How Zankou Chicken has Survived for More than 50 Years

Few natives to Los Angeles don’t know about Zankou. It’s a restaurant in California that serves expertly roasted chicken, seasoned with local spices. The result is a perfect combination of juicy meat and crispy skin. But how does that fit in with health conscious LA? There are a few reasons why Zankou has survived for half a century in the competitive landscape that is Los Angeles.

Healthy Food

Zankou uses fresh ingredients, avoids GMOs and only buys from local farms. The garlic for its garlic sauce comes from Gilroy, California. The parsley the restaurant uses for its tabbouleh is hand chosen and washed three times before it’s cut up. The whole salad is tossed with lemon juice and olive oil, for a refreshing taste.

How It’s Made

Zankou does a lot of its work by hand, just like the old days. Chickens that are on the rotisserie rotate for 90 minutes, carefully moved from rack to rack so that the drippings from each chicken above helps to flavor those down below. The pita is made in house, hours before the restaurant even opens. Garbanzo beans are never canned, they are hand peeled before they are ever turned into hummus or part of the delicious falafel.

Vegan Friendly

LA is one of the centers for the vegan movement, and the population is growing. More restaurants in LA are making the switch to providing vegan alternatives, and Zankou has been ahead of that charge for some time. Tabbouleh, hummus and muttabal are all vegan friendly. As are the falafel balls, which use garbanzo beans for protein.