From start to finish, Sylvia’s was a wonderful experience! My husband and I had reservations for a date night, and when we arrived, we were greeted promptly by a host who had great energy. When we were seated, the dining room had a great vibe with good music, that kind of gave a lounge type vibe. We started with the Sangria, which was pricey at $20 each for a large, but it was strong and delicious! Next, we received cornbread which was phenomenal! I knew at that point the food was going to be bangin! My husband ordered the Chicken & Waffles which was amazing, and I got the Whiting with greens and Mac and cheese which was also delicious. However, the star of the show was the fried prawns!! Babyyyy, if you don’t get nothing else, make sure you get those! We finished off our dinner with the Peach Cobbler which was tasty. The entire experience was top notch, and we can’t wait to go back again!

I don't play when it comes down to great food. I've been to New York 3 times, but I've been to Sylvia's 4 times. I love this place. The staff was very helpful, very nice, and very well trained. The food of course, as usual, was cooked to perfection. Fried chicken, fish, shrimp, barbecue ribs and cornbread. Collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes. And that was just lunch for 2 people. The history of her career and legacy is posted throughout the restaurant in photos of her greatest admirers.

This is one of those places that you have to eat at because it’s a New York Institution. There are many tourists from all over the world 🌎 here. Several homeless people asking for handouts as well. Out door seating is available. Live music 🎶. Overall the food is good. The smothered pork chops were the star. The fried chicken was good, but not the best we’ve had. The staff was nice but the service was slow. Reasonably priced. Give it a try and you decide.

Finally got to visit this place after hearing so much about it! This has been the best soul food I’ve had here in NYC. I had the oven baked half chicken it was wonderfully seasoned and juicy. It comes with 2 sides so I had Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. I’ve been searching for some good Mac and cheese and Can safely say these are in the top of my list. Customer services is very welcoming and friendly. They serve you corn bred when you are seated. There was live music and the atmosphere was great! This is a great place to come with family and/or friends.

Everything about this place is amazing. To start you get delicious sweet cornbread. The serving sizes are just right for the meals. The food is hot and very well seasoned. The drinks weren't to strong or to weak. They ask for proof of vaccine and id They try to not sit people close together. But it does start getting packed after 6pm. They have outside dinning. Our server K, was just so polite I forgot I was in harlem. Great soul food spot.

Went in mid-July. Very busy at the time but it took well over an hour to receive my to go order. After checking several times at the pick up window, a guy handed my order from a table where it was sitting for at least 10 minutes. Nonetheless, I was stoked to try the food after having read several reviews about the yams, Mac & cheese, and fried chicken. I was sorely disappointed. I'm from New Orleans so I am picky about my food. The chicken was OK. Not well seasoned. The yams were sweet mush. I needed potato chunks or slivers and the taste of cinnamon/nutmeg/butter/vanilla...something. The Mac & cheese was dry and tasted like elbow macaroni pasta that had cheese mixed in with it. There was no creamy texture, flavor... The cheese wasn't even fully melted. I likely would never try this spot again. A shame though because I had high hopes

I've always wanted to come here and finally made it. The entrance area is pretty narrow and unfortunately they have no waiting area. We had reservations and we were seated within five minutes. The decor is decent and the music was loud. Our waitress was nice. She took our drink and dinner order. Minutes later, we received our cornbread that tasted like a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix with some almond extract. It was ok and I was glad they served it with real butter. When our entrees arrived, my partner received their order and I received only a part of my order. My waitress stated that the collard greens would take another ten minutes. However, I received it from another waitstaff within two minutes. Now, I was ready to eat my fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, candied yams and collard greens. The collard greens tasted like Sylvia's canned collard greens that you can get from the supermarket. The greens were not fresh nor flavorful. The same with the yams. It tasted like it was from a can. If it wasn't, it was watered down. The fried chicken was bland and a bit greasy for my liking. My partner had chicken and waffles. The concurred with my sentiments on the chicken. Though I enjoyed some of the selection of music that was played, it was loud. When we were talking with each other, we had to repeat ourselves a few times. I was going to give this place a second chance and come back to try other items on the menu. However, I decided that I this is my first and last time here.

