Description: Sylvia's is a family owned and operated soul food restaurant that has achieved "institution" status. This is the soul food lover's Mecca. While it's a little out of the way for the typical out-of-towner in Manhattan for a weekend, don't let that dissuade you.
This is a happenin' place. We were here for lunch around 1pm on a Saturday afternoon, and the joint was rockin'. The dining room was packed. Even at this relatively tame hour a live band was in the house cranking out some good R&B.
I think we knew what we were going to order before we even walked through the front door: fried chicken and ribs. The chicken was terrific, a lighter, crispier crust than I expected, and not greasy, either. The ribs were falling-off-the-bone tasty.
Our only complaint: we felt the service could have been a little more attentive. I can't remember if we had to corner or tackle our waiter to get our drinks refilled. That small shortcoming aside, the food here speaks for itself. We wouldn't hesitate to return.
Sylvia's accepts all the major credit cards. They're open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To get there, take the No. 2 or 3 subway lines to 125th St. You can check out their web page here.
Our 1-10 ratings:
Food - 8; Service - 6; Atmosphere - 9
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