4723 E Ray Rd Ste 3B, Phoenix, AZ 85044
Review Highlights
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken Review
If you are searching for a good hot and spicy chicken restaurant, head over to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken. The chain is fairly new to the valley, but they are rapidly expanding.
I visited their Ahwatukee (Phoenix) store, which is located in what used to be the old Sweet Tomatoes near Ray Road and southwest of 48th Street.
Gus’s Fried Chicken is a full service restaurant with a wait staff. Upon entering, you will not see a host. There will instead be a sign on the greeting table which guides you to seat yourself anywhere in the restaurant.
The dining area is very modern with elements that give it somewhat of a southern vibe. For example, checkered table coverings, blues music, wooden furniture, etc.
The menu is pretty straightforward with various options for combo plates (thigh, breast, wing, leg). Anyone from the south knows this menu well. To us, it’s just classic southern fare.
I ordered the “3 Piece White,” which consists of two breasts and a wing. Be careful when you go because they offer both a “3 Piece White” and a “3 Piece Dark” option. I did not notice it when I was in the restaurant. But all combo plates include baked beans, coleslaw, and white bread.
Many southern cooking restaurants tend to bury the bread under the chicken [versus serving it on the side]. So, when y’all see these photos and it looks like they stiffed me on the bread… just know that it was buried somewhere under the chicken.
The sides tend to run sweeter than normal. The restaurant’s founders intended for it to offset the spiciness of the fried chicken.
The baked beans were legit. The coleslaw was sweet enough to just go ahead and be dessert. The bread was the bread.
That Gus’s Fried Chicken though… very good. It’s not enough to see it in photos. You have to experience it. The skin was very dark in color; I’m guessing from cayenne, paprika, and other spices.
Also, the chicken is prepared using a wet batter, as in pancake consistency. This also contributes to its unique flavor and appearance.
For me, Gus’s “hot and spicy” fried chicken was more of a mild heat. In fact, it took me awhile to even notice the heat. It was very subtle.
It should be noted that Gus’s does not offer a non-spicy, bone-in chicken. The only alternative is tenders. And even though the tenders are not made with heat, they are fried in the same oil as the spicy chicken.
Another way you can tell these guys are from the south… they had about five homemade pies on the menu. I ended up trying the coconut pie and it was, of course, good. For any pie, you can add ice cream. Whole pies are also available.
But overall, Gus’s Fried Chicken is a much welcomed change from all the other chicken places out there. Accordingly, I have given them the green stamp: Justin Leonard Approved.
