NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Sylvia's Restaurant
Included In
When Sylvia’s chef and founder Sylvia Woods died in 2012, W. 126th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem was co-named “Sylvia P. Woods Way.” When you get an entire block named after you in New York City, you’re pretty much immortal. And Sylvia’s is about as immortal a restaurant as you’ll find in New York City.
Sylvia’s opened in the 1960s, and it’s been Harlem’s most iconic Southern soul food mecca ever since. It’s evolved and expanded over the years—the restaurant now takes up the entire block between 126th and 127th on Malcolm X Blvd. and has multiple dining rooms, a diner counter, and a separate lounge that all together seat around 450 people. There’s also a Sylvia’s product line of BBQ sauces, and a catering business. Needless to say, Sylvia’s children and grandchildren have been keeping busy.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
The food, simply put, is incredibly satisfying. It may not be as mind-bogglingly good as the soul food you’ll find down south, but for NYC this will absolutely do the trick. Sweet, falling off the bone ribs, crispy fried chicken, catfish, all the sides, giant slices of pie… you get the picture. It’s loud, it’s low-key, and there’s always a lot of action to take in. Even though service tends to be slow and not overly attentive, they make up for it with friendly, happy employees.
Before you start eating at all the trendy new spots in Harlem, paying respects and filling your belly at Sylvia’s needs to happen first. Obama has eaten here, pre-vegan Bill Clinton has eaten here, as has pretty much every other big name who has blown through Harlem. On our last trip here, we sat at a table next to Busta Rhymes. Woo-Hah!
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Food Rundown
Chicken Livers
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Bar-B-Que Ribs
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Sylvia’s Down Home Fried Chicken
Carolina Style Fried Catfish
photo credit: Noah Devereaux