Viva Chicken

Our favorite place for a quick and delicious meal. Fast but NOT fast food. It’s all good and the flavors are terrific. Counter service so no hassle and no tipping. Always friendly. Always fresh and we have visited MANY times. No bad experiences.

Went here with hubby on a Saturday afternoon due to the great reviews and many healthier/​whole food options. He had The Big sandwich and added avocado and sweet potato fries. He said it was delicious, fresh ingredients and quality chicken. I had the stuffed quinoa avocado and added chicken. Portion size was more than enough to have leftovers. Mine was very very tasty and like nothing I ever had before. There was a good amount of romaine and tomatoes added so it felt like a salad. Service was good. Restrooms were clean and even though it was busy, there seems to be plenty of staff to make sure tables and the wonderful sauce bar was maintained. Definitely will be back to try some of the other things on the menu.

Love love love this place. It’s the place I seek out when I’m about to cheat on my diet because I am in serious need of comfort food. It tastes like its bad for you… But it’s not!!! Yay!
I get the chicken stuffed quinoa avocado. I also get the chicken stir fry plate that comes with rice, avocado and other goodness called «arroz chuafa» with chicken.
The Green Sauce is crack. Put that stuff on everything!!!

Finally today I stopped in to place a take out order. I decided to try the rotisserie chicken — ¼ white meat with plantains & green beans. I tried all 3 sauces and my favorite is the green Huacatay sauce. This stuff is so delish!
The chicken was perfectly seasoned… it tasted great on its own and with the green sauce. I love plantains and these were very good. I ended up getting green beans as my second side. That was a good choice because they were roasted with little bits of red bell pepper and had a nice seasoning… tasty!
All of this delicious food for only $ 8.75 (before tax) makes this a nice go-​to lunch spot that offers great food at reasonable prices.
I did not try any of their beverages this time since I was getting take out… but after seeing some of the other reviews, I know I want to give some of their beverages a try in the future. (Purple Peruvian Corn and Herbal Lemonade both sound yummy!)
They also have some yummy sweet treats, which I did not try on this visit. But I love Tres Leches & Churros, so I will definitely splurge on dessert on one of my future visits.
If you are just going for takeout, you can order online before you go. However, despite my going in at a very busy lunch hour, I placed my order when I arrived and it was ready in under 10 minutes!
Also, they have a catering menu online so if you if are having an event with 15+ people, they have some nice options starting at $ 6.50 — $ 10.00 per person (depending on which package you choose.)

I came here for lunch twice in one week and loved the food both times! I had the ¼ chicken with 2 sides and the quinoa stuffed avocado. When I was ordering I thought ¼ chicken was actually ¼ of a chicken but when my food came it was only a thigh… which means next time I’ll be getting half! Or maybe split a whole chicken if I came in a larger group. I also got the herbal lemonade which is VERY basil-​y and rosemary-​y so I drank some and then diluted it with some water and it was still pretty strong. I’d still recommend getting it because the flavor was so unique. Probably my favorite part of the meal was the sauces though. The Aji Amarillo is so good I would eat it by the spoonful if that were socially acceptable. None of the supposedly spicy sauces were very spicy however which was kinda surprising.
For dessert, I tried the churro and the tres leches cake. The churro had filling which made it a little too sweet for my taste but it came piping hot which was nice. I like that the cake comes in a container because I took it home and devoured it when I wasn’t so stuffed. SO GOOD!!! I loved the whipped frosting because there were granules of sugar mixed in that gave it a slight crunch.
When I came on a Thursday around noon the place was PACKED and I had to wait maybe 5 minutes before I got a seat but I guess that’s what happens when a restaurant serves addictive food. Also, maybe because the restaurant was so crowded but it was really loud inside which is my only real complaint.

Wonderful place! Awesome food! Terrific Service!
If you haven’t dined at Viva Chicken yet, you’re missing out!!!

