I really like this place. We don't have them in California so it is a treat to drop by here when I am in DC. I love the sauces and the sides. This location is super clean and service is always friendly. Seating is ample and I've never had to wait for a place to sit. Chicken is always cooked perfectly. I especially like the squash side. Prices are extremely reasonable as well. Please come to California and open up a franchise in the South Bay! read more

I went to the downtown nandos at 8:40 pm (they close at 10pm) and was told the grill wasn't working so I couldn't order any chicken but was able to order Uber eats from the same location at 8:45 that was delivered to me by 9:10. They just didn't want to serve me. Really disappointed in the service. read more

So a few months ago I tried to get a few people together to celebrate my recent engagement. When we called my fiance's best friend to tell him the news he said, "I'm sorry I can't go. I have plans to eat chicken." Most normal people would be absolutely outraged/insulted by the lack of thought put into this response but since I knew they had specific plans to go to Nando's I actually kind of understood. Nando's is THAT good y'all! Although, I have read their story on the wall a bunch of times I am still confused by the origins of this chicken. I believe it is Portugese style chicken that was inspired by the flavors of Africa. Peri-peri, also known as African Bird's Eye Chili is an extremely hot pepper that adds a dangerous bite to their chicken. Luckily, the proprietors at Nando's have been able to tone down their sauces to a series of hot, medium, mild and garlic. Even though I'm usually a wuss when it comes to heat...I love me some hot peri peri sauce! It makes my mouth tingle for hours, so even three hours later I still have some type of remembrance of one of the best piece of chicken I've ever had. I'm not proud to say this but the sides I usually get are some type of combination of rice, french fries, or garlic bread. Nando's knows how to do carbs right and I hate messing with a good thing. Nando's...so good it makes you want to slap ya mama (and miss out on your best friend's engagement party!) PS: The friend did up eventually coming to dinner but it made us all crave Nando's for weeks. PPS: The 18th street location is located right across the street from the church I am getting married at. I am still wondering if hosting a rehearsal dinner in their party room would be totally awesome...or totally tacky (leaning towards the totally awesome side) PPPS: They have great sangria specials for happy hour which makes the Chinatown location a great place to stop by before a game! PPPPS: A little birdy told me they are opening up a location in Pentagon Row this summer which means us suburban folks can get some of that bold chicken bite without entering the city soon. *Addendum* PPPPPS: I just found out that the Arlington Nando's opened TODAY 6/13! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Hot Grilled Chicken with Rice and Corn (Carb heaven!) - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food gets 5/5 stars but the service gets 2/5 stars. Though Nando's is known for their chicken, the butternut squash and corn salad is my favorite. I'm hoping that I can recreate this salad at home as there is no Nando's close to me. When I arrived at Nando's, there was no one at the front to seat me. I waited a few minutes and someone eventually came. I don't know why there was no hostess as the restaurant was relatively empty and there seemed to be plenty of cashiers and bus boys in the restaurant. The food took about 20 minutes to be made. The ordering system is a bit confusing and there was little direction. They give you a number, you walk up to the cashier, the cashier records your number and order, you find the table with your number on it, and the waiter brings your food out to you. As I was waiting for my food to arrive, I noticed that the hostess was on her phone. Then she walked outside to make a phone call. Then she walked back in and continued to play on her phone. A few minutes later she walked outside to make another phone call. It doesn't look professional for employees to be on Facebook while on the job. But maybe that's a DC thing that I don't know about. read more

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I'm from NY and this is my first time stumbling into a Nando's. This place is undefeated. They had the best selection of sauces I've seen in a while and it's heaven on earth for a guy who's lactose intolerant like me since none of the sauces have any dairy in them. I still couldn't tell you what Peri-Peri is, but all I can say is it's amazing and I can't wait to try it again. Added plus: the music in the restaurant was amazing!! read more

