Amy Ruth's

"If you aren’t into the fried chicken at Amy Ruth’s, you need to get your tastebuds checked. The massive Harlem spot (just down the street from Sylvia’s) is full of murals of famous patrons, like Whoopie Goldberg and President Obama. But back to their fried chicken, which you can either get on waffles (our choice), or with sides. It’s near-perfect—thin skin that doesn’t get bogged down with too thick of a flour coating, seasoned down to the bone, and salty on the outside. But don’t sleep on their smothered pork chop, which is breaded, fried, and covered in brown gravy. Get it with cheesy grits and black eyed peas. " - bryan kim, neha talreja, kenny yang, will hartman, willa moore

"We can’t decide what we like better at Amy Ruth’s, an anchor of 116th Street since 1998: the murals covering every square inch of their walls, or their fried chicken. The murals include folks like President Obama, Muhammad Ali, Eddie Murphy, and Whitney Houston, and you’ll find these icons all over the menu too—with different combos named after them. But that menu also happens to have some of the best fried chicken we’ve tried across the city. photo credit: Noah Devereaux If you’re looking for the most lively of the Big Three soul food restaurants in Harlem, Amy Ruth’s can’t quite compete with the brunch scene at Melba’s or Sylvia’s. But we actually think the food here is most consistent, led by that juicy brined chicken, contained within a thin yet crisp shell. The chicken is even better atop a light, crunchy waffle, doused with maple syrup—go to Amy Ruth’s with a large group so you can experience it both ways, and not have to make any hard decisions. It’s also relatively easier to get a table here than some of the other spots on a busy weekend afternoon, and the spacious restaurant is great for kids who need to run around after housing a basket of free cornbread. Food Rundown photo credit: Will Hartman Fried Shrimp Served with tartar sauce, this is a great little starter. The shrimp are nicely seasoned, plump, and a good precursor to the rest of the fried food you’ll eat later in the meal. photo credit: Will Hartman Fried Chicken A visit to Amy Ruth’s is incomplete without crushing at least one piece of fried chicken. Whether you order the Rev. Al Sharpton (chicken and waffles) or President Barack Obama (two pieces of fried chicken with two sides), you’ll get their perfectly crunchy, barely-breaded chicken. It’s some of our favorite in the city, and it’s an absolute must-order. Smothered Pork Chops The smothered pork chops, which are basically chicken-fried pork chops covered in brown gravy, are just as good, though they require a bit of tricky knife-work to get all the meat off the bone. The gravy is savory and rich, and the breading does a great job of soaking it up while remaining crisp. Sides A lot of the plates at Amy Ruth’s come with two sides, and while the mac and cheese was a little sweet for our taste, the greens and black eyed peas are worth focusing on. If you’re getting either smothered chicken or a smothered pork chop, get the cheesy grits, and spoon over any leftover gravy. photo credit: Will Hartman Banana Pudding You might think that after a giant meal at Amy Ruth’s, you won’t have room for dessert. You should still get the banana pudding." - Will Hartman

"Harlem has several soul food institutions, and Amy Ruth’s, a casual 116th Street spot, full of murals of famous customers, is our favorite for fried chicken. The go-to combo here is the “President Barack Obama”:  two leg-quarters (drum and thigh), and two sides. Their chicken has a slight layer of flour, and eats light, but it’s still got the crunch. Get it with their mac and cheese and some sweet collard greens, or over a fluffy waffle. The restaurant is perfect for a big family meal." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick

"This no-frills joint, decked out in murals featuring the likes of Barack Obama and Michael Jackson, is known primarily for its fried chicken and waffles. The menu also expands to pork chops named after Gabrielle Union, chicken wings in honor of Ludacris, and unfamous but worthy fried okra." - Paul Schrodt

"116th Street 2/3 Fried chicken is technically always good, but it's even more satisfying in the winter. Go to Amy Ruth’s, and eat some. This is a big soul food restaurant about half a block from the 116th Street stop of the 2/3, and our go-to order here is a dish called The President Barack Obama, which consists of chicken however you want it, plus two sides." - Neha Talreja, Kenny Yang, Carina Finn Koeppicus