The Early Word on GBD's Fried Chicken and Doughnuts

News of the impending arrival of GBD (Golden, Brown and Delicious), the fried chicken and doughnut operation from Neighborhood Restaurant Group, brought epic levels of excitement from eaters eager to sample the gluttonous combination. With pastry chef Tiffany MacIssac and chef Kyle Bailey at the helm, GBD was poised for success. What's the early talk about dishes like The Luther and grapefruit campari doughnuts? Here's what the first Yelpers, bloggers and critics had to say about GBD's debut.

The Facebook Fuss: Over on GBD's Facebook page, Robert, who didn't get a doughnut, says that "the fried chicken was sensational. It compares very well with Birch & Barley's. I especially like that the crust is crunchy and not salty. The meat is moist and really tastes like chicken. The biscuit was delicious." [Facebook]

The Luther Fandom News: Borderstan wants to send diners to GBD on account of one fried chicken, doughnut and bacon sandwich. "The Luther, alone, people? The Luther, alone." The blog also recommends the chicken, the coffee cake doughnut and the chocolate brioche doughnut. [Borderstan]

The Worth the Money News: GBD is currently earning 2.5 stars on Yelp, with 33 reviews in. One is from Joe S., who says, "Yes, $2.25 is a lot for a single donut. But just think about what you are getting. If you are a donut-a-day or a 3-5 times a week kind of person, you have every reason to turn up your nose and walk down to crispy creme. For the rest of us who only eat about 1 or 2 donuts a month, this is an amazing experience." [Yelp]

The Not Worth the Money News: Also on Yelp, Jeff H. calls GBD a "big disappointment. Totally not worth it...I'm ok with small portions, but don't charge like you're getting a normal meal size. Biscuits was the size of a silver dollar. Slaw was two bites." [Yelp] 

The Underseasoned News: The fried chicken needing salt was a common thread among a few early reactions, including this one from Alyssa B. "Worst of all, EVERYTHING needed salt.  My chicken, the mashed potatoes, everything." [Yelp]

The Delicious Drunk or Sober News: Marie L. wholeheartedly endorses GBD. "Oh god, the biscuit. Just...heaven. Bottom line: Eat here. Eat here sober. Eat here drunk. Just eat here." [Yelp]

The Weird Menu News: Steve on Chowhound thinks GBD's tagline is an "apt description" and loves the chicken but qualifies that "The menu is a bit weird. though. No breast or wings until dinner. Brunch has only a part of a chicken tender on a biscuit for $3.25. I have never been served what looks like a third of a chicken tender ripped apart...I don't see much of a purpose in eating fancy donuts unless they are cooked to order, and these are not." [CH]

The Over 21 News: Blogger Way Better Than Ramen isn't a fan of the Over 21 policies at GBD and also says, "I must be honest though, despite the fancy names of the flavors, the doughnuts weren't too special. Unlike cupcakes, which are satisfyingly sweet, the doughnuts were a bit bland." [WBTR]

The Spectacular News: Over on Don Rockwell, Mnnchas says, "Lemon cruller today was light* and spectacular, practically inhaled within seconds of sitting down. I tried the grapefruit campari cake donut which seems to appear in all the early writeups: too dense for me and a tad too sweet, I expected the citrus to cut through more than it did. Minor quibbles though." [DR]

The Sweet Biscuit News: Also on Don Rockwell, Bettyjoan says "The fried chicken biscuit was WAY too sweet.  The chicken was fried perfectly and had great crust, but it was completely undersalted, and between the sweet potato biscuit and the honey, the meat was overwhelmed by everything around it.  The bourbon butterscotch bacon donut was quite good - not too sweet, not too salty, and just the right amount of bacon and icing." [DR]

The Vague Criticism News: On Foursquare, user Laura says "Entirely unremarkable and in some ways, actually appalling." [FS]

The Appropriate Name News: Also from Foursquare, this from Yolanda: "The chicken is really GBD! But the creme fraiche biscuit is divine. So delicious!" [FS]

The Yeasty News: Girl Meets Food says, "You can order a doughnut anytime, and the yeast-risen ones are dense, chewy, and perfectly encased in glaze. The apple fritter and the classic ($2.25) both have that intoxicating brioche aroma; the former is laced with fresh apple compote while the latter is a serious fried-to-order upgrade to the Krispy Kreme across the street." [GMF]
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