Barcelos Menu Prices in South Africa (2026)
Barcelos has been flame-grilling chicken in South Africa since 1993, when the first store opened in Pretoria. It is the country’s homegrown answer to peri-peri chicken: Portuguese-style, flame-grilled rather than fried, with a heat scale that runs from gentle to genuinely punishing. If Nando’s is the global giant of peri-peri, Barcelos is the local challenger — and on price, it usually undercuts its bigger rival.
This guide covers the current Barcelos menu prices in South Africa for 2026, taken from the brand’s official menu and cross-checked against independent price guides and live delivery listings. One thing to know upfront: Barcelos itself notes that regional and online pricing applies, so the figures below are the national menu baseline — your branch may differ by a few rand either way.
Barcelos Prices at a Glance
Short on time? Here are the headline numbers. A quarter chicken costs R45.90 on its own, R55.90 with a side, or R65.90 with a side and a drink. A half chicken is R90.90 on its own, R100.90 with a side, or R110.90 as a full meal with a drink. Chicken strips start at R29.90, wraps from R42.90, and family packs run from R138.90 for the Half Pack up to R359.90 for the Super Family Pack. Everything below includes VAT.
Chicken Feasts: Quarter, Half, Livers and Strips
The feast menu is the heart of Barcelos. Chicken comes flame-grilled in your choice of five heat levels — Tangy Lemon, Prego, Mild Peri, Veri Peri and Supa Peri — and you pick your cut, then decide whether to add a side, or a side and a drink. The pricing structure is refreshingly transparent: adding a side costs exactly R10, and adding the drink takes it another R10 higher. If you already have drinks at home, the middle column is the smart buy.
| Chicken feast | On its own | With 1 side | With side & drink |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 chicken | R45.90 | R55.90 | R65.90 |
| 1/2 chicken | R90.90 | R100.90 | R110.90 |
| Whole chicken | Guide price ±R181.90 (branch-variable) | ||
| Chicken livers | R39.90 | R49.90 | R59.90 |
| Chicken strips | R29.90 | R39.90 | R49.90 |
| Chicken shawarma | R69.90 | R79.00 | R89.00 |
A few things worth noting. The quarter chicken at R45.90 is the practical entry point — a proper flame-grilled meal for less than most burger combos. The half chicken at R90.90 gives you twice the chicken for R45 more, which suits a big appetite or two light eaters sharing. Chicken livers are the connoisseur’s pick: rich, soft, and cheaper than the equivalent chicken portion. And the strips at R29.90 on their own are the cheapest way to taste the peri-peri flavour if you are just curious.
The whole chicken deserves a caveat. Barcelos’ current national menu lists whole chicken mainly through the family packs rather than as a standalone feast item, so the ±R181.90 figure is a guide price compiled from recent menus — confirm with your branch. If you are feeding more than two people, the family packs below are usually better value anyway.
Burgers, Wraps, Pregos and Shawarma
Not everyone wants chicken on the bone. Barcelos does a solid line in handheld food — burgers, wraps, prego rolls and shawarma — all with flame-grilled chicken (beef options exist too). Wraps start at R42.90, which makes them one of the cheaper ways to eat here.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chicken slaw wrap | R42.90 |
| Chicken & feta wrap | R46.90 |
| Cheesy loaded wrap | R50.90 |
| Cheese burger | R55.90 |
| Cheese burger + side | R65.90 |
| Cheese burger + side & drink | R75.90 |
| Chicken shawarma | R69.90 |
| Chicken shawarma + side | R79.00 |
| Chicken shawarma + side & drink | R89.00 |
The cheese burger at R55.90 is decent value against the burger chains, and the meal version at R75.90 with side and drink holds its own against a McDonald’s or Burger King combo — with the bonus of flame-grilled rather than fried chicken. The shawarma at R69.90 is a generous portion for the price and a good pick if you want something different from the standard chicken-and-chips plate. For the absolute cheapest handheld options across all chains, see our cheapest fast food under R50 roundup.
