Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Soul food restaurant · Upper West Side
146 W 72nd St, New York, NY 10023
Highlights
Skillet-fried chicken, ribs, turkey wings, and soul food sides.
Skillet-fried chicken, ribs, turkey wings, and soul food sides.
"The fried chicken at this famous mini-chain is made in a cast iron skillet rather than a deep fryer, and the meat comes out tender beneath a well-seasoned crust. We also love the ribs, collards, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. When you stop by Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, an employee behind the counter might say something like, “I got that cornbread,” and the whole team will reply with “Ooh” in unison. It’ll make you smile. Grab one of the few bar stools in towards the front window, or take your food to Central Park." - bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Started as a sidewalk barbecue stand and is now a sit-down option associated with the neighborhood’s recent dining resurgence." - Eater Staff
"Since the mid-’80s Charles Gabriel’s celebrated fried chicken has found a variety of homes in Harlem storefronts and trucks, but he has now settled in on the Upper West Side. His new place doesn’t offer seating, but it does feature an expanded menu of fried chicken, ribs, turkey wings, smothered chicken, and jumbo shrimp — with all the usual soul food sides (the lima beans are particularly good). The secret? Gabriel fries chicken to order in bubbling skillets, resulting in a more evenly cooked bird. There are currently three locations." - Eater Staff
"At this popular Upper West Side counter spot, the chicken is famously made in a cast iron skillet (rather than a deep fryer), where it pops and sizzles before you get a nice tender piece with a well-seasoned crust. No one’s phased by a little sweat in a fry-house, nor will anyone smell you over the near-aphrodisiac that is the scent of crispy chicken skin. Leave the small shop with a bag of wings, cornbread, and pork ribs you won't mind heading out in the hot sun to retrieve." - neha talreja
"Chef Charles Gabriel drew the biggest lines, cooking his signature pan-fried chicken to order and serving it atop cornbread with a drizzle of honey; his soul-food spread also included collard greens, yams, cups of banana pudding, and strawberry cheesecake, creating a multi-plate feast." - Sam Nelson
