Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

After being at the Memphis location, I was thrilled to learn about the one back home in Northern California. After driving a couple hours to the Oakland location, I was greeted by Quane, the general manager. She made the entire experience amazing. She was personable and really kind. This Gus’s in Oakland is so lucky to have a wonderful woman manage this establishment. She truly made the entire experience comfortable and relaxed. She tentative and a pleasure to chat with. The same hospitality I received in Memphis was the same hospitality I received in Oakland. The staff is amazing and the food is amazing.

Just got a delivery on a recommendation from a friend, the chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, the hot sauce that came with it was a perfect match. The Mac n cheese was good as well as the baked beans and the fries were nicely seasoned. I ordered enough for lunch and dinner and am really glad I did.

The chicken is delicious.👍Crispy, not greasy, not salty. Perfectly Seasoned. Mac n cheese and collard greens are delicious as well. Delivery was super fast and the food was hot. Will order again!! Strongly recommend. I was impressed!!

We catered with Gus's and it was a huge hit! The Gus's staff Marc and Jeffrey are excellent and provided great help to us. They advised us to vent trays and gave us re-heating instructs since it was a long delivery and the product was perfect :). The office staff we served were delighted describing it as a "HUGE HIT" and asking when Gus's will cater again. If you are catering an office or a house party we highly recommending ordering from Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken!

I can't remember the last time I had fried chicken that was this good. They make it to order so it takes a little longer. But it comes out hot and crunchy. The chicken itself is juicy, they must brine it or something. I also think their story is pretty great.

The chicken here was amazing! As a Gus myself, I may be somewhat biased. But really, the chicken was super moist and flavorful. I was able to get a meal with a mix of dark and white, even though the meals on the menu are either dark or white. Fast and friendly service, and low key atmosphere.

Oh...my...WOW!!! Wow wow wow wow wow. By far the best chicken my wife and I have ever had. The spice was absolutely perfect and the actual chicken was very juicy. It melted in your mouth with every bite. We also got potato salad (had eggd and big circular potatoes) and Mac and cheese and they complimented the chicken very well. My wife got pie and really liked it. Two breasts and a wing for sure feeds 2 people!

First time having Gus's and I wasn't disappointed. The fried chicken very moist and has a little spice to it. The fried pickle spears is good too. Also the Cole slaw, baked beans and potatoes salad is delicious. I definitely will come back when I visit again. Highly recommend if you're in the neighborhood.

This chicken is delicious 😋 It has a little kick to it, but I like spicy so it is perfect for me. It was juicy,oist and flavorful. It came with baked beans and coleslaw. The beans could use a little more sugar, but the coleslaw was just right. I had a 3 piece, all dark and got a $1 discount because I ordered all dark! I have been 3X's and the staff has always been friendly. This is my new go-to place for chicken.

I’ve seen Gus’s all over Southern California, but I’ve never seen a location in the Bay Area The food was really good. Chicken was extra crispy and had a lot of flavor to it. The two piece is probably the best go to item. The pieces of chicken are big and juicy. They season it very well. The chicken sandwich is a good go to for eating on the go. I thought it was a little dry, but I still enjoyed the sandwich. Staff were cool and friendly. They brought us extra napkins and sauces. They created convo and were cracking jokes. Cool guys.

Im hearing they closed down permanently. I am so sad because this was my favorite fried chicken place and they had a great fried chicken legs and sides deal for lunch. Please reopen in Oakland in a different form.

Fresh chicken fried to perfection. No excess oil, no "soft spot" and no hard dried out batter. Lives up to the original Gus's reputation. The menu is simple, fried chicken and sides which you can mix and match as you'd like. The place has an old diner vibe, simple tables and chairs inside; you can always grab 'n go or have it delivered

We entered around 5pm and ordered 8-pc spicy fried chicken. It was 20-min wait but totally worth it. Hot, juicy, crispy, flavorful... highly recommended.

