CHICKEN GUY!
ADDRESS: 11506 East Buena Vista Drive, Suite A, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
WEBSITE: https://chickenguy.com/
I still remember a while back, I was watching this personality named Guy Fieri competing on a show called Next Food Network Star. At the time, I remember him being a natural talent behind the camera as he progressed through the competition. That natural ability seems to have translated pretty well to his multiple successful shows on the Food Network after he won Next Food Network Star. I took a quick moment to look up how long ago that was, and was floored to see that was back in 2006! Crazy how time flies!
I had heard that Guy Fieri opened up a restaurant at Disney Springs, but it wasn’t until I saw Chicken Guy! set up right next to Planet Hollywood that I connected the dots. Every time I walked past the restaurant, there always seemed to be a line to get inside. The place must have been dishing out some good food to keep a steady stream of patrons. This past visit to Disney Springs, my friends Carlos, Sara, and I decided to take advantage of a relatively small line in front of the restaurant to see what the buzz was all about.
One immediate observation about the line outside the restaurant was that it actually seemed to move relatively fast. Having people stand outside was also a crowd control measure to ensure that the front door wasn’t always propped open while people were waiting to order food.
The restaurant concept was definitely in the fast casual realm, specializing in, you guessed it, fried chicken tenders. Whether that be chicken tenders on their own or two chicken tenders constructed into a sandwich, there are certainly a few options to choose from. If you’re feeling even more indecisive, you can peruse the listing of 20+ different sauce types you can choose to accompany your food.
We decided to go light and share a few things off the menu, just to get a sample of the food. We dove right into the chicken with an order of three chicken tenders, coupled with a B.L.A.T. chicken sandwich (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato), and a side of fried pickles.
With fresh batches of fried chicken tenders being made consistently, there was probably always a ready supply to help keep pushing orders out. That speed definitely helped attribute the fact that the line was moving pretty regularly; we waited probably no more than two minutes before our food got brought over to us from the service counter.
Most of the available seating for the restaurant is located outside, but there are still a few tables available indoors if you’re lucky enough to snag one. We were fortunate enough that a couple had just vacated their spot along some bar table seating next to the window, which we promptly swooped in to grab.
I thought the fried pickles themselves were pretty good, served with buttermilk ranch on the side for dipping. It was the traditional cornmeal breading, which also wasn’t too caked onto each pickle. I didn’t really go in with any expectations for the chicken tenders, but ended up coming away really impressed.
Each tender felt flattened out, to help achieve a uniform thickness and allow for even cooking all the way around. The breading itself was a nice, thin layer of crunchiness, fried to a perfect golden brown, with the meat still juicy on the inside. Pair them up with some of those sauces, and you’re ready to rock.
For a fried chicken sandwich, I was also pleasantly surprised how tasty it turned out being. Shredded lettuce, thin tomato slices, two strips of smoky bacon, and two crispy chicken tenders, along with buttermilk ranch and avocado crema spread on the brioche bun. It was a great play on savory and slightly smoky flavors, along with the richness from the avocado and crunch from the fried tenders. Make sure you have extra napkins on hand, because eating the sandwich gets messy real quick.
I’m glad that we decided to take advantage of the lighter crowd at Disney Springs that day and hit up Chicken Guy! on the fly. Chicken tenders are a pretty universally enjoyed food item, for kids and adults alike, and the restaurant does a great job providing a bunch of way to enjoy them. Throw in all the different types of sauces you can mix and match, and your flavor experience could be different each time you return. If you see the line forming outside the restaurant to get in, you can rest assured it’s worth the wait.
Let’s now take a look at the Chicken Guy! Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Fried Pickle Chips **
Cornmeal breaded fried pickle chips, served with buttermilk ranch.
~><~
** Chicken Tenders **
Breaded chicken tenders, fried golden brown, with your choice of two signature sauces.
~><~
** Big Bite B.L.A.T. **
Two crispy fried chicken tenders with bacon, lettuce, avocado crema, and tomatoes, and buttermilk ranch on a brioche bun.
~><~
And finally, here are my rankings for Chicken Guy!:
Food: 4.5 / 5
With 21 dipping sauces to choose from, you’ll be taking a trip to Flavortown (to borrow one of Guy Fieri’s signature catchphrases). Delicious flavor combinations with the sandwich and the tenders were fried to that perfect golden brown.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The décor inside the restaurant was bright and lively, with red being the clear color of choice to make things pop out. In addition to serving as the restaurant’s mascot, the chicken caricature was also featured prominently on the “sauce wall,” with a different placard and illustration denoting each sauce offered by the place.
Service: 4.25 / 5
The kitchen staff certainly held up to the fast casual concept, making sure that orders were getting out and the line was kept moving along.
Price: 5 / 5
In Disney Springs, an inexpensive meal is hard to come by. That’s why it’s surprising that you can grab a chicken sandwich, fries, and drink for less than $12 here. If you’re only feeling the sandwich or tenders only, your price out-of-pocket wouldn’t even eclipse double digits.
Overall:
18.25 / 20
(91%)
Categories: Florida, Restaurants
Chu On This 
1 reply »