Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Two Seattle-area Eateries Battle Over Who Makes Oprah’s Favorite Fried Chicken

Ezell Stephens of Heaven Sent Fried Chicken in Renton, Wash. Photo: Roderick Demmings

*Two Seattle-area restaurants are embattled over a 30-year-old endorsement Oprah Winfrey gave for some of the best fried chicken she’s ever had. 

Inside Ezell’s Famous Chicken in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood, there is a framed studio photograph of Ms. Winfrey displayed next to the cash register that reads: “Ezell’s, I don’t know what I like more, the chicken or the sweet potato pie!” Ms. Winfrey wrote. “Thank you. It was something special.”

Missing from Ezell’s: Ezell himself.

Ezell Stephens, the co-founder of Ezell’s, left the eatery after a falling out with partners who started the business with him, and opened his own chain of competing chicken restaurants called Heaven Sent Fried Chicken, wsj.com reports.

“Their chicken is called Ezell’s,” said Mr. Stephens. “It’s not Ezell’s. Hell, it was only Ezell’s when Ezell was there.”

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A signed photo of Oprah Winfrey on display at Ezell’s Famous Chicken. Photo: Brent James
By
Chris Kornelis

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken declares itself “Oprah’s Favorite Fried Chicken” on its website. But Lewis Rudd, president of Ezell’s Famous Chicken, says Ezell’s uses the same recipes today as it did when Ms. Winfrey gave them rave reviews.

Mr. Rudd says he delivered chicken to Oprah on multiple occasions and met her in Chicago in 1990. In fact, the queen of media still remembers her meals after all these years.

“That was some pretty darn good chicken and I’d love to see a runoff between them (Heaven Sent, Ezell’s) and Art Smith,” she said in a statement, referring to her former personal chef, “who has been making peace around the world with his fried chicken.”

According to the report, “Ezell’s Famous Chicken has 13 locations, not including food trucks. Heaven Sent has three locations. Mr. Rudd wouldn’t comment on Mr. Stephens’ split with the company. But Mr. Stephens points out he’s the person who cooked for Oprah on her birthday in 1990.”

On Facebook, the company declares “you will only find Ezell Stephens, the person who cooked for Oprah at Heaven Sent Fried Chicken.”

Heaven Sent Fried Chicken, right, and Ezell’s Famous Chicken. Photo: Naomi Bishop/Seattle Refined

Through the years, Stephans has included the Oprah connection in commercials.

He opens one commercial by introducing himself: “Hi, I’m Ezell Stephens, owner of Heaven Sent Fried Chicken. The name’s changed, but it’s still me that’s making the world’s best fried chicken. Now that’s the same fried chicken that Oprah flew me to Chicago to make for her birthday.”

He ends it with: “Come on in, take a picture with me. Oprah did.”

Both Ezell’s Famous Chicken and Heaven Sent offer similar menu items: spicy and regular pieces of fried chicken along with classic sides.

But Mr. Stephens says he “tweaked everything” when he opened Heaven Sent. “I made it mine,” he says. “I’m Ezell. I make sure you can taste that.”

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