Family Packs: What Each One Includes
Barcelos family packs are built around whole or half chickens with sharing sides and Portuguese rolls. They are priced per pack, not per person, so the value depends on how many mouths you are feeding.
| Family pack | Price | What you get (guide) |
|---|---|---|
| Half Pack | R138.90 | 1/2 chicken, 2 regular sides, 2 Portuguese rolls |
| Family Chicken Meal | R149.90 | Whole chicken with sides (branch varies) |
| Thumbs Up | R189.90 | Full chicken, garlic loaf, medium coleslaw, medium pap or spicy rice |
| Family Pack | R274.90 | Full chicken, 2 medium sides, 4 Portuguese rolls |
| Super Family Pack | R359.90 | 2 full chickens, 2 large sides, 6 Portuguese rolls |
The maths favours the bigger packs if you can finish them. The Super Family Pack at R359.90 works out to roughly R60 per person for six people — hard to beat for flame-grilled chicken. For a family of four, the Family Pack at R274.90 (about R69 per person) is the sweet spot. The Thumbs Up at R189.90 is the interesting middle option: a full chicken plus proper sides for two to three people, and it often runs as a promotion. Pack contents can vary slightly by branch, so treat the “what you get” column as a guide and check your store’s board.
Combos and Deals Worth Knowing
Barcelos runs a set of national combos alongside the standard menu. These are fixed-price bundles that usually beat ordering the components separately.
| Combo / deal | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 chicken meal | R65.90 | 1/4 chicken, fries and garlic roll |
| Tasty Twins | R65.90 | Two smaller burgers — easy to share |
| Mega Ayoba Meal | R99.90 | Hearty solo feast near the R100 mark |
| Double Delicious & fries | R95.90 | Chicken strip rolls with fries |
| Love Triangle | R129.90 | Three wraps — good for small groups |
| Cheesy loaded fries | R44.90 | Loaded fries, handy as a shareable side |
The quarter chicken meal at R65.90 is arguably the best single-diner deal on the menu: chicken, fries and a garlic roll for the price of a fast-food burger combo. Tasty Twins at the same price is the sharing-friendly alternative. Keep an eye on the current national promotions too — the Ayoba Meal (around R45.90) and the Thumbs Up feast promotion (around R194.90) rotate through the year. Our fast food deals page tracks the specials currently running across the major chains.
Sides, Salads, Poppers and Desserts
Sides at Barcelos follow the same R10-step logic as the feasts: a single side is R19.90, a sharing side R36.90. The side lineup covers the expected ground — fries, wedges, spicy rice, pap with tomato relish, coleslaw and bean salad.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Single side (fries, wedges, rice, pap, slaw) | R19.90 |
| Sharing side | R36.90 |
| Garden salad | R36.90 |
| Greek salad | R46.90 |
| Add chicken to any salad | R18.00 |
| 5 chicken poppers | R29.90 |
| 10 chicken poppers | R49.90 |
| Cheesy jalapeño poppers | R29.90 |
| Standard dessert / shake | R29.90 |
| Premium dessert / shake | R39.90 |
| Garlic loaf (add-on) | R19.90 |
| 2L Pepsi (add-on) | R25.00 |
The R18 add-chicken option on salads is one of the quiet bargains on the menu — a Greek salad with chicken for under R65. Poppers at R29.90 for five make a good starter to share, and the cheesy jalapeño version is worth trying if you like heat with your cheese.
Breakfast at Barcelos
Selected Barcelos stores serve breakfast, built around eggs, chicken and fries rather than the usual bacon-and-sausage lineup. Prices vary more here than on the main menu, so treat these as guide prices: the Mini Breakfast (egg, chicken strips, fries, tomato and toast) runs around R44–R53, the Drifter Breakfast (eggs, chicken livers, fries, onion rings, tomato and toast) around R78–R93, the Algarve Breakfast (eggs, prego steak, fries, tomato and toast) around R90–R110, and the Cheesy Egg and Chicken Pita around R60–R71. Not every branch does breakfast, so check before you go.
Sauces and the Heat Scale
Barcelos’ five heat levels — Tangy Lemon, Prego, Mild Peri, Veri Peri and Supa Peri — apply across the grilled menu, and you choose when you order. If you are new to peri-peri, start at Mild Peri; Veri Peri has a proper kick and Supa Peri is not messing about. Extra sauce tubs (peri mayo, sweet chilli, cheese, jalapeño) are available in 75ml tubs for around R8.50 on delivery menus — in store they are cheaper or included depending on the branch. You can also buy 250ml retail marinades to take home.
Delivery vs In-Store: The Markup Is Steep
Barcelos is widely listed on Uber Eats, and the delivery prices tell a consistent story: expect to pay roughly 40–45% more than the in-store menu. A quarter chicken that costs R45.90 in store lists at R66.57 on Uber Eats. The quarter chicken meal jumps from R65.90 to R95.57. A half chicken goes from R90.90 to R131.83, the Mega Ayoba Meal from R99.90 to R144.88, and the Family Pack from R274.90 to R398.69. That is before the delivery fee and service fee.
