Charles Pan-Fried Chicken

Soul food restaurant, Restaurant in New York, NY

Address

439 W 125th St, New York, NY, 10027

Phone

(646) 618-0438

Website

charlespanfriedchicken.com

About Charles Pan-Fried Chicken

Charles Pan-Fried Chicken is a Harlem soul food institution built around chef Charles Gabriel's James Beard-nominated pan-fried chicken recipe. Now operating three New York City locations — the Harlem flagship on West 145th Street, a second Harlem spot on West 125th Street, and an Upper West Side location on West 72nd Street — the restaurant has grown from a single kitchen into a multi-location to-go operation while keeping its identity rooted in Harlem's food culture, billing itself as serving "Harlem's Finest Soul Food." The menu centers on Charles's signature pan-fried chicken plates, alongside barbecue smoked meats and seafood options such as catfish. Traditional Southern sides round out the offerings, including mac and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams. Family meals and catering trays are available for larger gatherings, and the restaurant offers online ordering, full catering with Charles's personal involvement, and private party orders across all three locations. A small selection of branded merchandise, including t-shirts, hoodies, and beanies, is also sold in-store. All locations keep consistent hours, open Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 10 PM and Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM, reflecting a steady, dependable presence in the neighborhoods it serves.

Charles Pan-Fried Chicken traces back to chef Charles Gabriel, a James Beard-nominated restaurateur who established the business in 1990 and has been serving his signature pan-fried chicken in Harlem for more than three decades. Over that time he has become known as a Harlem icon, with a reputation built on a single, closely guarded recipe that has anchored the restaurant's identity from its earliest days. What began as one location has since expanded to three restaurants across Harlem and the Upper West Side, each one carrying forward the same pan-fried chicken that first put the business on the map. Rather than diversifying away from its founding dish, the restaurant has built its growth around the strength and consistency of Gabriel's original recipe, pairing it with traditional Southern sides and soul food staples. Gabriel remains personally involved in the business today, including in its catering operations, keeping his direct hand in an institution that has become a fixture of Harlem's food scene over three decades of continuous operation.

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