Charles Pan-Fried Chicken makes a comeback with Upper West Side location
NEW YORK - The sizzling of chicken on the Upper West Side is a much-welcomed sound for the foodies of New York City.
"Here I am now, back in business again and it's time to do my thing," said Chef Charles Gabriel, the owner of Charles Pan-Fried Chicken.
It's been three decades since Chef Charles first set up a table on a Harlem sidewalk to sell his made-with-love fried chicken. He eventually transitioned to a food truck and then a Harlem storefront before the pandemic temporarily put his dreams on hold.
"It's something I never expected, something that really hurt me because I've been in this business, I am so used to working and it really took a toll on me for a while there," Gabriel said.
He had to close his restaurant when COVID hit but still kept cooking. He provided 600 meals a day for the homeless out of a Harlem church. But now, he's back in business. His store Charles Pan-Fried Chicken is in a new spot on the Upper West Side. Last week was the soft opening and the response was every chef's dream.
"They were coming here — so many people, I didn't know where they were coming from," Gabriel said. "I thought there was a bus out there bringing them in."
For a full week, they sold out of everything by 6 p.m. — every piece of chicken, every side dish and everything else on the menu.
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When we asked what was so special about the chicken, Chef Charles told us it's his secret seasoning, which he leaves on the chicken for several hours before cooking it.
Gabriel grew up in the South and learned his family's treasured chicken recipe from his beloved late mother. Up until now, Gabriel did all the cooking, ingredient shopping, and sales on his own but he finally has a new business partner to help hire employees, expand the business, and advertise. For customers already salivating just by reading this article, you can't beat the prices for the amount of food that will come on your plate.
"You get a full meal — our prices are pretty reasonable," Charles Pan-Fried Chicken CEO Quie Slobert said. "$15.95 will get you three pieces of chicken, two sides, cornbread."
For those health-conscious chicken lovers, Gabriel swears his birds are healthier than traditional fried chicken. There's no deep fryer at his restaurant. Instead, every piece of chicken is made with love in a cast-iron skillet, with Gabriel watching over. And at 74, he has no plans of slowing down.
"I'm in love with cooking, that's my hobby," Gabriel said. "That's what I do."
The plan is to open three other locations in Manhattan this year, with one set to open in March at West 145th and Edgecombe Avenue.
Chef Charles is currently training other chefs to help run those locations.
Charles Pan-Fried Chicken | 146 W. 72nd St., New York, N.Y. 10023 | 340 W. 145th St., New York, N.Y. 10039 | charlespanfriedchicken.com