Zankou Chicken

(323) 665-7842

5065 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027 34.0982 -118.2998

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Neighborhoods: Hollywood, Central LA

ZANKOUCHICKEN.COM

Last updated 6.04.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Family-Friendly Dining, Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

Cuisine:

Middle Eastern, Armenian

What People Are Saying About Zankou Chicken

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – The original Zankou Chicken isn't much to look at: a narrow slice in an unremarkable Hollywood strip mall. But the glowing critical accolades Zankou has garnered--blown up, framed and proudly displayed--foreshadow fabulous fare that will quickly make you forget the orange Formica and faux wood-paneled ambience. – – The Food – Spit-roasted chicken attracts most of the attention and deservedly so. Tender, moist and permeated with flavor, it's rotisserie roasted to crisp perfection. But the rest of the menu easily meets or beats the bird. Soujouk is an…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Several menu items--including kebabs and the transcendental soujouk--are only available at the Hollywood restaurant.
Save Money:
Though the chicken skin will lose its crispy texture, it's just as delicious the next day. Order a whole chicken or two and save some for later.
Know Before You Go:
Several menu items--including kebabs and the transcendental soujouk--are only available at the Hollywood restaurant.
Save Money:
Though the chicken skin will lose its crispy texture, it's just as delicious the next day. Order a whole chicken or two and save some for later.
ambiance
75.0% positive
  1. There are big differences from location to location, however, and the Hollywood location suffers from two gals at the front counter who make standing in line a frequently longer experience than eating the meal.
  2. recommend eating Zankou chicken at another location not L.A., Pasadena is the best.
  3. Get it to go - otherwise you'll have to sit under flourescent lights and a bad strip mall atmosphere.
  4. love Zankou chicken, but the service at the L.A. location is less than desirable.
food quality
93.38000297546387% positive
  1. The schwarma is so juicy and delicious, and with the sandwich, they put it together for you (with chopped tomatoes too), and it's so good.
  2. like the wraps and the chicken meals.
  3. This is fast food, even though it doesn't taste like it, so do yourself a favor and order to go, then settle in at home for your favorite show or a DVD you've being dying to see.
  4. Rich loved the sides of lettuce, tomato, hummous, unidentified purple pickled things, and the great sauces.
  5. liked the quality of the food very much and the price is also very reasonable for the amount of food that you are receiving.
  6. this place has the best chicken around, for the price.
  7. If you're looking for some fast, good food check out Zankou.
  8. Sure, but a tasty and economical treat.
  9. best chicken you'll ever eat.
  10. The chicken schwarma sandwiches are unbelievably good.
  11. Amazing - the place has awesome food but don't expect polite service.
  12. tomatoes and garlic sauce, in a warm fresh pita bread!
  13. The chicken is good, the food is cheap, but it's really all about the GARLIC SAUCE!
  14. Quality food at a reasonable price
  15. We have been coming to Zankou for several years now, and have always enjoyed the food.
  16. recommend the chicken or the Shawerma (Beef) sandwich, Tarna (Chicken) sandwich, or the Falafel Sandwich.
  17. Good food and good value.
  18. Hands down the best take-out chicken ever.
  19. This is the best chicken I have ever had.
  20. Their chicken is so delicious.
  21. Best BBQ chicken on the west coast!
  22. Overall, a good meal, but not something we would drive out of our way again for.
  23. This has got to be the best chicken in LA.
  24. This is THE best place in L.A. for chicken!
  25. The first 2-3 times I really enjoyed the chicken then the Mayo with garlic in it get's really sicking.
  26. The accompanying fixings are still superb, and I still can't remember their correct names, so I'll call 'em something I CAN remember; (1) that onions/tomatoes/pickled ginger/other-stuff thingy, (2) that mashed-up white beans and garlic thingy, and (3) tha
  27. best friggin' chicken i've ever come across in my life!
  28. hate chicken.
  29. recommend eating Zankou chicken at another location not L.A., Pasadena is the best.
  30. The service and food is always great.
  31. Famous for spit roasted chicken, the meat is unusually juicy, tasty and delicious.
  32. People in line with us were raving about the wonderful food, but - okay, the chicken was good, but not fabulous - certainly no special flavoring that might have made in unique(ly Armenian?)
  33. Some ppl say that their chicken was really good, but I'd say that the chicken tastes very cheap.
  34. There are big differences from location to location, however, and the Hollywood location suffers from two gals at the front counter who make standing in line a frequently longer experience than eating the meal.
  35. enjoyed the food at this establishment very much.
  36. The chicken is fantastic!
  37. Great chicken shawerma though!
  38. The garlic sauce they give you is divine.
