Nairobi News

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There’s a new Galitos in town


In the fight to take over the burger market, Galitos has expended once again – there is a new branch on Thika Road, at Thika Road Mall, and one at Capital Centre.

Galitos – formerly the much loved Nandos – has been struggling with coming into a market already assuaged with cheaper and better fast food.

Through a lot of revamping, offers, and all that fun stuff, they have managed to garner a larger market share than one would have originally anticipated, considering Steers and its unwillingness to relinquish its reign.

Galitos at Capital Centre takes over at the Food Court from the long-defunct Wimpy, who, seeing that their glory days were over, bowed out limping. Does Galitos do a better job?

Well, for one, the new place is very clean. Hopefully they will maintain this as opposed to deteriorate to mediocre hygienic standards (as is the case of several previously popular fast food joints).

When we walked in, we went straight to the booths and sat down, then a few minutes later, we were informed, in spite of the semi-comfortable restaurant-like booths, this was a self-service joint.

Those booths, by the way, are not comfortable at all – I lie. And they would be even more uncomfortable for the kind of person who eats burgers a lot, if you catch my drift.

So we went to look at the menu, which is typed in large (like most Galitos) above their counter. As expected, as at most fast food places, choice of beverage is limited to soda and water. Galitos offers chicken, salads, wraps – the usual fare.

I had a chicken wrap and my partner had the quarter chicken. The attendant gave us a buzzer that would go off when our food was ready, at which point we would have to get up again, go to the counter, give in the buzzer and have the food brought to the table.

This system seems pretty efficient to me.

There is also a sink next to the eating area which is convenient if you don’t want to go to Capital Centre’s public loos just to wash your hands.

The wrap was huge and positively slathered in creamy mayo, something which someone who does not like mayo may not appreciate.

The quarter chicken and chips, however, was woefully lacking in quantity and seemed more like a kiddies meal than one meant for a full grown adult. The chicken was very tasty, though over in two bites.

They offer flavours of lemon herb, mild, hot and very hot for the very adventurous.

The wrap was 500, and the quarter chicken combo (with chips and coleslaw) cost 500 as well, with 100 for a soda. This is the average pricing of the food here, though you can get the half chicken and the family bucket combos.

I really do not think the amount of food begets value for money, but it’s an ok place to go if you are not starving and have money that you don’t want to spend on Java’s significantly less flavourful chicken.