Food is excellent and, unlike most other restaurants in DC, you don't need to take out a loan to afford it. Definite go-to for the discerning traveler. read more

This was the most frequently visited place by me when I lived in DC years ago.. love their juicy chicken sandwiches, wings and fries.. thigh and Mighty and Nandocas Choice are my fav sandwiches here.. returned after 2 years and well stuff still tastes delicious.. this franchise was not crowded at all for a friday night.. was seated immediately.. service was prompt and location was clean.. the only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 is cos i felt the spice levels did not hit the right chord.. i ordered hot and it was mild.. will come back again cos i cant find such juicy chicken sandwiches anywhere else!! One of the main reasons I love coming back to DC is cos of Nando's read more

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The mashed peas with mint and cilantro are where it's at. Don't leave without an order of these dandies. You can thank me later by sending some my way in the mail. The other star of the show (besides the obvious chicken) was the cucumbers with poppyseed dressing and pickled red onions. I'm really gapped we strolled into the fast food-ish style South African restaurant. Maybe they'll open up a spot in Indy? ;) -Order at the counter -ten minute wait tops -they have plenty of sauces to choose from -I recommend ordering family style -they have the Portuguese pastry, pastel de nata -multiple locations throughout DC read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Go for the mashed peas and cucumber salad! - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't know how most Nando's work, but this place was super organized. It was packed, but because of their great seating system (they hand you a numbered rooster and bring the food to you) we didn't have any issues getting a table. While the chicken is delicious and uniquely spiced, it's the sauces that truly shine! And man, I am definitely all about the sauces. After we got our custom coke creations from the freestyle machine, we headed upstairs to our table which has a good view of the place. There are about a kajillion sauces to try of varying spice and we tried them all! I have to say the black bottle (spiciest) wasn't too bad, either, but my favorite was the medium because the spice didn't kill the flavor. We ordered the double chicken thigh plates and if you're not into peas (like me) you should STILL try them, because I was shocked by how delicious they were. Full of herbs, super sweet...you'll love them. The rice was also great too. The only reason this wasn't 5 stars was because I felt like you don't really get your money's worth when it comes to how much chicken you get. But, that might be my fault for not ordering the half chicken or more meatier options on the menu. read more

