All You Can Eat: ultimate Mexico/USA food safari

Petersham Charcoal Chicken is quite possibly the greatest chicken spot in the world. It is very appropriate for the first blog entry of All You Can Eat because it epitomizes the sorts of places which this website seeks to document. It’s not flashy, the service certainly doesn’t leave you feeling anywhere close to being a valued customer but dear lord, the chicken is out of this world.

Located in the heart of Sydney’s strong Portuguese community in the Inner West, Petersham, Petersham Charcoal Chicken is nothing short of legendary. When I was growing up, we called it “Porcho’s”, others call it “PCBs” (Petersham Chicken Burgers). It’s somewhat of an institution in the Inner West but really, people all over Sydney know about this spot.

Now, the premises are made up on a sit-down restaurant area (which also includes an up-stairs dining area) and a take-away section. This review is going to focus on the take-away section; I’m fairly certain you have to be of Portuguese origin to have a sit-down meal so the rest of us generally have to pick up the goods and roll out, but that’s not the worst option in the world with the shop being as crowded and busy as it usually is. You can smell the charcoal as soon as you walk in…

You can get take-away chicken (whole chickens cost $13), assorted salads, extremely tasty chips (which are more like fries, and come in very generous proportions) but the real winner has always been the chicken burgers. It costs $5.50 for an authentic Portuguese chicken burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and, of course, chilli sauce; the burgers are delicious, very filling and messy (but the best ones often are right?). What sets this particular place apart from other Portuguese chicken spots (including Silva’s, which is only a few metres up the road, but pales in comparison) is the quality of the chicken: it is big, it is tender, succulent and has a delicious crumbed exterior.

Anyone that has been to this place before will tell you that they didn’t come for the service: customer service is definitely not something which Petersham Charcoal Chicken strives for. In fact, let’s not mince words here, the older lady who runs the place could have very well been a prison warden before she got into the chook game. But this is perhaps one of the most telling signs of a great restaurant: even if the service is shithouse, people keep coming back.

Restaurant name: Petersham Charcoal Chicken

Address: 98 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham
Menu recommendation: Portuguese chicken burger (with chilli and mayo) and small chips (which in reality is anything but small), which costs $8. Sadly there aren’t many places you can get a meal like that for $8 nowadays.
All You Can Eat tip: This place is always very crowded, especially during lunch. Beat the crowds and call ahead (9560 2369), place your order so you can come in and avoid having to wait in a line which often stretches out the door.