I grew up eating Sylvia’s on the regular but it’s nothing like it used to be when she was alive. Her niece has a spot called Amy Ruth’s which is really good like Sylvia’s used to be. They all was in business together but it seems like Amy took the recipes or secret ingredients with her! Lol 😂
who makes this sh*t up :-? A jewish man owns Amy Ruth's and has since he bought the entire building and restaurant from Carl Redding years ago. I swear people make anything up.
illerThanMost Relax & calm your nerves! Thanks for the update. Her niece left them & joined Amy Ruth’s! Her interview portrayed as if she owned it. I was there many yrs ago. So the Jews bought it like they buying everything else they could. Glad he was able to sell it & not lose it. Their family legacy brand still lives on!
Been there back in the mid 80's .Loved it. Met the women. When I ate there Boxing manager Don King was dining there. Great food and the experience was awesome.
Miss Sylvia is a woman that everyone would want as a Ma or Grandma, posting from a 60 yr old Irishman who's family is from rural Kentucky, btw, I have a great Christian Ma also that is a great cook
I lived in Harlem in the early 90's, used to get my weed at a Jamaican music store on 124th St. and Malcolm X Blvd. I'd walk in and the guy behind the bullet proof glass would yell out, "Boss, that crazy white boy is here again." Sylvia's was already past its prime when I ate there the last time in 1995. Hope the new generation of grandkids brought it back. But if you're not smoking your ribs then they will only ever be so good.
West Virginian here... we don't bake ribs! and that sauce looked bland af too! aha But I betcha Slyvia's childern/grandchildren don't cook like she did..
The locals on here say it’s garbage now but the host says it hasn’t changed since she was ten. Perhaps they upped their game for her. They made her homemade cornbread while the rest of us get jiffy. Hmm...maybe I will pay this place a visit the next time I visit NY.
Im from NY and Sylvia's food is not what it used to be. This place is overrated and only tourists think this place is good. Amy Ruth's is so much better
Sylvia's is not the same since it was sold this is just selling the hype, it's over, being from Harlem we know it's not the same, it's been like this for a while.
Yeah I could tell something was up when the grandson was wearing a casio with a gold bracelet and seasoning the ribs. Plus that old guy in the back is probably the real chef.
TUS_ MILO because before it became attraction it used to be a local gem. With the added demand from the publicity the food is just rushed out. There’s no love in the food anymore, it’s just a generic recipe. There’s used to be an old man cheffing it up in the back and they put young cats in the front who have revamped their old recipes to cater to new needs.
YESSS THAT'S WHAT I SAID. I'M NOT BLIND... THEY TORE IT APART IN SLOW MOTION AND WE SAW...... DRY ASS CHICKEN... NO JUICE😢 And, chicken breast are not always dry when cooked correctly. 😉
Sylvia was such a sweetheart. I went there before and after she passed; it is not the same, she used to walk around and talk to customers like you were family visiting her, especially when they had the Jazz Brunch on Sundays, it was packed. I went back in 2014 and the food seemed a lot of "from the can" or "frozen" collard greens; this is what happens when soul food becomes just another stop on the tourist buses that stop there for out of state and foreigners who will not know what Sylvia was like back when she used to put her foot in it, lol.
@@JWB86 Funny cuz i live in a town FULL of raging racists such as yourself, and not ONE of them has had the nerve to call me out of my name to my face. Yet, the internet makes your cowardly kind “brave”😉. 😂😂😂
Why would you rub seasoning onto your meat right before dumping it into brine? Lol. It's just going to wash all off and dissolve. Why wouldn't you put it into the brine, THEN pat it dry, THEN rub on the seasoning?
@@raifikarj6698 Every part of the country, and each state has a different take on food and recipes! The perfect melting pot at work in America when it comes to food!
Between Sylvia's and Mo's burgers they fed a whole population, not just generations. I went to Sylvia's in my first family trip to NY, I went to Mo's in my first solo international trip. Throw in Joe's Pizza, Papaya King and the cheap Chinatown restaurants to the equation and trust me, they made my trip the best
I'm team Sylvia's all day, everyday, always slamming customer service, dope food, on the money music and entertainment, fantastic experience. My birthday breakfast, every year, past 12years.
The chicken at Sylvia's is good AF. It's funny how when neighborhood places become famous (tourists visiting them) the community ...especially black folk ...start talking down on it. It always happens.
So why is it when white ppl come to the neighborhood everything becomes expensive for the blacks of the same community that helped that same business get to the success these tourist know today? the food for the price is not worth it......
@@apeshit111906 yes I have and I know the difference between inflation and extreme gentrification the same plate u get here and pay $25 u can get in the same area for $12-$15
Do people not realize to get taste you need to sacrifice some stuff. Thank god Tennessee barbecue did not bow down to hipsters and kept all the lard in every recipe. I think the 2000s fad diets ruined Sylvia’s and other places. Granted I have never been there but this is just my theory. Plus the food looked horrendous I have never seen such dry ribs.
Using lard to fry your food in a deep fryer is easier and taste just as good, just don't think it happened here. That chicken breast looked incredibly dry no matter how much she tried to open it and say it was juicy.
@emaikalone passing down recipes isnt authenic, when majoity of the time their moms and grand mothers who were from the south were supervising while they prepare these dishes.
