The dish…on just one dish!

Count the Shalin household as huge fans of Gus’s Fried Chicken. I picked up a take-out order this afternoon, marking my inaugural visit to the Little Rock location. A few months back, Gus’s was the final leg in our 2-day, 18-stop Eat Memphis Tour. A bit over-seasoned and a tad underwhelming was the overall consensus that time around.

Not so much on today’s visit.

Our chicken was absolutely perfect. I’m also delighted that the 20-minute drive home did nothing to diminish the quality of our meal. The pieces of chicken had a crispy, perfectly fried coating, with meat that was moist and juicy throughout. These were characteristics shared by every piece—from the breast right down to the leg. And even with a long drive home, the chicken was still piping hot, like it seemingly had just come out of the fryer.

A wonderful blend of spices provided for a little slow burn on the back end of each bite; this certainly wasn’t overpowering (even for children), but enough to ignite our taste buds.

Quotes I heard from my kids: “Dad, can we go to Gus’s for my birthday dinner?” Later on: “This is better than beef soft tacos.” That last quote was from my 4-year-old. I can honestly say there is no greater compliment that kid hands out than the vaunted “better than beef soft tacos.” It’s like her James Beard Award…seriously.

It’s also worth noting that our meal came with sides of baked beans and cole slaw. Each, on its own, left something to be desired. However, mixed in perfect harmony, the sweet and creamy slaw with the tangy beans was a match made in heaven.

The 12-piece chicken dinner, with the sides of beans and slaw (and bread), ran about $30. Expect that to feed a typical family of four, with a few pieces for leftovers.

Great service and food–Gus’s Fried Chicken certainly lived up to the hype.