Golden Brown Delicious Fried Chicken and Doughnuts, aka GBD, is a casual and lively neighborhood spot near Dupont Circle that pulls triple duty serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ranging from the traditional vanilla glaze to the more gourmet grapefruit-campari old fashion, GBD has a doughnut for every craving.
Chef Kyle Bailey's fried chicken and menu of sides take center stage at lunchtime, while the evening presents an expanded dinner and snack menu with plenty of odds & ends for sharing. GBD also serves as a destination for craft beer, fantastic wines and one-of-a-kind specialty punches in the evening. Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.I met up with Keith after work for an early dinner. GBD does not accept reservations, and was packed with Happy Hour patrons when we arrived, but we were able to snag the last open table towards the back. It was very loud and I found myself shouting the whole night in order to hold somewhat of a conversation. The servers kept dropping drinks, making a ruckus, and it was a bit jovial to say the least. It took a while for the servers to compose themselves, and finally address us. We ordered a couple drinks (beer for Keith and wine for me) from the Happy Hour menu, and focused on the food choices next.
Keith just wanted chicken. No fancy sandwich, no other combination or concoction. Just straight up fried chicken. So, the By the Bucket option seemed perfect for us. A whole chicken is cut 8 ways, fried, and was presented in a basket, rather than a bucket. The breast pieces were large and full of juicy meat with a nice crunchy exterior. The thigh and leg pieces were much smaller, and a bit dried out for my liking.
As a side, we shared the Fried Green Tomatoes that came with sour cream and bacon bits. The tomatoes were fried perfectly and arrived piping hot. I thought the dish could have used more salt. However, I tend to think this about most offerings of this dish, so I am not sure if it's just the tomato itself that is plain to me. Regardless, I really enjoyed this dish and we happily ate them all. I mean, we needed a 'vegetable' to go with our protein, right? As our 'starch' we ordered a side of Garlic Smashed Potatoes. The serving size was pretty small, but the potatoes had great flavor.
We boxed up the remaining pieces of our chicken in order to save room for the doughnuts, of course! (Note: I prefer the modern spelling of donut versus doughnut, however, I will oblige since this restaurant clearly uses the latter variation.) I chose the Chocolate Pudding Filled Doughnut. It was to.die.for. Firstly, these doughnuts are square. Secondly, we were amazed that a square doughnut, with a hole in the middle, is still able to be filled! And it was not skimpy of a filling at all. It was just the right amount of chocolate, and a great doughnut all around. Keith chose the Maple, Bacon, & Bourbon Doughnut. It was a nice balance of salty, savory, and sweet. The Bourbon really came through in the glaze. And Keith eyed my half so hard, that I conceded and gave him an extra bite. Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to doughnuts, my friends.
Overall, the ambience is boisterous but a decent spot for Happy Hour. The Brunch menu looks enticing too. Fried chicken and doughnuts are two American classics, which GBD does right.
Total Rating: 3.7
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 3, Ambience: 3.5, Accessibility: 5
What I ate:
By the Bucket
a whole chicken cut 8 ways
Fried Green Tomatoes
with sour cream and bacon bits
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
♥Chocolate Pudding Filled Doughnut♥
Maple, Bacon, & Bourbon Doughnut
