Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Soul food restaurant · Hamilton Heights
340 W 145th St, New York, NY 10039
Highlights
Pan-fried chicken, collard greens, mac & cheese, and cornbread.
Pan-fried chicken, collard greens, mac & cheese, and cornbread.
"Charles’ famous pan-fried chicken and mac and cheese are here all the way from New York City. Crispy pan-fried chicken sandwich served on a sweet roll with pickles and your choice of hot buffalo, sweet BBQ, or jerk sauce (add Charles mac and yams +$4) Three tenders served with your choice of hot buffalo, sweet BBQ, or jerk sauce Fried egg rolls stuffed with sweet yams and coated in cinnamon sugar (two per order) Charles mac +$5, yams +$5, hot buffalo sauce + $1, sweet BBQ sauce + $1, jerk sauce + $1" - team infatuation
"From a Harlem chef praised for his fried chicken, the kitchen skillets chicken until it’s crunchy and juicy; the festival menu centers on wings (available pan-fried or jerk) paired with classic sides such as mac and cheese, yams, or collard greens." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Charles Pan-Fried Chicken is a high temple of barbecued ribs, pulled pork, and of course, thighs and drumsticks that are fried to order in massive cast-iron skillets. The chicken is some of the city’s best, but too much fried skin is liable to knock you without a sweet finish. Try the banana pudding: a small plastic cup with slices of banana floating throughout and wafer cookies perched on top. There’s peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and red velvet cake, too." - Melissa McCart
"Charles Pan-Fried Chicken isn’t just still around. It’s still evolving. Charles Gabriel moved to New York at age 17, worked at Copeland’s for over 20 years before starting his own food truck, and eventually opened restaurant in Hamilton Heights. In recent years, the brand got a revamp, and now there are three locations, the newest of which opened on 125th Street in 2023. The signature chicken remains crunchy and juicy, and the mac and cheese is an essential add-on." - bryan kim
"Charles Gabriel first started selling his crispy, golden fried chicken on the sidewalks of Amsterdam Avenue before running a food truck and, later, a small storefront. He opened this restaurant in Harlem in 2022, where the chicken is better than ever. He fries each piece in massive cast-iron skillets, and there’s a full menu of barbecued items, like pulled pork and ribs." - Eater Staff