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I decided to try this location and it was better then I expected. Parking was REALLY hard to find especially on a Saturday. I ordered Mild Chicken with Mash potatoes and corn. The mash potatoes were amazing and the chicken was very juicy and cooked perfectly. The corn was a little bit questionable. We also got some garlic bread....really really good garlic bread. Overall, great price, great food, good customer service. Also, I dont know if it is only certain parts of the year or whatever, but when we went there they had buy one entree free with a purchase of another entree if you had a student ID Card. Luckly we had a student ID card so we got 5 dollars off our meal (two 1/4th chicken with two sides) came to around 17 dollars. Not bad. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Cool deal for students. - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Absolutely terrible customer service! A simple order took forever to come out and the manager of the establishment was totally ineffective. She thought by throwing a free brownie in my bag would rectify the situation. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Customer service needs LOTS of work! - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Music-crappy annoying drum beat that I can do without. Service-bizarre and not very good. me: "We will have half a chicken with corn and rice as sides. Soda for my husband and water for me" cashier: "Would you like a soda?" me: "No, I want a water" cashier rings up our order with no soda. me: "we wanted one soda and one water" cashier: "but you told me you didn't want a soda" Nando's is a semi self serve place. You place your order with the cashier and tell him your table number. They will bring you the food to your table. Its a simple and efficient system in theory, but in the time that I was there, every single order coming out of the kitchen had to have a server take the plate and walk around different tables and verify what the customers ordered. Food: The grilled chicken was very good and the tangy spicy sauce gave it a special touch. However, I still enjoy Korean fried chicken and Peruvian roast chicken more than the peri peri chicken. I am not sure on the exact cooking process, but the chicken could use more cooking time to allow the fat and cartilage time to cook down and provide more flavor . I think roasting it first and finish it on the grill would probably make it even tastier. The rice side was nicely seasoned, but the corn on the cob was overcooked and the kernels were shriveled up. They also had pastel de nata and I got the last one of the day. The egg tarts you see at Cantonese dim sum evolved from pastel de nata, but the original version from Portugal had plenty of caramelization compare to its Cantonese descendant. Nando's version was ok, but since it was the last one, it was cold and you can't judge an egg tart fairly unless its fresh out of the oven. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - half chicken wtih corn and rice - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Chicken is a popular meat already, and Nando's just makes it more mouthwatering - literally;) As you enter this chicken temple, you will be presented with a menu that gives you options of chicken varieties, and the spice-level. The sauce that accompanies most of the dishes is peri-peri and it is no joke. I always pick either the plain-ish or medium (note medium for the public is their version of mild). After paying at the counter, you will be directed to your table. Since every order is prepared to your request, you will wait for a bit - but it is worth it;) They also have salads, and a veggie burger for those who may be accompanying chicken-eaters. PS - their chicken livers are DELISH, and would give any yaki-tori joint a run for its money read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - The chef grills each order at Nando's Peri-peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Didn't discover this place until about a month or so after I moved here when a classmate mentioned he ate at Nando's Peri-Peri and I wanted to see if such a spot existed because what the hell kind of name is that anyway? South African chicken or Portuguese or whatever it's pretty good, freshly grilled chicken with a variety of spicy sauces. The first time I sat down and cycled through a lot of their sauces. The garlic sauce was probably my favorite it had flavor to it besides just heat. The extra hot wasn't too bad heatwise but I've taken shots of Tabasco sometimes if I'm hungry. The sides I've had a good, the corn and mashed potatoes were the tastiest although the 'Macho peas' were just okay. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Worst experience at Nando's the food was cold and the fries were soggy. The place had a horrible smell of urine. The customer service was terrible, employees on the phone, no one to seat customers. Avoid, go to a different Nandos. Ambiance, none no music like most Nando's. read more

Being European where nandos is widely available, my friend and I were disappointed. We walked in during late lunch waiting approx 6mins at the front to be seated, the waiter then started waving from the kitchen so we walked down and he said he couldn't be bothered to come to the front and asked us to seat so immediately I would say very poor service. The food was cold, the chips were dry and plain when we ordered peri, the garlic bread and spicy rice was cold. The best thing was the warm halloumi side. Ambiance was ok, pretty empty which is expected late lunchtime with maybe 3/4tables occupied maximum. read more

Piri piri sauce (used as a seasoning or marinade) is Portuguese in origin and "especially prevalent in Angola, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa". It is made from crushed chilles, citrus peel, onion, pepper, garlic, salt, lemon juice, bay leaves, paprika, pimiento, basil, oregano, and tarragon. Nando's serves grilled chicken. Period. From there it's a matter of if you want bone-in, boneless, as a meal, as a wrap or sandwich, a bowl, a salad, or skewers. They have various sides of fries, coleslaw, rice, mashed potatoes - you get the jist. It's not fast food by any means - more of fast casual. There are 5 sauces to choose from for your chicken and of course I went with the extra hot. It was flavorful but I would not classify it as extra hot and of course that is subjective. The chicken is tender and juicy with substantial portion sizes so it's a good value. Upon entering, you get in line. Once it's deemed there is an available table, you order at a counter and are provided a number for meal delivery. Drinks, condiments, etc. is self-service but they do bus tables so that's a nice touch. It's simple and good food. I'd come back for sure. read more

We went in on 03/12 at 5:30 pm. The owner should fire all of their staff. Well my wife and I ordered on the app. I got my food and it was another seven minutes before she got her food. We had to request our drinks as well. We never received our hummus so my wife went to the counter. They had just put it up on the food delivery section. We waited another five minutes and they never brought it to our table. We left without getting it. Enjoy the $8.00 read more