Picked up Billy Whiteshoe's Johnson up in San Pablo, and we were headed down to Oaktown to eat at fried chicken at Willie's. All the sudden some dude pulls up next to us at the red light, and outta nowhere start yakin about Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken Restaurant! He says it's the best in Alameda County! So..Billy asks him..Where is this mystical place, and he says follow me, so we did. And, you know what, he was right! The chicken was Amazing! 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆

Really great service , chicken was awesome. I love the thigh. Slaw was freaking delicious. Only thing they could improve on was Mac and cheese. Oh and they topped off my drink at no cost!

No matter the city this is a Venue I always seek out and this location is no exception. Might be my favorite chicken on the planet and this location provided what I come to expect...the BEST. The venue itself is smaller than I expected but the service and central location make up for it...I'll be back.

Wow. The best fried chicken. Not too spicy just the right amount of spice. Outside was crispy, inside was juicy and hot. Will definitely stop by next time we're in Oakland.

J H

I’ve seen Gus’s all over Southern California, but I’ve never seen a location in the Bay Area The food was really good. Chicken was extra crispy and had a lot of flavor to it. The two piece is probably the best go to item. The pieces of chicken are big and juicy. They season it very well. The chicken sandwich is a good go to for eating on the go. I thought it was a little dry, but I still enjoyed the sandwich. Staff were cool and friendly. They brought us extra napkins and sauces. They created convo and were cracking jokes. Cool guys.

H N (NN)

Fresh chicken fried to perfection. No excess oil, no "soft spot" and no hard dried out batter. Lives up to the original Gus's reputation. The menu is simple, fried chicken and sides which you can mix and match as you'd like. The place has an old diner vibe, simple tables and chairs inside; you can always grab 'n go or have it delivered

Eric Lu

We entered around 5pm and ordered 8-pc spicy fried chicken. It was 20-min wait but totally worth it. Hot, juicy, crispy, flavorful... highly recommended.

American Angler

Picked up Billy Whiteshoe's Johnson up in San Pablo, and we were headed down to Oaktown to eat at fried chicken at Willie's. All the sudden some dude pulls up next to us at the red light, and outta nowhere start yakin about Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken Restaurant! He says it's the best in Alameda County! So..Billy asks him..Where is this mystical place, and he says follow me, so we did. And, you know what, he was right! The chicken was Amazing! 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆

Dena Delaviz

Really great service , chicken was awesome. I love the thigh. Slaw was freaking delicious. Only thing they could improve on was Mac and cheese. Oh and they topped off my drink at no cost!

Mike Olson

No matter the city this is a Venue I always seek out and this location is no exception. Might be my favorite chicken on the planet and this location provided what I come to expect...the BEST. The venue itself is smaller than I expected but the service and central location make up for it...I'll be back.

Cesar Machuca

Wow. The best fried chicken. Not too spicy just the right amount of spice. Outside was crispy, inside was juicy and hot. Will definitely stop by next time we're in Oakland.

Food is good and worth the short wait. 😋 Food is made fresh to order. Plus the people that work are top notch. 👌

It's difficult to find a place that does particularly good fried chicken around here. Gus's was delicious. Very worth the stop!

Tom Craig

It's difficult to find a place that does particularly good fried chicken around here. Gus's was delicious. Very worth the stop!

daria 169

Food is good and worth the short wait. 😋 Food is made fresh to order. Plus the people that work are top notch. 👌

John Moraski

We catered with Gus's and it was a huge hit! The Gus's staff Marc and Jeffrey are excellent and provided great help to us. They advised us to vent trays and gave us re-heating instructs since it was a long delivery and the product was perfect :). The office staff we served were delighted describing it as a "HUGE HIT" and asking when Gus's will cater again. If you are catering an office or a house party we highly recommending ordering from Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken!

Called a little after 12 to place a lunch order. Was placed in hold for a few minutes. After ordering she said about 15 minutes, after getting there it was another 10 minute wait after paying. I got dark meat chicken, it was delicious, juicy and crispy. Nice little kick off heat in the seasoning. This will definitely be over of my go to places for fried chicken.

