I had to try this spot while I was visiting NYC, very easy to locate, the chicken was nice and crispy and the cornbread was really really good I do think coustmer service could have been better, they seem to have younger employees that may need to work on having better interactions with coustmer especially when asking for simple things like more napkins etc but overall it was a good place to eat some good fried chicken ❤️
Soul food restaurant
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Lincoln SquareManhattan


Lincoln Square
Manhattan
The brief
About Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Harlem soul-food standard for old-school skillet-fried chicken served all-you-can-eat or with sides.
Health inspection
NYC DOHMH Grade A
Score13(lower is better)
Inspected12/10/2025
Grade A is the highest mark from NYC's Department of Health — about 90% of restaurants earn it.
Community Rating
4.6
out of 5
3,074 community reviews
Rating aggregated from community reviews across platforms. Read full reviews on Google or Yelp for detailed diner experiences.
Reviews
What diners say about Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
15 verified Google reviews
4.7
15 reviews
- 5★
- 11
- 4★
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- 3★
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Had an amazing meal at Charles Pan Fried Chicken in Harlem. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor. You can really taste the difference in the pan fried style.<br><br>The atmosphere felt authentic and welcoming, and the staff were friendly despite how busy the place gets. Definitely one of the best soul food spots in NYC and a must try if you’re craving classic comfort food. Looking forward to coming back again!
The fried chicken was delicious. Service is fast and Friendly. Although I ate inside the restaurant overlooking the street the place felt cramped.
Elijah helped us out the second we came through the door welcoming us with great hospitality. While ordering KT didn’t hesitate in helping us pick out what side we wanted. 10/10 Soul food
Food was fantastic, service was awesome. Welcoming atmosphere, everyone greets you when you walk in. Elijah was so friendly and helpful, and made sure our portions were heaping! Definitely will be coming back again and again.
My first time here due to an instagram recommendation…I walked a was greeted right away a the young lady was very polite a walked me thru the menu…so I ordered the fried chicken meal with Mac n cheese and collard greens & cornbread….the music playlist was on point an I will definitely be back to explore the rest of the menu….the building had a cool vibe to it…
Chicken was pretty salty for me! I'm not impressed! Yams were delicious & Mac & Cheese was ok!! Cashier was super helpful & friendly!! There was a small 3 seat table for you to eat there!! Spent about $25 for a 3 piece meal w no drink & honey sauce since they don't have ketchup!!
Staff was nice, heck if I was to rate this place on the staff alone I’d give it 5 stars, the chicken breast was a bit dry but aside from that the skin was well flavored. Personally I found the catfish much better than the chicken and they ought to be selling it daily instead of just a Sunday and Tuesday special. As for sides, the Mac and cheese were neat but a bit under-seasoned, but the okra and collared greens are great. Cornbread is a nice finisher, not too sweet like some places
I always come to Charles for my lunch break and the food is always fresh. The customer service is just as great as the food. The lady who packs the meals is always so sweet and remembers my order as a regular. Love her she deserves a raise!
$10 deal with chicken, corn bread and a side really can’t be beat. Stephanie was absolutely phenomenal setting the standard for hospitality and giving a rec for my personal favorite the strawberry cheesecake. Will definitely be back.
Just amazing how good the ribs are there. The chicken wings are amazing to. Chicken breast was a bit dry but still really good flavours in there.<br><br>The girl working there was really friendly and helpful to.<br><br>And there mac and cheese was great and I loved there coleslaw.
I went 3 hours before closing and they were out of Mac & cheese and. Mashed potatoes. The chicken was good. The fry was good and it was juicy. It was lacking seasoning in my opinion. I don’t think I would go again. The yams were good. The cornbread was mid, could have used some honey butter. I wasn’t offered any condiments I had to ask for hot sauce.
This was my first time visiting Charles Pan Fried Chicken, and I hope it won't be the last. My coworker and I drove 10 miles to get the restaurant and it was well worth the trip. We were immediately greeted by the workers Freedom and Raven , who were very friendly and helpful. Because it was my first time I wasn't sure what I should try; they both helped make the selection process much easier. Freedom had great interpersonal skill , he had a good sense of humor and was very easy to talk to. Raven was very sweet an and polite she allowed me to try a small serving of the beverage before I made a decision which was great. The food was very good; tasted like a home cooked meal. I drove back before I could try it and even though it wasn't as hot it was still very good. I would definitely recommend you come try this restaurant if you are in the mood for some soul food! Thanks again Freedom and Raven!
I've been looking for a meat and three in NYC and I heard about this place. I got fried chicken (leg and thigh) with mac-n-cheese and collards. It came with cornbread too. The chicken was good. Reminded me of a better version of old school KFC. It was moist and tender and well seasoned. The mac was the baked kind I was looking for. I've seen some reviews saying it's dry but if you know Southern baked mac you know that it's not super saucy and this mac is the type I was looking for. The greens were also well seasoned and cooked well. I ordered the $10 chicken plate which came with two pieces of either dark or white meat, one side, and the cornbread. The additional side was $6. The cornbread is the sweet kind and had a cake/muffin type texture. If you've been looking for a meat and three I would check this place out. The $10 plate is a good option for a good lunch if you're in the area.
Easy to find and small place but BIG flavor. Chicken was nice. Mac and cheese was cheesy and moist. The greens.....perfect. and the strawberry cheesecake dessert all i can say is god bless the person that created that. It was delicious. Super friendly lady inside didn't catch her name. She needs a raise by the way
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Charles Pan-Fried Chicken is listed in the Eat Real Food NYC directory — a curated database of healthy restaurants in Manhattan, verified with official NYC Department of Health inspection data.