Amy Ruth's Downtown — Restaurant in New York

Cashier was super nice, the place looked spotless and it was very clean yet the lack of soul food smell in the air created an empty feeling and not that of a home cooked meal. Perhaps it was in the cleanliness and the absence of any oder that caused a familiarity that I’ve felt when eating at other soul food establishments. No pun intended but it definitely lacked soul. The absence of food smell also dictated that not a lot of food was being cooked which also gave me a discouraging feeling before ordering because it was obvious no one else was eating from here which I should have taken as my first sign to leave.

We stayed because of the great customer service however the food didn’t match the quality of our expectations.

I ordered a chicken sandwich and 2 sides (Mac and cheese and yams) order came out to $54. Way to overpriced especially in this economy, especially when competitors like VERA’s has $10 plates and Bedstuy fish fry have a buy one get one deal going on. There’s absolutely no reason for anyone to pay this obscene amount when there is better for less out there.

The chicken sandwiches were dry and lacked any flavor in comparison to fast food chicken sandwiches like chick-fil-a or Popeyes. There’s no reason why a fast food chain should have a better chicken sandwiches than an authentic soul food restaurant. There’s fries lacked any salt at all and the yams weren’t even candied they were just boiled sweet potatos. The Mac could’ve been way creamier.

I want better for yall, but at the rate business open and close on 14th I can’t see a bright future for this location like Royce Gracie’s ju-jitsu school or that party city across the...

Alright so I ordered from Amy Ruth's on UberEats kinda expecting the usual mid/acceptable plate that's standard fare for delivery. THIS was not that.

This was honestly some of the best chicken I've ever had - and was hands down the best food I've ever ordered for delivery. The baked chicken thigh was perfectly seasoned, JUICY, and had a nice crispy skin. I'm really weird about bone-in meat, can never figure out how to get all the meat off and avoid the gristly bits ... Not an issue here. So tender that I polished those bones up cleaner than a taxidermist.

When I saw the prices on the app, I got kinda nervous bc you know how these restaurants are out here lmao. But the serving sizes are VERY respectful and the food is VERY good. This is not a "sauce cup of mushy mac & cheese for $8" place. You get a nice dense, fat brick of it. Chicken thigh looked like it was off a small dinosaur. There was almost TOO MUCH banana pudding (never change, I loved it) I've never seen a dessert serving that generous.

Speaking of - the nana pudding was so good I can't even describe it. It's be like trying to explain colors we can't see.

I know I probably sound dramatic or like some chat-gpt ad copy, but I was genuinely so impressed and happy with the food. This is not a critique at all, just an observation; my plate wasn't as intensely seasoned as some soul food as I've had in the past, but that's what I personally liked about it. The food tasted high quality and didn't need a lot of accoutrements to make it flavorful and delicious.

Probably going back this weekend to get it fresh :)

Keep up the...

I'm a regular at Amy Ruth's restaurant in Harlem and I'm always down to grab some Soul Food on my days off with my friends when I have the time. Quite recently, I found out that Amy Ruth's had a second location closer to where I work downtown. It was almost perfect because now I can pick up some food either on the way to work, or order some during my lunch break.

One of my friends and I decided to check this location out on Saturday and I have to say, it was really beyond our expectations. We were greeted by Jayda who took our orders and also informed us that Tim would be our Chef for the day.

To start, my friend ordered a half and half lemonade / iced tea and I ordered a regular lemonade. My lemonade tasted like it was freshly squeezed and made me feel like a kid again. Wait time for our food was no longer than a few minutes since we were the first ones in the store. We both ordered three fried chicken wings on a waffle, homemade macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and candied yams. My friend and I devoured our meals and even saved some for later. The last thing we ordered was their signature red velvet cake and creamy banana pudding. Absolute perfection.

If I'm being honest, I've eaten at a few other Soul Food restaurants in the city, and in my opinion, Amy Ruth's is number one on my list. Amy Ruth's Downtown is definitely worth checking out whether you're in the area for a quick bite, or just have a craving for some authentic...