New York, NY
No local rankings yet · editorial below
Harlem's soul food institutions: fried chicken and waffles, collard greens, ribs and catfish. Drawn from The Infatuation's best-soul-food-in-NYC guide and Time Out New York's soul food list.
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Start a Top 5 for Soul FoodEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in The Infatuation and Time Out New York. Updated September 2026.
Sylvia's Restaurant · Harlem
Harlem soul food since 1962: fried chicken, catfish and ribs, with a Sunday gospel brunch.
Melba's Restaurant · Harlem
Neo-soul cooking on Frederick Douglass Blvd: mandatory chicken and waffles, excellent short ribs, and collard greens.
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken · Harlem
Pan-fried chicken that's crunchy and salty: a Harlem standard worth the trip.
Miss Mamie's Spoonbread Too · Morningside Heights
A Morningside Heights favorite for the sampler plate: fried shrimp, chicken and ribs in one go.