Alabama restaurant chain extends hours, offers free doughnuts

Hero, the Birmingham-based breakfast and lunch concept known for its brioche doughnuts and two-fisted cheeseburgers, will begin opening for dinner at its four Alabama locations.

Hero restaurants in Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover and Trussville will remain open until 8 p.m. starting Tuesday, Sept. 10, according to a media release.

“Following requests from Hero fans, the doors will be open until 8 p.m.,” the release said. “Whether guests are looking to end their day with a delicious burger or take-home doughnuts for the next morning, the Hero team is excited to serve the community all day, every day, from morning to night.”

To celebrate the extended hours, Hero will offer guests a free doughnut with the purchase of a sandwich or entrée between 5 and 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, according to the release.

The new hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Birmingham chef Wil Drake debuted his French brioche pastry-style Hero doughnuts at a pop-up event at Seasick Records in 2016 and opened his first brick-and-mortar location in Homewood the following year.

After partnering with the Pihakis Restaurant Group, Hero has rebranded and expanded its menu to include not just doughnuts but also breakfast sandwiches, chicken sandwiches and one of the best cheeseburgers in Birmingham.

Recent additions to items on the Hero menu include a fried panko-crusted pork chop sandwich with Boom Boom sauce and pickles; a griddled, thin-sliced bologna sandwich with American cheese, Duke’s mayonnaise and pickles; and a cucumber-tomato salad. The full menu is available here.

In addition to its four Alabama stores, Hero has locations in Nashville, Atlanta and Fayetteville, Ga.