While wandering around Philadelphia in the historical district. We came across the Black Hen Restaurant. We decided to dine at this establishment and I must say we were absolutely delighted by the food, service , everything. Our server Elle was fantastic and very attentive to our needs. For our appetizer, we ordered the deviled eggs. Four dinner we ordered the four piece Fried Chicken with Mac & Cheese, Collard Greens and Mashed Potatoes. If you are a M&C fan, you MUST try there Mac! The Collard Greens were Fantastic! If you're wondering around Philadelphia, I definitely recommend that you stop in the black hen and have some dinner. read more

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As someone who enjoys supporting businesses of color, it breaks my HEART to have to write a review that is lined with what will be perceived as negativity. So when you read this please take these as constructive critiques to help improve the business rather than a knit-picky tirade. Ambiance: as we walked in, there were carts of various chicken products, congeals, and bags of flour that were being carted in and out of the restaurant. This continued throughout the entire meal. I recognize that it is possible that there is only the one exit which makes this process difficult for the customers not to see, however it is a bit jarring to see those things while you are eating. Especially when you are asking customers to stand up because the table set up gets in the walkway where the cart is moving. There was also a noticeable hole in the ground where we were seated and my foot slipped in it on my way out, which is dangerous in itself. Service: as we entered there was no one attending the front desk, it almost seemed as though it was just a self service desk similar to a fast casual restaurant so we walked back to the seating area to see what was going on. Eventually someone came out, asked us how many and then proceeded to get on a personal phone call and went outside as we stood there. I recognize this could have been an emergency and she did apologize afterwards. Once we were seated and ready to order, a member of my party asked a question about chicken pieces and it seemed the waitress wasn't very knowledgeable about what was written on the menu. We also noticed she was the only waitress attending about 9 tables. Food: I got what was suppose to be the equivalent of a Thanksgiving sandwich, the gobble gobble that was suppose to include: stuffing, mashed potatoes and some form of gravy. The sandwich was dry and while it came with a sauce on the side, something like cranberry would have elevated this sandwich. I assume at some point this did have a cranberry relish or cranberry compote addition but on this particular day it did not. We ordered the various bbq sauces and that really helped elevate this sandwich. As a table we got the Mac and cheese to share and it was particularly sharp, I don't have much to say about this because some people prefer their Mac this way. Another member of my party got the fried chicken stack and he enjoyed everything about it! While he thought it was a lot, he thought the chicken was fried well, the mix of ingredients was balanced and it was so much food he took half of it to go! We all enjoyed the fries as stand out and particularly yummy. Overall: I believe this place is trying. I think operating as take out and order in could work if the set up of the resturant wasn't strained by the singular exit and the super narrow hallway. Having one waitress made the wait times particularly long but again I understand the constraints of the restaurant. With all of these fundamental issues I don't believe their price point is justified,especially the cork fee. However, they are the only Black owned restaurant(to my knowledge with the leaving of their sister company Amina) in Old City so there is a lot of potential there! I hope to return with a much better experience! read more

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Honestly..Take a seat. When you first walk in you might be confused if reception isn't by the booth, but just give them a second to come up and grab you. We made a reservation so we were seated immediately. It does sound like they take walk ins but be prepared if it's busy because there's not a lot of seating. We did have to wait a bit to order food, but I don't care because the food ended up being worth it and then some. Even though we had to wait, we at least were asked by another staff member if we wanted to order a drink. (It's BYOB by the way, with certain corking charges) Now.. It's restaurant week here, which we didn't know but they had a special menu for $40 (3 courses). I ordered the Chicken Cheesesteak Beignets, Wings, Mac and Yams, and the Peach Cobbler Pies as a dessert. Did I finish it? No way lmao, but I have leftovers tomorrow because the servings are large. Man... everything was 10/10, and I don't say that lightly. I know every restaurant has their ups and downs, but don't base your attendance on whatever reviews you may see. Give them a chance, your stomach won't regret it. A special shoutout to Emoni (sp) for being a great server, super attentive and gave great suggestions. I'll certainly be back! read more

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Food was mediocre at best. Mac really good. Wings dry and inedible along with the stuffing. read more

