Charles Pan Fried Chicken Reviews

I’m not sure if it was this location because it looks like they have a few locations but Elaine was great and friendly with a welcoming smile the chicken was so phenomenal crispy and well seasoned the cornbread was delicious best cornbread I’ve had.. highly recommend if you are in NY you should stop by and try their food and you’ll see why I wrote this review

This is fast food at its finest! If you had this chicken in a fancy restaurant it wouldn’t be this good. But the best part of all is the people who work here!!! They welcome you and are smiling the whole time as though they’re thrilled you stopped by. Give it a try!!!!

We took two meals with three drumsticks, one mac and cheese side and one rice side. It was absolutely delicious! The chicken was perfectly fried, crispy and tender at the same time. The mac and cheese was great too. You also get a tasty hot cake with the meal. The service was very good too. We highly recommend it!

The crunch of the chicken was good, but extremely salty. Too sad to enjoy,. I also had the cornbread which was not great but average. It was good but dry.

2839 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (8th Ave.) is not in the "financial district," which would be in downtown Manhattan around Wall St. It is in the Village of Harlem at West 151st St.

It's a gem and its home cooking. Some days are better than other but overall a solid good find. Nothing is fancy here but the space is clean and you will feel like you are in someone's kitchen. There isn't any newfangled items but some down home comfort food. The fried chicken is one of the stars. The skin is crispy and salty. The meat is bribed pretty well but still let's the natural flavor of the meat shine through. The smothered pork chops are fork tender and love the peppery gravy that it is swimming in. The mashed potatoes are creamy but still has some lumps of goodness. The gravy adds the peppery goodness to the creamy potatoes. Skip the macaroni and cheese, it's kind of dried out and over cooked. I would definitely get the potato salad. It's what you want, mustardy and creamy with bits of eggs. You want to get the cornbread. So many people think they can make cornbread but they are wrong. The cornbread here is crumbly and tender. It's just a little bit of sweet and savory. It's a visit to home cooking via Harlem

Charles Pan Fried Chicken !!!! Charles Gabriel uses, as his store front's name implies, a pan to create his delicious fried chicken. No deep fryers. He sits in the restaurant conversing with his patrons as they looking over the tasty wares and decide what to get. I was having trouble deciding so he starting recommending me combo platters. Really cool guy. He does most of the operation himself from purchasing the birds, butchering,frying and finally cleaning up and closing all for 7 days a week. There is a single week that he takes off for himself annually. They turn out around 600 pieces of chicken each day and even more on the weekends! We placed an order for fried chicken and got candied yams and mac and cheese as our 2 sides. Really loved the chicken here. Not as crispy as some of the other places, but the flavor was big with the tender meat. Juicy and salty flesh tasted perfect and went well with the sweet candied yams. If you want a more visual review check out these guys on youtube by searching Devour NYC Top 5 Fried Chicken.

Ok, I went to the Charles Pan Fried Chicken on Saturday nite May 13. It was raining and I was surprised I was the only one there eating in. Anyways, I ordered two breast pieces with black eyed peas, potato salad and cornbread and lemonade. I spent around $15 all together. I thought the portion size was fair! It was tasty for me, it was a good end to cap off my weekend trip to NYC, and it was also my first time eating in Harlem. I'd highly recommend Charles Pan Fried Chicken. Next time I go to NYC, I'll stop by for some more!

Pock up orders don't work! Waited 30 minutes asking for my food and it was ready but they didn't find it Cashier very unpolite

The pulled pork and chicken are both really good. This is my go to spot for soul food. Also, you get lots of sides so it is a good value meal for nyc.

The wife and I were hankering fried chicken and found Charles Pan Fried on line. Walked over from our hotel and weren’t disappointed. We each had the 3 piece meal with 2 sides and corn bread. Chicken was most and delicious, the black eyed peas, green beans mashed potatoes, gravy and cornbread were all outstanding. The staff were awesome and the prices were fair. definitely be back

We wanted to spend little on our trip to NY, but also try everything and have some American experiences. Place in Harlem with traditional soulfood. Like a fast food place but place to eat out. The fried chicken and all the vegetables/ squash/ potatoes/ beans/ stewed black cabbage are excellent. However, I recommend everything. Very generous - watch the portions.