Wow, wow, wow!! We were blown away with the food at Sylvia's! The mac and cheese was delectable, the fried chicken perfectly seasoned, moist cornbread and the yams... out of this world. They definitely live up to the hype. And major thanks to Ken Woods - our fellow SC brother - for the warm hospitality shown to us when we dined in.

Sylvia's restaurant comes up in many of the 'where to eat in NYC' lists that fill the web, so i gave it a try. I finally had a taste of southern comfort food and i enjoyed it, i must say. I had the dish with smothered chicken and pork ribs with a side of mac & cheese and sweet yams. The chicken was very tasty. The ribs were good but i enjoyed the chicken better. The mac and cheese was comfy and tasty for sure but the sweet yams, too sweet for me. The very nice waitress explained to me that they add brown sugar to the yams which i found kind of weird. In my opinion you don't add a sweetener to sweet potatoes but hey, who am i to criticize. In my country when you want to make mashed sweet potatoes, you boil them and then you mash them with milk and butter but no added sugar, baby. I enjoyed my stay and the service. Thank you!

This place was recommended by my aunt. My wife and I were finally able to check it out. Overall experience was 5/5. The long Island was really strong. The cornbread was a great start to an awesome meal. I will return. Our server was Lamar and he went above and beyond!

Being from the south and knowing soul food, I was underwhelmed with the options and flavor. The chitterlings and greens were huge slices, they need to be cut into smaller pieces. Neither one had flavor, it seemed as if perhaps they were cooked in too much water which removed the flavor. The greens had pork, but even that was flavorless. The Mac & cheese was OK. The cornbread was a bit gritty, but I suppose the batter was just different. It could also been a bit more sweeter, but it had a decent flavor. The fried chicken was perfectly golden, the skin and meat was good. Sylvia's hot sauce was very spicy, I should've purchased a bottle to bring back to FL. Sylvia's daughter coming around to greet and speak with the customers was a nice touch.

We walked in for a table of 3 and they got back to us within 10 minutes of waiting. The waiter gave a lot of suggestions on what was good and between the three of us we shared a lot of food -- fried prawns, fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, ribs, grits and some chicken wings to top it all off. Mac and cheese was creamy and delicious. Fried prawns and chicken were crunchy and ribs fell off the bone. Couldn't have asked for more. Really awesome place to go to for soul food!

I had the chicken and waffles on a trip here with my wife and two friends, but it seems like I was the only one who enjoyed my food. Everyone else had some issue with their food, but my chicken and waffles was one of the best ones I've had in a while at a restaurant. The chicken was really crispy and the waffles tasted pretty good, but my wife's grits looked and tasted bland and unseasoned. I feel incline to give them a 4 star for now despite the issues with the other others, but I think it was good enough. I really like how the food came in closed container with utensils coming in sealed plastics. I've had some weird and disgusting experiences with servers touching food while bringing them to our tables at other places; even before the pandemic. The drinks were quite expensive considering they only had 1 refill each and they were in the small plastic cups. I'm not sure if the drinks are all $5.50 each because of the close containers, but it was still enjoyable. They have a mask requirement, and vaccine requirement for inside sitting, but they do have outside sitting for non vaccinated guests.

I planned this reservation about two months ago because they get booked pretty fast. Overall my experience was OK. They say us outside which I was kind of confused about but let it pass because I thought they weren’t seating people inside. Come to find out they had plenty space inside and the guests that were inside were served on actual plates. The guests that were outside were served on Tupperware. The cornbread was phenomenal. The chicken and waffles were OK. I ask for maple syrup in a server handed me Kraft syrup. I felt like I wasn’t served. Not the best experience.

