By Sam Beckler

I had never seen so much food cooking in my life. Countless chickens were rotating over a charcoal fire, and many more were roasting on the wood grill.

Canastas Chicken gets their menu ideas from traditional Peruvian dishes. With two locations in the Richmond area, they provide a delicious take on Peruvian food with influences from Central America and the U.S. 

On a recent evening, I visited their Forest Hill location with some friends. Canastas has a long counter with all the food on display. You can watch as they prepare each dish and see the finished products. You place your order at one end of the counter and walk to the other end to pay and collect your drink cup. You then have a choice of sitting in rigid wooden booths or chairs at a table. When we were there, above the seating were two televisions playing Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, and Despicable Me 3 in Spanish. The bathrooms had a strange smell to them but were clean otherwise.

Unsurprisingly, their specialty dish is chicken. The chicken is either cooked on a charcoal grill with an adjustable grate height, or rotisserie style. The charcoal grill with adjustable grate height allows for controlled cooking speed to achieve the perfect chicken every time. The slow cooking provides for a crispy but juicy texture with every bite. Every chicken dish is different from the next, whether it be the marinade, the cut of meat, or how it was cooked.

Other than the chicken, the side dishes are the most popular items. You are able to choose two sides per order or double up on one side. I always get the rice and black beans, and the green beans. The side dishes are best when eaten at the same time as the main dish, as they elevate the flavor with every bite.

I went to Canastas Chicken with Brennan Heims (‘25) and Jack Smith (‘25). Smith ordered the chicken quesadilla, and Heims and I both ordered the chicken cilantro. Our food arrived only a short five minutes after we ordered. Your plate always comes stacked with what looks like about three pounds of food, giving you no chance to eat it all in one sitting.

Chicken Cilantro.

Heims rated his chicken cilantro dish a 3/10. He described the chicken as, “too basic,” but rather tender. Overall, it was a bit bland, needed salt, and did not meet his expectations. The rice was quite sticky. His side of plantains had the consistency of pineapple and was far too sweet.

My dish was easily a 10/10 and delicious. I heavily disagree with Heims’s take on the food. Mine had a crispy skin on the outside but was incredibly moist on the inside. My sides were piled high on my plate and tasted terrific. I lived in Brazil for four years and have fond memories of Brazilian food. The rice and beans always remind me of the rice and beans I used to eat while I lived there. 

Canastas is a great place to go if you want leftovers. You can get at least two or three meals out of every order for around $20. I highly recommend it if you want a large amount of food, very quickly, and at a reasonable price.

All photos by Sam Beckler.