17 showing · 197 on the list
809 Restaurant & Lounge
Dyckman's flagship Dominican sit-down, named for the DR's area code. Where the neighborhood goes for a proper dinner that's still priced like uptown.
Order: Chicharrón de pollo or mofongo relleno; Sundays bring live music.
verified open Aug 2026 (809nyc.com; open daily 9:30am-11:30pm)
112 Dyckman St (btwn Nagle & Post Ave) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Africa Kine
The anchor of Harlem's Little Senegal for two decades, run by Dakar natives Samba Niang and Kine Mar. Platters big enough to humble you.
Order: Thiebou djeun — the national fish-and-rice dish — or lamb mafé. Popular dishes sell out; go earlier in the day.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp/OpenTable current; note late hours — opens 1pm, runs past midnight)
2267 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd (btwn 133rd & 134th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Amy Ruth's
Every dish is named for a Harlem notable and the chicken-and-waffles standard-bearer since 1998. Touristy at brunch, correct anyway.
Order: The Rev. Al Sharpton — fried chicken and waffles. Go weekday to skip the line.
verified open Aug 2026 (amyruths.com hours current; Harlem original still running alongside newer 14th St location)
113 W 116th St (btwn Malcolm X & Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken
Charles Gabriel fries chicken in cast-iron pans the way he learned in North Carolina, and there is no better fried chicken in Manhattan. James Beard nominated the man, not the marketing.
Order: Dark-meat pan-fried chicken plate with mac and collard greens — the crust stays on the bird.
verified open Aug 2026 (charlespanfriedchicken.com locations page; second Harlem spot at 439 W 125th)
340 W 145th St (btwn Edgecombe & St Nicholas Ave) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Chimi Luisa
The beloved chimi truck that earned a brick-and-mortar on Amsterdam — this is the Heights chimi, done right, without waiting for a truck to park.
Order: The chimi: griddled seasoned pork or beef on pan de agua with cabbage, tomato, and the pink sauce. Napkins mandatory.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp/NYC Tourism listings current); late-night hours, best after dark like a chimi should be
2338 Amsterdam Ave (near W 176th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
Under the Riverside Drive viaduct at 125th since 2004 — a genuine roadhouse in Manhattan with smoke that holds up. Loud, big, reliable.
Order: Brisket plate or the pork combo; Wango Tango wings to start.
verified open Aug 2026 (OpenTable/Yelp hours current)
700 W 125th St (at Twelfth Ave, under the viaduct) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
El Malecon
The rotisserie chicken smell hits you from half a block down Broadway — a Heights institution on this corner since 1987.
Order: Half rotisserie chicken doused in the garlicky wasakaka sauce, with tostones and rice and beans.
verified open Aug 2026 (maleconnyc.com + Yelp; open daily from 9am)
4141 Broadway (at W 175th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Elsa La Reina del Chicharrón
Inwood's queen of chicharrón — crackling fried pork by the pound that Gothamist and Hell Gate both went back uptown to re-crown. Counter spot, zero frills.
Order: Chicharrón with tostones and a morir soñando; mangú tres golpes if you come at breakfast (opens 7:30am).
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp hours updated Jul 2026; Hell Gate + Gothamist reviews confirm it's still the one)
4840 Broadway (near Academy St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Famous Fish Market
Tiny fry counter at 145th and St Nicholas run by the same family since 1974. The line of regulars out the door is the review.
Order: Whiting sandwich on white bread with hot sauce, fried fresh in front of you; shrimp and chips if you're flush.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp hours current). Cash only, closed Sundays, barely any seating — take it to Jackie Robinson Park
684 St Nicholas Ave (at W 145th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Jacob Restaurant Soul Food & Salad Bar
Pay-by-the-pound steam table where Harlem actually eats lunch — 40-plus Southern and Caribbean dishes, no waiting for a server, no check shock.
Order: Load the box: oxtail, mac and cheese, jerk chicken, cabbage. Watch the weight — heavy hands get expensive.
verified open Aug 2026 (jacobrestaurant.com; open daily 10am-10pm)
373 Malcolm X Blvd (at 129th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
La Casa Del Mofongo
The mofongo destination of Washington Heights — a big, loud, late-night room where the mortar-pounded plantains come a dozen ways.
Order: Mofongo con chicharrón, or the shrimp-in-garlic-sauce version; it eats like two meals.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp hours current; open very late — until 2-4am Thu-Sun)
1447 St Nicholas Ave (btwn 182nd & 183rd St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Le Baobab Gouygui
Homestyle Senegalese on 116th with generous plates and zero pretense — the room where cab drivers and families eat, which tells you everything.
Order: Dibi lamb or thiebou yapp; portions are built for sharing.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp hours updated 2026; nearby Pikine has closed — this is the 116th St Senegalese pick)
120 W 116th St (btwn Malcolm X & Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Melba's
Melba Wilson trained at Sylvia's and Rosa Mexicano before opening her own corner on 114th. Comfort food with actual finesse, and a room that feels like a party by 8pm.
Order: Chicken and eggnog waffles — the dish that beat Bobby Flay on Throwdown. Wine-braised short ribs if you're hungrier.
verified open Aug 2026 (official site + Yelp, hours current)
300 W 114th St (at Frederick Douglass Blvd) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Red Rooster
Marcus Samuelsson's Lenox Ave landmark — elevated comfort food, a real bar scene, and Ginny's Supper Club downstairs. The one uptown splurge that pays you back.
Order: Hot Honey Yardbird with the cornbread; book Ginny's downstairs for live music if you're making a night of it.
verified open Aug 2026 (redroosterharlem.com + OpenTable, reservations live)
310 Lenox Ave (btwn 125th & 126th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Sylvia's
The Queen of Soul Food since 1962, still family-run and still feeding the neighborhood before the tour buses figured it out. The kitchen has not gone soft with fame.
Order: Smothered chicken with candied yams and collards; Sunday gospel brunch if you can get in.
verified open Aug 2026 (official site + Yelp, hours current)
328 Malcolm X Blvd (btwn 126th & 127th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
The Handpulled Noodle
Northwestern Chinese noodles pulled and ripped to order in a Hamilton Heights storefront since 2015. One of the best cheap bowls north of 125th.
Order: Hand-ripped 'der' noodles stir-fried with cumin lamb; dumplings on the side.
verified open Aug 2026 (official site + Yelp, hours current)
3600 Broadway (at W 148th St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Lee Lee's Baked Goods
Alvin Lee Smalls — 'Mr. Lee' — has been hand-rolling rugelach in Harlem for decades, and his crisp, buttery version outclasses most downtown Jewish bakeries. A one-man institution.
Order: A mixed dozen rugelach — apricot, raspberry, chocolate; go before late afternoon, they sell out.
verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp July 2026, active socials) — Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 12-5pm
283 W 118th St (near Frederick Douglass Blvd), Harlem · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07