At this soulful spot, the crispy fried chicken and flavorful sides like mac and cheese and collard greens keep diners coming back for more.
"A discussion of the best fried chicken in the city is simply incomplete without a Charles Pan Fried mention. The fried chicken coming out of these Looney Tunes-sized cast iron skillets is crunchy, salty, and juicier than a summer tomato. Pair it with some peppery mac and cheese, refreshing collard greens, or fried catfish or barbecued ribs on your 10th visit." - bryan kim, neha talreja, kenny yang, will hartman, willa moore
"As the name suggests, the chicken at this 145th Street flagship location (with a few others in Harlem and around the city) is fried up in a Tom and Jerry-sized skillet. The pitch-black pans look like they’ve been full of hot oil for the better part of the last 40 years, producing chicken that’s salty, juicy, and—due to the contact with the hot metal—ultra-crunchy. The chicken is seasoned down to the bone, the skin isn’t too thick, and the outdoor seating is an excellent place to hang out on a weekend afternoon." - will hartman, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick
"For chicken fried in a Tom and Jerry-sized cast iron skillet with a side of R&B and one of the liveliest outdoor corners in Harlem, there’s really only one place to go. The flagship location of Charles Pan-Fried Chicken on 145th Street is not only one of our favorite places to eat perfectly fried, extraordinarily comforting chicken, but it’s also a great place to hang out, sip on a limeade, and celebrate something special and low-key—like a child’s birthday. Because the chicken is cooked in a relatively shallow-fry and makes contact with the bottom of the pan, the skin gets dark and crusty. The thighs are tender, and the breasts wouldn’t know what the word dry meant even if they were stranded in the desert. Charles serves other soul food proteins, like turkey wings, ribs, and fried fish. But don’t get it twisted—you’re here for the chicken. Pick your sides from a steam table in the front of the store—we like some collard greens for a whisper of something green, and of course, mac and cheese and cornbread. photo credit: David A. Lee Once you’ve got your food—which can take a little while if it's busy—grab a picnic table on the corner. You might end up sharing with another group, but that adds to the charm. This is a place to hang out long after the last crumb, gesticulating with a chicken bone in your hand. Food Rundown photo credit: David A. Lee Fried Chicken Fried in an abnormally large cast iron pan, this chicken is extra crunchy, plenty salty, and contains more juice than a summer tomato. You should get fried chicken the first 10 times you come to Charles. After that, the choice is yours. photo credit: Will Hartman Cornbread This cornbread is the rare combination of very cakey and fluffy. It stays extremely moist, and still actually tastes like corn. Don’t skip this. photo credit: David A. Lee Collard Greens A nice green respite from what is a pretty heavy meal. These greens are also pig-free, in case you brought your vegetarian friend. photo credit: David A. Lee Mac And Cheese Kept warm in a gigantic, ovular dutch oven, this mac and cheese has a grinder-worth of black pepper, and we love that." - Will Hartman
"After a years-long hiatus, chicken impresario Charles Gabriel returned to Harlem with a revamped and expanded menu that included barbecued ribs, smothered chicken, fried fish, and pulled pork. But the heart of the operation is still lightly dusted pieces of chicken, skin intact, fried in a series of skillets by the old-fashioned method that came here from the Carolinas long ago, requiring constant surveillance on the part of the cook. There are other locations on 125th Street on on the Upper West Side." - Robert Sietsema
"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." - Eater Staff, John Tsung
