This chicken joint was ranked #1 among national fried chicken chains

In a recent article for Far & Wide, the publication ranked the top 15 fried chicken chains in the country. Coming in at number one is a spot you can find right here in downtown Birmingham—Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken.

Gus’s serves hot + spicy fried chicken

According to its website, Gus’s famous fried chicken recipe was created by Maggie and Na Vanderbilt over 60 years ago in Mason, Tennessee. Years later, their son Gus inherited the recipe and in 1984, the first Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken opened for business.

Here’s what Far & Wide has to say about how Gus’s fried chicken stacks up in comparison to other chains:

“All hail the holy grail of fried chicken. What started from a single, humble restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee has grown into an empire of legendary chicken — the stuff of great lyric poems. The chicken here is perfectly cooked: crispy and juicy, spicy and just the right amount of grease.”

Far & Wide “15 Best Fried Chicken Chain Restaurants, Ranked”

With nearly 40 locations across 14 states, Gus’s Famous Fried Chicken is a regional gem and the smallest chain to make the list. There’s currently only one location in the state of Alabama—in the heart of downtown Birmingham.

Other chains ranked

Take a look at the other fried chicken chains that made the top ten:

• 2—Raising Cane’s
• 3—Jollibee
• 4—Slim Chickens
• 5—Popeye’s
• 6—Zaxby’s
• 7—Chick-fil-a
• 8—Church’s Chicken
• 9—Kentucky Fried Chicken
• 10—Bonchon

See the full list.

Visit Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Birmingham

• Hours: 11AM-8PM Daily
• Location: 2201 2nd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233

What’s your favorite fried chicken chain? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know!