Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
| Address: | 117 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, USA |
| Phone: | +1 512-474-4877 |
| Site: | gusfriedchicken.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
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Dennis Cao
This is hands down the best fried chicken Ive ever had. Period! My previous favorites were the addictive flavoring of KFCs original recipe and the very juicy and crispy (but not oily) chicken from Lucys. Guss fried chicken is like the offspring if those two ever mated. The chicken is very moist, probably sitting in brine over night, and the skin is cooked close to if not golden perfection. The breading is not thick nor dry, but flavorful and spicy, not to mention addicting. The chicken comes steamy hot as they serve it straight from the fryer and watch out for that heat cause that breading keeps the chicken hot! The spiciness certainly sneaks up on you like a tiptoeing thief. While youre distracted with the hot juicy chicken covered in a wonderfully spiced skin, the heat (probably cayenne) picks your pocket and you wont even know it until you reach for the napkin to dab your forehead. The other beauty of this place is the fact that its not really that expensive. With the location situated between two high class steak houses in the heart of downtown Austin, I assumed that this would be a "fancy" fried chicken establishment. I was pleasantly surprised that you can get a 3 piece dark plate (1 drumstick and 2 very large thighs) with 2 sides all for under $10!! Thats a steal!! Now Im not sure if its a case of the chicken raising the standard so high that the sides could never compare or that the sides are just simply not very good, but lets be honest, youll come here for the chicken. Their coleslaw, collard greens, and sweet beans are the only sides that I believe should accompany this stellar chicken, but Im fine with getting some chicken with a side of chicken. My only regret is that there is only a single location to get this chicken. As this place gets more and more popular (and Im confident it will) the cramped parking situation of downtown Austin will sure make it a chore to get this heavenly chicken. I sure hope that they open a second location (perhaps on the Burnet food scene?) in the near future to promote their gospel of good fried chicken.
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Leila Rahil
I am not a fried chicken fanatic the way some people are (especially south of the Mason-Dixie line) so, if you are, take this review with a grain of salt or whatever it is you think makes fried chicken the best thing ever. I will start by putting to question this "World Famous" claim because I had never heard of this place until it was suggested by some other Yelpers. I got the chicken tenders w/honey and beans/mac n cheese. I was lucky enough to be sitting w/some people that got almost everything else on their sides menu, so I feel like I had a decent sampling of what they had to offer. The tenders were good and even though one of the people sitting with us stated the chicken was too spicy, as someone who cannot tolerate spice, I will say it had some kick, but not to the point of affecting the enjoyability of the chicken. The honey was a nice dipping sauce, but the honey mustard was better. The beans and mac n cheese on their own were just OK, but when you Wonder Twined them, amazing things happened in my mouth! The fried pickles and okra were also just along the "OK" category, but of the fried app offerings, my fav was the green tomatoes! MaryStuartMatterson, they were good! Especially w/the ranch, which I know nothing about (as in if its housemade or wholesale) other than it was delicious w/a bit of a kick as well. The sweet potato pie was kind of a disaster (I mean it had zero flavor and was as bland as Ben Carsons personality). I am not a fan of pecan pie (I know I know, blasphemy in TX, but get over it, Im a transplant like 99% of the people in Austin) so I cannot attest to it, but others at my table said it was OK. Our waiter was very nice and made some informed suggestions, which I always appreciate when its my first time at a place. I dont know that I would go out of my way to come back here, but would stop in if I was in the vicinity and wanted a decent bite at a fairly decent price.
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Kaye Seaboch
Best fried chicken I have had so far! My kids and I were downtown for the Lego Kidsfest and needed food that is kid friendly. We decided to try it and boy was I glad we did! I ordered the 3 piece dark with the coleslaw and french fries. The first bite I took reminded me of homecooked fried chicken, except way better! It had the right amount of spicyness and seasoning. The outside was crispy without all the breading and the inside was tender, juicy, and so tasty. After eating the last piece, i asked myself why did I only order three?! My 7 year old son had the tenders and he said that it was good. It had the right amount of kick for him. I ordered some to go for my husband, he said it was okay only because he doesnt like spicy food. Our roommate ate some of it and he said that it was delicious also! Even as leftovers it was still very good. It didnt have the crunch anymore but thats expected. The place is a little cramped but still comfortable. They had picnic table type of tablecloth which I guess kind of gave it a more homey feel. Its nice that they have a bar too! If i didnt have to drive home beer and spicy fried chicken is the best! We came in on a Friday night around 7 and we had a very short wait for a table. The servers and very nice and friendly. The food didnt take long either! The couple next us ordered some appetizers and took maybe 5 minutes! I cant wait until the next time i get to come back it was just so damn delicious!
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Alice Wang
On my first night in Austin, I opted for Guss World Famous Fried Chicken. I decided to get the works and ordered a 2 piece platter (breast and wing). Plates include baked beans, slaw, and white bread. I also ordered a small side of mac and cheese, as well as a slice of their chocolate chess pie to try. The entire meal cost only $15. Such a good deal! The chicken is moist and has a subtle spicy kick too. The skin is crispy and the meat is very tender. Baked beans were good too, albeit a tad sweet to my liking. Mac and cheese was also good. Everything about the meal was on point. I also liked my chocolate chess pie, which in hindsight I probably shouldnt have ordered since I was super full after just the plate itself but I couldnt resist trying it since its a family recipe and raved by everyone. I didnt order it with ice cream since I was taking it to go, but the pie was very good. Its almost like a brownie and chocolate pudding infused into a pie. I would definitely recommend it! Since I ordered take out, I cant speak much to service except that the person who took my order was friendly and my food came out really quickly. If youre in downtown Austin, stop by Guss for some fried chicken deliciousness.
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Jade Leigh
This place is not for people who like flavorful food especially flavorful fried chicken. But lets start from the beginning... I was gonna sit but after standing 7min with not even so much as a Hello or Ill be right with you, I opted for take out. I wasnt sure if I should get the 3 wings or the breast and wing meal. Good thing I got the breast! The food was so spicy, it was hard to eat. I like to taste my food. After removing the skin (whats the point of fried chicken with no skin!) it was edible but no flavor. The wing was too small. It was supposed to come with beans and coleslaw. I open it up. Theres Mac n cheeses. It was cheesy which is good but not flavorful. Its definitely not soul food Mac n cheese. More velveeta style. The coleslaw did help ease the pain of the fire fire spice chicken. I NEVER give reviews, but wanted to spare you the time if you want chicken that you will taste the chicken and the spice. If you bite it you will taste hot spices. If you peel off the skin u will take chicken. I normally put hot sauce on fried chicken. This does NOT need a single drop... Its already drenched.