You have never seen a cast iron pan (or pots) this size! The flavor is really great. Turn over is so fast, chicken is always hot Side dishes are really finger lickin' good too!

The chicken and sides were exceptional. The yams and collards were superb. The macaroni and cheese was surprisingly subtle. The one staff person was pleasant and helpful. The "decor" was old, worn and purely functional. A service counter with the kitchen open to the rear and precisely 4 beat-up old tables. The opposite of imposing. All consistent with a remarkably high quality neighborhood place in a working class neighborhood. For visitors to NewYork it's not only a place for good soul food, it is a small window into a real neighborhood.

We ordered delivery from the W 72 Street location. The chicken was excellent. The ribs were okay. We appreciated that they were not slathered in sauce but otherwise were not outstanding. The macaroni and cheese was disappointing. We had doubled that side dish hoping for a better version, if we ordered from here again, we would skip that.

5 star chicken. Moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Seasoned to perfection! I was disappointed when I finished. And the portions were more than adequate! I will be returning!

After seeing Charles in a video on social media I had to try this place. It's by far the best fried chicken I've ever had! Moist breasts, bite through skin, perfect level of seasoning. Check out the amount of Terrible reviews that single 1 star reviewer has given out! Don't believe the bad review. Go Charles!!

I've been going to Charles for over 20 years! There's a reason I keep going back.....the soul food is good, and Charles is ALWAYS there taking pride in serving his customers. He's a really nice guy, and he loves to see you enjoy his food. Thanks Charles for your service!

This soul food restaurant was recommended to me. I rolled the dice and went. Located in Harlem, NY it is slightly over rated. Typically it is a buffet; the food appears to sit out all day long and is serviced by a kitchen right next door. If you like southern style soul food while in NYC this place will fit the bill. It did not have the best pan fried chicken I have ever had. It was passable. I think freshness has a lot to do with it.

The entire staff was wonderful. Staff gave every customer a unanimous welcome upon entry. I am born and raised in the south (Mississippi) so it’s hard finding this kind of food made so well up north. As soon as I bit into the pan fried chicken, I was transported back in time to my grandmother’s kitchen. I was truly impressed with the quality of everything. I enjoyed my meal that consisted of pan fried chicken, mac & cheese, greens, cornbread, and sweet tea. I will definitely be returning whenever I visit NYC again. Thank you to every staff member for making me feel at home!!!

The place is dirty, it should be cleaned more often. The workers must wear gloves when serving the food. The person attending the counter is slow, it feels like they don’t really want to work at the place.

Arrived there shortly after opening, so everything was nice and fresh, and there was available seating (it is very small, around 10 seats). I am no fried chicken expert, but this was really, really good. Crisp on the outside, moist and juicy inside. The sides we tried were good but not great; next time I would make sure to try the mac and cheese, which looked great. For most tourists (staying midtown, LIC, etc.), the location is convenient for a stopover on the way to or from Yankee Stadium, but I probably wouldn't go all the way to 152nd for the chicken alone.

This is a basic eatery, not much space inside, service moves slowly but that seemed to be the customers’ fault. The fried chicken is generally tender (breast was much drier than thigh though) with a tasty batter that could get a bit chewy when left in the box for too long. The entree platters aren’t cheap but make a lot of food with the sides. It was all ok but nothing outstanding and seemed like it could be cheaper.

The establishment has very good customer service. The staff is attentive and patient. When I placed my order I made a request for certain chicken pieces without getting all kind of nickel and dime dance around I get from other establishments. The chicken was delicious. Not overly season, moist, and perfect temperature. The collard greens were good as well. I also tried a drink. At the recommendation of a staff member I had half fruit punch/half ice tea which was fairly good....sweet but good. I feel they have a great meal deal with two pieces of chicken, and a side of corn bread for $10. Everything else was priced reasonably. I would eat here again and again.

Park out front. It's take out. Charles has to be one of the hardest working guys I ever met. They always have fresh chicken available. He had made a special cast iron frying pan that is huge! So next time your in town, grab a bag of chicken from Charles, with some fixin's mac & cheese. It'll all be eaten by the time you reach the state border (either north or south).

