The first Zankou Chicken opened in 1962 in the Bourj Hammoud neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon, by Armenian Vartkes Iskenderian and his family. The chain was established within the United States in 1983 by his son, Mardiros Iskenderian, after the family immigrated to Los Angeles, California. After considering opening a dry cleaning business or selling men's suits, Iskenderian recognized a lack of restaurants catering to the growing Mediterranean immigrant population in Los Angeles. This included Armenian and Lebanese compatriots who fled Lebanon during the civil war. The first restaurant in Los Angeles opened in a section of East Hollywood called Little Armenia and is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. The restaurant is especially known for its thick, paste-like garlic sauce, created by Vartkes' wife, Markrid and widely imitated. In 1991 the family agreed to divide the business when Mardiros wanted to open additional restaurants. The new restaurants would be owned by Mardiros, while the original Sunset and Normandie store would be owned by his parents and two sisters. Vartkes Iskenderian died in 1992. Since opening, Zankou Chicken has expanded and includes the following locations in the greater Los Angeles area: East Hollywood, West Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys, Montebello, and Anaheim. On January 14, 2003, after a heated argument, Zankou Chicken owner Mardiros Iskenderian shot and killed his sister, Dzovig Marjik, and his mother Margarit Iskenderian; he then took his own life in a double-murder suicide. It is believed that Iskenderian was in the late stages of colon and brain cancer, which might have affected his mental faculties. The repercussions of this event, and the lasting division of the brand into two family factions, impeded the continuing growth of the business despite the restaurants' popularity. In the California Court of Appeal case Iskenderian v. Iskenderian, Mardiros Iskenderian's widow Rita unsuccessfully sought to attain sole control of the Zankou Chicken trademark. In 2013, Zankou Chicken was one of the contributors for Green Armenia, which brings attention to environmental problems faced by the people of Armenia.
The restaurant was mentioned by Beck in his song "Debra", from the albumMidnite Vultures.
The music video for Childish Gambino's song "Sober" from his EP Kauai was filmed in the original Hollywood location.
A Zankou Chicken location is mentioned as a wayfinding point as part of driving directions given in the Saturday Night Live sketch "The Californians"
Zankou Chicken was referenced in Curb Your Enthusiasm, where Larry David referred to it as Palestinian chicken so good "it could end the rift in the Middle East".
Marti Noxon, who co-produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer, called Zankou Chicken one of her "go-to" take out spots.
Zankou Chicken is a subject in Rob Delaney's book Mother. Wife. Sister.
Adam Richman of Man v. Food called Zankou Chicken a "can't miss".
The Zankou Chicken Murders were featured in the 32nd episode of "My Favorite Murder"
