NYC's 12 best fried chicken spots are for (eating) the birds (2024)

When Jacob’s Pickles opened on the Upper West Side in 2011, it was one of the first truly cool restaurants in a neighborhood better known for its sleepy dining scene than hip eateries and bars. The back-to-basics menu was one we could get behind (goodbye, stale chicken wings and greasy fries). The Southern-focused spot specializes in comfort foods: Nashville hot chicken, biscuits, mac and cheese and, of course, pickles.

Thissmall, no-fuss East Village chicken nook focuses on beautifully fried-to-order fowl, at three locations in NYC and one in New Jersey. Each order's gentle seasoning can please a wide variety of palates, and the exterior has a satisfying crunch.The overnight–sweet-tea–brined birds' turnin the pressure fryer lend them a juicy finish.

Expect the same shatteringly crisp exterior and tender flesh that's drawn devoted fans for 25 years in Manhattan at a newer flagship that's just two years old.

This truly beautiful, self-billed oyster and chop house has a sleeper-hit fried chicken dish, with a formidable crunch as sonorous as any, pluskimchi cheddar cornbread with buckwheat honey butter and Brussel sprout slaw on the side.

A Prospect Heights favorite since the 70s, Mitchell's still serves all manner of menu items in its petite space, including fried chicken in several pleasing configurations.

One of New York’stop purveyors of Nashville-style hot chicken, the bird at this Bed-Stuy soul-food favorite is seasoned with sizzling cayenne and scorching ghost peppers. Its final form is pleasantly greasy, and even after many spicy bites (or extra spicy, for thrill-seekers), you can’t help but go back for more.

Sweet and savory get equal billing here, but fan-favorite fried chicken is the undisputed star. Seasoned with paprika, black pepper and cayenne, and crisped to a golden mosaic, you'll remember the resulting tender white and dark meat legs, breasts and thighs long after you've reduced them to bones. Grab a box of three pieces with a biscuit and a side like collards or burnt end baked beans.

Top NYChospitality groupUnapologetic Foodsis known for some pretty fiery items, and its Indian fried chicken destination has three alarm levels to find the heat you seek by the sandwich or bucket.

Now with five locations in NYC, Sweet Chick is something of a mini-chain. Its chicken is bathed in sweet tea beforebeingdredged and fried, giving the meat a gentle sweetness. It's available by the bucket, in a few types of sandwiches, and atop waffle varieties.

Foundedby“Queen of Soul Food”Sylvia Woods, and now operated by her family, thisHarlem restaurant has been a neighborhood staple since 1962. Decades later, it's still doling out down-South specialties like terrific chicken and waffles.

This Willaimsburg winner's edge is its crust. Orders of regally-coated thighs arrive heartily seasoned and three to a plate, with biscuits, honey butter and hot sauce.Each piece'sdetailed topographydelivers a cartoonishly audible crunch and decadent grease—a great way to soak up all the booze on offer at this hipster-happy gastrodive.

This Soho spot in a typically heavily-touristed area is not a dedicated fried chicken destination, butit does save room for one on its brunch, lunch and dinner menus. And the hot fried chicken with honey butter biscuits and slaw is one of The Dutch's most popular menu items.

NYC has some great smokehouses, and check out our primers on regional styles.