Sticky's Finger Joint

"Sticky’s Finger Joint now has a location on 33rd and 3rd Avenue, and as far as we can tell, that’s pretty much the restaurant equivalent of putting an ATM in a strip club. There’s no chance it doesn’t get used, and there’s no chance it doesn’t make money. I actually used to live pretty close to this new Sticky’s storefront, back when a basket of guacamole covered buffalo chicken fingers was exactly the thing I was looking for at 2am. In my day, we didn’t have anything like Sticky’s to actually deliver on that desire, so my version of [perfect_for slug=“late-night-eats”]Late Night Eats[/perfect_for] would be stumbling into a bodega, ordering a reuben, eating it on my couch, and then going directly to sleep. So, yeah, I’d say I was in pretty good shape back then. You don’t need to be a drunk kid or an economics major to see why Sticky’s is going to do well in this part of town, or why it’s done so well in the Village. But it’s important to understand that their equation for success is more than just (something from a deep fryer + sauce + hammered 22 year old) = pay me. The food here is actually really high quality, really good, and really creative. The chicken is super crunchy on the outside and incredibly juicy on the inside. The sh*t they put on top of it is very unique and (mostly) very delicious. They also happen to be pretty good at marketing, because I can’t think of any other reason to explain the existence of S’mores fries. Then again, what do I know? People seem to be eating them, probably on their couch at 2am, right before they go directly to sleep. You people are disgusting. Food Rundown Buffalo Balsamic Maple This is Sticky’s version of a buffalo finger, but the wing sauce has been cut with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to add a bit of sweetness. Topped with shredded carrots and bleu cheese, it’s actually a pretty genius riff on the classic. Desert Storm Calling a Middle Eastern flavored chicken finger with hummus, harissa aioli, and zataar a “Desert Storm” is ballsy, though somehow I imagine this is a more PC version of some other names they were throwing around in the test kitchen. I’d offer up my own ideas, but I too would like to avoid having a fatwa issued on my head. Eat them and enjoy them. Cool Tikka Masala Really good curry chicken fingers. If that sounds like your thing, order with impunity. The Salted Caramel Pretzel Now known as a Sticky’s classic. I don’t know who came up with this, but they should either get a Nobel Peace Prize, or be thrown in jail. The chicken is breaded with crushed pretzels and then topped with a salted caramel sauce and pretzel salt. Sorry pancreas, but you don’t stand a chance. The General Sticky Tso Another infamous flavor from the original location. You know you like Chinese food, and you know you’re gonna like this. S’mores Fries French fries, chocolate sauce, marshmallow, graham cracker crumbs. I would have taken a picture, but I was shaking too much. Bacon Mac Fries Basically just bacon cheese fries, but a really good version. The bacon pieces are nice and crispy." - Chris Stang

"Get fingered." That's the slogan at this fast food joint in the Village, and it's perfect. Why? Because you're gonna get it. "It" in this case is not an actual below the belt handshake, but a wide array of genius chicken finger flavor creations, ranging from Buffalo to General Tso's to Cordon Bleu to an insane salted caramel thing that looks like this. Sticky's is basically stoner food at it's best and most ridiculous, and it's no accident that it's a few blocks from NYU and open until 4am on the weekends. Talk about a fail proof business model. Sticky's also proudly claims to use only the highest quality chicken and ingredients, which is nice to think about as you cram a deep fried piece of poultry that's been filled with mozzarella into your mouth. Thank god that thing lived cage-free. We've got to admit that even though we aren't Sticky's target audience, we kind of love this place. We sampled pretty much every variety of finger this place has to offer, and they were all excellent. I guess you don't have to be blazed to enjoy a chicken strip that's been made to taste like sushi, or one that's covered in tortillas, guacamole, and something called "cray" sauce. Just know that you probably aren't gonna feel good about yourself after the fact. I suppose that makes the slogan even more appropriate. Food Rundown The Buffalo As far as a buffalo chicken strip goes, this is pretty damn incredible. The wing sauce is tangy and spicy (assuming you opt for the hotter of the two sauces), and the chicken is crispy and delicious. Apparently there's aged balsamic and maple syrup in there too, but we couldn't really tell. All we tasted was hot, tangy, and fried. And that's all we needed. The General Sticky Tso You know you like Chinese food, and you know you're gonna like this. Get a side of the wasabi ginger sauce to dip it in. Wasabi Finger Chicken fingers that taste like sushi. Seriously. The chicken is panko crusted and rolled around in wasabi, ginger, and tobiko. So insane, and so strangely good. Bada Bing! Basically a mozzarella stick inside a chicken finger. This was our favorite thing at Sticky's. If I were nineteen and going to school down the street I'd have a line of credit at this place. The Salted Caramel Pretzel I don't know who came up with this, but they should either get a Nobel Peace Prize, or be thrown in jail. The chicken is breaded with crushed pretzels and then topped with a salted caramel sauce and pretzel salt. Sorry pancreas, but you don't stand a chance. Fiesta Finger This time the chicken has been crusted with tortilla chips and topped with jalapeno salsa. It's a delicious combination, and it's also photogenic. Mexican food + fried chicken = delicioso. Purple Sweet Potato Fries These are some seriously good sweet potato fries. No idea why they're purple. These people probably did something crazy to them." - Chris Stang