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Finger Licking: The Best Fried Chicken in NYC

Every trip to New York City should include at least one fried chicken feast. Here’s our short list of the best fried chicken in NYC, from wings to sandwiches to Southern classics. You may not immediately associate New York City with breasts and thighs (then again you might), but fried chicken is having its day here, and we've got the inside slant on the city's best.

Best Fried Chicken in NYC

Image: stu_spivack/Flickr

Down Home

For quintessential southern fried, head to Harlem and Charles’ Country Pan Fried Chicken (151st and Frederick Douglass Blvd). Charles himself will be frying a dozen pieces at a time in a massive cast iron skillet behind a buffet of southern side dishes ranging from mac and cheese to collards to succotash. Best of all, $10.50 buys you two plump pieces, a hunk of corn bread, and massive portions of two sides. Or pony up $13.99 for all you can eat. The entrée selection extends beyond fried chicken (but not very far) into smothered chicken and braised turkey wings and sometimes oxtails. Charles’ has just a few seats, and beverage choices are limited to sweet tea or lemonade, but you can stay as long as you want enjoying the parade of locals stopping by for take-out.

Chef-ed Up

David Chang made his reputation with riffs on traditional Korean dishes (and some unique creations like Cereal Milk ice cream) at his Momofuku restaurants. Perhaps his masterpiece is his salty, sweet, and smoky Korean-inspired fried chicken. You can also find “regular” Korean fried chicken with its eggshell thin, super crispy coating, at chains like BonChon and Kyochon (conveniently located near the Empire State Building). Chang’s version is in another league altogether, however, and worth the price tag.

Commanding

According to the documentary The Search for General Tso, Shun Lee Palace in Manhattan introduced the legendary crunchy, sweet, spicy Chinese fried chicken dish 40 years ago. Once every other Chinese restaurant began imitating the dish, Shun Lee stopped serving it (even so, their Peking Duck is worth a trip). Most likely you’ve eaten General Tso’s at your neighborhood Chinese place, but for an exemplary version go to Joe’s Shanghai (two locations in Manhattan). The nuggets of juicy chicken are fried just right and the sauce is tangy-sweet as is should be. While you are there, don’t miss their famous dumplings, a marvel of culinary engineering with hot soup encased in delicate dough.

Wings

You don’t have to make the drive to Buffalo for great wings—even great Buffalo wings. Those can be had at Blondie’s (212 W. 79th St), a haven for sports fans, where you choose from 10 degrees of spiciness from “weak” to “scorchin’” to “wicked.” A completely different wing experience, Pok Pok NY (117 Columbia St.) is worth the trip to Brooklyn. This Portland import serves Vietnamese street food-style wings that are sweet and pungent and crispy all at the same time.

Image: Billie Ward/Flickr

Portable

Customers are flocking (sorry) to Shake Shack, our homegrown fast food chain for their new ChickenShack sandwich. Pair one with fries and a frozen custard malt and you might turn your back on McDonald’s forever. Similarly, you will shun Subway after trying one of Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken’s (28 First Avenue) array of sandwiches. Blue Ribbon is actually a triple threat, with crackly crisp chicken on the bone and great wings and exemplary sandwiches.

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