Peri Peri Original

Let me put it to you plainly: Peri Peri Original is what happens when a Muslim-owned restaurant decides to do peri peri chicken right — halal, flame-grilled, house-marinated, and with a sauce lineup that actually delivers heat.

The owner, Zayan Abbasi, is the same person behind Spice Village in Herndon. He started Peri Peri Original franchises in Alexandria and Herndon, Virginia, and Owings Mills, Maryland, and the Alexandria spot on Old Beulah Street has quietly become one of the most reliable casual halal restaurants in the DMV. You walk in, you smell the flame, you order. That's the whole experience.

The concept is Portuguese-influenced peri peri chicken — the kind Nando's made famous — but fully halal, with a wider menu than the chain version. Flame-grilled chicken in a few spice levels is the signature. But the smashed burgers (yes, halal smash burgers) and the sandwiches have their own dedicated following. The peri peri sauce runs from mild to "why did I order hot." Chips on the side are properly crisp. There are rice bowls, wraps, salads — the usual counter-service rhythm.

Locals rave about a few things in particular. One, the consistency. You know what you're getting every single visit, which matters when you're a Muslim parent trying to find a reliable weeknight option. Two, the cleanliness and service — multiple reviews highlight how warm and professional the front-of-house is. Three, the pricing, which hits that sweet "fast casual but not fast food" zone where $12–$15 actually feeds you.

The space itself is counter-order, grab-a-seat, eat-or-take-out. Nothing fancy. Families come, college students come, workers on lunch breaks come. It fills a real need: halal lunch-and-dinner casual in a part of Fairfax County that didn't have many options before. And because the whole menu is halal, you don't have to do the mental math — just order.

A few practical notes. Spice levels are real; start medium if you haven't been. The wings are a good shareable starter. Parking is plentiful in the shopping center. And if you're heading there after work, the Friday-Saturday late close (11 PM) is a reason to go — a lot of halal spots shut early, which makes Peri Peri Original one of the more dependable post-8-PM options in the area.

What I like most is that this is part of a bigger Muslim-owned DMV restaurant ecosystem. Zayan Abbasi runs Peri Peri Original and Spice Village and a halal steakhouse inside Spice Village. That's a Muslim entrepreneur quietly building a halal-first dining portfolio — and every meal you buy at one of his spots helps that portfolio grow.

The Amara take: Reliable, flavorful, fully halal peri peri chicken. Order medium, add a side of chips, thank me later.