🍗 Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: Nothing Was Bad?! 🍗

We went to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken—and literally nothing made it into the “Not Good” category. Nothing!

Comedian and improviser Dave Theune (St. Denis Medical, NBC/Peacock) joins me to talk about his first foray into eating dark meat, crispy fried okra, spicy batter, and the kind of service that borders on too attentive (but we loved it). The waiter even coaxed out my Star Wars hot take.

Is Gus’s better than Chili’s? That’s the question. But when a fried pickle almost takes me out in the opening minutes, it’s going to be a wild ride to the answer.

🍗 Juicy, Spicy, Championship Chicken
😇 Service So Good It’s Practically Flirting
🥒 A Scalding Pickle
🥧 Dessert: Chocolate Chess vs. Pecan Pie
🎵 Steely Dan Energy Without Steely Dan
🚽 The Most Secure Bathroom in LA
☕️ Unsweetened Tea… a 10/10?!
📈 Did Gus’s pass the Chili’s test?

💬 COMMENT BELOW: Is Gus’s your go-to for fried chicken? Or does your loyalty lie elsewhere in the Southern fried pantheon?

📢 SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
🔥 Patreon (Bonus reviews & exclusive content!): https://www.patreon.com/finediningpodcast
💬 Discord (Food talk, cursed Yelp reviews, Star Wars hot takes): https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4
🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finediningpodcast
🔗 All links: https://www.linktree.com/finediningpodcast
🎭 Dave Theune’s series St. Denis Medical – now streaming on Peacock

Patreon Producers: Sue Ornelas & Joyce Van

👉 NEXT WEEK: I head to Nathan’s Famous to learn the history of their fabled hot dog eating contest.

🐔 Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (Part 1): Gus's Parents, the Superfan, and Chicken Championships 🐔

Before Gus’s was world famous, it was just spicy chicken sold out the back of a bar in the segregated South. But that secret recipe grew into a Southern staple, complete with 40+ locations, a chicken-loving superfan turned CEO, and even a rogue rooster who hangs out outside one of their Memphis spots.

In this episode, I’m joined by improvisor, actor, and all-around delight Dave Theune (NBC’s St. Denis Medical) to go deep on the wild rise of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, the hearse they use for advertising, and why you’ll never know what’s in their spice blend. Plus, Dave pitches a double-restaurant concept where Italian comfort meets a dessert diner, and it's all Rocky-themed.

Is Gus’s really chicken to die for? Or just another chain in a hearse-shaped hat?

🔥 Backdoor Fried Chicken in 1950s Tennessee
🐓 The Secret Recipe That Not Even Marrying into the Family Can Teach You
👑 How a Superfan Became the CEO of the Whole Company
👻 Hearses, Roosters & Other Bizarre Gus’s Lore
🏆 Two-Time Winner of the National Fried Chicken Festival
🧻 Yelp Reviewers vs. Chicken Gremlins
🪑 Dave Theune’s Dream Restaurant: Rocky & Apollo’s

💬 COMMENT BELOW: Have you tried Gus’s? Did it make you say “goddamn”? Or just “meh”?

📢 SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
🔥 Patreon (Bonus reviews & exclusive content!): https://www.patreon.com/finediningpodcast
💬 Discord (Share horror stories & chat chains): https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4
📸 Instagram/TikTok: @finediningpodcast and @davetheune
🎧 Full episodes & video: https://www.youtube.com/@finediningpodcast
🔗 All links: www.linktree.com/finediningpodcast

⚡ Like, Subscribe & Share if you believe fried chicken is a spiritual experience!

Patreon Producers: Sue Ornelas & Joyce Van

👉 NEXT WEEK: We actually eat the chicken at Gus's. Is it “chicken to die for”? Or just fried food with a strong brand? Find out in Part 2.

🎲 Dunkin’ & Donuts: The D&D Crossover You Never Knew You Needed 🎲

This week on the "Fine Dining Podcast," we trade the drive-thru for dungeons. After covering a long, bizarre history — from handled donuts and Fred the Baker to the rise of Munchkins and Dunkaccinos — it’s time for part two: an original Dungeons & Dragons one-shot adventure, played in a world where every NPC runs on Dunkin’.

Featuring writer, improviser, and TTRPG icon Amy Vorpahl, this special actual-play episode turns our fast-food trip into a fantasy quest. Expect laughs, intrigue, and a surprising amount of edible world-building.

Will our hero survive The Glaze? Or will her journey end in deep-fried defeat?

☕ Amy Rolls a 0 and Becomes a Puddle of Coffee Trying to Impress Leonardo DeCaffio
⚔️ A Delicious Battle Against Donuts Come to Life
📚 Leonardo DeCaffio Schools Naz on The Glaze
🎭 Amy Vorpahl as Naz Baudelaire: Peanut Farmer and Chosen One
🥑 The BBEG Toolio (Voiced by Ify Nwadiwe) is Guarded by an Avocado Toast Homunculus
🎲 Real Dice Rolls, Real D&D Rules, Fantastical Dunkin’ Lore

💬 COMMENT BELOW: Would you play a whole campaign in the world of Dunkin’?

💥Real actual custom character artwork by BitterBats:
🎨 @Bitter.Bats – https://bitterbats.carrd.co/

🗺️ And the Map of Ammereeka by Cameron McCarthy:
🎨 @mythweaverart – https://mythweaverart.artstation.com/

VFX: Steven Zurita
Original Music: James McEnelly
Playtesters: Terral Wells, Jess Parks, Steven Zurita, Luke Doyle, & Nick Adams
Opening Theme Song: Gabe Alvarez

📢 SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
🔥 Patreon (Bonus reviews & exclusive content!): https://www.patreon.com/finediningpodcast
💬 Discord (Chat chains & share horror stories!): https://discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4
🎥 Watch full episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@finediningpodcast
🔗 All links: www.linktree.com/finediningpodcast

⚡ Like, Subscribe & Share if you love chaotic chain-restaurant content — now with dice!

Patreon Producers: Sue Ornelas & Joyce Van

👉 NEXT WEEK: We return to our regularly scheduled programming with a look into the history of Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken with special guest Dave Theune!