Dec 19, 2023 - Food and Drink
Try some juicy, spicy Southern-style fried chicken at Gus's
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After driving past Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken more times than I can count, I finally gave into my culinary curiosity and stopped in for lunch.
State of play: Gus's opened its first Arizona location in Mesa in 2021 and has since opened three other restaurants in Phoenix.
- I decided to sample the goods at its 16th Street location, just south of Campbell Avenue.
- There's no pretensions to be found here. You get your meal on a picnic-style paper plate and red-and-white checkered plastic tablecloth, so they're relying on the food to speak for itself.
What I ordered: The three-piece fried chicken meal, spicy as it comes.
- Gus's serves Southern spicy fried chicken, not Nashville-style hot chicken.
The verdict: The chicken was moist, tender and full of flavor, with just enough kick to make you notice the heat, without it being overpowering.
- I took my server's suggestion and ordered the mac and cheese, and I was glad I did. I'm not sure what the red seasoning is that joins the shredded, melted cheese it's topped with, but it's as flavorful as any mac and cheese you'll find.
- Gus's website notes that most of the sides "tend to be on the sweeter side" to balance the spiciness of the chicken, and the baked beans do a good job of that.
Zoom out: Gus's is relatively new to the Valley, but it has a long history.
- After years of selling their chicken in a Mason, Tennessee, tavern, the owners opened their first restaurant in 1973 as Maggie's Short Orders.
- It reopened under its current name in 1984 and now has 40 locations nationwide.