We were disappointed that the positive reviews of this place led us to waste one of our New York City dinners here. Charles Pan Fried Chicken was nothing better than bad fast food, reheated all day long until when we ate it at 6 p.m., along with the mushy and bad tasting sides (green beans and collard greens), which could have been reheated for days! The lemonade tasted like Kool Aid. And this meal cost us $35... We would have done much better at Popeyes, but then we wouldn't have gone for Popeyes in New York City!

So a Lyft driver told us this is the best chicken in Harlem. So we made the trip over on Monday the 10th and first thing out the ladies mouth,”we don’t have greens,Yams or Potato Salad. Then her and some man downstairs were arguing over whether there were green beans or not, she says it will be 7min for green beans which tells me they’re from a can, not made fresh. We got four pieces of chicken and Mac and cheese, the Mac and cheese tasted like nothing,literally,it needed seasoning. The chicken wasn’t anything spectacular it had a flavor I couldn’t put my finger on but I didn’t like it. I had a leg and thigh and the leg was hard. Won’t be going back unless the food is better and they pay for our meal before we leave on Thur

The food was great. The restaurant itself wasn't quite what I expected. It is a little hole in the wall with a few tables and chairs so don't expect more. However, it is clean, the staff are personable, and I thoroughly enjoyed the people watching. So, if you don't need all of the bells and whistles don't hesitate to sit in...or carryout.

Charles couldn't have been more helpful. Food was generous and very easy, all cooked to order. More a cafe than a restaurant though

Decent but not great fried chicken. I had high expectations based on the buzz but the chicken, while good, wasn't special. It didn't help that I got 3 pieces of breast which were all dry. I know they don't guarantee what pieces you get but it really shows how absent minded the staff are that they don't even look at what's being put in the bag. They also messed up my side orders despite multiple confirmations. I'd stop in again if I was nearby and there wasn't a wait but I'm not going out of my way to visit. Also, check your order before leaving as it's most likely something got messed up

I walked 20 blocks just to get to Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken, it was worth it. The chicken is crispy, but very very flavorful and juicy inside. The sides are also very nice, the okra was recommended to me, and it was good. Had to walk on the way back just to work out the amount of food I ate. Worth more than the money you'll pay.

I read about Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken in article about the best fried chicken places in the country. On a recent trip to NYC, my husband & I decided to check it out. We are very much urban explorers, but found the neighborhood around Charles' a bit dicey. However, once inside, we were delighted with the food. Note that Charles' is very small - only 4 or 5 tables with chairs. Although it is listed as a "buffet", it is not on a traditional sense. You walk up to the counter, tell the server what you want (they have bbq, fried & smothered chicken, etc). Then she gives you the plate - you do not go serve your self like a traditional buffet. Note: the young lady who served us was very, very nice & we enjoyed her assistance. I had the fried chicken & my husband had the smothered & we shared. Both were terrific - the smothered chicken outstanding in my opinion. For sides we both had mac n cheese & collard greens. The greens were exceptional - very tasty. The mac n cheese had nice flavor but was dense & dry - it really could've used some milk to thin it a bit. Corn bread comes on the side - it is tall, sweet & fluffy - very good. The only major qualm I have is that they had nothing to drink other than sweet tea, lemonade, or tea & lemonade mixed (not even bottled water) - not a great option for someone who cannot have sugary drinks. Other than that, kudos to Charles Pan Fried for delicious greens, finger lickin' chicken & great traditional soul food!

Went here because it's in my neighborhood. Found out this place is a legendary Harlem establishment. Great chicken and Charles still cooks it!

After waiting an hour for my food, the restaurant called to inform me that one of the two desserts I had ordered was unavailable. I chose another option and continued to wait for the delivery. When the food finally arrived late, no desserts were in the bag. I called the restaurant, and the woman who answered the phone, who identified herself as Stephanie, was unprofessional, rude, and downright nasty. She claimed that both desserts had been sent, but the delivery driver must have forgotten to grab the bag before leaving the restaurant. Despite her assertions, the desserts were never delivered, and I was left to pay for the entire meal. The entrees were mediocre at best and not worth the price I paid. I strongly recommend skipping the hassle and headache of dealing with Charles Pan Fried Chicken and ordering from somewhere else. Charles Pan Fried Chicken has certainly earned a grade of F, and I would give them zero stars if that option were available.

