The 10 Best Chicken and Waffles Spots In NYC

Image via Complex Original

Need proof there's a god? Behold chicken and waffles, a food that straddles the realms of savory and sweet like nothing else can. Some may say chicken and waffles lacks savoir fair, but we think it makes up for it with pure, unadulterated fried-goodness (and a crap-load of syrup).

But all chicken and waffle dishes are not created equal. There are myriad subtleties that go into perfecting this prized pièce de résistance: how deeply fried the chicken is, the sugar content of the syrup, and the waffle's density, just for starters. There's a science to this.

While we haven't cracked that elusive formula ourselves, we have tracked down the few who have. So leave your cholesterol apprehensions at the door and your calorie counts behind, and shamelessly dive in to the 10 Best Chicken and Waffles Spots in NYC. And if doc asks about your sky-high HDL's, feel free to blame Complex.

10. Rack & Soul

Neighborhood: Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Address: 258 West 109th St.
Website: rackandsoul.com

Morningside Heights' Rack & Soul is a barbecue and soul food spot that is fried chicken first, waffles second. And while R&S doesn't have a formal chicken and waffles dish, every order of their golden-brown chicken does come with two sides, one of which will be a waffle (if you're smart).

The Belgian waffle here is simple and not standout, but R&S's panfried chicken takes it to new heights with its gloriously gluttonous bird. And the best part? Your chicken and waffle experience at R&S can be customized, so you can re-invent the classic combo with smothered chicken, chicken wings, or even BBQ chicken instead of the standard fried.

9. Stanton Social

Neighborhood: Lower East Side, Manhattan
Address: 99 Stanton St.
Website: stantonsocial.com

To all the haters that say Stanton Social's take on chicken and waffles is too dainty to claim the name, we have a few words for you: sometimes you need to switch the style up.

A real connoisseur of chicken and waffles should sample the full spectrum of chicken and waffle goodness, which is why we're pointing you in the direction of the Lower East Side to munch on Stanton Social's modern take: a savory corn and cheddar waffle topped with brick-pressed organic chicken, served over creamy corn pudding. But the element that truly brings this re-invention to life is the balsamic maple syrup drizzled over the top, which gives each mouthful a sweet, slightly-sharp bite.

8. Cafeteria

Neighborhood: Chelsea, Manhattan
Address: 119 7th Ave.
Website: cafeteriagroup.com

Being open twenty four hours, Cafeteria is Chelsea's go-to post-boozing feed. Some go to sober up, others in hopes of catching a glimpse of someone famous trying to sober up, but you? You go for the chicken and waffles.

Cafeteria's fried chicken is juicy without being oily and their waffles crisp enough to withstand even the most overzealous syrup usage. This is a chicken and waffle duo that is too good to be wasted on inebriated taste-buds. Go sober and your mindful mouth will thank you.

7. Sylvia's

Neighborhood: Harlem, Manhattan
Address: 328 Malcolm X Blvd.
Website: sylviassoulfood.com

If you already know that Sylvia is Harlem's go-to for soulful grub, it should come as no surprise that she is also our go-to for a top notch chicken and waffle indulgence.

Grab a seat at Sylvia's counter and she will set you up with an oversized piece of deeply fried chicken that will only be outmatched by the even-more-oversized waffle she puts beneath it, and the heaping scoop of butter she drops on top of it. You may not be able to breathe post-consumption, but focus on the bliss settling its way into the deepest part of your stomach and you'll be just fine.

6. Back Forty

Neighborhood: East Village, Manhattan
Address: 190 Avenue B # 1
Website: backfortynyc.com

Back Forty admits it that it is a burger joint "at its core," but that doesn't stop them from serving some of the best chicken and waffles the city has to offer.

Back Forty's chicken is coated in a nutty batter which conceals some seriously moist meat, and is served beside a sweet belgian waffle that contrasts the chicken's mean crunch with it's super-softness. Back Forty keeps the fixins simple—a side of butter and maple syrup—but the wings and waffles pack so much flavor solo, you could easily tear halfway through before you even think to use either of them.

...not bad for a self-proclaimed burger joint.

5. Clinton St. Baking Co.

Neighborhood: Lower East Side, Manhattan
Address: 4 Clinton St.
Website: clintonstreetbaking.com

This cozy eatery may have made it onto the map with their blueberry pancakes, but it's their chicken and waffles that is undoubtedly keeping them there.

The salty-sweetness of CSB's buttermilk fried chicken meets its match with a crunchy Belgian waffle, but it's the warm maple butter and honey-Tabasco-kick that make this waffle unforgettbale.

Need more convinving? CSB devotes an entire night of the week to it's famous chicken and waffles, serving the dish with an ice cold Rogue Chipotle Ale for just $20 every Wednesday. 

4. Pies 'N Thighs

Neighborhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Address: 166 South 4th St.
Website: piesnthighs.com

Pies 'N Thighs may look like just another Williamsburg hipster haven, being that it's frequently crowded with ironically dressed, PBR-drinking types—but don't hold it against them.

Truth is, anyone can enjoy a BBQ chicken joint run by cute women, especially when those women are not only whipping up freshly baked waffles and topping them with greasy-good chicken, but also smothering said waffle with an artery-clogging quantity of cinnamon butter.

Sorry, but this time, it looks like the hipsters are onto something.

3. Buttermilk Channel

Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Address: 524 Court St.
Website: buttermilkchannelnyc.com

Chicken battered within an inch of its life is the name of the chicken and waffle game at Buttermilk. And with a place with a name like Buttermilk, you'd expect that their waffles would be equally on point, and your expectations would be beyond met.

Buttermilk's award-winning, heavily-coated-with-carb chicken lounges on a pillow-soft cheddar waffle and comes topped with flurry of powdered sugar. Served on the side is a bittersweet maple-balsamic glaze that is more for the dipping than the pouring, and ties in the homemade coleslaw that (you probably overlooked) sitting beside your chicken topped waffle.

2. Melba's

Neighborhood: Harlem, Manhattan
Address: 300 West 114th St.
Website: melbasrestaurant.com

If you were even slightly shocked when Bob Flay was taken down by the Melba Wilson during his chicken and waffle throwdown, you have never been to Melba's. Those who have had a taste of Ms. Wilson's waffle-wonders had their bets placed way in advance.

But if you don't know, know you know: Melba's eggnog-soaked waffles and the crispy, crunchy meat  she tops it off with are the stuff of fantasies and culinary wet dreams, and the freshly whipped strawberry butter she covers her concoction with finishes us off finishes the dish off just right.

1. Amy Ruth's

Neighborhood: Harlem, Manhattan
Address: 113 West 116th St.
Website: amyruthsharlem.com

If you are looking for the mecca of chicken and waffles, look no further than Amy Ruth's, the only Southern spot we know with an entire menu devoted to the protein and waffle combos alone.

Of the chicken-included variety is the Rev. Al Sharpton, which comes fried or smothered in gravy by request, or the Tommy Tomita, which features waffles and fried chicken wings. Either will be the best decision you've ever made, because Amy Ruth's is among the few, rare places whose just-crisp-enough waffles and never-too-crunchy chicken leave nothing to be desired...except a bed.