Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

4.6
·491k reviews·,

A legendary Memphis institution serving up incredibly flavorful, crispy, and juicy fried chicken with classic Southern sides.

Highlights

Highlights

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Wed/Fri 18-21h

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Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Highlights

Highlights

Must-see attractions

A legendary Memphis institution serving up incredibly flavorful, crispy, and juicy fried chicken with classic Southern sides.

4.6
(491k reviews)

"If you haven't eaten at Gus's, you haven't eaten fried chicken."

TIP

Visit During Off-Peak Hours

Avoid long waits by visiting during less busy times.

Try Signature Dishes

Order the 3-piece dark meat plate or the Memphis Special for an authentic experience.

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Quick Facts

Closed·Opens Friday 11AM

Cuisine

American (Southern)

Price

Mid-range

Phone

(901) 527-4877

Address

310 S Front St, Memphis, TN 38103, USA

Insta-Factor

Medium

Highlights

Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

World-Famous Fried Chicken

World-Famous Fried Chicken

Juicy, crispy, and perfectly spiced fried chicken using a secret family recipe.

The Best Local Restaurants In Memphis, TennesseeBest Fried Chicken In MemphisGoogle Review
Authentic Southern Sides

Authentic Southern Sides

Indulge in classic comfort food like greens, slaw, potato salad, beans, and fried okra.

Google Review
Classic Hole-in-the-Wall Ambiance

Classic Hole-in-the-Wall Ambiance

Experience a nostalgic setting with checkered tablecloths and neon beer signs.

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Insider Tips

from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit

Visit During Off-Peak Hours

Avoid long waits by visiting during less busy times.

Try Signature Dishes

Order the 3-piece dark meat plate or the Memphis Special for an authentic experience.

Spicy, But Not Overwhelming

Reviewers say the spice is present but not excessively so.

Don't Skip the Sides

Highly recommended: fried green tomatoes and sweet tea.

Tips

from all over the internet

Visit During Off-Peak Hours

Avoid long waits by visiting during less busy times.

Try Signature Dishes

Order the 3-piece dark meat plate or the Memphis Special for an authentic experience.

Spicy, But Not Overwhelming

Reviewers say the spice is present but not excessively so.

Don't Skip the Sides

Highly recommended: fried green tomatoes and sweet tea.

Check Your Takeout Order

Ensure all items are in your bag before leaving to avoid missing anything.

What Travellers Say

4.6
(491k reviews)

Reviews Summary

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken is celebrated for its incredibly flavorful, juicy, and crispy fried chicken, living up to its 'world-famous' moniker. Diners also rave about the authentic Southern sides and the casual, no-frills atmosphere that makes for a comforting dining experience. While the chicken is consistently praised, some reviews note potential issues with order accuracy for takeout and slow service during peak times.

"The GOAT of fried chicken. The slogan speaks the truth, “if you haven’t eaten at Gus’s, you haven’t eaten fried chicken”. There are no truer words. Some of the most flavorful fried chicken with the perfect crisp. You can’t go wrong here. The green and beans just go so well with each bite of chicken. The sweet tea is another absolute banger here. Honestly the fried okra, I could live without. This is the fried chicken dreams are made of."

Frank

"I was staying down the street from this legendary spot. I went in for a late lunch around 2:00pm. This place is the original and I imagine hasn’t changed much. It’s small and no frills. It’s about the food not the decor. I was seated quickly even though it was 90% full. Waitress asked if I had water her before which I have once many years ago. She got my soda and then I placed my order for the 3 piece dark meat plate and substituted the slaw for potato salad. It took about 30 minutes to get my food. I saw several people come in after me and got their food before me. Waitress stopped by a few times saying since I got dark meet it was taking longer. When the food finally arrived it was 2 thighs and one tiny leg. Waitress did say she will bring out another bigger leg once there was more. That was another 10 minutes. As for the food the Chicken was crazy hot but it looked and smelled so good I had to jump in. It was fantastic. It lives up to the hype as crispy in the outside and juicy inside. The potato salad was also very good. The beans were pretty average to me. They also give you a slice of white bread. Overall the chicken is stellar and the sides were pretty good. The service was slow but that’s not top priority. I would come back again for sure."

B Tizzy

"I visited Gus to try out their sides. I ordered fried okra, Mac n cheese, Cole slaw and fried green tomatoes and a slice of sweet potato pie. Pros: service was great. Staff was friendly and very helpful. I was initially told my order would take 15 minutes but it took less time than that and my food was piping hot when I received it. The pie was my favorite of all the dishes and the ranch dressing they served with the tomatoes and fried okra was excellent. Cons: Macaroni was expensive for the portion size. It was very small. It wasn’t my favorite. Cheesy but a lil too thick for me (my son liked it). The okra and tomatoes were not as enjoyable because they smelled and tasted like chicken or like it could have been cooked in chicken grease. I didn’t really taste the flavor of the tomato or the okra. I tasted mostly grease. Overall, my bill was a bit high for just sides…about 28.00. Overall, I would definitely recommend the pie and maybe even the coleslaw (although I enjoyed it more after adding the ranch dressing)."

A ChitownJ

What People Like

World-famous spicy fried chicken
Delicious Southern sides
Casual, nostalgic atmosphere

What People Dislike

Occasional order errors
Slow service during busy periods

Frequently Asked Questions

Gus's uses a secret family recipe dating back to 1953, resulting in chicken that is incredibly juicy, crispy, and perfectly spiced.

