Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken, Austin

October 22, 2022

The story of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken begins over 60 years ago in the small town of Mason, Tennessee. Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt and his wife Maggie created a spicy fried chicken recipe that became a local legend. In a time of racial division, their chicken was something everyone in town—black and white—could agree on.

From a small, cinder-block shack, Gus’s has grown into a franchise with over 30 locations across the country. The photo here is of the Austin, Texas location at 117 San Jacinto Blvd. It’s a testament to a family’s culinary legacy that started in a tiny Tennessee town and is now celebrated nationwide.