I’ve heard nothing but good things about this place and always wanted to try it. So glad I finally got to today. You order at the counter and take a number and find a spot to sit and they serve you your food. There were about 8 people in front of us and I was surprised at how fast the line was going! Guy at the counter was really helpful and friendly. We gave him our order and he thanked us for coming here for dinner.
We each got the half chicken and two side items. Chicken was juicy and delicious! Half chicken was so big I could only finish half of it. I got cilantro infused rice and chicken soup. Rice was good and not dry. There was little flavor to it but every now and then I would get a kick of cilantro flavor. There were small pieces of carrots and peas in it. Soup was good. I wish you could get a bigger version of it. There was pulled chicken in it. It had rice and red onions and peppers in it. Very good and flavorful. It would be perfect for a cold day or even if you were sick. I got the «gringo killer» sauce. It went so well with the chicken and rice.
My fiancé got green beans. The beans had chopped red peppers in it. He also got the quinoa. He was surprised it was served cold and he loved it! It had cilantro, red onions and peppers in it. He wasn’t sure what type of sauce was in it but he loved it. He used the green sauce for his chicken which was mint and jalapeño base.
This restaurant was super clean and so was the bathroom. The staff was really friendly. We had someone that worked there walk up to our table and asked how everything was. There was also a guy that worked there that did such an awesome job cleaning the restaurant and give excellent customer service. He was cleaning tables so fast so people can sit down and eat. He was also walking by and offering to take your empty plates. He cleaned the drink and sauce station.
I would definitely come back!

What can I say about Viva Chicken? Total yummers! Every time someone in my office walks in with this for lunch, I know where they went and start craving it as well. My coworker introduced me to this restaurant and I’m hooked!
Before visiting here, I had never had Peruvian food. I have to say, it’s a new favorite of mine now. Their chicken is so good, but I usually don’t order the ¼ chicken and 2 sides, unlike my friends. I’m a little bit more adventurous and it has worked out in my favor here, with the exception of the herbal lemonade (VERY herbal, just not my style and not for the light of heart). The quinoa stuffed avocados are SO yummy. I could make an entire meal off of two of these, but I never do because I can’t resist the cilantro infused rice every time I go there. It’s some of the best rice I’ve ever had. «The Great» is also a winner in my book! Hold the onions, please. Choose ciabatta bread or a wrap — whatever floats your boat.
The chicken is an honorable mention, but the true star of the show at Viva is the Aji Amarillo Sauce… soooooo good, I can’t even describe the flavor goodness, but I’ve ever had anything like it. This sauce is truly addicting!
The parking across the street is a bummer, as the lot is usually full at lunchtime. Come early — it’s worth it!

This place is great! Def hooked ! Been there 4 times this week! My place to go after my workout! Fresh and healthy! Need to get some loyalty punch cards!!!

This place reminds of my fav DC/​Maryland Portuguese chicken spot, Nandos! Taste was fresh, chicken well seasoned the sides of fried yuca and plantains were ON POINT! Note the hottest sauce while spicy is not scary, the flavor is robust. One of my favorite new to Charlotte finds.

Best chicken ever.
Not dry at all, cooked perfectly with great seasonings. The yellow sauce was my favorite. The plantains and green beans were really good too.
Highly recommend the quinoa stuffed avocado (I added pulled chicken to mine) and whatever the green colored tea is
Will be back!

It’s authentic Peruvian place. Every thing fresh and nice flavory smell. Its good a option for vegetarian people. I tried «INCA WRAP» and «Fried rice with egg» it’s really delicious lot of beans and vegetables inside bonus with stuffed avocado.

This is a very good low cost, high quality rotisserie chicken joint with a Peruvian spice twist. All around solid. Try the yucca fries and plantains as a side. Absolutely delicious. Not much more to say that this. There’s no way you won’t enjoy this place.

This is for real my new favorite place to eat for casual dining in Charlotte. I’ve always loved Peruvian style chicken but for the price and the quality, this place can’t be beat! Not to mention the staff is top notch and super attentive and helpful.
I can’t wait to eat there again. I dream about it sometimes.

I love this establishment don’t get me wrong, but I was disappointed in the food I received today. As always, I ordered the quarter chicken with fried yuca and cilantro infused rice. My chicken was so dry (which could be masked by the tasty sauces thankfully) and my rice was so hard so it did not seem fresh to me.
Besides this, service was on point. I would give it 5 stars. I had people constantly checking up on me, asking if I needed more water, asked about dessert, etc.