Don't believe the bullshit, The food is still amazing. Local residents just love to complain because of all the tourist that come by , I Honestly think people just feel entitled and hate seeing a business grow , how can you complain about the tourism when literally that's the reason this restaurant got its name , a restaurant in New York gets 40% of their revenue from tourism so I don't understand how you people in the comments are trying to tarnish this restaurants name . It's a Shame that we as black people speak down on each other , you guys no Damn well the food is delicious.
happens every time. Any local business in new york suffers like this. People won't bash McDonalds or nasty a** burger king but will bash a restaurant just because they see it becoming famous and people talking about it. It sucks to watch. Crabs in a barrel. Keep that same energy for all businesses...not just our own SMFH.
illerThanMost ummm this video isn’t talking about trash ass Burger King or Mc Donald’s though... have you even been to Sylvia’s recently? Have you had a chance to indulge in their flavorless mac & cheese ? Have you ever taken a bite of their dry ass chicken ? The food taste as if they don’t even try ever since Sylvia died..
@@KMarie33 my point is ...people go out of their way to bash. If you don't like it move TF on. I hate cheesecake factory but when I hear someone talk about it or I see a video mentioning ... I don't see people especially our people bashing. They just keep it moving. Negative energy is usually reserved for our own business. And yes...I still grab Sylvia's when I'm back in NYC. Haven't been since the summer but will be back soon. Carry on.
I’ve eaten here twice. It changed my life!! I’m from the south (Memphis)and we swear can’t nobody throw down like us. Well it’s true BUT Sylvias was just amazing!! I’m a big fan.
I’m born and raised in the south. I do not trust the palette of northerners. Ik Sylvia is from SC, but she’s gone now. So who’s left running it?? Northerners
This video is making my mouth water from 15 years ago... the first time I had it! They run such an amazing establishment... can't beleive she didn't get the candied yams 🤦🏾♀️😆
I can't really speak on it but... I'm black, my moms... my whole family is from NY. I kno what good soul food looks, smells, & taste like, and this ain't it. From my stand point, it looks like what use to be a family oriented thing where ur just laughing, having fun... like a cook out, or family reunion type deal to a 'we gotta make this food look better, it's all about presentation'. There is no real presentation when it comes to soul food. This ain't meant to look like no 5 star meal. Also I feel they just have family working there just to keep the vibe and so they won't have to work for anybody else lol.
You're right, I gave Slyvia's a try for the first time last year, I live in Brooklyn. Chicken was mostly dry but crunchy. Mac n cheese was literally mac n cheese. The greens, I cannot fathom them being the original greens Sylvia made all those years ago, I just can't. The only good thing I had was the cornbread, light and a little sweet. The barbecue sauce on the ribs resembles Dallas BBQ (the chain) rather than any genuine homemade sauce I've bought and enjoyed below Maryland. I make better Soul food than this restaurant and I'm West Indian - American.
I am Hispanic and I’ve eaten a lot of good food anyone who knows food and how to cook knows what good food looks like. This definitely doesn’t look it and I haven’t even ate here yet which I never will.
I ate at Sylvia's a long, long time ago. I don't remember when it was. I don't recall what I ate. I remember that it must have been great, because everybody says it's great. It must have been great, because it had to be great. Madam Sylvia came and greeted us, looking simply divine in diamond earrings and a heavily used apron. There were a couple of big shot politicians there, especially the U.S. Representative who will always be the Big Man on the Congressional Campus! I thought the place would be kinda pretentiously bourgeois. No! It was laid back and cool. People were there to drink heavily and eat the finest soul food in the world beyond Africa and the cotton plantations in the southern U.S.A. All I remember was that I was drinking, laughing and dining with friends, and gorging my toothpick of a self. I probably left Sylvia's ten-pounds heavier, happier, and hungry as heaven! God rest your Great Soul Food Soul, Madame Sylvia. Say hi to God for me please. And let God try some of those smackin' CHICKEN LIVERS, Sautéed w/ Onions & Peppers, Topped w/ Gravy, Seasoned to Perfection w/ Fresh Herbs.
Chicken and Waffles was invented by Jazz players who wanted a 3 course meal at night, they used to eat fried chicken and waffles together in one meal before they perform
I ate here it was amazing I had corn bread, greens, catfish and it was SO good. Oh and an iced tea I think. Im English and was visiting my brother who lives in New Jersey. The people in Harlem we passed were so cute, one shop has a cat that they brought out so my young daughters could stroke it, my youngest daughter was 18 months old and a lot of the friendly locals gave her a wave and kept commenting on her blonde hair. Dont beleive the bad comments on Harlem our experience was brillaint.
Looks pretty average.. I mean not bad, but not “legendary soul food” Edit: Like come on.. their signature and “legendary” chicken is as they said, only put into flour. No or anything else. Just flour.
Been there several times. Food is delicious. Harlem is a unique place so many different cultures and beautiful architecture all around. Much love from Cali
I have always heard about this restaurant and how good it is. But I also heard some not so good things, like how it's not all that,etc. I guess it depends on who is cooking that day and where there mindset is. Also, I looked up their menu and they are pricey! And they charge you if you want to take out your left overs.
Yes I ate at Sylvia's back in December 2002, with my honey from Lake Jackson Texas. We had the smother stake, and smother chicken with greens and Mac and cheese rice and grave, and corn bread. Highlight of are Xmas that year. Thank you blessing us with soul food.
2:52 preparing food with long nails without gloves isn’t sanitary. Think about when you wipe after using the bathroom, most ladies (probably) don’t clean underneath their fingernails.
I went there out of curiosity and was really disappointed, food was good but I realized I was paying for something as a tourist, got smothered chicken, collards, macaroni and cheese and it came to over $20, REALLY?
Jesus love you, he died on the cross for you, accept him as your lord and savior he can change everything. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life" (Jn 3:16" But you must repent too. From that time Jesus went about preaching and saying, Let your hearts be turned from sin, for the kingdom of heaven is near. (Matthew 4:17)@
So many Chefs wear jewlery in a commerical kitchen, str8 up fuckin wrong! Sis, neva shudda been able to step in that kitchen with her hair, and touch the ribs with nail polish on! Chefs, really need to stick to the code!
