Chepita’s House

Peruvian style chicken is meh… gas fueled pooha. Props for them for having a diverse menu but it doesn’t do much if you can’t do one of those dishes right.
I’ve been 3 times. Each time I give my self some b/​s hope that it will be better. But it’s not.
This place doesn’t even mark better than el guapos. My de facto standard for Peruvian chicken. Save your $$ and time.

Just tried this place after being turned on to Peruvian chicken from trying Wild Chicken in Fairfax.
I was disappointed because:
1) There was no charcoal flavor.
2) Spice rub was a bit mild
3) Chicken pieces were dry. This is because the they were obviously roasted in pieces, and not as a whole chicken. I would have preferred the whole roasted chicken cut up after it had been cooked.
The yucca fries were very good. Fried just right.
The dipping sauces were OK — I would have preferred a bit more spice in them as well.
Although this is better than getting a rotisserie chicken from Giant/​Safeway/​Costco, I really enjoy the chicken at Wild Chicken much better.

My exploration of Peruvian chicken continues. Checked out Chepita’s this evening for dinner — ordered the Half Chicken with Steak Fries.
Food took about 10 minutes to come up — but man was it good! Lizette A. is right on when she mentions the seasoning — the flavor was so damn yummy! Steak fries were cooked perfectly — the right amount of crispness on the outside and tender on the inside.
Delish!

Chepita’s House is located in a non-​descript strip center in Chantilly well known for it’s many ethnic dining spots. About a year old, Chepita’s sells Peruvian chicken, along with a variety of Peruvian dishes served off a hot bar. The prices are a bit lower normal, but Chepita’s really hits a home run with their seasoning.
When you cut a slice off the chicken, you will get a complex flavor of the standard Peruvian chicken spices and herbs you’d find at any Peruvian chicken joint, but here, I get a strong taste of cinnamon which was a welcome addition. I generally use a lot of cinnamon as a secret ingredient in my Mexican cooking, so it’s a really nice flavor with this chicken. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what kind of volume Chepita’s is doing, and I fear the chicken isn’t fresh off the spit like you get at El Pollo Rico in Arlington. My theory is that El Pollo Rico is generaly regarded as the best because it is so crowded and the chicken turnover is so high that you always get a fresh off the spit piece. So success and crowds begets more success and crowds. At places like Chepita, the chicken tends to dry out while it sits under a hot lamp waiting for customers. That is a shame, I just wish I could time it so I got a quarter chicken fresh off the fire.
Chepita’s is still the best Peruvian chicken I’ve found around Chantilly, and makes for a great lunch at work. They also serve yucca with their chicken which is nice, and is perfectly fried. Avoid the hot bar items however.

I conveniently shop around this area right about lunch time just to eat here. The chicken is aways impeccably seasoned with aromatic herbs I grew up with, and they marry well with perfectly done boardwalk fries (my weakness).
The one frown I give them is for their side salad… it’s iceberg lettuce! A pet peave of mine, but I manage to drown it in their dressing (the yellow of the 3 containers), and all is forgiven.
The seating area is small, and nothing to speak of… okay, they could keep it a little cleaner. Now, if you’re there on a Saturday, you might have a long wait, but it might just be worth it.

Definitely check it out. Carry out, not dine-​in. Scrap the broiled chicken from Safeway and just go here and pick up a whole chicken dinner with Yucca and salad. It is fantastic.