Sylvia's Restaurant

Congratulations, Syvia's, on your James Beard America's Classics Award! Well deserved! Sending you love and thanks for all that great food!

As posted earlier, recommend you adding it to your bucket list, if you haven't been there already. While it's great anytime, make sure you at least check out the Gospel brunch, enjoyed best in the Dining Room. (Make a reservation for the Gospel Brunch, because that can get crowded.)

The things I like to eat the most are Sylvia's BBQ Ribs (with the Original Sassy Sauce) & Fried Chicken Combo and alternatively the Fried Chicken, where I ask for it covered in that spectacular Sassy Sauce. (Fried Chicken normally comes without and Smothered Chicken comes with alternative brown sauce.) In fact, there are a lot of other traditional Soul/Southern recipes that I haven't tried, much because I long for that Sassy Sauce! I'm a huge fan!

Entrees come with cornbread and two sides. My favorite sides are the Traditional Collard Greens (#1 to me) and Candied Yams, but I've also ordered the Baked Mac & Cheese in lieu of the Candied Yams. All's solid and prices are fair, considering the quality of the eats.

When I've come alone, I've sat at the counter, which presently is under renovation. (During the pandemic, frequented there for Take Out, which is another option.)

While the restaurant has pictures around of the famous people who have stopped by to enjoy Sylvia's, it really remains unpretentious. There's a reason Sylvia's has its outstanding reputation: the staff is friendly and focused on making sure you enjoy its wonderful cooking.

I was pretty excited to eat here but honestly I was a bit let down. I got the ribs, mac and cheese, smothered chicken, collared greens, and a peach cobbler.
The ribs were sweet and very tender, but super small to say the least. The Mac and cheese was very disappointing and dry with only a hard top layer of cheese.
The smothered chicken was a bland, gelatinous, and cold. The collared greens were alright, except a bit bitter and a tad undercooked.
The peach cobbler wasn't worth the $8.50. Not at all.
And idk if you could even call this corn bread.
At least the food came out fast.
Maybe it would taste better in the restaurant rather than to go, which is what I did, but I doubt I'll be back.

i had SUCH high hopes. food was good but felt underwhelming. felt a little mass-produced.

fried shrimp was great, cornbread was delightful.
great service

-chicken EXTREMELY dry-- white and dark meat alike
-it seemed that the ham hock in the collard greens was not hock, but another part of the animal altogether (not sure though); too salty.
-lemonade is made from a powder mix
-mac and cheese lacked depth, flavor-wise.

The personable & friendly greeting received immediately upon entering the restaurant was splendid and we were offered to take put our luggage into a side waiting area.

That food was soooooo good!
The service received from Tatiana was superb!
The musicians sang & played so very beautifully and it was mostly gospel with a mix of R&B! Very nice touch!


The star of the show was Tatiana & that fried chicken!!!

This was my first time trying soul food, and I had a lovely time.

The service was fast, friendly, and efficient--it's clear why the celebrities and politicians framed on the restaurant walls came back here repeatedly.

I ordered a smothered chicken leg with a side of mac and cheese. The portion sizes were *hefty*. I split the mac and cheese in half with a friend, and even then, I had enough food for lunch and dinner.

The mac and cheese was unexpectedly sweet but still tasty. The meat on the chicken leg was tender and practically falling off the bone.

A good, hearty meal! I may come back again :)

When I arrived in Harlem, my first thought was that I wanted to try Sylvia's and I was not disappointed. I read the reviews and opted for the smothered chicken and my friend ordered the fried whiting. The portions were large and the food was tasty. The potatoes had a couple of lumpy, but forgivable bits. My friend was enamored by her fish and mac & cheese. The service was good and the ambiance was beautiful with nice soul music at a good volume in the background.

This location is iconic and worth the trip uptown. Mac and cheese is out of this world. The fried chicken was juicy, crunchy and delicious. Corn bread was also a favorite! There are no frills, but friendly, fast service.

The staff here is incredibly kind. I felt welcomed the moment I walked in and all throughout my visit. I'm also not mad about a place that plays Next while I'm eating a very good waffle and mashed potatoes.

Sylvia's is all about the story more than how good the food taste. Don't get me wrong the food is very good especially the corn bread it's amazing. Mac and cheese it was just ok,traditional greens best I've ever tasted, chicken plump and juicy, ribs fall off the bone and the famous sauce is sweet and tasty. Service slow but friendly. Let's just say I had to go there and glad I did. Would I go back probably not, is it to die for no, but the history of the place is why I went. It's a must for foodies that like history.

We came on a Monday evening and still had to wait around 20 minutes for a table. In general, the menu features a combination of ribs, chicken, catfish, and shrimp, which you can choose to be grilled or fried. My friends and I split the seafood combo with grilled catfish and bbq shrimp, as well as the combo with ribs and fried chicken. You can also choose 2 sides with pretty much every entree. Highly recommend the candied yams! The food was yummy but definitely heavy. There aren't too many healthy options at this spot. However, it is a huge bang for your buck.