Sticky's

"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

"Don’t overthink things. There’s a very good chance that all you want at this very moment is a basket of chicken fingers with some fries. And Sticky’s can help you with that. That’s pretty much all they make here, and these people are very good at what they do. There are even some special varieties like buffalo, honey bbq, and salted pretzel chicken fingers - but like to keep it simple here." - bryan kim, matt tervooren

"Don’t come here and order a salad. You’ve already lost whatever bet you just made with yourself so just own it and order what you came here for: a basket of chicken fingers. Maybe you’ll get The Salted Caramel Pretzel and will still hit up Insomnia after to really stick it to the (wo)man. Or maybe you’ll go delicate route with an order of standard fingers with a sensible sauce for dipping. Either way, you’re a winner in our eyes." - simona sudit