Viva Chicken Now Open in Nexton Village

Privately Held Company Committed to Serving Up Authentic Peruvian Style Menu Items

Jeff Walker, Restaurant Review

Founded by Randy Garcia and chef Bruno Macchiavello in 2013, Viva Chicken a fast-casual Peruvian rotisserie restaurant recently opened their 14th location in Summerville’s Nexton Village. While there are plenty of well-established eateries located throughout greater Charleston that focus on southern fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, Viva Chicken have set themselves apart by serving up the hottest and freshest chicken made from Macchiavello’s Peruvian family recipes.

Viva Chicken’s food & beverage model may align with fast food, but their menu resembles more of an upscale full-service restaurant without the high prices. They serve up perfectly seasoned succulent, fall off the bone, white and dark meat rotisserie chicken that has been marinating 24 hours over charcoal, and as a kicker their entrees come with a host of sides to complete a traditional Peruvian meal.

For $9.25 you get a quarter chicken with your choice of sides. Add $4 and you can feast on a half chicken with two small sides. Ideal for a hearty appetite or for a couple of light eaters. Dining in with the kids, order up the whole chicken meal with three sides for a cool $25. Need a tad more, add another quarter chicken and you’ll have plenty for the family, and mom and dad will ensure the kids are eating healthier.

And what about the sides. Viva Chicken does carry the traditional kids favorite French fries or maybe introduce the young ones to fried yuca (a cross between a potato and sweet potato). Authentic Peruvian meals come with cilantro rice and their signature green beans. Trust me, it’s a chicken platter triple threat!

However, if you want to spice it up than the Canary Beans (yellow white legumes) provide an excellent source of fiber, protein and iron. The Solterito is a well-seasoned cool Peruvian corn salad that will arouse the taste buds, as is their Arroz Chaufa Peruvian fried rice prepared with red peppers, red & green onions with just the right touch of sesame oil, ginger, and cumin. Any of their small and signature sides will delight the palate.

If you’re the type that’s in a hurry and fancy something easier to eat in handheld form, The Great will fill the need. Your choice of ciabatta bread or a sun-dried tomato wrap, chuck full of pulled rotisserie chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions and rocoto mayo (zesty lime infused mayonnaise). Sure to tweak the taste buds.

You can get the same sensations in their three ‘fresh & flavorful’ salad selections. All vegan friendly unless you add pulled chicken for $2.95. Their Viva Salad is freshly prepared with greens, avocado, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, queso fresco and house balsamic. Perhaps you want a salad that will recharge your body, soul, and spirit, then try the Andina Power Food, teeming with greens, quinoa, avocado, edamame, red peppers, fruit, toasted almonds, and passion fruit vinaigrette. Sounds awesome on paper, imagine how great it tastes going through the teeth and gums.

Of course, the little ones have their own menu. For $6.25 you can get your kids pulled or quarter rotisserie chicken with choice of side. And yes, it includes a drink. Try spending that at a burger place and see what you get. Sometimes you just want to feed your children something a bit healthier, and what kid doesn’t love chicken.

Going full tilt, you can always top your Viva Chicken experience off with a couple of their ‘rich and delightful’ sweet things. Keeping with their Peruvian theme Viva Chicken offer Tres Leches, literally a buttery white sponge cake soaked in three types of milk (evaporated, condensed, and heavy cream). It’s surprisingly moist and light. There’s always the Churro, a caramel filled Spanish cruller similar to a donut, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. If you love the original Krispy Kreme than churros are a must.

Much like their food, Viva Chicken offers up a variety of beverages meant to accompany their Peruvian entrees. You can get traditional soft drinks, a few imported and local beers, however if you want to immerse yourself in Peruvian cuisine down your meal with Inca Cola (carbonated high fructose citrus), or one of three freshly made signature fruit juices, including Chicha Morada, concocted from Peruvian purple corn, with hints of cinnamon, clove, apple, pineapple and lime.

Their food is awesome, their service is exemplary, but what’s even nicer is Viva Chicken’s humanitarian side. For every churro you order they donate 50 cents to No Kid Hungry, which supplies up to five meals for the cause. You enjoy a sweet treat, and needy kids get food to eat. For more on No Kid Hungry visit https://www.nokidhungry.org/

If you’re tired of the run of the mill fast food places and want to change it up at a place that serves up real food that’s both nutritional and great tasting, the kind you’d prepare at home than Viva Chicken fills the void. You can dine in or get takeout. You betcha they offer gift cards and do catering.

The 14th location of Viva Chicken is located at 506 Nexton Square Drive Suite 103 in Nexton Village of Summerville. It’s basically a half mile off I-26 at the Moncks Corner exit (199-B). Come hungry and leave happily satisfied. For more on Viva Chicken’s complete menu visit https://www.vivachicken.com/wpcontent/uploads/2021/12/Summerville-VIVA-CHICKEN-12.21.pdf

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