BeerBoor recently sent a link to a review of Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken to a big group of us, and then subsequently went, telling me it was awesome. I like fried chicken, of course, what fat kid doesn’t? but had to check it out for myself to really see what’s up. Its location in Harlem was not a deterrent for me, though it was really far out of the way.
My first plate contained two pieces of chicken – unfortunately, hunger blinded me and I picked out a breast piece accidentally. The meat was less than fantastic – I am not a white meat fan – but the skin was crisp and delicious. I hit the wall almost immediately.
My same plate from another angle – mound of mac & cheese (which was decent, but not amazing), what I want to call succotash (okra, corn, green beans in a tomato-based sauciness) which was excellent, slightly sweet, stewed collard greens, and cabbage mash, all of which I liked a great deal. Being my first meal of the day, I was barely able to eat the above, though I really wanted to eat more and try a freshly fried piece of chicken, which came out just after I realized how full I was, boo! I sat quietly as TC, BeerBoor and Gary all snarfed down plate after plate. Weak! (Okay, I didn’t really sit *quietly per se, and I was actually feeling kind of sick before I arrived – long story – but it wasn’t like I ate the least just cuz I’m a girl!)
After watching them eat so much, I was pretty much done, but someone said I had to try the banana pudding. I’ve never had banana pudding before, though I’ve seen it plenty of times on TV or blogs, whatnot. There wasn’t much left, and I was way too full to take more than a small spoonful, but hell, that was pretty damn good. Softened Nilla wafers in this banana essence… it’s now on my radar to try more places and more versions, and check out all those places I’ve heard have good renditions. Mmm, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, I’m coming for you…
Yvo says: Everyone loved their food and said they’d go back. I wouldn’t mind going back to give it a better try when I’m not feeling all out of sorts and sick to my stomach from other stuff, but I did enjoy most of what I ate and felt it was a really good deal at $12.99 all you can eat (and a bit of a waste at my one plate, $12.99). But c’est la vie. The fried chicken thighs were legit. (And afterwards, we walked from Harlem down to East Village for the hell of it. It was a nice day and good exercise to work off all that fried fatty goodness we ingested… ooh.)
recommended
Steve says
mmm fried chicken!
kim says
Sugar sweet Sunshine Bakery makes really good banana pudding.
kim says
It’s on the LES FYI 🙂
Btw, are the vegetable sides vegetarian?
Witzel says
The greens are deifnitely porked up, but the others have no discernible meat. Although, being a buffet you never know what’ll land in the other catering trays…
T.C. says
Agreed with Witzel that the collard greens are porky (probably why it was my fav.) and can’t say the sides will definitely be vegetarian friendly even if no meats in them. There were other meats on the steam tables too like BBQ chicken wings, turkey, fish so you never know if they were all handled together at some point.
T.C. says
I just kept eating legs after my first plate and didn’t bother with the breasts/ white meat. The chicken was okay for the most part ( but I still love Popeye’s more). Totally stuffed by the end and worth the 12.99.
I wish they had mash potatoes & gravy. The mac & cheese was average. The best side I had was the collard greens. The banana pudding was fresh.
Aimee S. says
Nice. Good old rib stickin food!
Nicholas says
OOOOH it’s so close, haha finally a place I can actually see myself going to.
James says
My favorite fried chicken in all of New York! I love that they separate the pieces so you can eat only what you desire most, and that no one cares if you wait to pick at a freshly fried batch 😀
Charles, the owner, is an amazing man. I’m hoping to finish my own story on him and his ramshackle fried chicken empire in the future. I’m glad you liked his home base, Yvo!
Gary says
I’m with T.C. – the legs were the way to go. It was a good skin to meat ratio and I loves my fried chicken skin.
Maybe next time you’ll eat more than one plate?
Hungry Bitch says
who names their kid BeerBoor?
Nicholas says
The best parents ever.
BeerBoor says
It was a different era then, man.