Rack & Soul

nooooooooooooooo!!!
rack & soul closed?
gonna miss ya…

Heard about this place so decided to try it. Glad I did!
They start you off with two biscuits, one sweet and one savory. You decide which one you like better.
My friend and I weren’t really hungry so we spilt the combo platter which comes with two meats and two sides. We got baby back ribs which were so tender and came right off the bone. I don’t really enjoy BBQ flavored food but the sauce wasn’t too heavy and I like it. We also got the fried chicken which was very tender as well.
For sides, we got mash potatoes and french fries (we love potato) mash was good, could’ve used some gravy but salt helped. Fries were crispy shoestrings. YUM!
Including tip, it was $ 30. I’m satisfied and so is my wallet.

This review is based on Delivery.
The staff was nice on the phone, however they are not on seamless/delivery.com — And they have an order online via the rack and soul website — but it’s broken — Why would a restaurant not use seamless?
Great smoky meaty short ribes — tasted wonderful — well cooked — Mac and Cheese side was good — a little bit dry but overall good, bbq beans very flavorful — if you like jalapeño you will love.
My girlfriend got the fried chicken. she liked it, but for 19.00 2 small thighs and a drumstick? That is kinda nuts. Way way overpriced for the portion/​cut/​quality.
The staff at Rack and soul should taste the biscuits. Probably the worst biscuit I have ever tasted. I don’t know what the problem is — maybe they need to Google a new recpie, maybe they need to bake biscuits a few times a day to keep it fresh; it is hard, dry — flavorless — (and i know it’s an included extra — but if it’s not even decent — don’t bother…)
overall — fine food — but really, really poor value — it’s really close to being 4 stars… with some tweaks this restaurant could be a knock out though… for the prices — it should be a knock out right now…

Great BBQ spot… love their beef ribs. Sides are all great, on par with me places I ate at in ATL. Highly recommended.

I had wanted to try this place since seeing it on Man Vs. Food. The wife and I made the walk across the park to try it out and it didn’t disappoint. Even though we went specifically to try the BBQ something came over me when I saw the Oyster Po’Boy on the menu and without conscious thought I heard myself ordering it. The wife stayed true to the mission at hand and ordered the Ribs. Since I had unwittingly taken us to New Orleans I also ordered the fried Crawfish.
The fried crawfish were very good not overly battered and very nicely seasoned. As I realized that I had come to a BBQ and not ordered any BBG I started to negotiate with my wife to trade half of her rack (of ribs) for half of my Po’Boy. She hesitantly agreed. When the food arrived I began to feel relieved. It was beautiful. After my first bite I knew I had made a great choice. It was the best Po’Boy I have eaten outside of New Orleans. The bread was perfect. Tough enough to hold this beast and absorbent enough to soak up all the juicy goodness that occurs when one is destroying a perfectly balanced Oyster Po’Boy.
When I finally came up for air and looked across the table at my wife I knew the pending trade was off. She was already well covered in sauce and had the goofy grin she gets when she has good BBQ. For the sake of this review she allowed me a rib. It was excellently smoked. It had a good smoke ring and came away from the bone with ease. Rack and Soul offers two sauces one sweeter and one hotter. Both were good but frankly it did not need either.

Based on exemplary reviw in Zagat we gave it a try.
It was very clean, including the restrooms.
Very pleasant waiter. Didn’t rush us, and made good dining suggestions. Unfortunately the food was just «ok». And nothing to write home about. Portions were large, and the food was hot.

Sweet Jesus.
Due to a disappointing turn of events at Dinosaur BBQ (
) my roommates and I ended up here for takeout last night to satisfy a BBQ craving.
We were most definitely not disappointed, except with the number of red lights our cab hit trying to get back to Hells Kitchen so we could tear into our food. I had the combo platter with ribs and pulled pork — both excellent, the ribs were tender and fell off the bone, and the pulled pork was rough chopped and perfect, really. Baked beans were awesome, particularly if you added a little of their spicy/​sweet BBQ sauce to them.
The star of the entire meal was the chicken and waffles though. My roommate ordered and we all shared — I’d go back today and quite possibly once a week just for that.
Oh, and the portions are absolutely huge — I’ve got enough biscuits sitting on my kitchen table right now to feed a small army. Dinner tonight is going to be awesome.