If I could do zero stars I would. I ordered online and still waited 15+ mins to get my food. Even the manager, the short lady with locs, was unprofessional. Their conversation was more important than me getting my food in a timely manner. Don't even waste your time. read more

The service really is terrible here. It all started with trying to place my order and for 5 minutes the employee ignored me in favor of her soda. Then she said I will help you in a minute at which time she proceeded to chat with one of the cooks and a random food delivery person who came in. This lasted 5 to 10 minutes. As I then try to order the cook keeps telling her what foods they have run out of. Out of white meat chicken! They then argue over if he had previously told her or not. During all this a few people had joined me in line. They were the first to turn around and leave and I followed them. Will not go back. And on top of it all have to step over trash on the way in and out. That should have been my first and only warning. read more

We were walking from the Archives to the metro station and came upon this place. What a great find! The chicken was perfect! We each ordered different spices on our chicken and each was amazing. The sauces and sides were great too! Yum. Check it out--you will love it! read more

My wife and I were visiting in DC and we found this place, Nando's Peri-Peri. We went in and ordered the 2 chicken plates and hummus. The food was so tasty and we had so much fun. The chicken with lemon garlic sauce was very delicious. The service was efficient, courteous and we enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. I definitely recommend this place for great tasting food, value and service. read more

First time I had Nando's was in London, I had no clue they had American locations. I was so excited to try their famous sauces again! The chicken was perfect just like in the UK! It's a must if you're looking for good food and it's not expensive. Stop by and at least get some chicken wings, you won't regret it. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here once for the free food giveaway and once for a late night meal. Both times I was super impressed by the tenderness of the chicken. Plenty of options for food and drinks, and there's lots of seating space. The chicken mascot is also pretty cute. How to get food at Nando's: Step one: walk in and get assigned a table Step two: order your food in the back and pay Step three: the food is delivered to your table Step four: eat and be merry! read more

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Surprisingly filling and really high quality. I'd recommend the grilled chicken sandwich with corn and mashed potatoes. High quality comfort food and not too pricey for a well rounded meal (~$13). I wouldn't rave about it, but would certainly recommend over chick-fil-a next door. They also have a lot of great sauces. read more

Best chicken I've had in DC! My sister came back from London and told me about Nando's and when I came down to DC she said I needed to come here since there's no Nando's in NYC. Came here for dinner with a few friends and the first thing that hits you is the smell!! It is so fresh and so good! The interior of this place is very pretty and very spacious, so it is definitely good for large groups and kids. We ordered a bunch of food including their 20 wings, mango chicken on stick, rice, garlic bread, potato salad, fries, and all the sauce that was available. The wings were amazingly crispy and the meat slid right off the bones. My favorite was the spicy mango sauce they had but really all of their sauces are amazing. You can tell the wings are fresh and always piping hot. The garlic bread was great, the rice was pretty basic even though it stated it was some kind of special rice. I wouldn't recommend the rice. Their fries are amazing, crispy. The best part is they have a self fill soda machine (if you know what I mean *wink*). 5/5 definitely would come back here for food!! I can probably eat 10 plus wings and all the sides if I come back here so bring an appetite! It's not pricey if you are coming with a party and splitting the meal, with everything we ordered we each paid about $17 between the four of us. They also do delivery and pickups. They had full set meals if you want your own plate and don't want to do a family style sharing dinner. Just really good chicken in general! read more

