✦ Casual Dining · Harlem

Best Casual Dining Restaurants in Harlem

9 ranked casual dining restaurants in Harlem, New York City — with ratings, must-try dishes and live availability.

9 picks

These are the 9 best Harlem restaurants for a casual meal, ranked. Amy Ruth's is the pick if you want the surest thing — 4.6 stars across 2,234 reviews. Most of this list stays under $40 a head. If you only order one thing, make it the fried chicken at Amy Ruth's. None of these take online reservations — they are walk-in or phone-only, so go early.

Harlem's dining scene spans soul-food institutions that have fed the neighborhood for generations and a newer wave of West African and Caribbean rooms.

Amy Ruth's

Southern · Harlem · $$

★★★★½ 4.6

Southern in Harlem — 4.6 across 2,234 diner reviews

Must-try: Fried chicken, Chicken and waffles, Collard greens

📍 113 W 116th St, New York, NY 10026

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Safari

Somali · Harlem · $$

★★★★½ 4.6

Somali in Harlem — 4.6 across 1,639 diner reviews

Must-try: Hilib ari with yellow rice, Roast goat, Chicken suqaar

📍 55 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10026

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Abyssinia

Ethiopian · Harlem · $$

★★★★½ 4.6

Ethiopian in Harlem — 4.6 across 1,077 diner reviews

Must-try: Beef stew, Vegetable stews

📍 268 W 135th St, New York, NY 10030

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The Edge

American · Harlem · $$

★★★★☆ 4.4

American in Harlem — 4.4 across 3,424 diner reviews

Must-try: Jerk chicken, Fish and chips

📍 101 Edgecombe Ave, New York, NY 10030

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Sottocasa Pizzeria

Sottocasa Pizzeria

Pizza · Harlem · $

★★★★☆ 4.4

Pizza in Harlem — 4.4 across 1,171 diner reviews

Must-try: Neapolitan pies, Brussels sprouts and speck pizza

📍 227 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

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Famous Fish Market

Famous Fish Market

Seafood · Harlem · $$

★★★★☆ 4.3

Seafood in Harlem — 4.3 across 3,401 diner reviews

Must-try: Fried whiting

📍 684 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10030

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Clay

American · Harlem · $$

★★★★☆ 4.3

American in Harlem — 4.3 across 3,385 diner reviews

Must-try: Confit duck

📍 553 Manhattan Ave, New York, NY 10027

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Harlem Shake

Burgers · Harlem · $$

★★★★☆ 4.3

Burgers in Harlem — 4.3 across 1,949 diner reviews

Must-try: Smashburgers, Snoop chili dog, Red velvet shake

📍 100 W 124th St, New York, NY 10027

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Rabbit's Chicken & Waffles

Rabbit's Chicken & Waffles

Soul Food · Harlem · $

★★★½☆ 3.9

a late-night sidewalk fryer making everything to order, and charmingly so

Must-try: Fish sandwich, Crisp-skinned wings, Waffles

📍 61 W 130th St, New York, NY 10037

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best casual dining restaurant in Harlem?

Amy Ruth's — 4.6 stars across 2,234 reviews, the highest on this list. Southern in Harlem — 4.6 across 2,234 diner reviews.

Do these restaurants take reservations?

None of the 9 on this page take online bookings — they are walk-in or phone-only. Going early, or on a weeknight, is the reliable move.

What should I order?

The fried chicken at Amy Ruth's, the hilib ari with yellow rice at Safari and the beef stew at Abyssinia. Those are the dishes regulars point to first.

How were these picked?

Ratings and review volume decide the order, but the list itself is drawn from restaurants people actually post about — 5 of the 9 here have a TikTok attached to their card. Every entry is checked as open before it ships.