Lebanese-style charcoal chicken chain El Jannah debuts first drive-thru venue

The lingering taste of garlicky toum that has left an indelible mark on Sydney’s food scene in the past few years can typically be traced back to El Jannah. The charcoal chicken joint, born a stone’s throw from Granville Station, peddles the kind of dreamy never-forget-your-first-time that has since seen the business expand to include numerous venues across Sydney, which as of this weeks includes El Jannah’s first ever drive-thru restaurant.

Landing in the Western Sydney suburb of Smithfield, the beloved Lebanese-style charcoal chook chain is doing exactly what it says on the label: an El Jannah with a drive-thru. That means you’ll be able to walk on in and order the entire menu, which includes the signature serve in either halves or quarters, on either rolls, burgers or salads. Then, of course, there’s also chips and other non-chicken essentials like a minced lamb kafta roll, shawarma plate, and falafel plate. Or you can do a drive-by order. Just don’t forget as much garlic sauce as you can order without it getting awkward.

The new Smithfield store, which opens from Saturday 8th August at 3/16 Smithfield Road, joins already buzzing joints in Blacktown, Campbelltown, Punchbowl, Granville, Newtown, Penrith, and Kogarah. Growth has been steady and organic for what is now Sydney’s most beloved chicken chain, so we can only imagine what’s next for El Jannah.

Notably, Sydney’s “other” famous charcoal chicken spot, Petersham’s saucy Portugese-style Frango, has also opened up a drive-thru venue at 2074 Camden Valley Way, Edmondson Park.

The full menu for El Jannah can be found here.

Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.