Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken

You can easily miss this small hole in the wall on Frederick Douglass Boulevard or 8^th avenue for the natives!
This restaurant has the best greens I’ve ever tasted. I asked the chef for his recipe and he laughed and said he can’t tell me that lol. He is such a nice gentleman. The smothered chicken is to die for. The gravy is to die for. The macaroni pie was delish as well. I loved it.
No one can forget candied yams. I love me some yams and when I see some that look as good as they taste, of course I’m buying it. Mind you my plate also came with cornbread, which I did not really love but it was good. I believe it’s a little too overcooked in my opinion but the food here is very good.
If you love soul food and you want some turkey wings with black eyed peas, chitlins and collards, stop by Charles!

Very disappointing. Had to be uptown for work and had been curious about this spot as fried chicken is hands down my favorite and I’m trying to make my rounds all over. The chicken was just ok — it was seasoned somewhat and moderately juicy but nothing special and not worth going out of your way. They don’t really make it fresh to order as it seems like it sits under the heat lamp until sold. The Mac and cheese was horrific. If I was locked up in a maximum security prison, this is what I’d expect in the cafeteria. I wouldn’t go back.

Jumbo portion and cheap price — the fried chicken dinner with two sides and cornbread for $ 12 easily would suffice for two meals. But I was under whelmed by the flavor after heading uptown specifically to try what the Village Voice called NYC’s best fried chicken. The Mac was kinda cold and congealed and the chicken tho tasty wasn’t particularly crisp. Yams and cornbread were top notch.

Not that great — Mac cheese was good, fried chicken just ok, tasted better. Wouldn’t bother going again.

I am returning from dining at Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken Thanksgiving Day buffet and it did not disappoint! While the décor leaves something to be desired, our meal was delicious! We dined on tasty Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens, Candied Yams, Black Eyed Peas, Cabbage, Cornbread Dressing, String Beans, Turkey, Ham, Roast Beef (not up to par, it was sliced too thick and it was tough) and Fried Chicken. The meal tasted as though it was homemade. We will definitely pay another visit to Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken in the near future and will make their Thanksgiving Day buffet dinner a Thanksgiving tradition.

I like their pan fried chicken and I love their corn bread. Haven’t tried anything else. Not the biggest selection to choose from and I’m not a mac n cheese person. I usually grab a beer from the deli on the corner and go in and eat since they don’t serve alcohol.

I want to explain a scenario where good customer service would’ve taken care of a simple request and would’ve ensured repeat business.
G/​f and I go to this place at her suggestion. And man oh man was the food delicious! Hearty soul food with heaping portions. The fried chicken and BBQ chicken were both excellent. The place itself is cramped, and only seats like 8 – 9 people comfortably. But that’s ok! The food is good and is worth the trek and looking past the cramped space and drab décor.
We dine, we’re stuffed. We want to leave. I ask the cashier for 2 bags. Cashier doesn’t even acknowledge what I said with a «No problem.» Instead she silently gets paper bags and tin foil. I didn’t ask for all that. Just two plastic bags so we could tie our stuff up neatly and peace out.
I stand there confused, because another customer was standing as well and I thought the cashier was tending to her first. And because I’m polite and know what customer service entails, i don’t want to be a douche and I wait patiently. Then this dialogue happens
Me: «Umm, miss. Could I get two bags???»
Cashier: «Don’t you see I got this stuff for you right here?»
Me: «But miss you didn’t even say any – .»
Stopped mid sentence because what’s the point getting into conflicts with fools?
And that ruined the whole experience. I know you’re a cashier. You had a long day taking orders from randoms and you’re gonna come out of there smelling of fried chicken grease. But you can’t even be bothered to acknowledge a minor request? All I was looking for was a «Sure.» or «No problem.» the most basic of courtesies when someone is talking to someone else. Drop the attitude. If you’re unhappy being there can you at least pretend so I can put more money in your pocket? We loved the food but I’m certainly not paying to be treated that way.
And that’s why we won’t trek all the way to Harlem, walking through what looks like a goddamned set from Law & Order: SVU to have food here.