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Excellent, quality service. Atmosphere was akin to an upscale fast food place. Very clean throughout. Between all of us we tried a lot and found the food was hit and miss. Collard greens were perfection. Never had better, even at home. Popcorn chicken was also outstanding, but the popcorn they served with it was soooo stale. Cornbread with black vanilla butter sounded great but was so-so, and the "butter" seemed like just oily food dye. Stuffing had good flavor, but was weirdly soupy in texture. Yams were delicious. Sadly, the mac n cheese was inedible. Potatoes were fine. Wings were prepared well. Lemonade was awesome. Did not get to try dessert. The "good" was good enough to come back and give it another shot. read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Mac n cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My friend made a reservation for three and we were seated right away. The space was a lot smaller than than expected so I do not recommend for a large party, but it was decorated nicely. Our server was also friendly and did a good job, but I did not appreciate how there is automatically 20% gratuity on your bill, no matter the size of your party. It insinuates that you think your guests will not tip appropriately. The food was decent. We all ordered fried chicken meals with assorted sides Mac and cheese, greens, sweet potatoes etc. I do wish that some kind of cornbread or biscuit came with the meal but that was not the case. I also was not a fan of the dipping sauce, it was like a black cherry barbecue sauce. I didn't all like that at all. Overall we had a good experience here but I can't see myself coming back. read more

Excellent service, great and pleasant customer service. Atmosphere and ambience was pleasant. read more

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Great food! yall should check it out! Definitely can take da family there and have a ball!

The food is fantastic and I love supporting Black business but this placed in managed extraordinarily poorly. The service is terrible. Even for to go orders. The manager really needs to get it together or hire someone who knows what they are doing. read more

Went to Black Hen for the first time on Saturday 6/21/25 it was amazing. Very delicious I would highly recommend. My husband and I got the fried chicken wing meal (4 whole wings) it came with 2 sides we got the collard greens and mac&cheese. We also got a side of yams and cornbread. We shared this meal. It was so much food. Everything was phenomenal !! Those greens were so good I thought my mom was back there lol. The mac&cheese is very cheesy and creamy. The yams were delicious , sweet but not too sweet. And the cornbread was unexpected it was light, fluffy, and sweet; I liked it a lot. My husband and I just moved here from Georgia so I'd like to think we're soul food experts and I am giving this place a gold star. Really shines bright. Also , really great service. It was only 1 young lady serving and she did really well by herself. The place is cute and clean. 1 male and 1 female bathroom. read more

I just went this past sat Sept 20, this place was recommended by my son, he told me that the chicken and waffles was good so that's what I ordered. The chicken looked as if it was recooked, how can you mess up with, I may try the spot again but it will not be any time soon and we came from Baltimore!!! read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Old chicken that was recooked - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philly has an insane amount of restaurants, I think more than the amount of people living there, hence a lot of establishments are closed on Mondays. And chicken tender/fried chicken places are a dime a dozen. I saw the great reviews for Black Hen and it was right by the Marriot we were staying in. Nice easy ordering, seating in the back. It's in a busy nightclub street so plenty of riff raff on Saturday nights. I ordered the half chicken, candied yams, tenders and fries. Tried the spiciest sauce, which has a kick, but a lot of sweetening to offset it. All of it was incredible, absolutely no complaints about the food. But the price...my goodness $28 for half chicken with one side...the total was $45 for 2 people and one them is a 9 year old. Yeah not worth the price, maybe all of Old City is like that. read more

Visited this spot on a Saturday night in cozy old city. I got all sides - Mac & Cheese, String Beans, Yams. The yams were my favorite! It had the perfect amount of vanilla extract. I plan to try more on the menu next time. read more

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Customer service was good but the food overall was bad. Dining area was cute but tight. I tried multiple items. Deviled eggs: 3/10 Fried wings: 5/10 Crispy vegan hen of the woods ALT: 4/10(needs work on preparation of mushroom) Collard greens: 7/10 Baked macaroni & cheese: 5/10 Cornbread, black vanilla butter syrup: 7/10 Candied yams: 4/10 I won't return. read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Wow! Amazing comfort food. Service was great and the atmosphere was fun. Definitely check it out!

Saw some negative reviews. Went anyway. Been my experience that a large majority of one star reviews come from folks with like 2 reviews. Anyway, really liked the place. Kind of tight inside so I would highly recommend reservations. The fried green tomatoes were seasoned well, and the sauce they served them with (like a spicy big mac sauce) was straight fire. For dinner, I had the fried chicken. Was cooked perfectly done but still juicy on the inside. The skin was crispy....just like I like it. The collards with smoked turkey were tender and tasty. The yams were sweet and cooked with a lot of vanilla. Loved the artwork that was hing throughout. Will surely try again read more

