Peri Peri Guys chicken eatery opens in Selden

If Zee Shan has anything to do with it, spicy-savory peri-peri chicken is going to be the next hot fast-casual trend on Long Island. Marinated overnight for flavor and tenderness, then baked and, finally, grilled to order, it's the signature item at Peri-Peri Guys, a 20-seat eatery that opened last week in Selden Plaza shopping center.

And it’s a truly international bird, with culinary roots in Portugal, Mozambique, South Africa and the U.K. The 2020 founding of Peri-Peri Guys in Hicksville added Nassau County to its passport, and partners Shan and Umar Farooq are the franchisees who have brought it to Suffolk.

"Peri Peri" (aka piri-piri) is a Southern African chili pepper that Portuguese explorers (and, later, colonists) found in Mozambique. They also found that it made a terrific marinade; piri-piri chicken or game hen is a staple in Portuguese restaurants to this day — and on this Island. It was in South Africa in 1987 that Portuguese-born Fernando Duarte and South African-born Robert Brozin were inspired by a Portuguese-Mozambican takeout chicken shop to found Nando’s, a chain that now operates more than 1,000 restaurants in more than 20 countries (including about 50 in the U.S.; the closest one is in Baltimore).

Peri-Peri Guys founder Hafeez Raja grew up in Glasgow eating Nando’s but could find nothing comparable when he moved to Long Island. He teamed up with a soccer pal, Greg Raposo, who knew the dish from his own Portuguese heritage, to create Peri-Peri Guys.

Shan said that Raja and Raposo were behind the Long Beach Peri-Peri Guys (2024-25) but that he and Farooq are poised to expand the brand all over Long Island. They both have backgrounds in business and investing but, "that’s a lot of work on your phone or laptop; we have time to build this brand and we think that once it is established, it can be very big." He wouldn’t reveal the location of the next store, but said it would be much bigger to accommodate more dining in.

Most quick-serve chicken, he observed, is either fried or — as at various smoothie and halal over-rice places — boneless and grilled. The long marination process of a Peri Peri chicken means that even the white meat is moist and flavorful. Bone-in folks have their choice of two pieces ($9), four pieces ($15) or eight pieces ($28). Wings range from $9 (five pieces) to $28 (20 pieces). There are also large-format platters for feeding crowds. Not feeling the bones? Skewered thighs, butterflied breast or six tenders are $15. All chicken is halal.

I was nervous about the "very hot" peri-peri sauce and went with just "hot," which was pleasantly piquant but not much of a challenge. Tenderer palates than mine could also order mild, mango-lime or lemon-herb.

You can have your chicken in a wrap, sandwich or bowl ($11 to $16) or eschew chicken entirely with falafel or a vegan burger. Sides include fries, mac-and-cheese and rice.

Peri-Peri Guys, 263 Middle Country Rd., Selden, 631-320-0444, periperiguys.com. Open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.