1982 was the year of leg warmers, big hair, the release of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and also the year that Hal Guthrie opened a hit chicken finger restaurant in Auburn, Alabama.
I was in middle school forty years ago in 1982. When I arrived in Auburn as a student in 1988, I quickly learned about this popular restaurant. It was affordable for college students and was the perfect go-to meal for study breaks, late nights on the town, and game day lunches. It helped to soothe a broken heart after a big break-up or when you were stuck in town on holiday breaks missing family and friends.
The chicken tenders were deep fried with a crispy outer coating and tender and juicy on the inside. The crinkle fries were a perfect pairing. Whether it was dine-in or take-out, the chicken finger snack or box was the perfect order. The snack came with three tenders and fries and the box came with five fingers, fries, a side of homemade coleslaw, and a buttered slice of Texas toast. But what truly made Guthrie’s stand out was the sauce…. oh, that sauce!
The sauce is a peppery mixture with a mayonnaise base, a little ketchup, and a hint of Worcestershire sauce. It has a lot of pizazz and really wakes up the chicken fingers when they are dipped into it. A lot of chicken places have tried to copy Guthrie’s through the years. But don’t forget Guthrie’s was the original and it’s still homemade and never prepackaged. That sauce… oh, that sauce!
One of my favorite memories of Guthrie’s was just a few weeks before Cavin and I married. It was the day after Thanksgiving and most of the students had left town. I stayed in Auburn because I was working at the bank downtown. I decided to pick up tried and true Guthrie’s for lunch that day and I took a snack box to Cavin. This was the first time he had ever eaten Guthrie’s chicken fingers. As he took that first bite of chicken dipped in the sauce, his eyes lit up as his tastebuds went into overdrive. He absolutely could not get enough of the sauce… oh, that sauce!
Throughout our marriage, we’ve perfected our own recipe for chicken fingers and we’ve worked hard on matching the sauce, but somehow we’ve always fallen just a little bit short! It’s true that this sauce is often imitated, but never quite perfected! The sauce….. oh, that sauce!
We introduced our children to Auburn from birth. We dressed them in orange and blue, and they learned to talk by singing the Auburn Fight Song. We took them to Auburn every chance we got. They loved to see the War Eagle and drink the lemonade at Toomer’s Corner. Even as kids, they embraced the culture of Auburn, and part of the culture is Guthrie’s! From an early age, our children learned to dip their chicken fingers in the sauce! …Oh, that sauce!
It was no surprise that all three of our children chose Auburn as their college of choice. Maybe it was because it was in their DNA since I went there, just like my father before me. Maybe it was because they could get the best education to set them up for success in life. Or just maybe, it was because they knew they could have Guthrie’s anytime they wanted… or more importantly, that legendary sauce…. Oh, that sauce!
Having kids at Auburn gave us a great excuse to visit often. Whether it was a big game, a special school event, or just to hang out and give them a little encouragement to get through a difficult semester. More often than not, we found ourselves picking up a snack, box, or bucket of Guthrie’s and making sure we had plenty of sauce for all of the dipping. …Oh, that sauce!
As the years have passed, we no longer have any Auburn students, but we still get back to Auburn every chance we get. Whether it’s a meet-up spot with our kids or just passing through on our way to Atlanta, we love to stop in for some good old Guthrie’s chicken fingers, fries, and Texas toast… Whatever we can get our hands on to dip into that sauce… Oh, that sauce!
Just last weekend, we got a bucket of Guthrie’s fingers to take to the lake. All our kids came and brought a few of their friends. Most were Auburn graduates, but there were a few who didn’t know any better and attended other schools. We only had one afternoon to indoctrinate them about why we love Auburn. By the time they left that afternoon to head over to Jordan Hare Stadium, the Auburn grads and new Auburn converts were dressed in their orange and blue singing the Auburn Fight Song. And the new Auburn fans had learned the secret of Guthrie’s… the sauce… oh, that sauce!
A lot has changed in forty years. Leg warmers and big hair are definitely out. Michael Jackson is no longer alive. Sadly, the original Guthrie’s location has been torn down, but newer, more modern locations have taken its place. There are Guthrie’s locations throughout Alabama (including Tuscaloosa!). They also have restaurants in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, and even Ohio! And that sauce… oh, that sauce!!!!
Sampling the South… Oh, that sauce!