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Oh my, oh my. If you are wanting lunch or dinner, I can't recommend you enough to come and check these guys out. Hits- Food, atmosphere, value, and customer service. Tip- get here before 12. The lunch rush gets crazy here and you'll have to wait for your food. It does take a bit of time to get your food, and that will only add to it. The food was incredible. Everything I had was great (peri-peri chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn). The chicken was cooked well, meaning it was juicy and tender, and had a beautiful crust. The seasoning on the crust was amazing. It gets paired with an additional sauce of your choice, and the combination of the two... Just divine. Value- you will spend a little bit of money here. Maybe around 15-20 dollars for a lunch. It's definitely a great dinner value, but lunch is a bit more. Still totally worth it in my opinion though. Customer service was awesome. The people welcome you, give you recommendations, and help you understand the system at work here. Cleanliness was spot on. We did get there before the lunch rush, so that probably helped, but overall it was a clean joint. No litter on the floors and tables or throughout the bathroom. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Peri peri chicken... I dream of this plate. So. Freaking. Good. - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had the garlic bread, red skin mashed potatoes, and chicken breast wrap. For take-away, I ordered the half chicken with French fries. I was not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. And let me not forget. The service was outstanding. From walking through the door, to the patience they had with me during the ordering because of my thick British accent, to the follow-up to see if I was enjoying my meal. Big ups. read more

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Used to live in London for a year and Nandos was the place to go. When I found out there was one in DC, there was no way I couldn't go. Every trip to DC equals a trip to nandos. The sweet: - the sauces. No matter what flavor meat you get, the sauces enable you to try all the flavors. If you like hot, now there is an extra extra hot in s black bottle. - chicken - thick and juicy. there are six flavors. Extra hot, hot, medium, lemon and herb, mango lime, plain I love the medium and the lemon - sides - delicious and a good variety. - macho peas - a pea mash with peas parsley and mint. Even if you try you can't recreate it at home. - garlic bread - on a thick Portuguese bread crisped to perfection - fries - awesome peri salt topping The sour: - sometimes when you order a whole chicken you get more bone than meat - do not waste your 75 cents on the mayo that comes with the fries Definitely kid friendly. They have a family bathroom where you can change your bebe. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nice Decor, Good food, And a clean bathroom. The staff crew was great i would most definitely go again. The chicken tender, the sandwich, and wraps Are all AWSOME!!!! Wish I had took pictures But great job you guys read more

I absolutely love the food. The chicken was spot on when the olives were banging. The only downfall of this meal is that they had no pastel De Nadia's :( . Service is very quick and friendly place is clean I'm gonna come back again! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Food is super tasty, but insultingly overpriced. I paid for double chicken in my wrap and the result was barely the standard amount of chicken that would go into a wrap. My wrap overall was pretty small. I also opted for 2 sides, one of which being a salad, amounting to an extra charge of $5. This turned out to be modest scoop of mashed potatoes and a tiny bowl if a couple scrap leafs of lettuce, 2 grape tomatoes and 3 strips of a bell pepper. Meal total was over $16 and I'm still hungry. Ugh I never really complain about service, but these people suck. They're rude and impatient. Bark at you to make your order and impudent when delivering your food. read more

Love this place and friendly staff. I came on a Monday afternoon and it wasn't crowded at all. The chicken was juicy and the marinade was flavorful. I added extra medium sauce which kicks up the spice. We also got large sides which really looked like small. The drinks are serve yourself from a cool machine with lots of flavors. Overall, I'd come back in a heartbeat if I'm craving some good Portuguese chicken! read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - The secret sauce - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I picked this up for dinner the other night. The food was cold. I ordered the golden cauliflower. It was pretty much disgusting. There was no crispiness and for some reason the cook had a hard time packing it so it leaked in the bag. I also had the chicken crunch salad. The breast was fatty and I had to throw it away. They had a hard time putting my order together. Most of the staff spent their time talking to each other and just letting a few people do the work. They also don't check the orders on the way out. I ordered for a couple people and the food was. Mis bagged. Also Thai on one of the bags ripped, but I was able to catch up before it fell to the ground. I would not recommend going to this place. It is highly overpriced and the food policy quality is extremely poor as was the service.. I did take out maybe they do a better job when people eat in, but that really shouldn't make a difference. Giving it 2 stars is being extremely generous. I would not recommend it or will I go back there? Also, the food was extremely over priced for the size of the portions. read more