Am writing here because they don't appear to have a page yet for the new 72nd street location. Horrible all the way around. We ordered online, they said ready in 30 minutes. I had to wait 90 minutes. The place is too small for their business. If you go in the evening, the line is out the door. I finally got my order after 90 minutes and it was incomplete. Some of the sides were missing and both the fried and the barbecue chicken were super dry. The sides are just OK. The crust on the fried is also quite salty. I suspect because they were so backed up that they just did my order without regular quality control. Very unhappy.

Best fried chicken ever cooked in a Cast iron pot like my Grandma and my mom to this day make her fried chicken so if your looking for great Soul food go to Charles Pan- Fried Chicken on 340 West 145th street NY NY make you feel like your home enjoy

The chicken is good. The sides are meh- the green beans were remarkably overcooked. The service is unacceptable. I would expect people who walked through the door to be served in order of arrival. That did not happen. I was ignored. I was told that because I placed a mobile order I would have to wait until everyone who arrived after me had their food and checked out. Know that this establishment is unwelcoming and I would avoid it.

Charles was a star. What a welcoming smile and a lovely welcome. We rolled up at 3pm, a little late on a Monday. The chicken was amazing but a little cold. The Mac n cheese had seen better days but the greens and corn bread were immense. Try the hot sauce. Incredible. £20 for a massive feed for 2. Thanks Charles!

It's 8:30 pm and I have a craving for chicken wings, real chicken wings - whole with the tips still attached.Yes, there are some of us who love and know how to eat the wing tips. I got on the #10 bus with a good book and took the 15 minute ride to Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken. These new Wing Restaurants opening all over Harlem can't touch Charles' fried wings. Charles Gabriel, the owner is straight out of North Carolina and has been in the community for decades. When I arrived there were no wings, however, was told they would be ready in 10 minutes. No problem, I had my good book and was "in heaven" knowing I was going to get wings right out of the cast iron pan. I brought my five whole fried wings ($5), and returned home. Was not disappointed, the wings were favorable, with a thin crispy crust that was juicy but not greasy. This is one of the last "old time" Soul Food Restaurants remaining in Harlem. I hope it stays around for a few more decades.

We went up as a family and we really wanted to love this place but........ Little hole in the wall above 151st street, 4-5 tables, great atmosphere. Mabel this is great pan fried chicken but not when it's been sitting in a warming bin for who knows how long. Our chicken was lukewarm, dry and tasteless. The dark meat had very little chicken. And the sides weren't any better. Cornbread and Mac and cheese just bad. Only the yams and collard greens were decent. Just a real disappointment. Service wasn't overly friendly but we really enjoyed talking with some of the local guys eating there.

Fried chicken nothing special. Very good mashed yams. Good collard greens. Clean place, but I thought I was going to be wowed with great fried chicken. I won't return. Perhaps others have lower standards than I do. Daily special for lunch was okay price-wise, but my friend didn't buy the special and it was too expensive, we both thought.

Ordered 3 piece chicken with 2 sides quickly. 15 minutes to wait for okra side which came out ice cold somehow. Black eye peas were mostly liquid. Opened 3 “piece” when I got home and I couldn’t identify one piece. Chicken was salty and breast was dry and way overcooked. Owner works hard and is a nice guy but this meal was embarrassing for $18!

Portion sizes are great. Only place I can find that offers smothered pork chops or chicken 🍗. Frustrating that the pork chops aren’t always available. Run out of best stuff early probably like 🍌 pudding. Best option when I don’t have time to make a homemade meal🍴 🥘 for night shift break. Mac & cheese should be juicier/cheesier but that’s what’s left when you order late, but tastes great my co-workers always follow the great scent to find me indulging. Corn bread fell into gravy accidentally it was like thanksgiving. Now it falls in accidentally on purpose. Green beans good. I will be ordering in future.

I have eaten Charle's pan fried chicken for many years. It is the best in the 5 boroughs. It is greaseless, tasty, and cooked perfectly every time! There are all kinds of sides equally delicious. It is a small space but there are tables at which to eat. Go for it!