  39. Don't get me wrong, their Shish-Kabab, Shawarma, Chicken & Garlic Sauce are the BEST (believe all the rave reviews) and I do not mind paying any amount for great food, but you don't have to call it "cheap
  40. The pita roll sandwiches are the geat with the chicken tarna (chx shwarma) is terrific, the garlic spread makes it so uniquely yummy.
  41. As you enter any of the Zankou Chicken restaurants you notice behind the counter all the delicious chicken being roasted in the ovens behind the counter.
  42. they're famous for ther yummy garlic sauce.
  43. Armenian fast food and its good stuff.
  44. I've been to many a chicken joint in LA and Zankou is by far my favorite.
  45. Their chicken is good.
  46. Their chicken does taste pretty good, but there's nothing else to eat it with besides the sauce.
  47. It comes with half of a chicken, humus, Armenian pickles, pita, and a very tasteful garlic sauce.
  48. very satisfying delicious meal for 3.99 - you can't beat the taste and satisfaction for this price anywhere!
  49. We heard things like "best chicken on earth" so maybe our expectations were a little high.
  50. But at Zankou, the food is delicious all the time!
  51. this chicken is full of flavor, awesome tasting.
  52. cheap, fresh chicken
  53. Great sauce, fantastic chicken, incredible value, and highly addictive.
  54. Secondly the food is terrific.
  55. good chicken.
  56. Zankou makes the best rotisserie chicken I've ever had.
  57. strongly recommend their "TARNA" sandwhiches which consists of seasoned chicken.
  58. Zankou predates any of those rotisserie chicken joints, and it still beats them for a reliably delicious, cheap meal.
  59. the best chicken in town.
  60. In the past the chicken was nice(no smell) now the chicken smell like cheap food.
  61. The roasted chicken meal with extra garlic sauce and pita is a great meal for a reasonable price.
  62. Love the chicken at Zancou!
  63. love Zankou chicken, but the service at the L.A. location is less than desirable.
  64. vegetables, fresh pitas and their wonderful,
  65. garlic spread + hummus + pita bread + famous zankou chicken is mouthwatering
  66. have not had the chicken here, but the falafel is really not that good.
  67. The hummus and tabouleh were delicious.
  68. the food's good here and it's cheap.
  69. The roast chicken is delicious.
  70. Some of the best food you'll ever taste in your life.
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. and Olympic was perfect if a little more expensive than I remember the menu being.
  2. also liked the variety of the menu and the different options i had.
  3. The prices are very inexpensive, the service is fast and friendly and overall the menu items we samples were great.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. This is THE best place in L.A. for chicken!
service
72.22000122070312% positive
  1. love Zankou chicken, but the service at the L.A. location is less than desirable.
  2. Amazing - the place has awesome food but don't expect polite service.
  3. The expanded and redesigned facility is much more customer friendly.
  4. The price is very resonable, but I didn't like their lousy service.
  5. The prices are very inexpensive, the service is fast and friendly and overall the menu items we samples were great.
  6. Waitstaff were rude and impatient and unaccommodating when we had been misguided about what to order and wanted to add to what we had gotten.
  7. The service and food is always great.
  8. Lastly, the people there have always been very friendly and personable.
  9. The service has always been nice and helpful, so we cannot agree with some of the posts that criticize their help.
value
91.00000381469727% positive
  1. Quality food at a reasonable price
  2. this place has the best chicken around, for the price.
  3. and Olympic was perfect if a little more expensive than I remember the menu being.
  4. very satisfying delicious meal for 3.99 - you can't beat the taste and satisfaction for this price anywhere!
  5. liked the quality of the food very much and the price is also very reasonable for the amount of food that you are receiving.
  6. The roasted chicken meal with extra garlic sauce and pita is a great meal for a reasonable price.
  7. The chicken is good, the food is cheap, but it's really all about the GARLIC SAUCE!
  8. cheap, fresh chicken
  9. Don't get me wrong, their Shish-Kabab, Shawarma, Chicken & Garlic Sauce are the BEST (believe all the rave reviews) and I do not mind paying any amount for great food, but you don't have to call it "cheap
  10. Great sauce, fantastic chicken, incredible value, and highly addictive.
  11. Definitely one of the best foods for the dollar in LA.
  12. You can eat in or take out and prices are extremely reasonable.
  13. Zankou predates any of those rotisserie chicken joints, and it still beats them for a reliably delicious, cheap meal.
  14. The price is very resonable, but I didn't like their lousy service.
  15. In the past the chicken was nice(no smell) now the chicken smell like cheap food.
  16. Some ppl say that their chicken was really good, but I'd say that the chicken tastes very cheap.
  17. the food's good here and it's cheap.
  18. Good food and good value.
  19. The prices are very inexpensive, the service is fast and friendly and overall the menu items we samples were great.
  20. best value leader
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/31/12

