Top Fried Chicken NYC

We are HUGE fans of a delicious piece of fried chicken (bone-in specifically) so we took it upon ourselves to curate a top bone-in fried chicken list of NYC. These are our opinions and know there are many delicious places but we hope this lists inspires you to try a new spot or make a trip to Harlem for our #1 chicken!

Disclaimer: this was not an easy list to make and took us almost a year to eat all the chicken…

TOP 15

16. Red Rooster (Harlem)

A strong piece of chicken, but our least favorite of the Harlem bunch. Celeb chef Marcus Samuelson’s yardbird is made with hot honey for a spicy and sweet kick, and semolina flour to achieve a special crisp.

Hot honey yardbird from Red Rooster

15. Peaches Hot House (Bed-Stuy)

They’re known for their southern cooking and Nashville style hot chicken. We loved their Mac and cheese and thought they had a solid crispy chicken, but didn’t necessarily stand out to rise to the top.

Fried chicken and Mac from Peaches Hot House

14. Sweet Chick (Lower East Side, Long Island City, Williamsburg)

Used to be a hyped up NYC brunch spot, but the chicken is absolutely solid. They have so many different flavor options for their chicken and waffles with various sauces to spice up your chicken.

Chicken and waffles from Sweet Chick

13. Jeju Noodle Bar (West Village)

We love Korean style fried chicken and this isn’t the last one you’ll see on our list. Jeju’s comes with a yogurt dip and caviar for $31 and has a great crunch on the outside. Pair it with their noodles of course!

Chicken with yogurt and caviar from Jeju Noodle Bar

12. Blue Ribbon Brasserie (Soho)

This one is on the fancier side, but the fried chicken plate being served at Blue Ribbon Brasserie is a really strong, classic southern comfort fried chicken. It also comes with honey to dip in or pour over the top and it is the best combo, trust us. Also, very important to distinguish the Brasserie from their fast casual fried chicken shop. We think theirs is much better than Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken. 

Fried chicken from Blue Ribbon Brasserie

11. Amy Ruth’s (Harlem)

A Harlem establishment - they’re known for their chicken and waffles and has been around since 1998. The chicken was classic and juicy and we loved the seasonings they used in their batter. We also enjoyed their Mac; it was the perfect accompaniment to their chicken.

Chicken and waffles from Amy Ruth’s

10. Sylvia’s (Harlem)

Might be one of the most famous Harlem restaurants for fried chicken, Sylvia’s has been making fried chicken since 1962. We loved their cinnamon biscuits and thought the TLC on the chicken was super evident. The chicken was juicy and seasoned, and the skin was crispy. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Harlem.

Spread from Sylvia’s

9. Pies ‘n’ Thighs (Williamsburg)

We knew about pies ’n’ thighs from an episode of Diners Drive Ins and Dives. The true test of a good piece of fried chicken is whether the actual chicken itself is full of flavor without any crispy skin. We feel like they nailed it in terms of flavor. Don’t sleep on their hot chicken biscuit that comes smothered in buffalo sauce and butter.

Spread from Pies ‘n’ Thighs

8. Pecking House (Prospect Heights)

This one needs to come with a spice warning. The iconic peking house chicken is typically coated in their special chili mixture. You can also get it plain and it’s super crispy and delicious, but the special chili coated chicken is really unique and worth a try.

Spicy fried chicken from Peking House

7. Charles Pan Fried (Harlem & UWS)

Pan fried chicken definitely is hard to compare against regular fried chicken because it has that shallow pan fry element. The chicken was really good and reliable, but Charles’ other food also shines. We loved the catfish, the bbq chicken, and the cornbread is not to be missed. 

Spread from Charles Pan Fried

6. Rowdy Rooster (East Village & Chelsea)

Their Indian fried chicken comes from the same team as Dhamaka and definitely packs some heat. We loved the punchy flavor and how seamless the fast casual restaurant is churning out beautiful chicken and fried chicken sandwiches. 

Fried Chicken from Rowdy Rooster

5. Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village location only)

This chicken is a special occasion meal! It’s a large format situation that comes with two incredible whole fried chickens: one is a southern style, the other is a Korean style with a spicy glaze. It comes with scallion pancakes and other accoutrements that perfectly compliment the chicken. It serves 4-8 people and has to be pre-ordered, but is worth the $225 price tag!  

Chicken meal from Momofuku Noodle Bar

4. The Commodore (Williamsburg)

This was an absolute surprise to us. An unassuming divey bar in Brooklyn owned by a vet of Pies ‘n’ Thighs (also on our list) has some of the best fried chicken in the city. The bar is a good time, the nachos are so thick and the tuna melt is great. BUT the fried chicken is insane!

Fried chicken from The Commodore

3. COQODAQ (Flatiron)

New to NYC and completely hyped up, coming from the Cote team and serving some of the most perfect fried chicken we’ve ever had. Both their fried chicken and their nuggets are incredible. Their chef’s signature fried chicken feast is such a good deal. It’s $38 per person and comes with classic chicken, plus a soy garlic chicken or gochujang glazed chicken. You also get a bowl of consommé to start, lots of dipping sauces and accompaniments, plus a stunning cold perilla noodle bowl and froyo to finish. 

Soy glazed chicken and gochujang chicken spread from COQODAQ

2. Bobwhite Counter (East Village, Union Square, Jersey City)

It’s so important that people go to the Alphabet City location only to get their incredible chicken. Their newer outpost in Union Square isn’t as strong in our opinion. Their fried chicken and biscuits accompanied by their special sweet Bobwhite sauce is just perfect. We also dream about their amazing chicken caesar wrap with crispy chicken.

Chicken and biscuit from Bobwhite Counter

1. Melba’s (Harlem)
Famous founder, Melba Wilson, is making the absolute best fried chicken in NYC. She worked at Sylvia’s as a young adult and that knowledge has absolutely carried over. The chicken comes topped with butter, it’s juicy and exactly what you want fried chicken to taste like. Her famous fried chicken with an eggnog waffle was the winner of throw down with iron chef Bobby Flay! It’s THAT good!

Chicken and Eggnog Waffle from Melba’s