Major props to the waiter. Saved you money which ultimately possibly lowered his tip. That interaction alone is rare these days. Used to hit up Sylvia’s on Sunday Gospel Brunch where Miss Sylvia would greet each guest and walk to each table to check on their meal. Brought my parents from Ohio, who knew Miss Sylvia from her product line, she spoke to them for about 5 minutes and they were very impressed by the entire experience. R.I.P. Sylvia.

@salinator5966

11 ай бұрын

OTOH, good service and saving the customer a few dollars should be rewarded with a better tip.

@samuraidoggy

3 ай бұрын

Sounds boring. I dont like Gospel.

@ryangies4798

3 ай бұрын

@@samuraidoggy Why don't you join me Dog? I'll have the chef cook up something special for you.

@BabyJVCT

13 күн бұрын

@@samuraidoggyyou are 500lb

That waiter was super helpful and knowledgeable, that’s rare nowadays.

@bigvito69

Жыл бұрын

Sounded like a waitress

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

@@bigvito69 It was a waiter

@Lawomenshoops

Жыл бұрын

A good server who knows the menu, and makes suggestions is so rare today!

@Pr0d3gi

Жыл бұрын

@@bigvito69 sounded like a gay man

@MrBjorn6

Жыл бұрын

The children know their stuff!

I have frequented Sylvia's since the 80s. The food there is still good, but if you had been a customer when Sylvia was alive, you could tell the difference. It's still pretty good, but not what it used to be. Thanks for the review!

@turkeyman631

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I'm sure it was less about profit and more about the love of cooking. I don't blame anyone for going for a good profit to taste ratio. At least in his case, they seem to be doing a good job of that.

@monkeyballs512

Жыл бұрын

I’d agree with that. It’s still excellent and I wouldn’t want to talk anyone out of going, but back in the day it was one of the best restaurants in the world. Now it’s just a very good one

@loirinlancaster3

Жыл бұрын

I haven’t been since I was a child in the 80’s

@deedeelife1032

Жыл бұрын

Grew up in Harlem and been visiting since the 70s. The food was good until Miss Sylvia passed away. The food and service now is not that great. It is not crowded on Saturday nights anymore, and they are losing thousands of customers for some reason.

@maliklo6965

Жыл бұрын

@lindaaldridge johnson 6 I concur with your comment. You are dead on

I love the fact that the server offered a way of saving money on recommending combination platters. A lot of servers do not nor do they know the menu .

I love that you share the interaction you have with the waitstaff . Service is always the most important part of my dining experience. Service here seemed just lovely 😊

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Yep I try to include it when I can. Service was excellent!

I tend to avoid the crowded soul food joints, because the food just tends to not be the same as I get at a smaller lesser known spot. And once a soul food place gets labelled "the place to go" or gets famous the quality goes, portion sizes go down and the prices go UP.

@glennusher4160

Жыл бұрын

I agree..

@charisejackson7353

6 ай бұрын

Exactly

You did it right too! That mac and cheese is just how I like it. Baked and not creamy. Honestly I feel full just watching this video. Thanks for filling up for the cause

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! I will sacrifice my beach bod to showcase these places for you all

My father always told us, "The best compliment you could ever give a good cook is to say nothing while your eating. (not implying you are talking too much, you are doing a video) You are quiet because you are enjoying what had been cooked for you. Silence says everything that words can't". That must have been really good food cooked for you then. RIP Miss Sylvia. and Daddy.

The dish is called baked macaroni and cheese. It is baked hard and the base is an egg custard, not a bechamel sauce base.

I went to Sylvias for first time with family this month (june 2023). Half of us loved it and the other half didn't or felt it wasn't worth the price. I fell into the group that LOVED it and enjoyed everything i ate there (I ordered the veggie platter with mac n cheese, vegetarian collards, green beans, and rice). Soul food is tricky when eating it at a restaurant because your gonna always gonna compare it to what your mom/grandma/aunt cooked growing up. Overall, I'd 100% reccomend Sylvias!!!

@jaypaladin-havesmartswilll5508

Жыл бұрын

If the expectation is too high, people can be easily get disappointed when the food is actually good or pretty good but not great,. Folks don't take into account that it is their first visit with super high expectations.

Great review my man. BTW the meat in the collard greens use to be pork mainly hammock meat but today most are made with smoked turkey. I really dig your manner of critique. I'm subscribed now lol. Keep up the good work.

I’ve never seen anyone close their eyes when biting into their food. This dude has a personal moment with each bite.

@aeugenegray

Жыл бұрын

You gotta watch Mark Weins.

@justicedemocrat9357

10 ай бұрын

He didn't close his eyes it just looked that way due to his slanty ching eyes.