Believe the hype. To describe this food as delicious would be an understatement. Viva was highly recommended by all of my coworkers. Before this visit, I tried to eat at this place twice and struck out miserably. I was determined to try this place ASAP!
I’m that person who looks at the restaurant menu beforehand so I have an idea of what to order. I thought I was ready but I wasn’t…I wanted to order everything! I settled on the arroz chaufa with chicken. Yummmm! The serving was enough for leftovers the next day. I added cilantro on top of my rice to add a little extra kick :). My only complaint is the scarce amount of chicken sprinkled throughout the rice. I ordered sweet plantains on the side; these were perfect! To drink, I chose the herbal lemonade, a heavenly mixture of fresh herbs and lemonade chilled and sweetened to perfection! The overall experience was great. The staff were very friendly and patient. I have a feeling that Viva will definitely become one of my go to restaurants!

I just moved into town this week, and have no idea where to go. I was looking of local food joints, and i went here based on the Unilocal reviews… thank god! The food was amazing.
So good! like others have said, you MUST try it out.

Ballantyne’s Viva Chicken didn’t disappoint me. This was my first time visiting the Ballantyme location after being a regular uptown. I seems a bit more spacious than the location in Elizabeth and better suited for groups. Comparing the two, the only difference I noticed was in the green beans, which have more of a fire grilled taste of the Ballantyne location. There is parking in the front and back if it’s crowded. Viva chicken is on my list of the best thing since sliced bread.

After parking our car back by Pike Nurseries and riding our bikes on the McAlpine Creek Greenway, I noticed Viva Chicken in the same parking lot. I had heard good things about the one in Elizabeth, so we decided to grab an early dinner to replenish our energy.
Knowing it was our first time (and there wasn’t a line behind us), the super-​friendly and knowledgeable cashier walked us through the menu and gave us tiny samples of their three homemade juices. Since the rotisserie chicken is their most popular dish, I knew I had to try that. I also spent the 75 cents more to get all white meat. ¼ chicken was more than enough for me (although some hungry eaters can get ½ chicken). You get two sides with your chicken meal, so I immediately gravitated toward the yucca fries because of their uniqueness and then chicken and rice soup. I had the most difficult time deciding between the three juice drinks, though. All of them were amazing. I eventually went with the lemonade infused with basil, rosemary, and mint. I think I could have drank a gallon of it; that’s how deliciously refreshing (and also unique!) it was.
After ordering at the counter and picking a seat in the very clean, modern dining room, our meals were brought out to us. The chicken was amazing. I don’t normally like chicken served on the bone, but I’ll make an exception for Viva Chicken’s Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken (Pollo a la Brasa) any day. It was so flavorful and moist. To make it even better, we’re given two dipping sauces — a yellow Aji Amarillo sauce and a green Huacatay sauce, both of which I had never heard of or tried before. Both tasted amazing and offered a little heat. They were perfect for the chicken and the yucca fries (which were delicious as well). The soup was good, too, but I could have stood another helping of yucca fries in its place. (I tried to duplicate them at home, but no no no…)
Anyway, I can’t recommend Viva Chicken enough. It’s our favorite new «fast food» place for a delicious healthful meal, awesome drinks, friendly staff, modern atmosphere, and a clean restaurant.

Just as good as I remember… I seriously love this place. And I’m so glad that there’s one closer to my side of town!
One of the best things about this location is the service! Everyone was so kind and attentive! They offered great suggestions and refilled our drinks, checked on us to make sure that we enjoyed what we ordered and thanked us for coming in! Simply awesome!
I tried something different today and was very impressed with my order. I started with the half order chicken stuffed avocado. That thing is a pure piece of heaven. It’s half an avocado topped with quinoa, shredded chicken and balsamic dressing… yummy! Like every bite was better than the last… and the previous reviews are correct this could totally be a meal! I’d definitely recommend ordering it!
I also ordered «The Great» sandwich with Yuca fries. The sandwich is chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onions a spicy mayo on a ciabatta roll. Another excellent choice… the chicken is soooo good! And they are not skimpy with the amount! That sandwich could really feel two people! Oh and let’s not forget those rolls… delish!!! The fries were a nice addition but I look forward to trying some other sides next time!
Whatever you decide on will be worth every delicious bite! I’m already ready to go back…