Bush's Chicken in Georgetown

Tam Vo

As a Baylor Bear, I always do two things when visiting Waco: eat at Bush's Chicken and then regret eating so much at Bush's Chicken. It seems most colleges or universities have their own local food joint that started out by surviving on the continual stream of students spending Mommy and Daddy's money. Then, eventually, its cult-like following causes it to franchise its yummy goodness. UH has Frenchy's. A&M has Freebirds. LSU has Raising Canes. Baylor has Bush's Chicken.

Staying true to the idea that red and yellow make people hungry, Bush's main color scheme is nothing but those colors. This tactic must work, because I feel famished every time I walk into a Bush's. The restaurant's claim to fame is chicken fingers served with white country gravy. During my college days in Waco, the Bush's chicken, dredged in a light crispy batter that I believe consists partly of cornstarch, was always juicy and tender, as if fresh out of the fryer. I would always add black pepper to the side of white gravy for dipping the chicken. I, personally, can't have Bush's without a side of their mashed potatoes.

Fast-forward to this past weekend at the Bush's location in Georgetown. It had been a long time since my last Bush's fix, and I was looking to make up for some lost time. Shown here is their six-piece meal with sweet tea. In the background is an eight-piece liver and gizzards meal. Yes, both meals were for just me. I'll spare you the play by play, but I ended up with leftovers. Why? Because the Georgetown location served stale chicken. The potatoes and gravy were still what I remembered, but the chicken wasn't crispy or juicy. The liver and gizzards were cold.

But despite these issues, I only had one chicken finger and three pieces of liver left before I left. That's how crazy I am about Bush's. Had it been the glorious chicken of Bush's in Waco, I would have needed to take a nap right there in the restaurant before being capable of operating heavy machinery.