TV Restaurants

Is Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken Still Open? (Mason, TN)

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5 Mason, Tennessee

Current status

Open

As of October 2026, Gus's World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken is open — confirmed via Wikipedia, August 23, 2026.

What the source shows: Wikipedia's entry (revised 2026-08-23) reports the chain operating 40 locations, and the business's own site lists current daily hours for the original Mason location. How we decide a status →

What happened after Best Thing I Ever Ate?

The Best Thing I Ever Ate's 'Fried Chicken' episode (Food Network) spotlighted Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken for its spicy, cayenne-dusted fried chicken recipe. According to Wikipedia, the chain was founded in the town of Mason, Tennessee, by Napoleon Vanderbilt, and the original location is known for a hearse parked out front advertising 'chicken worth dying for.' Wikipedia's Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken entry, revised August 23, 2026, reports the chain had grown to 40 locations across 14 states in a March 2026 report, with plans to begin franchising in China.

The same entry notes Travel Channel once rated Gus's the 12th tastiest place to eat in the country. Gus's own website lists the Mason, Tennessee original at 505 U.S. 70 with current daily hours posted, showing the flagship location still operating alongside the chain's newer locations.

The episode Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5

Episode 2
Air date not confirmed
Title: Fried Chicken · What was featured: spicy cayenne fried chicken recipe

Also in Season 5 Best Thing I Ever Ate

Season 5: 61 of 104 still open · 7 renamed, moved or under new owners

All 13 Season 5 episodes →

Nearest restaurants By distance from 505 U.S. 70

All 129 TV restaurants in Tennessee →

Before you go: Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources we checked 3 references

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gus's_World_Famous_Fried_Chicken
  2. gusfriedchicken.com https://www.gusfriedchicken.com/locations/mason-tennessee
  3. gusfriedchicken.com https://www.gusfriedchicken.com/
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Record btiea-0408 · checked by Cal Marchetti.