Where is the best fried chicken in Manhattan?

Our current #1 reflects a blend of editorial sourcing from Eater, The Infatuation, Time Out, and Grub Street, plus live community votes. The order shifts as votes come in — what is first today may not be first tomorrow.

What is Korean double-fried chicken?

Korean fried chicken is fried twice — once at a lower temperature to render the fat, once at a higher temperature to crisp the skin. The result is a thinner, glassier crust than American Southern-style, often coated in a soy-garlic or gochujang glaze. Bonchon, Kyochon, and Coqodaq all serve this style in Manhattan.

Where can I get Nashville hot chicken in Manhattan?

Peaches HotHouse and Sweet Chick both serve Nashville-style hot chicken in Manhattan. Coqodaq and Charles' offer their own hot variants. The cayenne-and-lard paste defines the style; ask for medium first if you have not had it before.

What is the oldest fried chicken spot in Manhattan?

Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken on Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem traces its roots to chef Charles Gabriel's pan-frying technique from the 1980s. It still uses the same cast-iron pan-fry method rather than deep-frying.

How much does fried chicken cost in Manhattan?

A Harlem soul-food plate runs $14 to $22. Korean half-bird at Bonchon or Kyochon runs $20 to $28. The Coqodaq tasting menu runs $78 per person before drinks. Sandwich-only spots like 7th Street and Sweet Chick keep individual sandwiches at $14 to $18.

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Fried Chicken · verified Jun 10, 2026 · By Piyush Puri

Best Fried Chicken in Manhattan

The 10 best fried chicken spots in Manhattan, Harlem soul-food classics, Korean double-fry, Nashville hot, and the new wave of fried-chicken-only restaurants driving 2026 demand.

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Charles Pan-Fried Chicken▲ buzzing
Harlem · $$ · 340 W 145th St
Also No. 2 on Best of Harlem →
Map ↗verified 7w ago
A Harlem institution on Frederick Douglass Boulevard run by chef Charles Gabriel, who has been pan-frying chicken in seasoned cast iron since the 1980s, almost the only spot in Manhattan still using a true pan-fry rather than a fryer.
Because the pan-fry method gives the skin a different geometry than deep-frying, flatter, deeply browned, with crackle that survives the takeout container, and Gabriel's seasoning has not changed in three decades.
Pan-fried dark-meat plate with collard greens and mac.

Good to know

Where is the best fried chicken in Manhattan?: Our current #1 reflects a blend of editorial sourcing from Eater, The Infatuation, Time Out, and Grub Street, plus live community votes. The order shifts as votes come in — what is first today may not be first tomorrow.
What is Korean double-fried chicken?: Korean fried chicken is fried twice — once at a lower temperature to render the fat, once at a higher temperature to crisp the skin. The result is a thinner, glassier crust than American Southern-style, often coated in a soy-garlic or gochujang glaze. Bonchon, Kyochon, and Coqodaq all serve this style in Manhattan.
Where can I get Nashville hot chicken in Manhattan?: Peaches HotHouse and Sweet Chick both serve Nashville-style hot chicken in Manhattan. Coqodaq and Charles' offer their own hot variants. The cayenne-and-lard paste defines the style; ask for medium first if you have not had it before.
What is the oldest fried chicken spot in Manhattan?: Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken on Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem traces its roots to chef Charles Gabriel's pan-frying technique from the 1980s. It still uses the same cast-iron pan-fry method rather than deep-frying.
How much does fried chicken cost in Manhattan?: A Harlem soul-food plate runs $14 to $22. Korean half-bird at Bonchon or Kyochon runs $20 to $28. The Coqodaq tasting menu runs $78 per person before drinks. Sandwich-only spots like 7th Street and Sweet Chick keep individual sandwiches at $14 to $18.