chicken tarna sandwich!!

by aprincess11

the taste here is special. Crazy place, almost serve yourself. But it is good food here!

1 Star Rating: Poor

10/19/11

food poisoning

by tiernanturner

Violent puking all night. Thanks Zankou.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/15/11

Get The Garlic Sauce

by pandres

I love this place. I'm only giving it 4 stars because the servers are miserable a lot of the time. Maybe they feel they don't have to be nice because they have the best Middle-Eastern food in town. Nobody smiles.

But the food is brilliant. Do what I do-- get a falafel or shawarma sandwich to go and keep your mouth shut. But whatever you order- ask for extra garlic sauce and put it on everything you eat for a week.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/17/08

soooooooooo good!

by dthstar

i'm not into middle eastern food, but i always get 3 of their beef schwarma sandwiches at a time from here and pay extra for their large garlic paste! the pickled peppers and beets really add to the flavor of the hummus spread inside the sandwich. i've had the chicken too but don't care for it.

  • Pros: awesome beef schwarmas
  • Cons: you can't place large orders over the phone- you have to wait for your order outside the line
4 Star Rating: Recommended

01/13/08

Garlic sauce, garlic sauce, garlic sauce, garlic sauce, garlic sauce!

by vsusa

The chicken is good, the food is cheap, but it's really all about the GARLIC SAUCE!!! Make sure not to go here before you go out for the evening or you will reek! It so good you want to keep eating it, and you do. And then your tongue hurts later. But it's worth it!

  • Pros: Garlic sauce
  • Cons: Not the best area

The Details on Zankou Chicken

Place Categories:

  • best bbq chicken
  • best good food
  • great garlic sauce
  • reliably delicious cheap meal
  • reasonable price
  • not best chicken
  • rude waitstaff
  • recommend falafel sandwich
  • not polite lousy service
  • great chicken shawerma
  • unusually juicy famous
  • helpful service
  • best little place
  • exotic plate
  • tasty treat
  • incredible value
  • like falafel
  • terrific pita
  • delicious schwarma
  • personable people
  • like wraps
  • warm fresh pita bread
  • not fabulous okay
  • best restaraunt
  • not best shawarma
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