Best Fried Chicken In Memphis10 of the best fried chicken restaurants in the South – DaveGladow.comGoogle Review

While the chicken has a noticeable spice, reviewers generally find it to be flavorful and not overwhelmingly hot.

Google Review

Fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, baked beans, and sweet tea are highly recommended by visitors.

Google Review+1

Many diners agree that the delicious chicken and authentic experience are well worth any wait time.

Google Review+1

Gus's offers a classic, casual, hole-in-the-wall atmosphere with checkered tablecloths and a nostalgic vibe.

Google Review

While the chicken has a spicy kick, the sides and other menu items are generally not spicy.

The 3-piece dark meat plate or the Memphis Special are popular choices for experiencing the signature chicken.

Yes, Gus's is recommended for families as the sides are sized for sharing and the fried chicken is a crowd-pleaser.

Family Friendly: Restaurants in MemphisGoogle Review

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The name may seem a little bombastic, along with their claim that they produce the best fried chicken on the planet. But Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken has received international recognition and has earned the affection of local Memphis residents. The menu lets you choose up to 20 pieces of fried chicken, a half chicken, or three wings and pieces, all served with beans and coleslaw.Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, 730 South Mendenhall Street, Memphis, TN, USA, +1 901 767 2323

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Various locationsFor once, a sign claiming that a restaurant is "world-famous" is actually true. Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken has been on every essential Memphis food list, best fried chicken list, and extreme-food TV show there is. Soon this carefully guarded Memphis-area-original family recipe will be served in spots like Chicago, Philly, and LA, along with the existing 10 locations now offering the spicy, crispy, succulent chicken.

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The basic brick building on South Front might scare some folks away â€" but trust us, walk in and load up. Gus's is a franchise of the original in Mason, about an hour from Memphis. That eatery opened in 1953 and the chicken was served up in a paper sack, which both absorbed the grease and kept the bird crispy. This is the real deal of Southern fried chicken: spicy, crunchy, and juicy, served with white bread. And be patient - your chicken and fried pickles or french fries don't hit the oil until you've ordered. Cold beer (served up in 40-ounce cans) is a nice contrast to the hot chicken. Sides and starters include fried pickles and green tomatoes, beans and slaw, and strangely enough, fried rice. Assuming you have any room left, chess pie is the way to go for dessert. Gus's also has locations in East Memphis and Collierville for those who can't make it downtown. Recommended for Family Friendly because: Gus's is a perfect place for the family - sides are sized for sharing. Sally's expert tip: One of the many secrets of Gus's delish chicken is the spice level, which we'd rate as medium to high, depending on the cook that day.If your kids are spice-adverse, you might want to wait until their palate is more developed to bring them to Gus's.

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Starting with a family recipe in 1953, Gus’s has grown into a fried chicken mini-empire. Originally located 40 minutes down the road from Memphis in Mason, Tenn., the second restaurant opened in the Bluff City in 2001 and they’ve been expanding ever since. Now synonymous with Memphis, this hot and spicy chicken cooked up in peanut oil used to require a special pilgrimage to experience, but with even more new locations being announced regularly, getting to experience Gus’s is getting easier all the time – which is a very good thing for all of us.

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It’s a lofty name but it stacks up – this humble chicken shop’s origins date back more than 60 years. The original location was 64km northeast of Memphis in the small community of Mason, where Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt and wife Ms Maggie began selling chicken from the back door of a local tavern. They were unable to afford to set up a shop of their own so locals who had grown to love the Vanderbilts’ chicken donated building materials and Na, a trained carpenter, got to work.

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Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is a well-loved fried chicken joint in Memphis that uses a top-secret recipe!. A plate of fried chicken at Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is distinctive for its piping-hot, spicy chicken that remains juicy yet non-oily, a Southern side of sweet beans and slaw, and a slice of white bread. Kids will love the fried chicken at this restaurant because not much at all can go wrong with golden-brown, crispy fried wings.

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Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken has been serving up their famous fried chicken since 1953, and it has become a must-try destination for visitors to Memphis. The restaurant has expanded to multiple locations across the country, but the original location in Memphis still holds its charm and authenticity. The walls are adorned with vintage photos and newspaper clippings, adding to the nostalgic atmosphere.

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Once you’ve had your share of the city’s abundant ribs and barbecue, stop by Gus’s and round out Memphis’s Holy Trinity of Food with crispy, just-spicy-enough fried chicken. For authenticity’s sake, go to the downtown location, and remember: It doesn’t count unless you get the plate, complete with beans, slaw, and a slice of white bread.—310 S. Front St.; gusfriedchicken.com

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The chicken here is extra crispy and flavorful, and it’s served with a secret hot sauce that’ll leave your taste buds tingling. If you’ve got room for more, get some greens in with a cheese and bacon-topped Beacon Salad from Memphis staple Pete & Sam’s, then follow that with a smoky and fresh-grilled cheeseburger from Tops Bar-B-Q or a Reuben from the Belmont Grill.

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Everyone loves a good home-cooked meal, so stop by Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken for a delicious meal you'll never forget. Enjoy a 65+ year recipe that was crafted to perfection by Na and Maggie Vanderbilt in 1953. From being unable to afford a startup business, to having over 30 locations nationally, this hot 'n spicy chicken recipe is as good as it gets!

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The spicy chicken was coming straight from the frier to our plate and they still could not keep up with demand. Served with baked beans and slaw for a rell rounded southern dinner.

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