Gerry's Charcoal Chicken

On a small side street in the sleepy suburb of Elderslea, you’ll find what appears to be an unassuming — if not slightly dated — takeaway shop. What you’re looking at is, in fact, Gerry’s Charcoal Chicken, a revered Upper Hutt institution that has been serving delicious spit-roasted chicken to the community for decades.

The focus at Gerry’s is on dishing out filling, flavoursome meals, which perhaps accounts for the minimalist fitout. Once a famous homestead (and a shoot location for the 1996 New Zealand film ‘Chicken’), the building has a storied past, having been closed down by a fire before reopening as the takeaway you see today. Plain brick walls, tiled floors, and the conservatory all serve as a nod to the no-nonsense family restaurants of the 80s and 90s — a time machine to the halcyon days when casual dining was a proper occasion.

Today, families from around the Hutt (and even further afield) flock to Gerry’s to grab some of the shop’s signature charcoal chicken. The quarter chicken packs with chips are a perennial favourite, while the Cluckin Burgers are a popular lunchtime option. For those so inclined, you can also tuck into a roast beef meal or peruse the fish and chip options.

A self-proclaimed “fast food institution to rival the best,” Gerry’s Charcoal Chicken has managed to be a mainstay of the Upper Hutt dining scene for generations by simply focusing on what it does best: good chicken that keeps people coming back for more.