I met four of my friends here a few weeks ago.
The food was good but the service was just eh. We arrived and there was a group of five there before us, but I wasn’t sure how the tables worked so I looked around and went to sit at a table for four and grab an extra chair.
Don’t do that — this is a place where they seat you. It doesn’t seem like when you first walk in and most BBQ places I’ve been too are seat yourself.
Eventually the five in front of us get seated and then my friends and i get seated. They did have sweet tea! which is a win for everyone and it was homemade and not that nasty processed stuff.
I had a pork BBQ sandwich which was really tasty with a side of baked beans. I remember not enjoying the baked beans as much as I wish I had but my friends got mac and cheese and that was well worth it.
The sweet tea and mac and cheese are tasty and the food is good so worth a check out.

To start off with– the biscuits are amazing. This place presents a nice laid back dining experience. I came here with a friend who was visiting from out of the country and I was pretty set on ensuring that we went someplace that he would enjoy the food. From the minute he tasted the biscuits at Rack& Soul„ he was a fan. I ordered the half order of ribs, though I initially tried to order a full order and the waitress kindly let me know that I would likely not finish it. Thanks! She was right on.
My friend also ordered the fried chicken and was pleased. Though the food was good, I noted that the staff was pretty sluggish regarding cleaning tables off once diners left the restaurant. I went during a late Sunday afternoon (read not super-​busy). When we first arrived, a table in the back had no patrons currently sitting there, but the table was filled with remnants of their dining including plates with bones and napkins filled with barbecue sauce. I initially assumed that the group must have just left, though I would have noticed anyone who was walking out of the restaurant as I entered and didn’t. Those plates remained on the table until my friend and I had already paid our check– which was 45 minutes at the least. That definitely impacted my view of Rack &Soul.
I would come back along with a silent wish that they have addressed this issue.

My bf LOVES BBQ and had been wanting to try this place for the longest time, ever since we tasted their delicious Ribs & Beans at the Big Apple BBQ Festival.
We arrived here famished after spending a Sunday afternoon at the Met. We were greeted once we came in and seated. There’s a bar (with a TV) to the right as soon as you come in and about 6 or 7 tables, There’s additional seating in the back. The place wasn’t crowded at all. In the front where they sat us, there were 2 tables filled however it seemed like a lot of people were picking up cause the door was constantly opening and closing.
We were given a little delicious sweet buttered biscuit to enjoy as we looked over the menu. My bf decided on the Ribs and Chicken combo ($ 22.95) with Mac and Cheese and the Baked Beans as his 2 sides. I decided on the Pulled Pork Po’ Boy ($ 12.95) which came with Fries. My bf also wanted to try the Sauteed Chicken Livers as our appetizer, but the waiter warned us that it would take a while to prepare. He said that our entrees would take about 5 min but the Chicken Livers would take 15 min. Since we were starving, we passed on the appetizer. He wasn’t kidding about the 5 mins. Our HUGE portions came out shortly after.
I couldn’t help but notice the BBQ sauces (one sweet and one that was a little tangy/​spicy) along with Hot Sauce and Ketchup on our table as condiments. Both were really good and I couldn’t wait to use them on my Pulled Pork! My Po-​boy was HUGE and spilling over with the shredded pieces of pork. There was a heaping amount of fries that equaled my sandwich. The fries were good. They were skinny and seasoned. The pork was a little dry but I didn’t mind, because I just drowned it in the sauces. I was only able to eat half of my sandwich. I tasted both the Mac and Cheese and Baked Beans sides. They were both so good. My bf killed his Ribs and Chicken plate but we had to take home the sides because there was a lot left over.
There was only one waiter that was taking care of the whole place. I felt so bad for him because he was running around from table to table, to the kitchen, and back. He did a great job though and was very friendly. The guy behind the bar couldn’t help, probably because he takes the phone orders and executes them. I do agree with the prices being a little steep but for the amount of food that we got, I think it’s worth it. We both left very full and still brought home a full meal and then some.

