Amy Ruth's is a soul food restaurant in Harlem, New York City.
Amy Ruth's on West 116th Street has served chicken and waffles in Harlem, New York City since 1998. Order the the reverend al sharpton: chicken and waffles.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Chicken and waffles, Smoked turkey wing
Must order: The Reverend Al Sharpton: chicken and waffles.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the destination; weeknight dinner serves the same plate without the wait.
Address: 113 West 116th Street, Harlem, New York 10026, New York City
ABA Turkish Restaurant on West 57th runs charcoal-grilled lamb and Mediterranean mezes a block from Central Park in Midtown West, New York City.
Signature: Iskender kebab, Lamb adana
Order: Iskender kebab: vertically grilled lamb on pide bread under tomato sauce and yoghurt.
Tip: Halal kitchen, open 11:00-22:00 daily; the lamb chop platter and the kunefe dessert are the consistent picks across recent reviews.
Thai Villa near Union Square serves Bangkok and Chiang Mai cooking in Flatiron, New York City. Order the crab fried rice and the khao soi northern curry.
Signature: Pad kee mao, Khao soi
Order: Crab fried rice and the khao soi northern curry.
Tip: Two seatings on weekends: 18:30 and 21:00. The 21:00 service is quieter and easier to walk into without a wait.
Miss Lily's on Houston Street has run Jamaican island food in SoHo, New York City since 2010. Jerk chicken from the wood smoker, daiquiris from the back bar.
Signature: Jerk chicken, Curry goat
Order: Jerk chicken, rice and peas, fried plantains.
Tip: DJ nights run loud past 22:00. Brunch is the calmer service if you want to talk.
Yopparai on Clinton Street runs the Lower East Side's most serious sake bar in New York City. 70 by-the-cup sakes, izakaya snacks, 25 covers.
Signature: Sashimi platter, Sake flight
Order: Sake flight of three small cups and the daily sashimi.
Tip: Sake flights run with three-paragraph notes per pour. Bring patience and a friend who reads.
Kiki's on Division Street has poured retsina and grilled lamb chops in the Lower East Side, New York City since 2014. Priced at $$. Kitchen leans greek.
Signature: Lamb chops, Saganaki
Order: Lamb chops, saganaki, peasant salad.
Tip: Walk in at 17:30 or 22:00 for the only two short waits. The garden out back is the prize.
Han Dynasty's East Village outpost runs Chengdu-style numbing-spicy Sichuan in New York City. The dan dan and the dry pot are the room's calibration plates.
Signature: Dan dan noodles, Dry pot fish
Order: Dan dan noodles, dry pot fish, cucumber salad to cool.
Tip: The spice scale runs 1 to 10; the menu says 7 is hot, the kitchen means it. Start at 5.