What a gem in downtown Oakland. The chicken was perfect, was fresh super tasty and the sides are awesome too. Only drawback is the smash and grab that occurred on our car in the 20 mins we were waiting to place our order and receive our food. Not the establishments fault but hope things improve or all decent businesses are going to struggle :(

Love Gus’, had no clue one would be on the west coast, as I’m familiar with the original Gus’ in Memphis. This location clearly has the same recipe down pact. The chicken was delicious, hot and fresh. I love bringing people to Gus’ that have never had it, always a guaranteed hit. The cashier was kind and offered great conversation, and cook offered a smile as well. The side offerings could use some work, but you don’t come to Gus’ for the sides.

Got a white meat platter with beans & slaw. Chicken was great with just a little kick to it. Sides were ok and would have liked to seen a little bigger portions. Not bad as it is but to proportionally smaller to the chicken. This place had sweet tea-southern style which is not easy to find. Regardless I would revisit.

First time trying Gus's chicken and it was really good. It was like eating homemade fried chicken. The chicken had crispy skin. Seasoned well with a spicy kick to it. I ordered the 2 piece dark meat (thigh & leg) which comes with baked beans & coleslaw. Added a side of potato salad. Sides were good, but was not a fan of the potato salad. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't my favorite. Food did not disappoint and the service was great!

Cathy L

First time trying Gus's chicken and it was really good. It was like eating homemade fried chicken. The chicken had crispy skin. Seasoned well with a spicy kick to it. I ordered the 2 piece dark meat (thigh & leg) which comes with baked beans & coleslaw. Added a side of potato salad. Sides were good, but was not a fan of the potato salad. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't my favorite. Food did not disappoint and the service was great!

Ordered this early before closing through DoorDash so we could have a late night meal. Delivery was prompt and the food smelled great. We got two 2-piece dark plates and a side of fried okra. We got different sides for the plates so we could try everything. The chicken was easy to re-heat. It was tasty! I wish I could try it fresh next time. The fried okra was nicely battered and crispy too. For the sides, we got mac and cheese, beans, potato salad, and coleslaw. I want to try their collard greens sometime. We drizzled our own hot honey on the chicken and it was so good. Fried okra is one of my favorite things to eat so I'm glad this spot exists. Solid place for a meal!

M

Ordered this early before closing through DoorDash so we could have a late night meal. Delivery was prompt and the food smelled great. We got two 2-piece dark plates and a side of fried okra. We got different sides for the plates so we could try everything. The chicken was easy to re-heat. It was tasty! I wish I could try it fresh next time. The fried okra was nicely battered and crispy too. For the sides, we got mac and cheese, beans, potato salad, and coleslaw. I want to try their collard greens sometime. We drizzled our own hot honey on the chicken and it was so good. Fried okra is one of my favorite things to eat so I'm glad this spot exists. Solid place for a meal!

Food did not full me for 20 dollars and there's a weird smell inside don't think I will come back

We had Gus's takeout with a group of friends and ordered several thighs/drumsticks, mac n' cheese, beans, fried okra, and fried green tomatoes. Some of our friends were past customers and shared that their collard greens are much too salty, so we prepped our own salad at home to pair with everything instead. The chicken is pretty salty and we personally didn't think it (or the breading/skin, specifically) otherwise had a ton of flavor. Of their sides, the okra was everyone's clear favorite. The pieces (which come in little ball shapes each about an inch wide) are battered and fried well. Their beans and mac were also both solid options and delicious. The batter on the tomatoes was delicious and had good texture, but the tomatoes were sliced way too thin and you don't get much with each bite before it disintegrates in your mouth. :( As they are also rather pricey overall, I don't think we'll be coming back.

The chicken has heat but no flavor. Puddles of grease from each piece of chicken. To be charging these prices and producing chicken that tastes like this? Criminal. Gus owes me a personal apology. The chocolate chess pie was what really enraged me. West coast has to do their own local cuisine. They keep disrespecting southern regions with their “versions” of the food out here. Reminder: Your grandmother being from somewhere means SHE can cook the meal from that place. You are from wherever YOU were born & raised, and you need to open restaurants & cook based on THAT food.

aight, we won’t play like the chicken doesn’t slap and it’s EXPENSIVE! i get it inflation and chicken that doesn’t glow in the dark. BUT, money is being spent, and for the customer service to be NONEXISTENT?!? what the helly?!? not a “hi” “welcome” “can we help you” “thank you” “come again” NOTHING. gotta find a new spot that actually cares about the food and the folks.

