Eugene’s Hot Chicken featured on Food Network

In search of the top spots for hot chicken, Food Network named Eugene’s Hot Chicken one of the best.

Hometown Hungers

The Food Network post, from a series called Hometown Hungers, was on the search of the top spots for hot chicken outside of Nashville.

Among the chosen spots was The Budlong in Chicago, Oddbird in Atlanta, Peaches HotHouse in Brooklyn, and Bird & Bone in Miami.

Eugene’s Hot Chicken also made the list, furthering Birmingham’s claim-to-fame as a foodie city.

Eugene’s Hot Chicken

If you’ve never had Eugene’s Hot Chicken, then you are really missing out.  With a popular food truck and brick-and-mortar location, the vision of Eugene’s came from owner Zebbie Carney.

“I’m from East Nashville, born and raised,” he explained to Food Network. “I grew up eating Prince’s Hot Chicken.”

While working as an executive chef in Birmingham, Carney was left at a loss when it came to satisfying his hot chicken cravings in the city, so he started his own hot chicken joint.

To build the heat, Carney infuses a spice rub in the oil. You can order Southern, Mild, Hot, Hot Damn, and Stupid Hot in the form of wings, tenders, popcorn chicken, sandwiches, or even on a whole bird.

How hot does Birmingham like it?

As Food Network asked, How hot does Birmingham like it?

“It depends on where we are when people order the Stupid Hot,” Carney says. “Sometimes Stupid Hot EVERYTHING is flying out the door and other times people will not touch it. We do sell more Stupid Hot than expected.”

Based on the long lines I always see at Eugene’s, it’s safe to say Birmingham likes the hot chicken a lot.