Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a Guy Fieri fan. I love watching his unique perspective on food in his hit TV show, *Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives*, where he offers colorful assessments of incredible dishes and quirky eateries. I understand why some people don't get his appeal with his over-the-top persona, tats, bi-colored goatee, spiky blonde hair, and pimped-out jewelry. However, he genuinely knows his stuff about food, and his exuberant personality is a key part of his brand. When they recently opened his concept Chicken Guy in Wesley Chapel, I asked myself, “Do we really need another chicken sandwich place?” He can put his name on the spot and participate in the menu development, but does it truly stand out enough to distinguish itself from the competition?

Fieri partnered with Robert Earl, the founder and chairman of Planet Hollywood, to launch the first Chicken Guy in Florida in 2018 at Disney Springs (Deland). This collaboration began after Fieri was brought in to revamp the menu at Planet Hollywood in Orlando. Since then, they’ve worked together to open company stores and sell franchises.

The Wesley Chapel franchise opened just a month ago, and I decided to take a road trip—like Guy does, though I don’t have a flashy red ‘68 Camaro—to see if he delivers when it’s his own kitchen. As a food writer, I know it’s easy to review someone else’s food, as Fieri does on his show. Now, let’s find out if he brings it when it’s his table!

The Interior is bright, modern, and colorful. Loud colors of red and yellow, which align well with Guy’s personality, accent the walls. Rock-ish music plays in the background (conversation still possible), bringing high energy to the half-packed house. Sunglass-wearing, swearing, cartoon chicken heads on the wall are other markers showing Guy’s in the house.

It’s a fast-casual setup, with customers ordering at the counter and food delivered to the table. Employees are friendly, and service is snappy. Menu items are on-trend with other chicken places. Chicken tenders, chicken filet sandwiches, and a chicken salad look standard. Some of the sammies, Buffalo Mac and Cheese and Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ, have some intriguing extra toppers and names of other menu items with an urban-soul slang twist to them, like the O.G. sandwich and Funkaliscious Feasts.

Tampa food blogger — The Chicken Guy menu has many on-trend items with its chicken sandwiches and tenders

Chicken Guy stands out for a few key reasons. Their chicken is fresh (never frozen) and antibiotic-free. It is brined in a mixture of lemon juice, pickle juice, and buttermilk to tenderize and flavor the meat. Instead of using a typical flour dredge, they coat the chicken in Panko breadcrumbs before deep-frying it in a Winston pressure fryer, making the outside crispy while keeping the inside moist. They also offer grilled chicken as an option.

I started with the O.G. sandwich, which is a straightforward chicken sandwich with pickles and special sauce. They need to get this basic sandwich right. It comes with two medium-sized, wedge-shaped chicken filets that are mildly seasoned. The sauce and pickles are placed at the bottom, which is essential because they hit my palate before the chicken, kicking off each bite with flavor. It's not a stand-out. Overall, the flavor is average. The brining did its job as the meat is tender and juicy, and the Panko adds the crisp. But the chicken needs some kick. On its own, without an adequate amount of sauce, it's pretty bland. As for the standard-cut French fries, they are brown, crispy, and coated in a salty seasoning, which is a nice complement to the meal.

Things start looking up when I take a bite of the Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ sandwich. It is filled with crispy house coleslaw and a generous portion of pickles, all resting on two large, panko-fried chicken breasts topped with pepper jack cheese. The bourbon barbecue sauce adds a sweet zing, while the fresh shredded veggies contribute to a delightful crunch. Paired with BBQ kettle chips, every bite is a combination of textures and tastes. An added “special sauce” is a blend of mayo, ketchup, and mustard, providing creaminess and a finishing touch. It's a chickeny, pickly, barbecuey, sweet, salty, and creamy experience. We have officially arrived at Flavortown.

What sets Chicken Guy apart are the 12 sauces for chicken tenders. It’s where Fieri can show his chef grit. There are classic options like buttermilk, chipotle ranch, and honey mustard, but also unique choices such as Donkey Sauce (a mix of mayo, roasted garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon) and Nashville Hot Honey (a combination of honey, red chilies, cayenne, garlic, and onion) that bring an inspired twist to the chicken tenders game.

The hand-spun milkshakes also offer some intriguing options. Beyond the typical vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors, there are unique choices like the Triple Double Mint (made with mint chocolate soft serve, crushed Oreo® cookies, chocolate mints, and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream) and the Apple Cinnamon Cereal shake (vanilla soft serve combined with Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ and Apple Jacks® cereal, also topped with whipped cream), both of which would make for a fabulous finishing treat!

And yes, there’s Guy Fieri merch available, as expected from a celebrity-branded eatery.

So, is it worth the trip to Flavortown in Wesley Chapel? That depends. It's cool to see Guy’s creations up close. The food is good, and there are some unique sauces and shakes. It's not over the top like I had hoped would come from Guy Fieri's zany persona and experienced kitchen, but it’s a nice road trip. Next time? All 12 sauces at once!

Chicken Guy, Cypress Creek. 25769 Sierra Center Blvd., Wesley Chapel

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