It’s decent at best. This rating is strictly for the quality of the food. The fried chicken was pretty good everything else was meh. I understand their concept is based on making large quantities of food at once so I took that into consideration. The macaroni and cheese was pretty bland, but I may be biased because my mom makes the best mac n cheese. I’d rate the collard greens ⁷⁄₁₀. They were decently seasoned and the green to juice ratio was solid. If I could guess I’d think the yams came from a can, they were syrupy and didn’t seem fresh at all.
One of the girls was really nice while the other couldn’t have been more nonchalant so we’ll call it a wash. I’d be willing to give it another try but I would definitely try different sides. I also wouldn’t plan on dining in, it’s tiny and not the best kept and hot as balls.

Pan fried like grandma’s. This chicken isn’t made in a fry cooker. It’s made in a skillet, and it’s good. It’s probably the best I’ve had in NYC. I also had the collard greens and yams. Both were pretty darn good. The collard greens were actually reminiscent of back home.
Let me reiterate. This is not as good as grandma’s. But it’s good enough for me to at least say, «It’s not as good as grandma’s.»

Ordered delivery– fried chicken was good, smothered chicken was soggy because the gravy was already added, sides (collard greens and Mac n cheese) not good at all.
I have to make some allowances because it was delivered and I appreciate the quality of food is not the same as in house. Next time we would order 2 potions of the fried chicken and not worry about the sides!

After reading countless praises of the fried chicken here, stopped in to an empty shop and the nastiest, most aggressive counter woman of all time*. Against my best judgment, kept ordering until I met the $ 10 card minimum, and enjoyed each chicken part I tried, but the dessert was weak.

This place is legend; should it be?
The people are really nice, the prices are good. I recommend the buffet to taste everything (including drinks) for just a few dollars more, but only if you don’t want to take your leftovers home. That’s what I did when I went for the first time last night. My favorites were the fried chicken, pigs feet, collared greens, and okra. The fried chicken tasted a lot like my mothers fried chicken, which would usually not be a good thing, but other than the flavor it had a very good touch to it. I think it was the combination of cheap chicken with the pan frying method and whatever canola oil my mom uses which makes it taste similar.
I wouldn’t recommend this for a tourist. I think you can get just as good food elsewhere, and the experience is fine but not majorly above all others. This place may be legend but unless you’re in the neighborhood I wouldn’t recommend it. And even if you were there, I’d say check out Hot Pot Under De Tree next door.

Read the reviews and thought that I really wanted to try it. From the articles and reviews I guess I expected… better?
It’s a tiny place, 3 tables big and I was the only one there at the time, having arrived after the lunch rush I guess. I got the buffet option and sampled bits of everything. The smothered turkey was good, as well as the sweet potato. The fried chicken? Tasty and not too greasy but missing that something something that would have made it great. Maybe if it had been fresh and not sitting out for a while.
However, the mac and cheese was a little tasteless, just not enough cheese and it had really been packed together making what was essentially a big block of pasta without much else… The other sides were okay, nothing to write home about.
It was a trip to NYC, and also, I’d never been to Harlem. Would I make that trek up there again? TBH not sure, ask me when I finally visit again.

I had been craving some fried chicken, so when looking for a good spot, this came up as one of the best places to go, so I opted to try it. The food here was very good, the mac and cheese had a more Caribbean seasoning to it, and the fried chicken was good but would have been better if it was a fresh batch as the skin got a bit soft from the steam, and wasn’t crispy like I love it. The Arnold Palmer I also had was so very good too, nice and sweet. Overall a good neighborhood spot for a good meal.

Fair, but not at all worth the haul up to Harlem.
On the plus side, portions (for the sides) are generous. Also, they take credit cards, which, in the normal world, is normal, but in Harlem is, pathetically, a plus. Oh. Cornbread. Homemade, and not too shabby.
On the minus side, salt is generous too, to the point where the collards are essentially inedible. Mac/​cheese stinks, too: gloopy and gloppy. But the chicken is perfectly fine, even after a heat lamp.
Service was friendly but sloooooowwwww.
If you’re in the area — and you won’t be, since the Jints moved to Frisco 58 years ago — sure, but otherwise, no.

As far as fried chicken is concerned… probably as good as it gets… I mean… thats the way I like it. Authentic and straight forward — nice crust and really juicy. They were pan frying the chicken right in front of us. We also had collard greens and black-​eyed peas — both delicious if not roughly presented.
Highly recommend visiting if you are… like me… on the hunt for the best fried chicken in NYC.