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Boy am I so happy that I doubled back and decided to look this place up. Everything single thing we ordered was delicious. The chicken was fried to perfection and so good without sauce but I did get the sunrise on the side and it's delicious as well as I dipped a few pieces. Collard greens and string beans were well seasoned and tasty. That cornbread with the black vanilla butter syrup is to die for. The restaurant itself is cute but on the smaller side. I admired all of the wall art. We had a 8:45 reservation and were seated promptly. Food was ordered and it came out quickly. All and all i for see myself returning and enjoying a meal here. read more

I enjoyed the popcorn chicken, fries and deviled eggs. All was very flavorful! This is a BYOB restaurant so please keep that in mind when visiting. Service was good. The decor was very eye catching. read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Deviled eggs - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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What I can say about this restaurant is what I consider a, hidden gem. My review is based on my experience, so it needs to be in that context. I found everything absolutely incredible . Hands-down, the best collard greens I've ever had same with the fried pickles, and 100% true with the green beans and smoked turkey. The fried chicken, both on the sandwich and otherwise delicious. A reasonable thought however, I have not had a lot of these types of things over the years so my basis of comparison is a bit limited. But I would be back here in a heartbeat. Everyone was extremely nice, and the place was absolutely packed, reservations are a must. read more

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I could not Wait to try this new restaurant. Everyone that worked there was really nice from the greeters to the waiters. The decor is really cute and they even sell some apparel in the front of the restaurant. This location is BYOB but the sweet tea was so good that I did not miss any alcohol! I ordered the fried chicken wings that came with 2 sides ( I selected Mac n cheese, collard greens). I ordered an additional yams, cornbread dressing, and cornbread. Everything was really good! I was too full to try any dessert. I will definitely be back and looking forward to trying the peach cobbler hand pies. read more

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The food was delicious. There was a group of us we all ordered the wings with various sides. I was so busy eating I forgot to take a picture of my food, but I will include the picture of one of my friends. I had the candied yams they were very tasty, and not too sweet.The green beans with smoked turkey was so delicious cooked in a flavorful broth. I will definitely order them again. The wings were seasoned well, and it came with your choice of sauce. The only downside was the deviled eggs for appetizers. For the price, there was only one and a half eggs on the plate. I mean really you can't give me two whole eggs! The eggs were small too, and what made me angry is they were so good! The Chicken Cheesesteak Beignets were very good. I also enjoyed the Strawberry Lemonade it was a bit on the sweet side. I also sampled the Collard Greens, and Mac & Cheese both were tasty. I will definitely go back to try other items on the menu. Be sure to get the string beans with smoked turkey.The service was great. The atmosphere was relaxing. Good food and friends made for a fun evening. read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Chicken Wings, Collards,and Mac & Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The deviled eggs had a unique twist with the fried skin added, very tasty the green beans were great and the chicken did not disappoint with the sauce read more

Amazing food! Flavorful, fresh and hot! Everything was seasoned to perfection. We had reservation for a Sunday evening and were seated within minutes of our reservation time. Warm service and great ambiance. Great ambiance for date night. They played r&b classics the whole evening. Love love loved it all. The food was absolutely for the soul! Mac and cheese was warm and cheesy and crunch on the top, collard greens were flavorful, tans were the perfect amount of sweetness and the fried chicken was the perfect crispness and still juicy inside! Yes yes yes to this black queen owned business!!! read more

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I ordered this because I've been wanting to try it for quite some time and heard it was good, being a newer place in the area. I was very disappointed in what I got. I was craving crispy fried chicken and what I got was a soggy over slawed chicken sandwich. It was drenched in a gross slaw, the fried pickles were wet and soggy and the fried chicken was tough, over cooked and the outside batter was soggy. I ordered a separate side of fries because online it did not say the sandwich came with anything. When I opened the box, it had a side of soggy (clearly frozen) fries so I had a double portion of them ... it was not seasoned well and tasted gross in my opinion. The bun was black (on purpose) and is gimmicky without putting any thought into the actual taste of the food. I will not be ordering again. Redcrest has the best crunchy fried chicken I've tasted in Philly so far. I would even go as far to say that popeyes chicken is crunchier and tastier. read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The food and service was great. The chicken has this special type of seasoning that has sweet taste to it and it makes the chicken taste delicious. Yams were delicious. The collard greens and green beans were good and the mac and cheese was okay. Each meal (wings 4), (1/2 Chicken white) was $20+. read more

Let me start off by saying that the ambiance in this place is amazing. It's such a good vibe from the moment you step in. Our server Rachel was amazing. We were sat within about 7 minutes of us walking in on an early Friday evening. The service was fast and good. All of the food was served hot and very good. Everything was packed with flavor. The Mac and cheese was very cheesy and was a big portion. The yams were good and the chicken was good had a very good flavor and a good crunch to it just like I like it. The chicken dip was also very good and did not have that overbearing hot sauce taste to it. I loved that it had that good baked cheesy top to it. The deviled eggs were amazing. Loved the sweet taste they had to them and that crunchy piece of chicken skin. Now that refreshing tropical lemonade topped it off and brought it all together. Food was amazing, service amazing and ambience amazing. Can't wait to go back and try something else. read more

