The best Soul Food
in New York.
98 soul food places in New York, ranked on one scale — 40 of them have earned a Sweet Score. Charles Pan-Fried Chicken is first here (94), Shaw-nae’s House second (94). 53% of them sit at $$ — $15–30. The dishes that keep coming up are mac and cheese, fried chicken and jerk chicken.
- Median Sweet Score here: 47
- Typical place carries 505 ratings
- 85 deliver
- 43 take reservations
- 29 have outdoor seating
- 17 open for breakfast
- 2 flagged underrated — good, and barely found
Charles Pan-Fried ChickenTop 10%
Top 10% in New York County, on 1,545 ratings.
Shaw-nae’s HouseTop 10%
Top 10% in Richmond County, on 564 ratings.
Eleazers Soul FoodTop 10%
Top 10% in Suffolk County, on 124 ratings.
Aqua BoilTop 10%
Top 10% in New York County, on 3,577 ratings.
KJUNTop 10%
Top 10% in New York County, on 2,427 ratings.
Cornbread BrooklynTop 10%
Top 10% in Kings County, on 7,449 ratings.
LowerlineTop 10%
Top 10% in Kings County, on 668 ratings.
Baby CrabTop 10%
Top 10% in Bronx County, on 182 ratings.
Charles Pan-Fried ChickenTop 25%
Upper quarter of New York County — 2,606 ratings behind it.
Taste Of HeavenTop 25%
Upper quarter of Kings County — 896 ratings behind it.
Gretel and Sons' Soul FoodTop 25%
Upper quarter of Nassau County — 135 ratings behind it.
Tiny's Famous EatsTop 25%
Upper quarter of Suffolk County — 240 ratings behind it.
Charles Pan-Fried ChickenTop 25%
Upper quarter of New York County — 3,524 ratings behind it.
Patok By RachTop 25%
Upper quarter of New York County — 489 ratings behind it.
A1 Wings & SeafoodTop 25%Underrated
Upper quarter of Bronx County — 50 ratings behind it.
Angie's Soul HouseTop 25%
Upper quarter of Suffolk County — 745 ratings behind it.
La Donna Re'sTop 25%Underrated
Upper quarter of Kings County — 122 ratings behind it.
H CrabLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in Queens.
Rabbit’s Chicken & WafflesLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in New York County.
1803 NYCLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in New York County.
SoulTyeLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in Kings County.
Vera'sLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in Kings County.
theBoilLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in New York County.
Slappin Chick - SeldenLocal favorite
Rated above the typical place in Suffolk County.
Soul Food in New York, briefly
What is the best soul food in New York?
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken currently ranks first with a Sweet Score of 94, built on 1,545 ratings. The list re-sorts itself as ratings move, so first place is not permanent.
How many soul food places are there in New York?
We track 98. 40 of them have earned a Sweet Score, which means they rated above the median for their county and category. The rest are listed with their address, hours and what people order — just without a number.
How much does soul food cost in New York?
The commonest price band on this list is $$ — $15–30 — covering 53% of the places we track here.
How is this list ordered?
By the Sweet Score, a 4–96 rating built from where a place ranks against others in its own county and its own category. 50 is the median, 78 is the top quarter, 90 is the top 10%. A place below the median is still listed — it just doesn't carry a number, because we only publish a score when it's good news.
Know somewhere we’re missing?
Put it on the map. The most-requested places go to the front of the queue — anonymous visit, on our dime.
Rankings order by the Sweet Score; ties break by the tasters’ score. Promoted placements never appear in rankings — they’re labeled and live elsewhere. How ranking works →