Romados

"This trailblazing restaurant on Rachel East has been cooking up one of the city’s most beloved renditions of piri-piri chicken for almost 30 years now. It was instrumental in propelling the dish to icon status, and despite recently changing ownership, remains a local favourite." - Valerie Silva

"A styrofoam container stuffed with this restaurant’s iconic recipe for Portuguese rotisserie chicken — now under new ownership but still faithfully executed to original specifications — accompanied by a hefty mountain of fries (and a token salad) is enough to bring on the food coma that will outlast any hangover. Be sure to have them slather on their famous spicy piri piri sauce." - JP Karwacki, Joel Balsam

"Though not the first to serve delicious, piri piri-slathered, charcoal-grilled bird in the city, Romados was instrumental in popularizing it. Under new ownership since October 2021, it remains a favourite for Portuguese chicken served in quarters, halves, wholes, or sandwich form." - Valerie Silva, Tim Forster

"It's worth braving the line on this busy corner of Plateau-Mont Royal just for Rôtisserie Romados' iconic Portuguese spatchcocked chicken and fries. The joint is half takeout counter (complete with linoleum flooring and open fridges) and half eatery, with a few seats facing the window on Rachel Street. The bird is prepared churrasco-style—flattened between a two-sided grill on an open fire—until it's crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It's served with deliciously greasy house-cut fries, a salad, and a whole Portuguese bun." - Todd Plummer, Isa Tousignant

"Whether you’re from Montreal or moved in from elsewhere, Romados was likely your first local experience of Portuguese rotisserie. It’s been 30 years of diehard fandom that shows no sign of stopping anytime soon, plowing through 300 to 600 chickens a day atop its coals." - JP Karwacki