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My friends and I visited this restaurant in Philadelphia after a concert last weekend! They were only taking take out orders but when the waitress heard that we were from Virginia she welcomed us to eat in!The ambiance in this place is amazing. It's such a good vibe from the moment you step in and the music had everyone singing, it was a good time! Our server Rachel was amazing. We were sat within about 10minutes of us walking in. The service was fast and good. All of the food was served hot and very good. Everything was packed with flavor. The Mac& Cheese and collard greens were simply delicious! My friend also went on and on about the green beans! I personally didn't like the sweet taste of the chicken but it was cooked to perfection! Food was amazing, service amazing and ambience amazing. Can't wait to go back and try something else. read more

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Service was impeccable. Very courteous and accommodating. Fried chicken was top 3 I've ever had. Fried to perfection. Juicy. And you could tell chicken was organic non GMO. Very fresh. Crispy. Decor was beautiful and clean. Very cozy. Even though they were booked and we had no reservation the staff allowed us to sit in and dine. read more

Great chicken. Cornbread with black vanilla butter was GOD TEIR!! I love a place ghat knows what a chicken wing actually is..

The food and service was excellent and a shout out to Mani who was so kind and friendly ! My first time eating collard greens and its was delicious, I've been missing out on this side dish , now I have to find recipes to make my own. read more

Food and Services was great!!! They are also a pork free restaurant!!! Which I really enjoyed!!! read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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food was great those cheese steak beignets were amazing. I would recommend 10/10 food Is good that I'm looking forward to trying out their sister restaurants! read more

Not a picky eater but super surprised at the food I was served here. The texture of the waffle was quite strange and almost tasted inedible, the black dye is cool, but everything just taste like massive amounts of sugar, which would've made sense for just the syrup but the waffle also. I'm gonna give this place the begot of the doubt and chalk it up to getting take out. I'll desire my return to dine in and try more menu items. read more

This was such a good spot!! Service was great and food was fantastic. A little on the pricey side but the quality makes it worth it.

First time visiting and was pleasantly surprised! The food, service and ambiance were great! The spot is a little small so reservations are recommended We had the fried chicken wing and some sides...everything was delicious definitely worth checking out! read more

Black Hen Fried Chicken - Mac and Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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While the food was good the service was subpar and the atmosphere was disappointing. I spent most of my meal swatting away bugs. I unfortunately also experienced a waitress with a stark attitude. If you are on this end of Philly I would recommend getting this place for carry out and nothing more. read more

Service was Great, Food was Fantasticthe chicken cheesesteak beignets were AMAZINGI will definitely be go

For the record, I didn't have the fried chicken. I know, that's the point. However, everybody else at the table did. I had the smoked chicken and it was ok, limited in flavor same with the Mac. It wasn't flavorful but I also had the candied watermelon sauce with it and that helped. I will also say, I ordered the deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes and both were also under seasoned. Definitely disappointing. Let me also say, the reason for the low rating is truly because of the lack of options. The menu said they had fresh juices, apparently they were all out. It also said you could get chicken fried or smoked, but they told us you can only do that for the wings, not the other chicken size options. I came with a reservation for my husband's bday and online the asked if it was a special occasion. I'm not sure why because there was nothing special added for the occasion once we were thing. For example, I had to ask the waitress if they sing for bdays or something and she said they just stick a candle in the desert and bring it out. That was the extent of the celebration. My husband did say the fried chicken was great and the collard greens were also delicious. It's probably better for pickup but being that it's downtown and we traveled to visit it, I probably wouldn't return. read more

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I loved the fried pickles.... The chicken was nothing special just average and I was desperately searching for seasoning. It also needed to be fried just a couple more minutes for my liking. I prefer crispy crunchy skin instead of soft fatty KFC original skin. It was just ok. The fried pie was tasty The banana pudding was nothing to write about. I honestly wouldn't care if I ever went back. read more

Well, I went back and they did not disappoint. This time I went for brunch. The whole experience was an A+! I ordered the cheesesteak omelet and had the chicken gumbo with grits to go along with an order of chicken and red velvet pancakes! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!! The service was excellent , music on point once again and the food incredibly delicious. They are about to become my new favorite restaurant. read more

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