I began this journey because I wanted to see if Austin fried chicken could compete with the stuff of national chains. I ate fried chicken four times in the last week, and this article, along with the weight I’ve gained, is the result of my fried chicken journey.
1. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Photo by Vicky Nguyen
I had really high expectations for this place, and it was everything I had hoped for and more. The chicken was perfect. For sides, get the fresh coleslaw and the gooey mac and cheese. Do NOT get the potato salad (too mustardy).
Hours: Sun-Thur: 11am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm
Location: 117 San Jacinto Blvd.
2. Popeye’s
Photo by Vicky Nguyen
TWO PIECE TUESDAY. Need I say more? I walked into the national chain expecting sub-par chicken after eating at Gus’, but that was not the case. I got two dark pieces, a biscuit, coleslaw and fries, and everything was just good. Not bad, not great, but just good.
Hours: Sun-Sat: 10:30am-10pm
Location: 1823 Airport Blvd. (Multiple locations)
Photo from pslovecharli.com
This location was shady AF, but the food was still good. With my friend, we ordered the family style 20 piece dark meat (that’s the only way to eat fried chicken) as well as coleslaw, mashed potatoes, jalapeño cheese bombers, fries and eight biscuits If you get only one thing here, get the biscuits. I have never had HBCB from Whataburger, but I imagine that it would taste like Church’s biscuits, plus some chicken.
Hours: Mon-Thur: 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat: 10am-10pm, Sun: 10am-9pm
Location: 6425 Burnet Rd.
4. Lucy’s Fried Chicken
Photo from Lucy’s Fried Chicken website
Don’t go here for the chicken; go here for the sweet tea. The coleslaw is pretty much purple cabbage with mayo, so don’t get that either. If they had cheaper menu items, I’d probably give Lucy’s another shot. The food was just not worth the price I paid. Being a college student means searching for the most and best food for your buck. This ain’t it.
Hours: Sun-Thur: 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-12am
Location: 5408 Burnet Rd.