Sometimes the internet chatter can be right.
It's not that there was unanaimous agreement on Gus's Fried Chicken. But it has a rabid following and the opening of it in Maplewood was the subject of heated discussion in the local food world. 2015, after all, was the Year of the Fried Chicken in these parts, and attention was being paid. Plenty of attention, make no mistake. Stories abounded of lines out the door after it opened earlier this month.
Gus's is a franchise out of Mason, TN. There are currently about fifteen locations. So – a franchise business and open a couple of weeks or so. Both reasons not to go? Sort of. But somehow, the urge overcame, I notified my pal the Chickenator and off we went.
I hadn't realized there is a fairly large sit-down area with table service. Oilcloth-type tablecloths and paper napkins, of course, but that's fine. A few open tables in the early evening of a weeknight, too. Short menu, a limited number of sides. Pie for dessert. Onward.
Let's get to the meat, so to speak, of things. This is wondrous chicken. I blush a little to say it, and warn you that according to the website, every batch may be a little different because the seasoning is done by hand, so to speak. But what we had was, yes, wondrous. The white meat gushing juice underneath its ruddy, crisp, un-greasy crust, the brilliant seasoning in the crust itself, a wing that was crisp rather than fatty. It's spicy, brisk but not mouth-numbing with some cayenne singing its soprano notes. I can see someone playing hookey from their office for a mid-afternoon rendezvous with a 3-piece dinner, it's that seductive.
Sides present a rather mixed bag. Collards are well-seasoned but way too salty, and I like salt. Macaroni and cheese, as is traditional in this habitat, went far beyond al dente, but tastes like cheese, which is more than can be said for many versions offered to an unsuspecting public. Forgettable coleslaw, one of the two sides that come with each dinner (others incur a fifty-cent upcharge), but the beans, the other standard side, are unusual. Sweet, of course, but they show a marked tartness that made me think of tomatoes or perhaps a glug of apple cider vinegar. It's a good contrast to the rest of the plate. Fried okra, also available as an appetizer, wears a cornmeal crust, in big enough chunks that you can actually taste the okra. Like the chicken, it wasn't greasy at all. These are relatively small servings in the context of this style of food, so if you're curious about a third type of side, go ahead.
A piece of chess pie, an old southern specialty had a decent crust even though it really looked at the edge like it was mass-produced, and its gooey filling wasn't quite as overwhelmingly sweet as some of its brethren, with perhaps just a little touch of cinnamon. "Cold or hot?" asked the server. "Warm," we replied. It was hot, definitely microwaved, but not the end of the world, and divided in half just the thing to end a very traditional meal.
Gus's Fried Chicken
7434 Manchester, Maplewood
314-899-9899
gusfriedchicken.com/st-louis-missouri-maplewood-mo
Lunch and dinner daily
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No