Charles Pan-Fried Chicken Opening New Harlem Spot This Month

HARLEM, NY — Harlem's fried chicken king is days away from making a grand return to the neighborhood: the new location of Charles Pan-Fried Chicken will open on March 26, the shop announced Wednesday.

The 1 p.m. Saturday opening will represent a comeback for chef Charles Gabriel, who closed his longtime shop on West 132nd Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard last year amid issues with his landlord.

Soon after, however, Gabriel revealed plans for the new location on West 145th Street and Edgecombe Avenue. At 750 square feet, it will be the biggest location in the restaurant's three-decade history, featuring a large kitchen perfect for whipping up pork chops, chicken and waffles, yams, and black-eyed peas — not to mention Gabriel's signature fried chicken.

In the year that it has taken to open the new Harlem shop, Gabriel has also opened another location on West 72nd Street on the Upper West Side. A third shop in Brooklyn is reportedly in the works, with more still to come.

Formerly home to a bodega, Charles's new Harlem space underwent a major renovation by owner L+M Development Partners, designed by architect Nina Kinoti-Metz. The large venue will enable more pickup and delivery service compared to Gabriel's old location.

A North Carolina native, Gabriel moved to New York in 1965 at the age of 20. He began cooking fried chicken at a park table before opening a food truck, and later a series of restaurants in Harlem starting in 1984. He was nominated for a James Beard award in 2018.

"We are excited to welcome beloved New York City institution Charles Pan-Fried Chicken to a brand-new space in the heart of a historic Harlem neighborhood," said Joseph Milone, director of retail at L+M, in a statement last year.

"His old-school skillet-fried chicken has drawn long lines for years and this new space will bring the iconic soul food to even more New Yorkers."

Related coverage: Charles Pan-Fried Chicken Moves Deeper Into Harlem