicken Tarna), marinated and flame-broiled USDA choice tri-tip (Shawerma), and a blend of garbanzo beans, raw herbs, and spices, crafted from scratch and fried in 100% peanut oil (Falafel). The restaurant is especially famous for its thick, paste-like garlic sauce, created by Vartkes’ wife, Markrid, and widely imitated.
Popular Menu Items
- Half Chicken Plate: 1 half of the delectably savory rotisserie chicken served with your choice of 2 sides or salads, 2 fresh pita breads, and 1 garlic sauce ($20.39).
- Tarna & Shawerma Combo Plate: A 50-50 portion of chicken tarna and tri-tip shawerma, served with your choice of 3 sides or salads, 2 fresh pita breads, and 1 garlic sauce ($21.59).
- Falafel Plate: Six falafels served with hummus, tahini sauce, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, pickled turnips, and pita bread ($14.49).