I was disappointed with my visit, after reading about this place in a FirstWeFeast article (
) about bucket list fried chicken.
My breast piece was about the size of my palm and my leg piece was not as thick as other places. It’s ok, I’ll tell myself this is because they are purchasing «naturally-​raised» chickens that haven’t been shot up with hormones and antibiotics and run around cage-​free. But if that’s the case, you should brag about how you are supporting these natural farming methods.
While the leg was nice and juicy, the breast was dry and tasteless. I was slathering the hot sauce on the meat. The fried skin wasn’t as crunchy or flavorful as other places.
My sides were extremely hearty servings of collard greens and mac and cheese. The collard greens were salty and tasty and probably some of the best collard greens I have had. But, the mac and cheese was just meh — it was congealed and packed together and flavorless.
As we walked out of the restaurant, we saw someone walk by with a Popeye’s bag. As much as I want to support local neighborhood places, I wish I’d gone to the chain restaurant instead.

Must say this soul food restaurant has got SOUL… I enjoyed the fried chicken (not greasy) collard greens, and yams… All was good…
Customer service was above par, only thing the seating could be better. When in the area I definitely would stop in again. The fish looked great too.

This place was right under my nose this whole time. One day I was in search of the best fried chicken in the city and after a thorough online queryyy, Charle’s came up on numerous «best» lists.
Verdict? Well… I can’t say it was the best, but it was pretty darn good, especially with the high expectations came in with.
PRO tip, eat your chicken there, dont take away and let the chicken steam and soggify.
CHICKEN: fried, southern style, pan fried. Very classic tasking, incredibly juicy and savory. The skin is not super crispy even if you eat it right away. The chicken has been pre made and is sitting behind the glass window like u might find at KFC, but the flavors in the chicken seem like a bit of love was incorporated into the product.
The sides were nothing special, I really just came here for the chicken which met expectations. The staff is friendly, venue epitomizes hole in the wall, with a few small tables.
OVERALL: quite good fried chicken, very traditional. perhaps not worth a long commute up to this area, but definitely worth a try if you live near by.

I first heard about this place when I came across an article about Marcus Samuelsson’s top food picks in Harlem, and this place was on it. I’ve been itching to go ever since and so I finally made the trek up there now that I live closer by.
The people inside, both staff and patrons were friendly and helpful while I was trying to figure out what I should order, which was silly because I obviously needed to try the fried chicken, so that’s what I got along with some mac and cheese, collards, cornbread and a lemonade.
I really appreciate this place for a lot of reasons, the main one being that you can really tell a lot of heart and soul goes into this food. I had to wait a little while for my order, but that was because Charles was finishing up a batch of chicken hot and fresh out of the pan and I think they would prefer to give customers that rather than the chicken that has been sitting in the warmer.
I may have made the mistake of walking that chicken all the way back home and not just sitting down and eating it there. That being said, here is my takeaway. The chicken was definitely flavorful and incredibly juicy! It wasn’t very crispy though, but that was probably my doing and also the fact that it was nestled into the collards and mac and cheese below it in the to-​go container. Maybe they should consider packaging up the to-​go food separately. I also found the chicken to be a little on the salty side and I am a person who generally likes salt on my food. The cornbread was good and so were the collards. The mac and cheese was just ok. It was a little tangy, which was different and also a touch salty.
I’m not sure I would continually make the journey up there to get this food. If I’m in the area though and craving some fried chicken, I would certainly stop back in and give the chicken another try. Next time I’ll eat there rather than taking the food to go.

Nous étions dans le quartier pour d’autres raisons, nous sommes donc allés tester ce resto à 4 étoiles Unilocal et conseillé dans le Lonely Planet 2012.
Ambiance de boui-​boui familiale.
Poulet frit pas mal mais sans plus (partie bien cuite, d’autre trop sèche…).
Il faut compter environ 12 $ pour une portion de deux morceaux de poulets avec des accompagnements riz, macaronis au fromage ou pois à la viande.
Si vous êtes dans le quartier pourquoi mais honnêtement je n’aurai pas fait le déplacement exprès et je n’y retournerai pas…