SNEAK PEEK: Craft’s 2nd location near UAB offers tasty chicken options and catering [PHOTOS]

Crafts
Two Crafts – Craft O’Neal Sr. and Craft O’Neal Jr. owners of Craft’s Chicken on 7th Avenue near UAB (Bham Now)

Craft’s, the popular chicken joint in Mountain Brook’s Crestline Village, opened its second location on February 21st near UAB on Seventh Avenue (2118 7th Ave. South).

This week, Craft O’Neal Sr. and Craft O’Neal Jr., the owners of Craft’s, gave Bham Now a special sneak peek of their new spacious restaurant in Southside Birmingham.

Fried Chicken Done Many Different Ways

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Yum – Who wants some crunchy chicken – Craft’s Chicken on 7th Avenue (Bham Now)

If you love fried chicken, Craft’s is the place for you. 

“There’s not many good places to get ”bone-in” fried chicken these days, unless you want to do fast food, and we are way above fast food fried chicken,” Craft, Jr. told us.

“Fried chicken, in my opinion, is the most special thing we do. The whole menu incorporates fried chicken. It’s in the quesadillas, the wraps, salads and sandwiches. We have the roasted chicken option too, but if you want the real delicious stuff, the fried chicken is obviously the way to go.” 

Additional items Craft Sr. and Craft Jr. recommend: 

  • The Hot Dot —Hot fried chicken breast sandwich with pickles and ranch
  • Baja Bowl —Roasted chicken over rice, black beans and corn, cheddar, with salsa and sour cream on the side
  • Mac Stack — Fried chicken breast sandwich topped with mac and cheese

There are also chicken tenders, chicken bites, sandwiches done 7 different ways, 5 salads, 4 kinds of “bowls” and of course a burger and a BLT.

Family Friendly

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Ordering at Craft’s Chicken on 7th Avenue (Bham Now)

Much-like the Mountain Brook location, the new spot on Seventh Avenue is family friendly. 

“We want the mothers to come out and the dads to be happy as well,” added Craft Sr.  “And of course we want to please the children too. The children loved the fried chicken. We want to appeal to the youngest child to the oldest person— a whole family restaurant.”

UAB Location Feels Like Home

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The friendly team at Craft’s Chicken on 7th Avenue (Bham Now)

For the O’Neal family, locating their second eatery close to UAB means a great deal to them.

Craft Sr. was involved with bringing back UAB football and Craft Jr. attended UAB basketball games at a young age. The family is the namesake of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“This feels very much like home,” added Craft Jr.

Don’t Forget the Catering

Another benefit of the Southside location—catering.

“Catering is a very important part of our business. In Crestline we have a small kitchen. Here (7th Avenue) we have a large kitchen and a lot of our existing customers and prospective customers are nearby.”

If you are interested in catering, call Ross Beshear at 917-359-5250

Additional Details

Interested in visiting Craft’s on 7th Avenue? Here are their days of operation and hours:

Monday through Friday —10:30AM to 8:00PM

They do intend to add a day in the coming months. If you want to order takeout, call 205-202-6518.

Have you tried Craft’s Chicken? Tell us what you think about it by tagging us on social media @bhamnow

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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