This is not unique to Barcelos — delivery apps take a large commission and stores pass it on — but the gap is wide enough that it should change how you order. If you are feeding a family, collecting the R274.90 Family Pack yourself instead of paying R398.69 for delivery saves you more than R120 on one order. Order delivery for convenience, not for value.
Barcelos vs Nando’s vs Pedros: How the Prices Compare
The peri-peri chicken market in South Africa is really a three-way fight. Nando’s is the premium player: a quarter chicken runs roughly R55–R76 depending on what comes with it, and a half chicken with a side lands around R121–R164. Our full Nando’s menu prices breakdown has the item-by-item figures. Barcelos sits clearly below that — R45.90 for a quarter chicken, R90.90 for a half — which makes it the value alternative for the same flame-grilled style. See our KFC vs Nando’s price comparison for how the broader chicken market stacks up.
Pedros, meanwhile, undercuts both: a quarter chicken with chips and a roll goes for around R39.90. So the price ladder runs Pedros at the bottom, Barcelos in the middle, Nando’s at the top. On quality, that is roughly the order of the eating experience too — Nando’s has the most polished product, Barcelos is a solid middle that many South Africans genuinely prefer for flavour, and Pedros wins on pure budget. If flame-grilled peri flavour is what you are after and you don’t want to pay Nando’s prices, Barcelos is the sweet spot. Fans of the hotter end of the scale should also look at Chicken Licken’s menu, which plays in the same spicy-chicken space with a different style.
Best Value Picks at Barcelos
If you want the most food for your rand: the quarter chicken meal at R65.90 (chicken, fries, garlic roll) is the best solo deal on the board. The chicken strips at R29.90 are the cheapest entry to the menu. For two people, Tasty Twins at R65.90 or the Half Pack at R138.90 depending on appetite. For families, the Family Pack at R274.90 is the per-person winner. And always collect instead of ordering delivery if price matters — the 40–45% app markup is the single biggest saving available to you.
Who Barcelos Suits — and Who Should Skip It
Barcelos suits anyone who likes flame-grilled chicken with real peri-peri flavour but finds Nando’s steep. It is a good family option, a good group option (the sharing packs are well designed), and a genuinely good budget option at the strips-and-wraps end of the menu. Spice lovers get a proper heat scale instead of a single “hot” option.
Skip it if you want fried chicken — everything here is grilled, so KFC-style crunch is not on offer. Strict vegetarians have limited options beyond salads and veggie burgers at some branches. And if you are eating strictly under R50, the menu thins out fast: strips, poppers and the cheapest wraps are your only real choices.
A Note on These Prices
Prices above are the Barcelos national menu baseline for 2026, sourced from the brand’s official menu and cross-checked against independent SA price guides updated in September–October 2026, plus live Uber Eats store menus for delivery figures. Barcelos states that regional and online pricing applies, and branches are franchised, so your local store may differ by a few rand. Delivery prices move with the apps. If a price here differs from your branch, the branch menu is the final word.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a quarter chicken at Barcelos?
R45.90 on its own, R55.90 with one side, or R65.90 with a side and a drink. The R65.90 quarter chicken meal (with fries and a garlic roll) is one of the best-value solo meals on the menu.
Is Barcelos cheaper than Nando’s?
Yes, generally. A Barcelos quarter chicken costs R45.90 versus roughly R55+ at Nando’s, and a half chicken is R90.90 versus R121+ at Nando’s. Both serve flame-grilled peri-peri chicken, so Barcelos is the value alternative in the same style.
What heat levels does Barcelos have?
Five: Tangy Lemon (mildest), Prego, Mild Peri, Veri Peri, and Supa Peri (hottest). You choose your heat when you order, and it applies across the grilled chicken menu.
How much more expensive is Barcelos on Uber Eats?
Roughly 40–45% above in-store prices. A quarter chicken meal that costs R65.90 in store lists at R95.57 on Uber Eats, and a Family Pack jumps from R274.90 to R398.69 — before delivery and service fees.
What comes in the Barcelos family packs?
The Half Pack (R138.90) has half a chicken with 2 sides and 2 rolls; the Family Pack (R274.90) has a full chicken with 2 medium sides and 4 rolls; the Super Family Pack (R359.90) has 2 full chickens with 2 large sides and 6 rolls. Contents can vary slightly by branch.
Are Barcelos prices the same at every branch?
No. Barcelos notes that regional and online pricing applies, and branches are franchised, so prices can vary by a few rand between stores. Delivery app prices are set separately and run significantly higher.
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