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Rack & Soul

Critics' Pick

258 W. 109th St., New York, NY 10025
nr. Broadway See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-222-4800 Send to Phone

Price Range: $$$$
Reader Rating:
5.0 out of 10

2 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: BBQ, Southern/Soul

Photo by Alyson Aliano

Map

Official Website

Rate & Review

Hours

Mon-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri, 11am-11pm; Sat, 10am-11pm; Sun, 10am-9:30pm

Nearby Subway Stops

1 at Cathedral Pkwy./110th St.

Prices

$6-$20

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Delivery
Kids' Menu
Lunch
Take-Out

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Not Accepted

Delivery Area

79th St. to 125th St., Central Park West to Riverside Dr.

Profile

Charles Gabriel, a Harlem luminary known for the peerless pan-fried chicken and soul-food buffet at his Charles’ Southern Style Kitchen, has infiltrated lower Manhattan (lower for him, that is), entering into a consulting partnership at the new Rack & Soul. The casual upper-Broadway spot, with its Greek-coffee-shop layout and disarmingly friendly service, serves the full gamut of southern-style cuisine, with a pit smoker overseen by co-chef John Wheeler. The chicken, ordered with a fluffy round waffle as one of the two included sides, is crisp, golden-brown crust, moist meat, and a well-seasoned flavor that induces uninhibited bone gnawing and finger licking. Although the space is plain, with red vinyl booths and a designated takeout counter and entrance, Rack & Soul, unlike Charles’s uptown HQ, does offer wine and a couple of unusual beers, like Louisiana’s Abita and Gosser from Austria. There is iced tea and lemonade, of course, and the usual dessert suspects—a supersweet banana pudding and a decent red velvet cake—trucked in from a Harlem bakery. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Reader Ratings

5.0

"Mixed Reviews"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10

Good Food and a Good Bargain

Earguy11 from Levittown | Posted on 1/17/07

Overall Reader Rating: 7 (Recommended)


Food:	8
Service:	8

Décor:	5

Value:	7

Had dinner here on an uncrowded Wednesday evening. The service was terrific with a friendly greating and a quick effecient wait staff. My daughter had the Fried chicken, I had the catfish. Both arrived immediately out of the fryer and were...Read More

Customer Service

hotep49 from new york | Posted on 9/24/06

Overall Reader Rating: 3 (Not Recommended)


Food:	5
Service:	1

Décor:	5

Value:	5

Customer service is the utmost principle regarding the success of a restaurant, a neighborhood bar or a momma and poppa coffee shop. When I order a meal, whether I remain at the restaurant or I take it to go, I do...Read More