NYC Restaurant Wins James Beard Award: See 2024 Winners

NEW YORK CITY — The Big Apple is one of six winners of the 2024 America’s Classics Award given to locally-owned, independent restaurants, the James Beard Foundation said in an announcement Wednesday.

Owned by The Woods Family, Sylvia’s Restaurant at 328 Malcolm X Blvd. is a Harlem “institution” and “embodiment of American entrepreneurial self-determination,” according to a news release from the James Beard Foundation.

“The late owner, Sylvia Woods, dubbed “The Queen of Soul Food,” founded the now-iconic restaurant in 1962 after buying the luncheonette where she worked as a cook and waitress for 16 years,” the foundation noted. “For over 62 years Sylvia’s has been serving her traditional South Carolina soul food—like the world-famous barbeque ribs, fried chicken, and smothered pork chops—to Presidents, governors, mayors, heads of state, dignitaries, and her beloved Harlem community.”

Sylvia’s legacy continues on with the brand helmed by her son Kenneth Woods, who has built the brand to include a national line of food products, catering, cookbooks, a real estate company, scholarships and more.

Related: 31 NYC Restaurants, Chefs Named 2024 James Beard Semifinalists

Other local restaurants recognized for their high-quality food and timeless appeal are:

• Mandalay, San Francisco; currently owned by Kevin Chen
• Vietnam Restaurant, Philadelphia; currently owned by Benny Lai
• Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge, Brookings, South Dakota; currently owned by Georgiana Olson and Michael Johnson
• Wade’s Restaurant, Spartanburg, South Carolina; currently owned by Hamp Lindsey, Wade Lindsey III and Anna Lindsey Liles
• Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge, Las Vegas; currently owned by Nat Carasali and Bill Paganetti

The winners of this year’s America’s Classics Awards join the ranks of more than 100 restaurants across the country that have been recognized since the category was added to the James Beard Awards in 1998. They will receive recognition at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach called America’s Classics winners “cornerstones of our communities” and “national treasures of timeless appeal that reflect the richness and diversity of our country’s food culture.”

Among the nation’s most prestigious culinary awards, the James Beard Awards recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community sustainability and a culture where all can thrive. The awards celebrate excellence across all types of dining experiences.

Additional announcements will be made this spring in the Chef and Restaurant Awards, including (dates may be subject to change):

• April 3: Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees and Achievement Awards, including Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year and Leadership Awards;
• April 30: Announcement of nominees for the James Beard Media Awards.