Uncle Lou’s: The Memphis Chicken Joint That Changed Guy Fieri’s World

“Oh, I had my chicken world changed forever.” That’s how Guy Fieri describes his first visit to Uncle Lou’s in Memphis back in 2008. Now, after more than 1,500 locations across 16 years of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, he’s returned to this legendary spot—and the chicken is still hitting just as hard.

Lewis Martin, known to everyone as Uncle Lou, opened his joint in 2001 with a fried chicken recipe passed down from his great-grandmother. The foundation is deceptively simple: all-purpose flour, black pepper, salt, onion, garlic, and—here’s the twist—cinnamon. “That is a first,” Guy admitted when he guessed the secret ingredient. The ratio runs about 3:1 flour to seasonings, creating what Uncle Lou calls a “light coating.”

The Corruption That Started It All

If Uncle Lou’s has a secret weapon, it’s something called Corruption. “Once you’ve tasted it, you’ve been corrupted,” Lou explains. This seasoning blend has been his foundation for nearly 30 years, built from garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, onion, celery salt, sugar, lemon pepper, and hickory smoke. The name alone tells you everything you need to know about what it does to your taste buds.

For the jumbo chicken tenderloins—now the restaurant’s top seller—Lou creates a brine using a pound of Corruption mixed into a gallon of water. The chicken soaks for a full 48 hours before getting dredged and fried for five minutes. Unlike many fried chicken recipes (including JACKPOT Duck Pizza & Chicken Riggies), there’s no egg wash here. “That’s why we don’t do the egg wash,” Uncle Lou explained. “You cook that chicken skin. That’s a crunchy chicken skin that people like.”

Sweet Spicy Love: The Sauce That Ships Nationwide

The tenderloins get finished in what Guy initially called “sweet spicy love”—a buffalo-style sauce that’s become so popular, Uncle Lou ships it across the country. The award-winning honey dip sauce starts with red wine vinegar and Louisiana hot sauce, brought to a boil with the Corruption seasoning added quickly before the vinegar evaporates. Once the heat’s off, in goes a generous pour of honey.

“Oh, that’s like sweet spicy love,” Guy declared after tasting it. The name stuck—Uncle Lou even mentioned a name change to reflect how much they now ship.

There’s a spicy version and a more spicy version, made with 200-heat cayenne pepper. As Lou put it: “That’s how I know to make you thirsty. Won’t make your hair stand on end.”

The Sides That Complete the Experience

While the chicken draws people in, the sides keep them coming back. The sweet spicy love beans—”a northern bean with a southern kick”—get pressure-cooked for an hour, drained, then mixed with Corruption, salt, the sweet spicy love sauce, and honey. Similar to how other DDD favorites balance heat and sweet (like a Peruvian Chicharron Sandwich), these beans deliver “a little bit of hot and a little bit of spice.”

Then there are the world-famous honey buttered biscuits—baked, brushed with melted butter, then glazed with honey. Guy’s verdict? “This biscuit is like a biscuit donut. It’s sweet honey buttery doughnut biscuit.”

Tips From Uncle Lou’s Kitchen

Skip the egg wash for crunchier chicken skin. The flour dredge alone creates that satisfying texture.

Dredge and cook to order. Uncle Lou’s never pre-batters their chicken. Fresh dredging means fresher results.

Know your fry times. When loading the fryer, Lou goes thigh first, then drum, then breast, then wing—because that breast cooks faster than the wing. Twelve minutes total.

“You are as legit as they come,” Guy told Uncle Lou at the end of his visit. After nearly two decades of serving Memphis, that legitimacy shows no signs of fading.

Looking for more legendary joints Guy has visited? Browse our complete restaurant directory to plan your next flavor-packed road trip.