@jakeMontejo3272

10 ай бұрын

@@aeugenegray That guy is cringe

@jakeMontejo3272

10 ай бұрын

@@justicedemocrat9357 racist much?

@govinda102000

9 ай бұрын

Cutting off a sense makes the others stronger.

The price is not all that bad for an institutional restaurant. It’s similar to the price of a meal at the Cheesecake Factory.

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

I don't think it's an unreasonable price as it was a lot of food

Great updated stop at Sylvia's! I first ate there in about 1972! Glad you had a good experience! So, so many wonderful stops for ribs & chicken in Harlem!

You should have ate dinner mixing food and eating a little this and that. No one eats all their chicken, all their ribs, three bites of greens, and expect the Mac n cheese to be hot and delicious. The mixture of eating everything together makes it soul food.

@mattnsac

14 күн бұрын

Nah some families make it like that. Its just the style. Im with UA, I like it in bachamel sauce so its gooey even when its cold, but thats not how everyone does it.

Well done UA! Your honest review and style is a breathe of fresh air. Keep up the great work!

That looked delicious! Now I’m hankering for fried chicken, ribs and, collards at 5 AM! Well done UA.

Anywhere where the staff point out ways to save money and have better value is starting off well! Looks worth a visit. Gosh it must be scary living in NYC now with those prices being the norm.

I ate there about a month back, and I thought it was very good. And as an avid BBQ'r, you don't want fall off the bone ribs, you want bite off the bone ribs. The best ribs, should pull cleanly from the bone, but leave a well defined bite mark.

@ronnie1315

6 ай бұрын

I agree

Not a big fan of this place after working there as a waiter and discovered that they put the fried chicken in a warmer where it sits until ordered. Prior to working there I went to dinner for the first time , service was good, vibe was nice but luke warm chicken didn’t quite do it for me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I got a job there then it all made sense!! It’s been sitting in a food warmer!!!!! Yes it is a tourist trap , but still worth checking it out at least once I would suggest Melba’s Ms. Sylvia’s granddaughters Resturant the experience is amazing and the food is delicious!! I’ve also had the pleasure to work there as well! Such an amazing place and Ms. Melba is the bomb!!

@apeshit111906

Жыл бұрын

Lol so you got fired?

@leighwilliams325

Жыл бұрын

@@apeshit111906 no not at all just moved on .. lol

UA found the perfect food channel recipe. I think people enjoy the levity of the channel, the goodness of the food, and to be honest, the lack of pretentiousness. The world can only have so many videos about how "food is our way of talking to our ancestors and this food is our way to respect that." Just good food, good dude, and great vids. Keep it up!

Wow, what a great meal you had there, UA! Everything looked delicious. I also happen to like Mac and Cheese made a little on the dry side. Next time I'm in the city, I'll definitely check this place out. Thanks for the video!

I went there in 1997 and Sylvia came over to our table and talked to us! I came from CA to visit family in NY! The food was good! It was an awesome visit to see Harlem!

Nice detailed review that is real and straight to the point.

Glad I found your channel. Great video! Looking forward to checking out the rest of the content, subscribed! PS: Competition BBQ ribs aren't supposed to fall off the bone. They should have a bit of a bite (light pull) but super tender, sounds like what you had.

"the butteryness of the butter" that's world class food reviewing right there😁

That all looked really good. I would have put that hot sauce on the Mac n Cheese also! Great review .

Been to Sylvia’s once like 10 years ago and loved it. Fried chicken was amazing. Looking forward to going back.

Great review UA! Those ribs look so gooood!! Keep the vids coming 👍

Suggestion: take a bite or two of each item while they’re hot and fresh. That wasn’t fair to the Mac and Cheese.

Ribs and chicken looked great! It seems like everyone has a different opinion on how they like their ribs. Those looked exactly how I like my ribs. Tender but not mushy.

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

It was all tasty!

Big fan on what you do thanks keep up the good work

Wow that food looked incredible…I can see it’s worth trying. You can’t let the Mac get cold and hard to taste it, You had to try it right away to give it an accurate and fair review

@yellowbug5113

10 ай бұрын

He a lot of times talks a bit too much.

I'm glad to know Sylvia's is still around...I have a friend coming to visit in September... she's bringing some friends from Chicago and I took her there when she was last here a few years ago... want them to have a good time and get some good food...New York style...

Good review as always. I will advise anyone going to 125 and Lexington to be careful especially the 4,5,6 subway area. Gets very dangerous at night and is always sketchy during the day, lots of mentally unstable people and crime has plagued this corner.

@diamondsparkle9967

Жыл бұрын

"Mentally unstable". No!!! They're on drugs.

@a.p1971

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@6time686

Жыл бұрын

Or you can just walk the streets, mind your business and head over to Sylvia's without a problem. Crime is everywhere...

@justsandy4381

Жыл бұрын

Yes!! Be very aware

@donnamiranda8880

Жыл бұрын

@@6time686Thank you my East Coast friend. I walk around there in the evening all the time! Like my momma used to say, “walk like you goin’ somewhere “!!!🤣🤣🤣

That was one of the best waiters I've seen in quite awhile, excellent work!

I do not live on the East Coast. I just found your channel and enjoy your honest reviews. New subbie now!

More than the restaurant, I am impressed by this reviewer. I love to cook, and I can tell from his remarks he is trying to be objective as possible, always--and I say this after seeing several of his videos. If you are trying to improve yourself, you have to be honest, and I can see he is doing that, trying to analyze exactly what he doesn't like. Some other reviewers seem to love everything they taste; I won't disparage them because they do a service by introducing us to a whole variety of foods, although they are often sponsored by the places they show. It is really refreshing to see such integrity in reporting.

The cornbread is always complimentary. It's my favorite item at Sylvia's.

I'm gonna try them out for myself on my birthday.But I'm glad for the positive review from this video maker.

Just wanted to say thank you for your videos love them ....

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Keep doing your thing brother, videos are great

I haven't been to Harlem in over twenty years, but when I did go Sylvia's was a must go. I don't know if they are the same, but I wish them well.

I aways enjoy your description & videos. Thanks

Ham hocks are in the collards! Yes!! Baked Mac and cheese is my favorite, I like it drier, myself! Thanks, so glad I found your channel.

great review the food looked really good thank you

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Awesome review UA. Glad the food was better than those negative reviews!

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Indeed! I was pleasantly surprised

love your honesty ... tell it like it is

If the cornbread is hot, trick is to cut a slit in top of the muffin with your knife that goes about halfway down to the middle and then put the pat of butter in it and it will melt and dissolve throughout the whole muffin. A bbq place I used to go to would do that with all their cornbread muffins and now I do it every time when I get those type of cornbread muffins.

Sylvia food ( to me ) is so overrated, and that dry mac & cheese says it all 😆. But, I don't think that it's a tourist trap. If that's the case you can say that about NYC as a whole.

@Ira88881

10 ай бұрын

Well said.

Hey there UA. Good to see you back.

Speaking of BBQ UA , all your followers and I , await the time you decide to step out and do a Texas BBQ crawl ( franklin / Goldees/ interstellar). That will be epic as are most your videos ! Can’t wait for it

I recently went with a friend of mine who grew up in Harlem. She halfway enjoyed the food, I loved it, and the service was great!

First video i saw of yours and you're doing a great job! keep it up! I subbed up so i can see what you're up to next!

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm glad you like the vids and great to have you onboard!

Some of us like the drier crunchy Mac and cheese. Not a fan of the wet style. Everything looks delicious.

As a Southerner, try the hot sauce on the greens next time.

Another nice review well done

Love your style and method of presentation

Why don't you take a bite of chicken then mac and cheese than ribs then collards that way everything tastes how it got served.thars why the mac cooled down.

@turtlepowersf

2 ай бұрын

Yup, I don't get how anyone eats like that. The whole point of having multiple proteins plus multiple side dishes is to taste how everything complements each other.

the butteryness of the butter...amazing stuff UA

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

haha. What can I say, I'm a real wordsmith

Everything looks incredible, except the Mac and cheese, but the service seems great....looks good and your facial expressions made my day, know you enjoyed yourself 😋😆😉

$26 for one piece of chicken, 3 pieces of ribs, one serving of greens and mac. A little pricey if you ask me. 😅

Another great video. You need to get your own show on the food channel.

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

That would be cool!

Going to NYC today, have eaten at Sylvia's before in 2017, amazing food, best cornbread Ive ever had in life. UA loves Ruth Annes, may have to a showdown!

Thanks for the Road Trip ....Do Love Ribs, Chicken and Greens,,.OOOYEA When I do Greens I always put in either small Pices of Ham or Pork, whatever I have left over in the Frig. Good Eats.... Can't wait till Your next time ....

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Sounds delicious!

Awesome review, UA! Come to Los Angeles, I’ll show you the taco spots lol

Wow in Australia we can’t get soul food, there aren’t any restaurants that I know of who sells that type of delicious and comforting food 😍

@Jeanology

Жыл бұрын

Wow, in all of Australia? Sounds like I need to open up a spot out there 😏

@CarltonBeckfordDozier66

Жыл бұрын

In Australia you lack the diversity for a soul food restaurant. Plus your country's history of how they treat the Indigenous Aborigines, tell us all how you feel about Black people and our culture.

