What is Oporto in Australia?

Oporto in Australia is a fast food chain serving Portuguese chicken – most famously, the Bondi Burger. Oporto restaurants and takeaways are fairly similar to Nando’s, with outlets in the likes of Dubbo, Toowoomba, Townsville and Cessnock.

Walk around an Australian city for long enough and chances are you’ll see an Oporto. Oporto in Australia is a chain of fast food restaurants and takeaways that specialises in Portuguese-style chicken.

This might sound suspiciously like Nando’s, and it is. The major difference is that Nando’s has successfully spread overseas, while Oporto has tried and largely failed.

Oporto restaurants and takeaways in Australia

Oporto tends to be a little more geared to takeaway than Nando’s, too. There’s none of the familiar pick your sauce, then collect when ready theatre of Nando’s. The food may be similar, but the operation is closer to KFC than Nando’s.

The history of Oporto in Australia begins in Bondi Beach, Sydney. In 1986, Antonio Cerqueira set up his first Portuguese chicken outlet at Australia’s most famous beach. There are now dozens across the country, including Surry Hills, Marrickville and Parramatta in Sydney. There are also Oporto restaurants in Cairns, Toowoomba, Dubbo, Townsville and Cessnock. They’re a reasonably common fixture in suburban shopping malls.

Bondi Burgers and Otropo Burgers

The major calling cards of Oporto are fresh chicken, flame-grilling and chilli sauce. It’s called Original Chilli Sauce rather than peri peri, but it’s essentially the same thing.

Flame-grilled chicken is the standard on the Oporto menu, but there’s also a range of chicken burgers. The Bondi Burger is the classic option here, with three chicken fillets, cheese and chilli sauce.

The Otropo burger also throws in bacon and pineapple. Be warned – the Otropo burger can be incredibly messy to eat.

Oporto Rappas

If this all sounds like an explosion of sauce and food all over face and clothes, the Oporto Rappas are a decent option. The Rappas at Oporto restaurants and takeaways put all the ingredients inside an easier-to-handle wrap.

The full menu can be found on the Oporto website. But essentially, think Nando’s without quite so much of the self-aggrandisement, and with a more fast food leaning.

More food and wine in Australia

Pick your own strawberries at Tinaberries in Bundaberg.

Taste pinot noir on a sheep farm at the Milton Vineyard in Swansea, Tasmania.

Have a cold beer and a massive steak at the Nindigully Pub in outback Queensland.

Feast on tacos and mezcal at Bodega Underground in Melbourne.

Indulge in wine flights at Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley.