Please kNOw THIS; this restaurant is NOT a Black Owned, Nor Black operated. Nor do they have Black folk cooking their food in the kitchen. And they use burning & sugar in everything. Hip Hip hooray for diabetes! They are absolutely thee WORSE! read more

After an epic trek through Central Park I decided it was time to reward myself with some fried chicken. I have to say for me the star of the show is the greens. Best I have had in a long time they made the Greens just like my father used to make them! This place is insanely good they show love to their sides. Really nice art work celebrating black excellence. If you love soul food come here. 10/10 read more

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My best friend and I visited on a cold Saturday night and were promptly seated. We called in advance to ensure that there was no wait. The food came out pretty quickly and the restaurant was pretty quiet because there weren't many other patrons. The music was good and the back was nice and warm because there was a heater. We both ordered the Barack Obama and we both enjoyed our food to perfection. My sides included mac & cheese, yams, and collard greens, all of which I enjoyed very much. My friend ordered mac & cheese and okra and loved her dish as well. Our waitress was pleasant and helpful. I hadn't been to this restaurant since I was a child, so it was a nostalgic experience. The next time I visit Harlem, I would definitely return again. read more

Amy Ruth's - Mural in the rear of the restaurant - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

A consistent neighborhood staple with amazing food, service, portions and prices. You can never go wrong with stopping in here for a homey comfort meal whether with a group or solo. They run a pretty tight ship and ask if you're dining or taking out upon entering. They bring out hot cornbread to the table once you sit and once you order, the food comes out fairly quickly. I love that the entrees come with two sides because it's a full meal and I always leave satisfied. And the prices are fair as well. Highly recommend! P.S. thanks for helping me bring in the New Year with some black eyed peas for luck ;) read more

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Again, Amy Ruth's did not disappoint. There was no wait, we walked right in, were seated, and ordered immediately. We ordered the fried shrimp, pork chops, fish, and smothered turkey wings, and everything was outstanding. The service and the vibe matched the quality of the food. I will always recommend Amy Ruth's for great-tasting Southern comfort food. #HappyEating read more

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This soul food spot looked very promising, but I was left feeling like there was a bit to be desired. Somehow the highlight ended up being the corn bread, which was absolutely delicious, but not necessarily what you would want or hope the highlight of the meal to be. The fried chicken was good, nicely crisp, but pretty dry. Mac and cheese came across as slightly more congealed, not quite a rich, creamy cheese sauce that I'd like. Buttered corn was delish, but it's just.. corn, so nothing crazy there. Peach cobbler was crying out for a nice scoop of ice cream on top, but alas. Service was nice, but took a long time. I guess that's in line with soul food vibes though read more

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Amy Ruth's is a top soul food restaurant in NYC; though, the competition in this segment has become fierce around the five boroughs. I recently stopped by on a Saturday evening after Thanksgiving and the restaurant was well below capacity with everyone eating Thanksgiving leftovers. Charmaine took my order and a friend's order quickly, quickly followed by ice water and their customary cornbread. Their cornbread is always good. Both of us ordered the Al Roker beef short ribs, which come with two sides. I had the fries and collard greens. The Al Roker is the top price point on the menu at just over forty bucks, but it is the best in town, true to advertised on the menu. It bests that offered by Melba's for sure and keeps me from taking in more of the offerings on the Amy Ruth's menu. The greens are good, flavorful and not oversalted, nor oversalted. They are chopped up more finely than one is accustomed to fit into the small bowl in which they are served. The fries are good and fluffy inside, but not very crispy outside. They taste good and take well to some pepper and the gravy from the beef short ribs. The gravy gives poutine to the fries and a little extra gravy really dials it up. The star of the show is these beef short ribs that are as tender as they can be. They clearly evidence the marbling, but they are trimmed of excess fat. What you get is three large chunks of meat on your plate and I had already devoured one chunk, before taking the accompanying photo. You will be totally satisfied with this ultra savory and tender beef. The gravy adds so much unctuous flavor to your palate and fries leaving you very much satiated. You will not be hungry. I have seen some of the many waffle dishes come out to patrons and they all have looked great, especially the customary chicken and waffles. They have so many waffle dishes on their menu. I'll get around to them if I can take my mind off the Al Roker. My friend had the Herb and Eliza Boyd creamy banana pudding, served up so large, he couldn't finish it. I asked if that's the way they serve up their Neal Shoemaker peach cobbler and was told yes. Note to self next time and two people can share their desserts. By the way, all their dishes are named after someone, many of whom are painted on the walls of the restaurant. It's a cool vibe and interesting take on the menu. The restroom was clean and Charmaine was efficient, serving everything with a smile. 4.3 stars! read more

Amy Ruth's - The Al Roker beef short ribs minus one of the three chunks of beef. - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Many thanks to all of the amazing staff at Amy Ruth's for the lovely food, and hospitality for the afterpass of Mrs. Alice B. The food was cooked to perfection, the portions were generous, everything was seasoned nicely. I don't eat peaches, but I was given peach cobbler. The peach cobbler was heavenly. Everything tasted as if I was at one of my family members dinner table in the South. Truly love everything about this location. It was the perfect space to host a large family gathering. All of the family, and friends enjoyed an amazing time, and truly cherished the great meal. read more

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Found ourselves in the area and decided to swing by the famous Amy Ruth's. Service was friendly and efficient, and you could definitely tell it's an institution. Food was good, but the serving of chicken was smaller than expected given the price. Baked Mac and cheese was incredible and the sweet tea hit the spot! Was definitely a solid meal. Would recommend! read more

Amy Ruth's - Corn bread - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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Ordered DoorDash from Amy Ruth's to the hotel one rainy night we didn't want to venture out. My husband liked his chicken and waffles (the Tommy Tomita). I was not impressed with my barbecue dinner (the Nate Robinson). There was way too much barbecue sauce on the meat and it was tough. You shouldn't have to smother your meat in sauce if it is cooked well. Also the greens had too much butter. Amy Ruth's is known for their chicken and waffles so maybe it's best to stick with that. When I'm back in NYC I would give them another chance but stick to what they are known for and potentially update my review. read more

The service was amazing, the food was not the best, it lacked flavor, the corn bread was dry and the candied yams were way too sweet, more like syrup. The restaurant is dated and could use a little updating. Also the guys smoking weed, directly in front of the restaurant is a turn off. read more

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This place has the best fried chicken, and I've eaten a LOT of fried chicken, even in the southern states. It's very well seasoned, crunchy on the outside with a juicy, fall off the bone interior. The sides that come with it were also good. Generously portioned, we ordered 2 meals for the 3 of us and still had plenty of leftovers. The complimentary cornbread was also delicious. We were so full, so even though we wanted to, didn't order dessert. Which I regretted later as they were traditional southern desserts. A great family oriented place, with painted portraits of notable Black historical figures on the wall. Service is courteous and efficient. read more

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Salmon was Dry (NO SAUCE) as it states , Mac & Cheese (NASTY) as was other sides... Catfish wasn't cooked right , Shrimp was overcooked & crab cake was black & hard...ALL OF $80 very disappointed NEVER EVER GOING BACK.... read more

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A friend and I traveled to NY for the day. Ruth's was highly recommended over another soul food restaurant. I didn't care for the rudeness of one of the female staff. Not sure if she was an actual server or stressed out manager. At any rate, message AND tone matter. The most disappointing was my food. I ordered chicken wings and collards for $30 - it's NY! The wings were abnormally large which smacks of growth hormones to me and a bit tough and chewy. The greens were also tough with a lot of stems. Loads of stems generally come with bagged not fresh produce. For $30, I didn't feel the love. Too many phenomenal places to dine in NYC to ever settle. read more

Insane. We split two chicken & waffle combos, and it came with some very wonderful and fluffy cornbread for the table! After a long day of walking, this was the perfect meal. There are also to-go options, but i think dining in is so worth for the freshness. read more

Amy Ruth's - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Once again a great experience ! Probably the best soul food I've eaten top tier ! Will go back anytime I'm in New York . Worth the train ride to Harlem read more

Amy Ruth's - Mac and cheese , greens and fried chicken - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I'm sorry folks but the glory days of Amy Ruth's are behind us. This place feels like it's on life support. The chicken is dry and over fried. The waffles taste like they were frozen. The service is excruciatingly slow. The cheese grits were nice tho. But the space feels drab. There's nothing that I can tell making it with worth going to. Yes there's the history of the place and the touching origin story, but you can't eat nostalgia. read more