@kwoylee5617

Жыл бұрын

​@CarltonBeckfordDozier66 . Australia currently has 8 senators and 3 members of the House of Representatives who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. How many Indigenous elected representatives does the US have? Last time I checked, the US treats Native Americans like crap... not to mention 400 years of slavery. Also, fun fact: Australia is one of the most diverse and multicultural nations on earth. We have an increasing number of African restaurants, just not soul food - which is an American invention.

@AussieAngeS

Жыл бұрын

@@CarltonBeckfordDozier66 that’s a stupid Al reply and so very not true

@AussieAngeS

Жыл бұрын

@@kwoylee5617 thank you

I love that Sylvia's is the only Restaurant that serves chitterlings and it does on Fri and Sat no other place has them BBQ in queens does hog maws and that's it Brooklyn and Bronx and Staten Island have none. Only Manas on 126&8 have them to go Smothered pork chops are good and chicken is good I still love the place

I was there many years ago, and just looking at this mac n cheese, tells me it has deteriorated. So sad.

Some foods you just can't let them sit getting cold before you eat, mac n cheese is definitely one of them, another one is mc donalds fries lmao

Great review UA. I'd love to see you review Jollibee!

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Not a bad idea!

Ribs look perfect! You need to have that slight pull, then you know they're cooked perfect

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

They were awesome!

I think the mac and cheese is "southern" style. They usually add eggs into the mac and cheese which is why it held together. Just regional preferences :)

Great first impression with the help.

Great job, man! 🍻🍻

Another great video!

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Prices in and around the NYC area have gone up. Breakfast in the Lower Hudson Valley of NY runs $20 plus tip per person.

FYI fall off the bone ribs are actually not ideal and means overcooked, as you would overcook that best portion of the meat that attached to the bone. What you showed here is actually the optimal level of how the meat should fall off.

It’s hard to know whether restaurant food is overpriced or not anymore, it’s much easier to recognize a good deal

You should try the poutine from "Le petit Quebec" or "La belle Province" you tried a fancy version Even the classic cause la banquise is the nest level place Poutine is a common dish we have everywhere in quebec

Man you did it up right again , love your videos and your opinions. Keep up the great work !!

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I feel the same way about Dooky Chase in New Orleans. Since Leah Chase passed the reputation is keeping the place alive. Service was horrible and food was just ok.

@cocoaorange1

Жыл бұрын

That happens sometimes.

The food was more delicious back in the days, It has another taste now, Not as great as back in the 80s. New to you, old to the real harlem folks!😊

Iconic NYC restaurant... used to work up in East Harlem and tried it one day after work... love the wings... and love their chicken and waffles... really good

@uaeats

Жыл бұрын

I was gonna get the chicken and waffles originally but I wound up getting their $26 chicken and rib combo instead. Next time I'll go for the waffles!

Another great video

It was better when Sylvia when living. Sad to say this is typical of many places when the original owners retire or die it don't be the same

YES. TERRIBLE food, terrible customer service and the food i received represents soul food that is laughed at and disrespectful

It says.... Triple X - HOT!. For sure innuendo marketing and has nothing to do with the scoville scale lol :) Great video! As always. :)

Loved this review. I used to go to Sylvia’s and the ribs were the move, not the chicken!!

I went there some years back and the candied yams were the best I’ve ever had.

Their potato salad was the best I ever had back in the 80s.

And the waiter did a good acting job BRAVO all for a heavy tip

Mini peel-off ramekins for butter &, yet, no honey? You've got to be kidding me. UA, when do we eat? Those pork ribs look deeeeeeeeelicious. 👍

I moved to NYC in 1986...a lifetime ago. Once a week I would head to Harlem. Dinner @ Sylvia's & then over to The Apollo Theater. That went on for several months..

One of the thing I remember from a month-long visit to Germany a few years ago was how I was able to find some really, really good deals on food at the grocery story. Usually it was stuff that simply had to be sold that day or thrown away, and it was marked down considerably. If you wanted to, you could simply walk to the grocery store every day, buy whatever was on sale, and just make a day's worth of meals out of that. There's just not an equivalent system where I live in the US. Grocers would rather throw food away than to heavily discount it.

@cocoaorange1

Жыл бұрын

You can get very good discounts at certain grocery stores.

Soul food? We call that regular food in the midwest

Are you sure that was pork in the collard greens? A lot of soil food restaurants use smoked turkey because there a lot of non pork eaters.

Can't wait till this dude hits 100K subs to say I was there in the beginning

I watched the video with the rude waiter at the airport steakrestaurant before this. This waiter is a saint

Truthfully speaking, although several moons back, I thoroughly enjoy a Sunday Jazz Brunch there at the ATLANTA location....had always heard our New York location was a bit touristy...will see with my own eyes on any upcoming visit 🗽