Nando's has several locations around DC, many of them Metro accessible. Prices here are reasonable, and tables turnover rather quickly as customers order at the counters, seat themselves, and wait for their food to be delivered. Regardless, of what you order, beverages are self-service, and a condiments counter allows customers to select the sauces, oils, dressings, etc. that they'd like to have at their table. Cutlery and napkins are also located here. The informal atmosphere here can get quite loud at times, but it's an enjoyable space, and the staff are friendly. I ordered a Chicken Breast Pita (toasted pita with a mix of crispy vegetables and mayonnaise with a hint of fresh cilantro) and a side of coleslaw. The portion sizes are just right--not too large, just large enough to satiate one's appetite. read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Amazinggggggg. At first I wasn't sure about this place but the food was amazing and I cleaned my plate . Lots of options and the mango lime sauce was my favorite . Every side was good as well . I had the 1/2 chicken mango lime sauce with rice , and a side caeser salad read more

Nando's Peri-Peri - Portuguese Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I'm in town and then quickly out again, needed a close-by place that wasn't too demanding of my timeout cash but would stamp out my appetite with as much flavor and joy as I could manage. Here's a small local chain serving South African / Caribbean style food, with the chicken front and center. Mm. I got a friendly greeting and a thirty-second wait for a table. You order at the register in the back (or phone or order on their website - a good idea, since it gets pretty busy), give them your table number and sit down with your beer or whatever. The wait is three or four minutes longer than you'd expect, but not as long as a real sit- down place. And it's worth the wait. Tightly recommend the peas - green peas cheerily lounging in a bowl with an equal amount of their mashed brethren, plus rowdy spices and enough heat to make you smile all the more. The Portuguese rice is a saffron rice similarly spiced and tasty. Get that. I got chicken skewers turned up to "hot". The two six- or eight-inch sticks packed tightly with chicken, onion and red pepper were pleasantly spicy, just about right to go along with the other flavorings. I love very spicy, but I think that might have hidden some of the flavor; if you're not a spicy food fan, consider a small step up in spiciness, though, because I think mild would just not do the bird justice. It was kind of dry, but not terribly so. I sauced it with just a little more lemon-something or other-sauce, and that made all the difference. Couldn't take any home because I hate checking my bag when I fly, so will have to order some online. Super nice staff (especially the cashier with the green hair and the wonderful laugh). Very clean store full of delicious smells but not a lot of tables. Small but respectable beer selection, one for just about anyone and a couple of wines to boot. I enjoyed my dinner. Consider giving your leftovers to a homeless person. The very old guy on the corner was appreciative and very hungry. Just sayin'. Go there! read more

Need to ask kitchen to fully cook chicken, all but one of our orders had bloody meat on the inside

I've never heard of Nando's until my friend suggested it while we were walking around looking for a place to sit down and eat. We were seated right away which is always a plus, especially because we were coming here on a Friday evening. You order first and then the servers come to you with your food - convenient enough. I ended up ordering the chicken breast with two sides. Oddly enough, I only remember one of the sides (it was the fries). The chicken was juicy and cooked to perfection - the fries were a little bland for my liking. They were also a bit soggy, which was questionable, since the food seemed to come out pretty quickly. Other than that, the ambiance is pretty casual - if you're trying to have a quiet evening, Nando's might not be the place. However, I had good company, so the food to be was pretty decent. Will probably come back! read more

Excellent portion size considering the general pricing range of DuPont. I got the chicken and chips (fries) combo, around medium spicy. It was very, very heavy. I could only eat half and had to save the other half for later. You can really see and taste the spices, and they blend in well with the chargrilled taste. The sauce is to literally die for, and I dipped both my chicken and fries in it. The other "spicy" sauces are not really spicy, but they switch up the taste for a nice little dipping tasting. Not sure if I will be back, but it's definitely worth a try! read more