We love dining in and taking out at Durham Canastas chicken. The food tastes (and looks) awesome, nice selection, especially those sides, all sold at very reasonable price. The employees are very friendly who makes everyone happy. At times the charcoal chicken tastes a bit more saltier than it supposed to I guess they can definitely improve it and let the customer add extra as desired.
Jake Vyper
Jan 23, 2025
3
Forget Alpaca! Canastas is the real deal when it comes to Peruvian chicken, but there are some issues.
Dined in for the first time, and ambiance looks surprisingly vibrant and warm, spacious area with polished tables, bright menu panels, a television showing some kind of South American noon-time show close to the glass windows, Peruvian arteork, and a kiosk for ordering.
Waiter named Cardo welcomed us gently, and handed the brochure-like menu. He also served the disposable tiny containers of Peruvian chicken sauce and another smaller container of what appears to be lime-based salsa - so small in fact, it looks like coffee creamer pods.
I ordered 1/2 white meat chicken that comes with 2 sides: red potatoes & cole slaw. My girl ordered 1/4 dark meat chicken and her 2 sides were plantains & green beans. We also ordered additional small pinto beans.
Got both meals fast but there were 2 things the waiter forgot: the pinto beans and that I ordered 1/2 chicken, not 1/4. That's why I was a bit surprised at how small my "1/2" order was. When I asked Cardo if the initial serving was 1/2, he said that's 1/4 when I clearly said 1/2. There was no argument though. Cardo quickly added the 2nd half of the 1/2 to complete my chicken serving. Now, time for us to eat.
Our first reaction to the entire meal: Wow, the sides are quite larger than we expected, more generous than Alpaca's servings for sure. Cole slaw was fresh & large enough for us to share. My red potatoes were well-seasoned and well-cooked. My girl enjoyed the plantains - not too sweet and pretty plenty! I was not a big fan of pinto beans; it's probably better mashed.
The rotisserie chicken was tasty but they didn't give us enough sauce and the waiter did not return to ask us if we needed anything or refill our waters. The skin of the chicken was spiced well, but the inside really needs sauce for us to get a satisfying taste, but wish they gave more!
We're Filipinos so we prefer our chicken with gravy rather than Peruvian sauce, but this one is not bad; I prefer Raising Canes' sauce over this but for Rotisserie, this tastes better than Alpaca's Peruvian sauces. I just hope that they would be as generous on giving sauces as they did with their sides. I hope there are other choices for sauces though, like spicier alternatives.
We definitely enjoyed Canastas more than the mediocre Alpaca. Based on the info on their menu, this is the first Canastas location in NC, the first 4 are in VA, and another 1 will open in Raleigh soon.
Overall, Canastas is not bad. As a fairly new restaurant, it clearly needs improvement when it comes to customer service and sauce servings. The generous servings of sides and vibrant ambiance are not enough reasons for us to return, but we'll pick this over Alpaca if ever crave for Peruvian chicken - a rare sensation.
Overall: 3.3/5
Godis Jones
Dec 24, 2024
5
The food here is great as well as the service. The portions are huge and there are several options for sides. They definitely have gained 2 new customers!
Harith Muthanna AlHoory
Dec 8, 2024
5
If there was 10 stars I would give them that, their food and atmosphere made really happy. We ordered few things, all tasted great and served with a big welcoming smile. Definitely coming back. We devoured the food, but next time there will be pictures 🤭. Here we are again, less than a week later, got pictures for all our food this time (1/4 chicken with salad and fried rice, steak quesadillas with rice and beans, and lamb gyro with fries). All delicious, quick and very filling.
Here we are again, I just can’t have enough of this delicious food, whenever I order something new, the flavors amaze me more, that’s probably why I keep coming back
Mark Goodwin
Nov 25, 2024
5
We wanted to try a new restaurant with something different for us and thought Canastas sounded good. We really liked their menu and I ordered lomo saltado and my wife, chicken empanadas.
The saltado can be with either chicken or beef, I asked for chicken. Although I was asking various questions about the sides and probably distracted the guy taking our order. When the food came out it was obvious I got the beef saltado. But, it looked good, so I went with it.
The food was really good! My sides were white rice and green beans, both very good. The empanadas were stuffed with chicken and cheese, super good as well.
We definitely are looking forward to returning and trying some different items.
Patrick Slaughter
Nov 21, 2024
5
I highly recommend getting the chicken and steak. They are both excellent dishes that are sure to satisfy any palate. The chicken is tender and juicy, with a flavorful crust. The steak is cooked to perfection, and it is incredibly tender and flavorful.
I was particularly impressed with the quality of the ingredients. The chicken and steak were both fresh and high-quality. The flavors were also spot-on. I would definitely order these dishes again."
Overall, I was very pleased with my experience. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was inviting. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great meal.
I also enjoyed the chips that came with the guacamole and the guacamole you will need to add some salt and lime to it it lacked flavor.
Ty lee
Nov 4, 2024
5
First time eating at this Canasta Chicken restaurant . Ordered 3 sets of quarter chicken with 2 different sides each order. The chicken was deliciously done with huge portions of side orders. You can make your order at the counter or through a machine kiosk . The food would be sent to your table. Service is fast and friendly. Restaurant ambience was good with spacious seating. It has interesting wall decor too. The menu has other interesting dishes.
Harith Muthanna AlHoory
Oct 6, 2024
5
If there was 10 stars I would give them that, their food and atmosphere made really happy. We ordered few things, all tasted great and served with a big welcoming smile. Definitely coming back. We devoured the food, but next time there will be pictures 🤭. Here we are again, less than a week later, got pictures for all our food this time (1/4 chicken with salad and fried rice, steak quesadillas with rice and beans, and lamb gyro with fries). All delicious, quick and very filling
Jessica
Sep 2, 2024
5
I love Canastas and order takeout from here all the time. Everything is always delicious, super fresh, and generously portioned. Usually enough for 2 meals! I can vouch for the peruvian chicken, cilantro chicken, and lomo saltado. Just tried the canastas salad and that was fantastic too!
RobertsMom NC
Aug 10, 2024
5
We stopped in for the 1st time today since we were running errands in the area. We were not disappointed. Chicken was grilled perfectly and definitely had meat on the bones. Rice and beans were tasty and I loved the fried yuca - which was generous. Actually the whole plate had generous portions.
I liked that we could order via a kiosk and then they brought it to the table.
i don’t think they have fountain drinks - we got canned sodas. Definitely would eat here again.
Wiliam Turner
May 28, 2024
5
The 3 stars for the service portion of this review isn't a knock on them because being a fairly new restaurant, they were trying hard. The food here, imo was better than any place that sells Peruvian food, and I have several notches under my belt to compare! Absolutely delicious!! The chicken and vegetables were very flavorful, and the salad dressing was better than just about.. everyone else's! I hope they don't fall off, I've taken friends and coworkers here for lunch, and they all share the same sentiments.
Jonathan Agüero Pereira
May 8, 2024
4
Food was good. It was sad that what they advertise on the screen when you ordered, it’s not the same of what you get.
Food was very tasty and it was a lot. Great place to buy food and share with other people. Tortillas are not corn, those are regular flour tortillas.
Music was good and servers provided an amazing customer service. I’ll definitely come back!