I called in my order and went to pick it up. I was not impressed. Call me picky about my food, call the certain flavor standards but the chicken was dry both on the outside and inside. It was darn near flavorless. The fries had more seasoning. I am spoiled about my chicken and there are a large variety of restaurants that offer fried chicken in the Bay Area. The sides like the baked beans and coleslaw tasted manufactured in a plant or factory. I like the location and the cashiers were nice but I won’t be back.

Racha Tahani Lawler

aight, we won’t play like the chicken doesn’t slap and it’s EXPENSIVE! i get it inflation and chicken that doesn’t glow in the dark. BUT, money is being spent, and for the customer service to be NONEXISTENT?!? what the helly?!? not a “hi” “welcome” “can we help you” “thank you” “come again” NOTHING. gotta find a new spot that actually cares about the food and the folks.

Bella Fica

I called in my order and went to pick it up. I was not impressed. Call me picky about my food, call the certain flavor standards but the chicken was dry both on the outside and inside. It was darn near flavorless. The fries had more seasoning. I am spoiled about my chicken and there are a large variety of restaurants that offer fried chicken in the Bay Area. The sides like the baked beans and coleslaw tasted manufactured in a plant or factory. I like the location and the cashiers were nice but I won’t be back.

I'd heard that this was a great place to go for fried chicken. I got the 3 pc plate I believe with Mac N Cheese, greens and a side of fried green tomatoes. The fried green tomatoes were the best part of the meal. The chicken definitely wasn't what I expected or anything I would return for. The greens is another item I was told was good. It's a know for me. I've been eating greens since I was a little girl. I used to pick them with my grandmother. The people were friendly but the food not so much. Could have been a hit or miss day. I'm not sure but I wont be returning

OMG!!! I don't know if this is thier regular seasoning recipe for the chicken or if they just had an off day but it was unbearable salty. The mac and cheese and baked beans weren't anything special either. I also didn't like that they put the baked beans in the paper container plate with the rest of the food so once I got my plate it was falling apart due to the wetness of the beans.

Unfortunately, my 20 piece fried chicken special arrived extremely overcooked and burnt. The whole sweet potato pie arrived burnt.

Jaye Lee

Unfortunately, my 20 piece fried chicken special arrived extremely overcooked and burnt. The whole sweet potato pie arrived burnt.

The chicken is ok but the sides are horrendous. Potato salad has to be store bought, greens are from the can, Mac and cheese had zero flavor and the fries were like eating salt. Over priced and over seasoned.

Ann Isadore

The chicken is ok but the sides are horrendous. Potato salad has to be store bought, greens are from the can, Mac and cheese had zero flavor and the fries were like eating salt. Over priced and over seasoned.

Sorry. Not the world's best fried chicken. Possibly the worst. The only taste is salt and some heat. For some that might make it qualify for the world's best, but not me. The chicken was fried really hard that it was mostly salty chicken jerky with some heat and what wasn't hard was EXTREMELY overcooked. Will not go back or recommend anyone to go there. My wife ordered an 8 piece chicken ahead of time and when I got there it was ready but I realized it didn't come with sides. I ordered some fries and was told it would be a few minutes as they were dropping some then and to wait. I was then directed to wait near the front. I waited at least ten minutes and went to the counter and it still wasn't ready. It doesn't take that long to cook fries so I went back to the front and waited about another 4 or five minutes and someone came with my order. When I got home the fries were blond and limp. The fries were barely cooked and the chicken was hammered. Poor service and horribly executed food.

I go here alot but today I don't know what happened. The.chicken tastes as if we're Refried in old burnt chicken grease. Also, possible recipe changed, extremely salty now.

We order 8 pc. Chicken order with 3 additional wings, 6 pc. of bread, medium beans, Mac, potato salad and fried okra. Everything we order was below Luke warm and had no crunch. Make sure you ask for your order to be made fresh.