I had the pleasure of visiting Amy Ruth's on a day trip to New York. As a person not from the area, I was overwhelmed trying to find parking but one block away. There is a parking lot that was not that expensive. We were able to park our car and walk to the restaurant in about two minutes. The service here was friendly and pretty efficient. I love the fact that they knew we were hungry and brought hot cornbread to the table right after we order our meals. We all ordered very different items so that we could have the opportunity to taste a good portion of the menu. One person in my party ordered smothered pork chops, green beans and sweet potatoes, another order fried chicken breast and waffle, and I ordered for myself, honey dipped chicken and mac & cheese with greens. All of the food came piping hot to the table. I was really happy about that because a lot of times when you get fried chicken or mac & cheese it is never really hot because they keep items warm. Sort of any holding pattern. The mac & cheese was really good. I really like the greens because they didn't taste like they had a lot of vinegar in them, and with an addition of hot sauce were perfect. The honey dipped chicken was not soggy. It was crispy and really had good flavor. I had the opportunity to taste this smothered pork chops, which seemed like they had a lot of gravy on them, but were really good. The chicken and waffle I did not taste but the person in my party that ordered them said that the waffle was really crispy on the outside and had a great flavor and her chicken breast was piping hot. I could see the scene coming out. The sweet potatoes were really nice as well. Perfectly sweetened, but not overly seasoned with strange things that people like to put in sweet potatoes. I would definitely return to Harlem to try this restaurant again. this server and the other staff working in the dining room room were very friendly and very attentive. read more

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While I've been a loyal fan of Sylvia's for many years before moving to the neighborhood, decided to finally try Amy Ruth's given it's only a few blocks from my place. Ordered delivery of The Ibn El Rasul, a.k.a. BBQ Beef Spare Ribs with their Homemade Collard Greens and Black Eye Peas on the side. Three chunky meat-laden ribs, etc., arrived with a slice of corn bread. Amy Ruth's rib meat tenderly came off the bone. That being said, everyone has different preferences for BBQ sauces. Myself, found surprisingly Amy Ruth's sauce perhaps a bit salty and a little gloppy for my taste. The collard greens were solid, but admittedly have had ones more for my liking elsewhere. The black eyed peas and cornbread were fine. Given all the waffle dishes on the menu, maybe that's something more to stick with at Amy Ruth's. In the future, however, I'll return to Sylvia's for something with my preference - that sassy sauce. read more

Amy Ruth's - Amy Ruth's The Ibn El Rasul - BBQ Beef Spare Ribs, Homemade Collard Greens, Black Eyed Peas and Cornbread - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Went here for my birthday, my son and I were placed in the back room that appeared bland and had no decor to it, the service was very slow, the chicken wings pink with blood inside, string beans taste as though it wasn't fully thawed from the box, Pork chop was fried hard, however, Mac & Cheese was very good. I informed the waitress it is my birthday she gave no response not even a Happy Birthday sung to me from the staff, as for the undone chicken wings it was replaced with a thoroughly fried order, Pork chop replaced with fried chicken, string Beans replaced with collard greens, since I was referred to this restaurant by a friend that knows the owner (Amy Ruth) I asked for her and was told she wasn't there at the time, this experience is a few years old but is never forgotten read more

Had dinner here recently and the meal was fabulous. A long wait-but well worth it. Great service and clientele made it a fun experience. read more

Amy Ruth's - Catfish - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

I ate here with a group of about 50 pastors and their wives because we were attending a conference at a church in Harlem. Let me tell you it was the worst decision of our life. First of all, the area they put us begged for decor and it was just plain with chairs and tables. Secondly, it took a long time to get served our food. Thirdly, the food was very very salty. Now, our group was consisted of black, middle aged folk who take BP medication so most of us left our food on our plate because we didn't want to take the risk of getting sick. After sharing our experience with several people who live in the area we were told that the original owners sold the restaurant and the food is now Caribbean. Years ago I ate at the restaurant prior to a theater show and I remember the food being great and the layout being totally different. read more

Me & my family enjoy Amy Ruth's I feel like the soul food places in Harlem have all lost their touch but Amy's is a consistent choice. The chicken and waffle is simple but executed so well. Waffle is sweet and fluffy the chicken is seasoned and fried well. My family likes the smothered pork chop and ribs. I say go .. now the service might take a little while but it's worth the wait. The decor is simple and has murals of famous black pple and black pple in the community. read more

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Food is always good. I got the Ludacris chicken wing dinner. Chicken was crispy and juicy. Mac n cheese and cheese all thru the ...... Greens were just alright. Cornbread was great. Washed it down with a koolaid. Will be back! Great service and quick and easy pickup. Clean inside. read more

