Nothing’s quite as comforting as a heaping plate of soul food, and fortunately, New York City can supply you with it. Rounded up below are our top five pics for soul food dining, each serving up their own style of fried chicken and the like. Head up to Harlem, over to Brooklyn, or down to the East Village to get your grub on at one of these five delicious dining establishments.
Best of NYC Soul Food: Amy Ruth’s (Harlem)
There’s some seriously good, home style Southern cuisine at Amy Ruth’s. Established in 1998, Amy Ruth’s has been serving up classic soul food dishes for nearly two decades. The menu has an entire section devoted to waffles, perfect for whether you’re wanting chicken or sautéed apples on top of them. Fried jumbo chicken wings, smothered pork chops, salmon croquettes, and fried jumbo shrimp also make the list of daily entrees, pairing perfectly with the cheesy grits, buttered corn, and black eye peas you’ll find on the menu. 113 W. 116th St., 212-280-8779, amyruths.com
Best of NYC Soul Food: Bobwhite Counter (East Village)
There are only 17 seats at Bobwhite Counter, so make sure you grab one. This casual soul food spot in the East Village serves mouth-watering food at a wallet-friendly price. The menu is limited (we’re talking four plates and five sandwiches), but we’re OK with that considering the picks. Pimento Cheese Sandwich, Catfish Plate, and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich make up a few of the options, and you’ll be sure to want to pair them with the Curried Collard Greens. 94 Ave. C, 212-228-2972, bobwhitecounter.com
Best of NYC Soul Food: SoCo (Brooklyn)
If you want the classics of Southern cooking with a touch of innovation, SoCo is the place to go. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken comes served with a red velvet waffle, the Sausage & Grits are topped with a spicy lobster broth, and the Bourbon St. Eggs Benedict comes with crawfish cake and Old Bay hollandaise. Aunt Cruz Mac & Cheese and Creamy White Cheddar Grits are popular side dishes here as well, packing in loads of flavor. 509 Myrtle Ave., 718-783-1936, socobk.com
Best of NYC Soul Food: Jacob’s Restaurant (Harlem)
Jacob’s Restaurant offers buffet-style dining that includes all the soul food favorites, including Southern fried chicken, candied yams, honey B.B.Q. chicken wings, B.B.Q. pork ribs, buffalo wings, collard green seasoned turkey, and crab cakes. The restaurants cold salad bar packs in just as much punch, with dishes like cranberry sauce, macaroni and tuna salad, banana pudding with vanilla wafers, and broccoli salad helping to round out every meal. Additional location in Harlem. 373 Lenox Ave., 212-866-3663, jacobrestaurant.com
Best of NYC Soul Food: Pies-n-Thighs (Brooklyn)
Craving some fried green tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, or burnt end baked beans? You’ll find all this and more at Pies-n-Thighs. The main dishes here include Fried Catfish Box (cornmeal-fried catfish with cornbread, tartar sauce, and pickles), Chicken Biscuit (crispy chicken cutlet on a buttermilk biscuit slathered in hot sauce and honey butter), and Chicken & Waffles (fried chicken on top of two buckwheat waffles topped with cinnamon butter and strawberry). Side dishes are available for $5 a pop, including coleslaw, smoked pork collards, hush puppies, and cheese grits. Also, don’t forget the pies! 166 S. 4th St., 347-529-6090, piesnthighs.com
