*DIS Contributors review meals, resort stays, and entertainment that they have paid for during their own vacations. They only utilize discounts and offers if they are available to the general public, such as annual passholder discounts, Tables in Wonderland, or DVC membership discounts. They receive no additional compensation for dining experiences or events, so that they may give their honest opinions about price and value.
On our most recent trip to Orlando, my family proved that we collectively have our priorities straight. Our first stop after getting off the plane was the chicken tender mecca right in the heart of Disney Springs: Chicken Guy!. Chicken Guy! was opened in August 2018 by celeb chef, Guy Fieri, and Planet Hollywood founder, Robert Earl. The menu features all of the most necessary food groups: chicken tenders, fries, and sauce.
We would be heading to dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse in a few hours for dinner, so we enjoyed a light lunch at Chicken Guy! by splitting two combo meals between the four of us. Each combo included four chicken tenders, french fries, two dipping sauces, and a drink. The chicken tenders are hand-pounded and hand-breaded, and just plain delicious. If you’re familiar with Planet Hollywood’s World Famous Chicken Crunch, these are really similar (minus the sweet Cap’n Crunch breading). The fries are sprinkled with Guy’s signature seasoning, and may also be ordered loaded with cheese, bacon, and green onion.
Now let’s get down to what we all really want to know about: the sauces! The Chicken Guy! menu features twenty-two different sauces, all made fresh in-house. Between our two combos, we were able to try four of their sauces.
Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ marries the acidity of Apple Cider Vinegar with the sweetness of brown sugar and molasses to create a perfect concoction for fans of a sweeter, thicker BBQ sauce.
Nashville Hot Honey gives a similar taste explosion (sorry y’all, there’s no way I can review a Fieri restaurant without using the phrase “taste explosion” at least once) using sweet sweet honey and hot, hot chiles. The hot honey consistency is more like buffalo wing sauce than a traditional “dipping” sauce.
If you like a pink sauce, Special Sauce is the one for you. Mayo, Ketchup, mustard, and pickle juice balance out the flavor while Guy’s special seasonings help this sauce stand above your run of the mill thousand-island-drive-through condiments.
Now for my personal favorite: The Donkey Sauce. Mayo, garlic, and lemon make this sauce reminiscent of an aioli-style sauce, but the addition of Worcestershire and mustard really turns it up a notch. To me, this was the perfect sauce for dipping both the fries and tenders.
In addition to chicken tenders and fries, the menu includes entree-sized salads. While we did not have any during our visit, the ones we saw coming out of the kitchen looked delicious.
Guy Fieri has announced that they would be opening a second location in Miami, and it’s not surprising. With a line out the door, they are cranking out some A+ meals at the Disney Springs location. Chicken Guy! counts as a counter service meal credit, and is sure to take you all the way to Flavortown.