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Was visiting and had the pleasure to eat some of this yummy soul food. Can i just say the mash potato's were the fluffiest and butteriest i've ever had. The seasoning on the chicken was delicious too. The ambience is cozy and welcoming. read more

Amy Ruth's - Fred chicken, mash potato's and mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Amy Ruth's will FOREVER have a place in my heart. I have been dining here since high school and the quality always remains the same.. AMAZING. The staff make you feel right at home, everyone has patience AND they're service animal friendly! I usually get the same order (Rev Al Sharpton Waffle) but I'm sure everything else is cooked to perfection as well. The place is ALWAYS clean, always well kept in every way. This time around I noticed the seats were set up differently but the heart of the place still remains. It's a beautiful Harlem staple with GREAT art on the wall! read more

Amy Ruth's - Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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I tried to give Amy Ruth's another chance but I wish I would have saved my money. I ordered the fried shrimp with potato salad and Mac + cheese. No No No. The shrimp has a strange after taste. The cheese in the Mac and cheese was not melted enough and it was salty. The potato salad was just okay. For $30, I was so disappointed. Never eating here again read more

Getting here was an adventure! We took the train, as tourists, but we made it! Our party of 8 was seated immediately and greeted by a very friendly server. We all ordered various menu items. Portion sizes are very hearty, so if you're a light eater, you may want to share or order an appetizer. All of the food, especially the fried chicken whole wings were excellent! The sides were very tasty as well. The murals on the walls were very eclectic, displaying historical and African American people. It was an excellent way to display our culture and heritage! read more

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I finished the ribs feeling satisfied and full leaned back in my chair smiling quietly it was exactly what I needed read more

Amy Ruth's - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

It pains me to write this, but it needs to be said. My daughter and I have been coming to Amy Ruth's every Thanksgiving for six years. We made the trip when we lived on Staten Island and we continued to come even after moving to Westchester. There used to be a line out the door, and we'd gladly wait an hour or more because the food was worth it. This year was different. When we arrived, the crowd fit inside the restaurant. No line outside. Maybe the new downtown location spread people out, or maybe it was a sign of what we were about to experience. We were lucky to have a server greet us within ten minutes. Other tables waited twenty minutes just to get water, and one guest even went to get drinks himself. When our server finally came, we learned they were already out of potato salad, collard greens, and other staples. It wasn't even 5 p.m. yet. Later after we had our food, we heard them telling other patrons they ran out of candied yams and peach cobbler. Peach cobbler is one of 2 dessert choices that is supposed to be included with the $46 Thanksgiving menu. All of these issues represent poor planning for a holiday service. We waited about 45 minutes to an hour for our food to get to us. The fried shrimp and mac and cheese were solid, but the rest missed the mark. The yams we received were plain yams with barely any sugar, spice, or vanilla . The fried okra was salty. The cabbage and turkey were just okay. The cornbread stuffing wasn't stuffing at all. It was dry crumbled cornbread with a hint of cream of mushroom, tucked under the turkey like we wouldn't notice. They later found peach cobbler for me after they said they ran out, but it was cold like it came straight from a refrigerator, not the freshly made dessert I'm expecting. If we weren't longtime customers, maybe we wouldn't have recognized the decline. But we know what the food at Amy Ruth's used to taste like. I don't know if this is a sign the Harlem location is quietly being deprioritized in favor of downtown, but the difference was obvious. Our bill was $112 before tip for two people, and nothing on that plate gave the southern soul food experience we've driven over an hour for every year. The line that used to stretch down the block wasn't there for a reason. Sadly, Thanksgiving 2025 marks the end of our tradition of coming to Amy Ruth's for dinner. read more

I was recommended this place & might I say it was GREAT! I got "The William Allen" and it was so goood. The pork spare ribs were tasty and tender , the chicken was good ! The sides I got were the Mac & Cheese and The Yams! Definitely will come back here next time I'm in New York! The service was great & The Ambiance was great and the pictures on the wall added to the history of black people ! read more

Amy Ruth's - BBQ pork spare ribs & chicken . Homemade Mac & Cheese/ Homemade Candied Yams - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Food: outstanding service : excellent no extensive wait. Our waitress Charmaine was courteous and extremely nice, brought us our food right away and also provided us with our check as soon as we requested it. We ordered the pan-smeared salmon with Mac n cheese, candied yams and an order of smothered pork chops with black eyed peas and buttered corn. I rate it a 10/10. Service great, food was amazing with burst of flavors! We left happy and full. We will definitely come back ! Thank you Charmaine, You Rock ! read more