I've been going to Charles for almost 20 years, in a few different locations, and I'm so glad he's still around and doing his thing like no one else. The fried chicken is so flavorful, it's not at all greasy, and the skin is nicely crispy -- perfect every time. The sides are great -- we love the black-eyed peas, the potato salad, the yams, greens, cabbage, and cornbread the best. Really haven't ever had anything here that I didn't like. I keep meaning to try the other meats, but the fried chicken is such a standout -- worth a trip from wherever you are!

Went in the afternoon when it was quiet. The chicken was crisp and tender but as it wasn't rush hour the chicken was obviously sat under the lamps for a bit. Was still delicious though. Not worth a trip just for the food but if you're nosing around Harlem then worth a visit

This places is a hole-in-the-wall heaven. the food is fantastic, the atmosphere interesting and a pure taste of Harlem. But the Chicken is incredible. Ranked in the top 50 chicken places in the country, Charles makes a mean bird. With tenderness and flavor unparalleled elsewhere in Harlem for such an affordable price.

I had not eaten at Charles Pan-Fried since Charles closed his original restaurant years ago. He had told me he wanted to open bigger restaurants due to more tourists wanting to dine in. This was his newer restaurant. It was nice to eat at the picnic tables outside on a nice day. The weather was perfect for dining. The food was wonderful. I had the ‘Charles Classic’ which is two pieces of chicken with one side. I chose a breast and wing with a side of Mac and Cheese and a limeade to drink. Everything was delicious. The chicken was so juicy and crackling and had a nice flavor. The Mac and Cheese was loaded with a sharp cheese and you got a nice sized slice of cornbread. The portion sizes were very generous for the price . The service was very friendly and I got my order quickly.

We went to the 72nd Street location. The meal was outstanding. Service was quick, staff was professional and the food was well prepared. The location is small and there is a counter with three seats. We were lucky they were open so once we ordered we quickly occupied. Pan Fried chicken is a southern technique. It is unlike other restaurants which deep fry or the outcome is on a thicker batter. The sides are incredible but be careful as you don't try and order everything as they are so tempting. Prices are affordable. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience.

I decided to come to this place because I read a few blogs claiming that this restaurant cooks the best fried chicken in New York; really?although I believe it's far from being "the best" I think it's alright. Don't get your expectations so high and you'll be fine. Tip: I'd rather have an extra chicken wing or breast than the Mac and Cheese.

I’ve been to Charles Pan-Fried Chicken on the UWS about six times now, and I really want to like it because Charles Gabriel is a legend. But the food just doesn’t live up to the reputation. The chicken usually lacks crunch and sometimes tastes like it’s been fried in oil that’s been used way too many times, leaving a funky aftertaste. The sides don’t redeem it either — the mac and cheese is heavy but bland, collard greens are blah the yams overly sweet without balance, however the cornbread is a star. Overall the experience has been pretty mediocre each time.

If you are looking for an authentic down home classic African American cuisine, you have found it. The fried chicken is crispy, juicy and perfectly seasoned. You will always win with the dark meat choices.

There are two review sites for this restaurant, this and Charles Southern Style and I wanted to let TripAdvisor know that he will be moving to 137th Street this week, so there will be a new location.

The location is suspect. Was not a friendly neighbourhood so dont go at night. The chicken was not great. Price was reasonable and the service was good. But i went for the chicken and i was not impressed. Also the location from the station is far and i dont think it is safe.

My girlfriend's and I were staying in Times square for the night and as I'd already expressed my desire for soul food, one friend suggested uncle Charlie's pan fried chicken. Let's just say that I put myself in a food coma that night. The size of Uncle Charlie's cast iron pan for frying chicken was the size of a tire on a Mac truck, it was fabulous. He seasons the chicken with so much love, I licked every single finger from both hands. The collard greens, macaroni and cheese, rice and gravy, by the way which was only one of three different scrumptious gravies he has available were all delicious. He came out to speak with us and served us. He stays open late and people don't stop coming in. I overheard a customer mention he has been coming to Charlie's from as early as 5 years old. Pan fried chicken beats deep fried chicken any day! I can't wait to come back.Thank you Mr. Charlie!!

Best fried chicken in town, it s not a fast food franchise even tho its look like but the approach it’s really different. Staff is really kind