Looks can be deceiving, but if you’re a connoisseur of food trucks you know not to judge a book by its cover and to let the food speak for itself. This is exactly why you should try Pyre Nashville Hot Chicken in Eugene as soon as possible! After your first time eating at this unpretentious food truck, we know you’ll be busy planning your next visit.
The owner of Pyre Nashville Hot Chicken, Ryan Cook, worked in the Nashville culinary scene for decades, and before he moved to Eugene in 2019 ran a hot chicken restaurant. For those not familiar, “hot chicken” is a specific type of fried chicken, breaded with a base rub made with cayenne (and of course Cook’s secret ingredients) that originated in Nashville. Lucky for us, he’s brought his expertise (and signature recipes!) to grace the good people of the Willamette Valley.
It wasn’t until March of 2022 that Cook got his humble little food cart off the ground, but once he did and word got out how great the food was and how he didn’t shy away from offering a truly spicy option, the customers came flocking. Now you too can enjoy legit, southern-style hot chicken in Oregon that countless reviewers from the south say is spot-on and tastes just home!
In the confines of a food cart, you don’t have a lot of room to store multiple ingredients or get fancy with an extensive menu. Cook knows this, which is why he focuses on doing one thing right—hot chicken! Your three menu options are Chicken Tenders, Chicken Sandwich (that comes simply adorned with coleslaw, tomato and pepper jack cheese), or Chicken and Waffles. The chicken is always perfectly battered and fried creating a crispy outer layer and juicy interior.
You also get to stipulate your heat level. On one end of the spectrum you’ve got “southern” style with no heat at all. This is just your basic (but perfectly seasoned and flavorful) fried chicken with no spice rub. For those who like a little kick to their meal you can order your chicken either mild, hot, X-hot, or XX-hot! Habanero peppers lend their heat to the hot option, while a scorpion pepper is used for the x-hot, but neither sacrifices flavor. It’s also worth noting that Cook doesn’t mess around with the heat, so take him seriously when he tells you the XX-hot is not for the faint of heart—you’ve been warned! As one reviewer put it, the extra hot feels “like you’re making out with the devil.”
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This food cart also makes some incredible sides to round out your meal like curly fries, homemade potato salad, and you may even be lucky enough to see onion rings, baked beans, or fried zucchini offered when you go. The potato salad can be especially helpful if you opted for a spicy sandwich as its creamy goodness is the perfect salve toå cool down your tastebuds.
Cook’s ultimate goal is to expand his successful cart into a brick and mortar shop or other food cart locations up and down the I-5 corridor. Until then, find him most days at the corner of River Road and Thomason Lane bringing a little taste of Nashville to Eugene.
Hours:
- Monday & Tuesday, 11:30am - 4:00pm
- Wednesday, 11:30am - 6:00pm
- Friday, 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- Saturday, 12:00pm - 6:30pm
- Closed Sunday and Thursday
Address: 102 Thomason Lane, Eugene
Phone: 541-505-9111
