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Sylvia’s
328 Lenox Ave (btwn 126th & 127th)
(212) 996-0660

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: American, Soul Food, Southern
Favorite Dish(es): Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese, Collared Greens ($13.95)

When New Yorkers talk about “soul food”, they always mention Sylvia’s in Harlem. It’s somewhat of a historical landmark, having served homestyle Southern cooking for over 40 years. Upon entering the original diner-style section of the restaurant (the middle building), you’re instantly blasted back to 1962, when Sylvia Woods first opened the spot with her husband Herbert. Since then, Sylvia’s has become a pillar of the community as evident by all the pictures on the wall of Sylvia and her family with almost every celebrity and famous African-American person to date, including, most recently, President Obama. There’s a very good reason why Sylvia Woods has been nicknamed the “Queen of Soul Food”. The food is just plain good.

Warm, sweet and corny cornbread with crispy crust

Southern fried white meat chicken (breast+wing), garlic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese

Fried Chicken and Ribs combo, collared greens

For our first visit, we ordered some of the most typical and traditional fare that came to mind when thinking of “soul food”. Entrees: Fried Chicken and Ribs.Sides: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Collared Greens, Mac & Cheese, Blackeyed Peas. There are plenty of other traditional Southern dishes on the menu as well, such as Smothered Chicken, Catfish two ways (fried or grilled), and the infamous Fried Chicken and Waffles combo, as well as daily specials. We were told by our friendly server, Jesse, to try the BBQ Salmon and Beef Short Ribs next time, whose advice we will surely take to heart (and stomach).

The food came out lightning fast, giving us barely enough time to sample the sweet, crispy, warm cornbread with butter served while we waited. The cornbread was so good I took the last piece home in a napkin. To give a proper assessment of all the food, here is the breakdown:

Fried Chicken:

Crust – Very crispy skin and great flavor. Not very crusty. Very light on the batter.

Meat – HUGE, supersized chicken. The biggest pieces we’ve ever seen. Choose between white meat (breast+wing) or dark meat (leg+thigh). Super moist and tender, the actual meat was not very seasoned but still flavorful. Tastes like fried chicken.

Ribs:

Sauce – Red, sweet and sour, tangy, sticky and translucent, like the red Chinese sweet&sour sauce. Very sassy. Lemon slices and vinegar pack a punch.

Meat – Big, succulent, moist slabs of pork that come off the bone very easily. Some good caramelized bark on the ends. Very juicy and well-marinated, and very different from Texan smoky ribs (a la Dinosaur BBQ).

Sides:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes – so creamy, buttery, and garlicky that one bite will keep vampires away for weeks.

Baked Mac & Cheese – emphasis on the “baked”, my favorite. super cheesy, with the right ratio of cheese and grease. macaroni cooked perfectly.

Collared Greens – a Southern food staple, flavored with tasty bits of turkey ham.

Blackeyed Peas – really tasty, especially for beans, prepared in a flavorful stock.

Conclusion:
This place is truly something special. To be honest, it wasn’t the best food we’ve ever had in our lives (For us, Good’N'Plenty in Pennsylvania still wins for best fried chicken, and you just can’t beat Texas ribs). BUT, it WAS really good, authentic, down-home, soul-nourishing food in generous portions and prepared with care. You can tell that Sylvia’s recipes have been perfected over the years, without skimping on any ingredients or shortcuts of any kind. This is food with character, made from the heart. Beyond the food, the service is top-notch, adding extra warmth to the experience. It could be because we came offpeak before the dinner time rush on a Friday at 5 PM, but we’re pretty sure that the management likes to keep the vibe very family-style. The waitstaff are attentive, laidback and honest, and the manager even stopped by every table to welcome each guest. That and the fact that the food is priced very reasonably ($14 average an entree), makes Sylvia’s a rare treat in NYC. We’re looking forward to filling up on more soul food during the upcoming winter months, and any time we have a hankering for some fried chicken.

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