Sylvia has been serving great food for 50 years. There is an indoor dining area, outdoor patio area, and take-out. There is basic menu of great dishes. We had the ribs and the shrimp dishes and they were excellent. Traveled from San Diego for this food and we were not disappointed.

Sylvia's offered delicious food, atmosphere (we dined in the enclosed patio) and great service. It did take a while for our food to be brought to us but it was worth the wait! The cornbread muffins are the best I've ever had in my life. The Mac n cheese was perfectly cheesy. I can't say anything bad about what's on the menu. I will be visiting again the next time I'm in NY.

Legendary place that’s worth going to at least once. I liked the cornbread the best. Fried chicken wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was pretty good. Unfortunately, service was a miss. Our order must have been lost in the shuffle and we ended up waiting for almost an hour. The pace could be better. Loved the nostalgia and the walk down memory lane with photos of the founding family along with famous people.

I honestly rocks with Sylvia’s! The food never disappoints and the service is always on point. Every time I go I always seem to have Kathryn as my waitress and I swear she is one of the sweetest ladies on the planet. She gives that grandma type welcoming vibe that truly makes you feel at home. I always recommend Sylvia’s when folks are looking for a true down home Soul Food spot.

My first experience of trying soul food in the US, and I really enjoyed my lunch time visit here. I chowed down on corn bread, collard greens, mac & cheese, ribs and fried chicken, and was blown away by how simple the food was and tasty it was. The fried chicken especially, was hands down the I have ever had, wow. Washed it all town with a sweet iced tea, which was good too. The staff were wonderful and great service all round, nobody does it like Harlem baby!

I always wanted to eat there. However, I live in New Jersey. Finally, last night, at the age of 72 years old, I crossed it off my bucket list!!! It was worth the trip to NYC. The food was outstanding, and the waiter and waitress were so professional. Thank you for a lovely evening, and the food was out of this world!!!

Everything is perfect here. We ordered rib and beef, there were definitely delicious. They even sell their own sauces and related products. Recommend!

Overall it is a decent restaurant, with good service. Limited seating area so be prepared to wait a bit. I found the food to be a bit bland however - and the ribs were far from being as great as what they are being marketed for.

8/27/21. Positive first…my double chocolate cake was phenomenal but overall our experience was sub par. The whiting was good but the chicken was cold, both plates of beef short ribs were tough & the sweet potatoes were watery & canned. 😢

I felt like I was brought back to friends bbq cook outs. Was not expecting the home taste, most restaurants have commercial taste. I really enjoyed the shrimp it was the best I’ve had. When I tried the ribs, collard greens, Mac n cheese, yams, sassy rice I was like this is all delicious and a refined nostalgic taste I had not tasted in a while. I will say the banana pudding and coconut cake are sweet but that’s the style and I enjoyed eating it as well. I definitely will return and had that thought just from the initial cornbread and shrimp. Thank you.

I stopped in with a sista friend of mine who REALLY loves Sylvia. She's been going since 2005. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival by the staff. Jeanette, our server was delightful. Our meal was SO good! I had the smothered pork chops, with mac n cheese and some garlic flavored string beans. My friend had fried whitings with mac n cheese and the traditional collard greens. We ordered another basket of that delicious corn bread. We really ENJOYED our meal. I should have taken a picture of my empty plate with nothing left but the pork bones. LOL! And just looking around at the other tables with various dishes, I would say they ENJOYED their meal as well. There's nothing like good food and good service.

First off I ordered the fried chicken meal. The chicken was cold , I asked for a new one - the second one was also very mild like on temperature. I did not complain again . The yams were very sweet , too sweet. Potatoe salad taste also like it may have had some sugar in it. Either way I didn’t like the taste of both. The Mac was decent , taste regular-nothing spectacular. The fish was actually pretty good . I am willing to try this restaurant one more time.