Great tasting ribs! These guys were at the Big Apple BBQ festival and I knew I had to go to their restaurant to try other things!
My GF and I got here around 6 630pm last night after walking around the Met. It was a planned date so I already what I wanted. When we got there, the place was a little empty maybe two tables taken. We were seated in the front section of the restaurant that had about 6 – 8 dining tables and the bar. There was a hallway leading to the back which looked like it had more tables set up.
When we got seated our waiter gave us what looked like cookies. It was good wasn’t too sweet or anything. It seemed like he was by himself, he moving very quick in and out of the kitchen and from table to table. I felt bad for him because people started coming in and place was getting crowded.
Now the food! I ordered the Combo Platter which was quarter ribs and 2 fried chickens. My GF has the pulled pork sandwich. The BBQ ribs were amazing! It was so flavorful and tender! Exactly what i remembered from the festival! It came with two sides, i chose the baked beans and mac n cheese. The beans was so yuuuuummmy! It was sweet and unforgettable. The fried chicken was ok. It could have had more taste but it was well cooked. It was juicy and tender! My girl said her sand was a little dry. Good thing there were sauces on the table! The sauces were sweet and spicy! Both were delicious!
I would def come back just for the ribs! The staff were nice and friendly even though our waiter was a little busy.

I got the pulled pork sandwich and collard greens. My partner got the shrimp po-​boy and fries. Both were good, especially the collard greens. Nice to find a cheaper alternative to Southern BBQ than Dinosaur BBQ. They also carry Abita beer (bottled) The space is small, but the staff was very attentive. Will definitely return.

We went to dinner on a Thursday night and they served us old chicken! The skin was soggy and the meat was dry and barely warm. Besides from that, it was so bland. My friend ordered the chicken with gravy, the gravy was like flour and water and lumpy! Once again no flavor. The biscuits were cold, and looked like supermarket bought, and they just topped it with honey. Mac and cheese was dry and tasteless. Such a disappointment, especially since we paid about $ 20 a plate. Save yourself the money and just find a Popeyes!

Great bbq in NYC!
Some items on the menu are stronger dishes than others as with any restaurant. Overall, very well done southern cuisine.
Po’ boys are okay… pulled pork is okay… crawfish tails are okay… fried chicken is good but not spectacular.
The Texas beef brisket however is to die for. Absolutely the best brisket that I have ever had. In addition to having lived in the south, I’m also Jewish, so I feel like my judgment is particularly well-​schooled in this area. Whether you leave it dry or add extra sauce, it is amazing.
Lastly, the black eyed peas are also quite noteworthy.
While the food may deserve 4 stars overall, the 6 star brisket bumps it up to 5 overall for me.

The baby back ribs are delicious — smokey, meat is juicy. I prefer the original BBQ sauce that’s on the table, nice kick to it. Wish they a vinegar option. Sides were good — baked beans, cole slaw, mashed potatoes came without gravy (weird) and mac n cheese was decent, felt like it sat out for a while.
Best part were the biscuits (free) before we ordered. Very good service.
Would return and an option over Brother Jimmy’s (where when it’s busy, it’s a long wait and sometimes the food is consistent, at least the one in the UWS).

I kid you not, I had this place bookmarked for TWO YEARS! My regret is not trying this place TWO YEARS ago.
Lemme tell you something about kids from Oakland… the things we love most are taco trucks, phở, BBQ, dim sum, and chicken and waffles. And no neighborhood is too sketchy or trek is too great for such food. And when my buddies in New York were a little put off by this place’s location (which, by the way, is not sketchy… calm down), I finally went by myself. And my friends should know me better to underestimate me with this act.
The fried chicken really is as good as the Food Network says it is. And so are the waffles, the lemonade, and the frozen lemon pie. The chicken is the right amount of crispy and juicy. The waffle also comes with melted butter – why don’t more places do that? It’s so easy… spreading butter on waffles is difficult and never happens evenly. The lemonade and lemon pie are the right amonut of sweet and tangy. The macaroni and cheese was «eh.» I was sad that I didn’t have enough room to try the BBQ and even sadder that they were out of the pecan pie.
I felt really guilty about how much I ate… and how unhealthy it was. Therefore, I walked all the way back to my friend’s place in Murray Hill/​Midtown in order to feel OK with how much I ate.

Came here for lunch with a buddy of mine on Friday at around 2 and it wasn’t too busy we had our choice of seats. Once seated you get your water as well as two biscuits on the house.
My friend and I shared an order of the fried chicken and the BBQ wings, both came with two sides each so we got two orders of the mac, a waffle and baked beans. The fried chicken although the skin was a bit soggy (which probably comes from them turning the chicken in the fryer) was excellent. The chicken was seasoned perfectly, juicy and tender. The wings were just as delicious although I think Dinosaur BBQ is still better but its a tough call. I LOVED their BBQ sauce though, it had good flavor and a nice kick to it.
The waffle was good, well made. I loved the baked beans it was absolutely delicious. My friend liked the mac and cheese but I didn’t care for it at all, I don’t know why.
I don’t know when I’ll be back but I would definitely come back for the fried chicken as well as to try some of the other items on the menu

Want good down home southern cuisine? Check. You want gravy? They got it. You want fall off the bones ribs? Yep, they have’em! Strong cocktail? ’nuff said Room for dessert? I doubt it!
Non pretentious staff, minimalist soul food restaurant décor in every sense of the word, large portion, moderate price and a great location equal a must try!
You must try the smoother pork chops!

