Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Gus' Fried Chicken is probably one of the best fried chicken spots we have in southern California. I'm so sad that we had a location in Long Beach and that we lost it. Losing the Long Beach location is one of the reasons I started writing yelp reviews again after a ten-year hiatus. It highlights how upset I was to lose such a great local business! Nevertheless, for those few of you who miss the LB location, fear not! You can get their juicy, seasoned fried chicken in Santa Ana. Dining in is the way to go as you could enjoy its juiciness, spice, and seasoning to its peak freshness. The chicken is tender and seasoned to the bone. I like to eat it with their sweet baked beans and their seasoned fries. My wife likes their potato salad, which has an eggy and mustardy mayo that lends some nice creaminess. At $21 for a 3 piece chicken meal, the fried chicken meals are not cheap, but I do think that you could taste the quality in the ingredients and that they didn't cut corners with seasoning the meat. I really believe that Gus' Fried Chicken is one of my favorite fried chicken shops in southern California. They have a location here and a location in LA, but I hope they consider coming back to Long Beach in the future.

(4.5) After hearing all the hype about Gus's Fried Chicken, I finally got the chance to try it. The waitress was nice and friendly. The vibe of the place is cozy, with a vintage feel that makes you at ease. Parking can be tough especially towards dinner time Friday-Sundaay. I ordered the three-piece dark meat with mac and cheese and slaw.What really stood out was the batter on the chicken -- it's unlike any other fried chicken I've had. Not that oily greasiness. It's a unique blend, like a cross between a light tempura and the classic flour batter, giving it a crispy yet airy crunch. The seasoning had a nice kick, with bold flavors that kept me going back for more. It was a bit on the salty side, but the mac and cheese and slaw balanced it out perfectly.It is a bit in the pricier side, but you can taste the effort of making the dish. Overall, a solid spot for fried chicken lovers. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving something with a bit of spice and a crispy fried ness. They also had various beer and pies there that would pair perfectly!

I've heard of Gus's for quite some time. Living in Tennessee and being from Los Angeles, fried chicken is something I'm beyond "familiar" with. Now I'm living in Anaheim where soul food is scarce to say the least. But a 20min drive for some southern cuisine was an easy decision to try out Gus's and grab some pie and sweet tea was a bonus. I went relatively early, 4pm, I was hoping I'd find a line full of people and half the seats taken up. The hustle and bustle of a restaurant doing well. Unfortunately it was empty. The music was soulful Jazz and the fo-brick wall and pictures were giving the South a good representation of a local diner. The sign stating that the food was "made to order" and that it's not a "fast food restaurant" made me hopeful that I was in for a treat. The staff were all very friendly and answered my questions regarding how the food was prepped (didn't want to get my hopes up considering there was no cornbread, candied yams etc on the menu). I ordered my 3pc plate and paid extra for mac & cheese and greens. Even grabbed some pie while I waited for my food.So how did it taste? Sweet Tea - Devine! Cold, Sweet and refreshing. Chicken - the batter, from the looks, may be wet. It was crunchy but not flaky. Super flavorful and moist. My only critic was that they didn't have heat levels. However, crystals or Louisiana hot sauce and jalapeños were readily available. Collard Greens - they use bacon grease to cook down their greens. I didn't taste or see bacon in the greens themselves. They were chopped too fine for my liking and they sour spicy kick you get in the juice was missing. Definitely nothing to brag about. Mac & Cheese - so sad. I mean the biggest let down is not to have from scratch Mac & Cheese. It was giving "canned cheese". No roux, no love, more like something you'd fine at KFC or something. I mean Chic Fi Le blows this out of the water.Sweet Potato Pie - Good. Not as rich as I prefer but the only critique is the crust was lacking. Not bitterly and flaky. Definitely not their own crust. For the price I just expected more. For the drive I was hopeful. It's just a good name that fell short.

This was hands down, the best fried chicken I've ever had! The breasts were huge and juicy. The skin was crispy and not overly battered,So good! There was quite a kick, which I didn't expect, but loved. I also tried the Mac n cheese and potato salad, and they were both amazing. The mac tasted homemade with lots of cheese, and the potato salad was so flavorful and balanced. I also had a root beer float, which was so nostalgic. The place itself was cute, too. My only qualm, and I'm nitpicking- is that the chicken was a little too salty. But I added some honey, and I loved it!

First time here. The service off the bat was impressive. Super nice employees, very helpful and friendly. Cute, welcoming dining area. Chicken was really tasty. Wasn't dry, great flavor, nice fry. We had all of the sides minus the greens. They were ok. Not quite sure if they're made in house but nevertheless they were good. Worth coming back.

My favorite fried chicken place. Discovered this place at a food festival and have been coming ever since. They have specials like Memphis Midday for $12 you get four drumsticks and two sides. Come and eat here and you will be very happy. Happy Yelping!

This is hands down the best Southern-style food I've had in the OC! The chicken is perfectly crispy with just the right amount of kick. Their baked beans and macaroni and cheese are absolutely delicious. The chicken tenders are massive! You get three, but they're so sizable and filling that you could easily share them.We've also ordered catering from Gus's before, and everything was packaged so neatly, making it super convenient for gatherings. And let me just say, I LOVE their chess pie! I didn't know what it was at first, but after trying it, I decided it's pure heaven.The restaurant has a laid-back vibe with a welcoming touch. Gus's is the ultimate comfort food spot, and I always leave feeling completely satisfied.

Fresh , HOT, clean. Sounds horrible but good service . Beers ummm maybe. Who's up this weekend be aware or be SQ.

Service was great! Diana was nice and attentive. Food was delicious, perfectly crispy mildly spicy chicken, beans and Mac & cheese was good and the sweet tea was perfect. It's pretty big inside with plenty of tables and seating, sports tv on with music. I'd come back. Only downfall is parking, there's a parking lot across the street.

Good friend recommended this joint for some good fried chicken, and man were we impressed! We started with fried pickles, which come as spears btw, not coins. And the hubby loved it! Food:1. Seasoned fries - came out piping hot and generously seasoned (I think Larwry's). Crispy, fluffy on the inside and good portion for small size. 2. Chicken - these bad bois are battered and it has a good kick! Just enough to tickle your tongue, not overly spicy. Juicy, moist and oh so crispy! I prefer dark meat and the hubby likes white and we were both happy! 3. Beans - not overly sweet! And you can taste the bacon. 4. Greens - garlicky and didn't have that bitter bite some places have5. Mac n cheese - the winner for best side here! 6. White bread - reminded us of wonder bread and it was nice and soft Service: attentive and quickAmbiance: moderate noise, sports playing on the TVsParking: street or parking structure; read all the signs and pay your meters! Tickets were given out. Give them a try! You won't regret it.