Had a hell of a time making my way to this place and my god was it worth it. The servers were all very kind and wonderful, they let me wait for my food inside where it was warm and lovely and all was right in the world. I got the catfish, vegetarian collard greens, grits cornbread and peach cobbler and it cured my seasonal affective disorder the collard greens especially were stunning the clouds parted and a beam of light shone straight down from the heavens onto their majesty. I got it to go so the photos of them in my dorm aren't museum quality but I did my best. It was truly great. With the level of exceptional quality in all of it, I have a feeling there's not a single bad item on this menu.

Chicken is pretty good but the ribs are really interesting. They use some kind of sweet tomato based sauce and it works really well. Ribs are tender and delicious. My favorite ribs are from memphis but these ribs hold up pretty well and do something unique. The cornbread tastes great and the mashed potato isn't too bad either. Definitely curious about their seafood options and definitely coming back to try it next time.

This was an awesome choice for my trip. It came highly recommended and it did not disappoint us. The owner came and took a picture with us and we talked about the restaurant history. I love the generational wealth. The food was wonderful. The manager Mae walked us to the subway station to make sure we made it to our hotel.

Free cornbread chicken and sides were very good. Service was below average but that's okay, homemade local vibes. $21 for leg and thigh piece plus 2 sides.

"The Queen of Soul Food is what it's called and I can definitely see why!! Serving up delicious authentic comfort food in a dimly lit setting surrounded by various pictures of entertainers and legends with a very accommodating and attentive staff! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to dining here again when I'm visiting NY!

We visited this location for dinner during a visit - the catfish bites were not actually catfish (was whiting) we had a variety of dishes, baked Mac and cheese (taste sweet) and wasn’t baked, no seasoning to taste. fried Whiting was bland to taste, collard greens were tough and had the stems on them still. The cornbread and desserts were delicious and the cocktails were great too. Service was phenomenal but the food expense was a huge miss! None of us ate our meals as we were all disappointed in the taste - servings were plentiful too

Had to come to this place after it was recommended to me by a friend. It did not disappoint! Had the chicken with mashed potato and grits and some corn bread. It was all very delicious! Other reviews say they waited a while to get their food but I got mine very quickly. More quickly than I wanted actually 😆. I'd be more than happy to wait for this food anyway. Don't go out to eat in a rush. I'm not from New York but I'll definitely come back to try something else when I'm in town. First time in Harlem too!

I got pork ribs with mac n cheese and collard greens. Terrific meal, and terrific sauce - I think I tasted a hint of orange zest in the sassy barbecue sauce. My wife was indifferent with the fried chicken, but I think there's only so much you can do with fried chicken.

Sylvia's is a whole vibe! Came to NY to visit family and we stopped in Sylvia's. There was about a 30min wait but well worth it. We had a large party but the server handled everything with ease and was very attentive. Lets jump into this food... I ordered the fried chicken, greens (just like how my grandmother makes them) and yams.. whew!! Amazing, chef kisses!! I will be back on my next trip to NY!

Celebrating my Dad's birthday at Sylvia's for brunch was ideal. We didn't have to wait long for a table. He ordered the smothered chicken and waffles. I decided to try the fried chicken and waffles for the first time. It was good and plentiful. Our waitress was very nice and checked on us constantly. Overall it was a nice experience. Thanks Sylvia's 😊 🙏

The food was good. I loved the lemonade. I guess the serve had too many tables. We barely got checked on and got the food before the appetizer, which said salmon bites but ended up being salmon croquet. Outside of that, it was a great experience great.

Came here on a Monday around 2 PM when we got there there was a line there was a party of 40 waiting to get in. We were quickly seated in a waiting area then given a seat. The waiter was very attentive we ordered two Long Island iced tea’s they were SUPER 🦸‍♀️strong 💪 I had to order an additional Coke 🥤just to be able to drink it so warning ⚠️ if you order the Long Island iced tea it is going to be the strongest Long Island iced tea you’ve ever drank. The food came Out. The food is super affordable I ordered the ribs and chicken combo which came with two sides I ordered white meat it was a little dry for me the food was good I would recommend if I were to come back to New York I will definitely come back to Sylvias😊