In the week of August 13-19th 2012, tens of thousands of people flocked to Memphis. The reason? To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. This week, known as Elvis Week, was filled with events glorifying the young singer; concerts, competitions, even a candlelight vigil. Literally thousands of Elvis impersonators took to the streets, quiffs nodding in the balmy summer breeze. To put a figure on it; on the Thursday, the day of the candlelight vigil, 75,000 people passed through Graceland, Elvis’ mansion. My two companions and I also flocked to Memphis during this week, however not to boogie on down to Hound Dog or sob over the hundreds of wreaths lining Graceland’s driveway. No, the timing was purely coincidental. What we were all shook up over (ho ho ho) was the prospect of sampling reportedly the best fried chicken in the USA. Where? At Gus’s Chicken, Memphis.
Like so many of the other great finds of my Food Tour, it was Adam Richmond, presenter of Man vs. Food, who had led me to Gus’s. Check out the video clip below. When I first spied Adam munching away on the golden wings in Gus’s, I was determined that before long it would be me, yes me, doing said munching.
Like so many of the other great finds of my Food Tour, it was Adam Richmond, presenter of Man vs. Food, who had led me to Gus’s. Check out the video clip below. When I first spied Adam munching away on the golden wings in Gus’s, I was determined that before long it would be me, yes me, doing said munching.
We arrived at Gus’s at around 2pm and were greeted with a healthy line out of the door. On entering, the place was mayhem. Packed to the rafters with the gorging public, waiters dashed around carrying towering platters of chicken. Waiting people thronged around the entrance, glowering at those already seated and eating. We joined the latter. Present that day also happened to be a long table of about 40 die hard Elvis fans. Half way through the meal they initiated a sing along of Viva Las Vegas, led by an Australian impersonator, white leather jumpsuit and all. See the video below and apologies for the beginning being on its side! After queuing around 30 minutes we made it to our table and ordered a selection of the chicken and its sides.
I won’t beat around the bush. It was the best fried chicken I have ever eaten in my life. Beyond nice, beyond tasty, beyond amazing. It was coated in an incredible batter that had a good hit of spice in it, not too much, just enough to provide a bit of a wide eyed zing on first bite. It was crispy, salty and not at all greasy. It crunched audibly on the bite and the sound, oh the sound. That sound should be canned and sold as an erotic aid in sex stores globally. Certainly it would get me off anytime. Inside the chicken was cooked perfectly. Soft, very very juicy and tasting of chicken. Very flavoursome. The selection included a breast piece, wing, drumstick and a leg. My favourite was the wing – it had a relatively large surface area meaning more batter, which obviously is a great thing, but the presence of the bone kept the meat flavoursome and more tender than the breast. As you tore at it with your teeth, rivulets of juice came trickling out, filling your mouth with chickeny goodness. The sides were okay too, okay being the definitive word. It was the chicken that was the star.
To conclude, I would probably fly to America to eat this chicken. KFC lies mangled and paltry, road kill in the wake of Gus’s Chicken’s delicious, turbulent passage. I intend to spend the next week, on returning from America, in my kitchen experimenting to try and reproduce what I ate in Memphis. If I have any luck, I will be sure to post. Wish me luck!
No website.
310 S Front St
Memphis, TN 38103
No website.
310 S Front St
Memphis, TN 38103