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Decided to try this spot during a visit to NY and was not disappointed! From the cozy interior to the kind service, my friends and I were immediately drawn in. The food here was just the icing on the cake, with many soul food options to choose from. I tried the Ibn El Rasul, which included some big and juicy beef ribs, rich potato salad, and delicious fried okra. Will definitely come again! read more

Amy Ruth's - The Ibn El Rasul - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

Been a few years, but returned for lunch on a weekday in June 2024 and had an amazing meal here! First off, the free cornbread is amazing. My boyfriend and I then shared: + Rev. Al sharpton (Chicken and waffles) + Fried catfish sandwich + Homemade candied yams + Cheesy grits + Carrot cake (to go) They get points for having real maple syrup. Probably the best chicken and waffles in NYC. The yams were a little too sweet for me, but hey, as advertised. Grits were excellent, too. We did not need the catfish sandwich because it was more than enough food otherwise, but it was solid and we enjoyed it later as leftovers. Cake was also solid. read more

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I drove with my two girlfriends from New Jersey to dine here before we went to see a Broadway show and we were extremely disappointed. The food was subpar. The collard greens were wilted, overcooked and tasted burnt like it came from the bottom of a pot. I NEVER went to a soul food restaurant and was sold FROZEN whiting. I expected to have whiting fish that was freshly caught, fried then served with my potato salad. WRONG!!! The macaroni and cheese was not cheesy and tasted like bread crumbs were placed inside. NASTY- we left all of the macaroni cand cheese on the plate. The pork ribs were not suculant, tender or falling off of the bone rather they were tough and lacking seasoning. The ONLY noteworthy food was the fried chicken, cornbread, cabbage and black eyed peas. This was our first and last time visiting. I wonder if the cook or recipes have been changed over the years. read more

The food was amazing Quick service The place has a lot of art which gives it a nice look read more

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We got cornbread on the house (super yummy). We got the OBAMA (chicken), fried catfish, and pork ribs. Can't go wrong with either but I was expecting more chicken. Entree (not waffle dish) came with 2 sides. As y'all can see, they're plentiful. I also love the athmosphere and the paintings on the walls are great! read more

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Soul food is something I enjoy. The fried dishes, the fact I can eat it any time of day, and there will always be something on the menu I can find. Generous portions, even more generous prices. Jovial employees, and an idea that you ate something that while may not be great for your body, but good for the soul. Hence the cuisine. Unfortunately for Amy Ruth's, some of these guidelines do not apply, or perhaps passed me by. The prices are fairly high, the portions are fairly small, and the food is generally mediocre, like really middle of the road compared to the other options in the area. Perhaps that explains why it was not terribly busy during dinner. To be as fair as possible, I will break this review into one of my report card reviews so to not leave anything out. -- Service: Professional, courteous, genuine. My server, Tashi, was on her game and had great knowledge of the menu. Unfortunately she needs help. They seem to lack staff here, and it shows as the employees look exhausted from head to toe. Grade: A- Atmosphere: Maybe it was the air conditioning unit, or something else, but it always sounded like elephants were walking over my head. It made the experience unpleasant and fairly jarring. There is a minimum purchase limit if you want to pay with a credit card. Overall, not impressed. Grade: D+ Food: What really makes up the overall score of this review. Along with the complementary cornbread, I got a Sunrise, Fried Catfish, a Chicken and Waffles, and some macaroni and cheese. All be told, the food was generally mediocre, save for the catfish, which was first rate. Grade: C -- Final thoughts: Close by the subway, a traditional 1920's vibe inside, and a menu with items named after famous patrons (and others), it feels more touristy than heartfelt. It was worth trying; now I have no urge to return. As for you, the reader, go try Red Rooster, which is nearby, for a more desirable outcome. read more

Amy Ruth's - Chicken and Waffle, Mac and Cheese, and Fried Catfish - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

The fried chicken was really good. It was very flavorful without hot sauce. I didn't care for the okra, it was breaded with flour and it was bland. The service was awesome, very attentive. The restaurant has some interesting artwork in it. I was surprised to find out that New York has such good soul food. I would definitely return. read more

Amy Ruth's - 4 Fried Chicken Wings - Southern Near Me - New York, New York

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The food is Perfectly seasoned Charmaine and Kenny were awesome and professional servicers and the ambiance shows the Culture of the Community and You can't get enough of the corn bread read more

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