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken hooks you and reels you in the first few times you order from their spot then they go from “famous fried chicken” to “famous DRIED chicken!” My last two orders were fried way too hard and dried out completely” despite me noting in the special instructions to drop all of my chicken pieces upon receipt of my order so they would not be dry nor sitting out under a warmer. I ordered six thighs the first time and the first layer directly under the skin had that orangeish, brownish color and you could chew threw it, but at least with a thigh you had that layer closet to the bone you could peel from and get something out of your order. I then switched it up and ordered a dozen wings for $40 and well(look at the pics below) these wings, were fried and left out so long they were so dark brown, dry, hard they were completely inedible! I called the store and got the voicemail of the general manager- I expressed my displeasure and noted my different experiences and mentioned this was not the first time this has happened. That was 6 days ago Feb 6th and I have yet to receive a call back to address my concerns nor my botched order and refusal to take action on my instructions to drop my chicken fresh and made to order to avoid these issues.To add insult to injury, there were several chicken feathers on the wings too! DO BETTER!!!

I hit this spot up a few months ago after hearing about how good it is and I am here to tell you THIS AIN'T IT!! I am not a fan of spicy food, but even with that I did not like how my chicken looked and my concerns were realized when I bit into it and tasted dryness. In addition, the macaroni and cheese was offensively flavorless and not impressive looking at all. As one of the posts points out, it looks and tastes like Velveeta. It was, dare I say, odorless as well. My food did get to me in a timely manner, which was good as it was at the start of the pandemic, but I would've gladly waited longer for better food. I will not discourage others from going because everyone has different tastebuds and expectations, but I will not be going back. I wish Gus' all the best here in Oakland.

DONE DEAL DIGITAL

We order 8 pc. Chicken order with 3 additional wings, 6 pc. of bread, medium beans, Mac, potato salad and fried okra. Everything we order was below Luke warm and had no crunch. Make sure you ask for your order to be made fresh.

TLC

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken hooks you and reels you in the first few times you order from their spot then they go from “famous fried chicken” to “famous DRIED chicken!” My last two orders were fried way too hard and dried out completely” despite me noting in the special instructions to drop all of my chicken pieces upon receipt of my order so they would not be dry nor sitting out under a warmer. I ordered six thighs the first time and the first layer directly under the skin had that orangeish, brownish color and you could chew threw it, but at least with a thigh you had that layer closet to the bone you could peel from and get something out of your order. I then switched it up and ordered a dozen wings for $40 and well(look at the pics below) these wings, were fried and left out so long they were so dark brown, dry, hard they were completely inedible! I called the store and got the voicemail of the general manager- I expressed my displeasure and noted my different experiences and mentioned this was not the first time this has happened. That was 6 days ago Feb 6th and I have yet to receive a call back to address my concerns nor my botched order and refusal to take action on my instructions to drop my chicken fresh and made to order to avoid these issues.To add insult to injury, there were several chicken feathers on the wings too! DO BETTER!!!

Mr. Rahsaan Bakari Lewis

I hit this spot up a few months ago after hearing about how good it is and I am here to tell you THIS AIN'T IT!! I am not a fan of spicy food, but even with that I did not like how my chicken looked and my concerns were realized when I bit into it and tasted dryness. In addition, the macaroni and cheese was offensively flavorless and not impressive looking at all. As one of the posts points out, it looks and tastes like Velveeta. It was, dare I say, odorless as well. My food did get to me in a timely manner, which was good as it was at the start of the pandemic, but I would've gladly waited longer for better food. I will not discourage others from going because everyone has different tastebuds and expectations, but I will not be going back. I wish Gus' all the best here in Oakland.

This is an absolute chaotic restaurant, they are extremely rude to customers. This white guy literally yelling from kitchen, absolute disrespect to the customers and this black lady literally messing up the order and then gives rude response saying we can’t prioritize your order. Show some respect to paying customer. To Corporate: fix your employees attitude!!!!!

Sre-zan

This is an absolute chaotic restaurant, they are extremely rude to customers. This white guy literally yelling from kitchen, absolute disrespect to the customers and this black lady literally messing up the order and then gives rude response saying we can’t prioritize your order. Show some respect to paying customer. To Corporate: fix your employees attitude!!!!!