Eager to see what earned Rack & Soul the title of one of «Nine fried chickens to eat before you die» as per Raisfeld and Patronite of New York Mag, I stopped by after work to find out for myself.
For $ 16, you get 2 pieces of breast meat and one thigh, 2 sides, and all you can eat biscuits (which I recommend you eat all you can — more on that later).
The fried chicken is good, but I am reluctant to agree that it would qualify as one of the city’s nine «best». The skin is crispy and, given the skillet-​fried cooking method, surprisingly devoid of overwhelming grease pockets that make you check your shirt after each bite for errant squirts and stains. However, the crispiness of the skin does not stand out in texture from KFC or Church’s Chicken.
Also disappointing was the white meat. Dry and parched, the kind of texture that makes you wish you already had a mouthful of gravy before you took that bite. It’s not unlike other fried chickens out there, but I was expecting more, given the high praise that has been sung.
I used to harbor no hope for chicken breast until I started cooking roast chicken on my own — to then realize that chicken breast need not be the shunned pariah of poultry, and that it, in fact, can be succulent and tender and something to look forward to, as opposed to something I just have to «get through» because I don’t want to waste all that cash I just put up for half a chicken.
Yes, the chicken thigh was tender, but again I say — you have to try really hard to screw up dark meat. But what exactly am I looking for, you might ask?
Fried chicken that has skin so crisp that it literally crackles and snaps as you take your first bite, giving way to meat from which warm juices flow as your teeth sink effortlessly down to the bone. The contrast in textures, the succulence that urges you on to take another bite even before you’ve finished your first. The closest thing I’ve had to this kind of chicken was at the restaurant formerly known as BonChon, but I think they quadruple-​deep fry their chicken or some other form of madness to achieve said blissful crispiness.
Quickly, a few notes on the sides (only 2 of a huge selection available):
Mac & Cheese: Pretty standard fare. No crunchy bits from broiling or breadcrumbs, but not soggy or over-​cheesed.
Belgian Waffles: How awesome is that, waffles for dinner? Very generous size, thick, with the consistency approaching that off a cake donut (like you would get at Doughnut Plant). This is actually what I would expect to get at a place like Good Enough to Eat, although it did not have the subtle hint of additional sweetness that GETE’s waffles have. However, they were definitely a mouthful, satisfying, and I would say a meal unto themselves.
And something everyone gets right alongside your glass of water after being seated:
Honey Glazed Biscuits: Why is it that I am often more impressed with the sides than with the main event? Peculiar. Nonetheless, a biscuit recipe the wait staff would not disclose, save to reveal that a sweet honey glaze is applied on top of each and every biscuit. It is not just that I am swayed by anything that appeals to my sweet tooth, but the biscuit was not heavy nor dense, was warm and soft in the center without being soggy or undercooked, and the crisp honey-​glazed top was not overly-​sweet, but just a delightful contrast to bite through into the welcoming center. So good, so good.

Perhaps I should’ve been slightly offended when my friend said «Because you’re a Spaniard laborer you get Champagne and all you can eat at the restaurant of your choice, whereas if you were Mexican laborer all you’d get is rice and beans,» but I’m never one to look a gift horse in the mouth — especially not when I’m making off like a bandit: for approximately 15 hours of helping (over 3 non-​consecutive days) with stereo equipment setup and painting I’ve made off with 3 bottles of Veuve Clicquot & 3 meals at Rack and Soul.
To be frank, the food here is just okay… To me the cooking is about as «Southern» as Delaware, that is to say it’s a little bit too salty and a little bit too sweet and a little bit too saucy and a little bit too greasy, it doesn’t seem very authentic, it’s going in the right direction but to me it doesn’t ever actually seem to reach its intended destination — at least not in my experience, and all three times I’ve been me and my friend had an absolute feast, worthy of a King — that is to say, if a King were to somehow find himself on Broadway & 109^th Street. Although, apparently Denzel Washington loves it here, and he has an Oscar, which is the modern American equivalent of a crown, right?
Meal #1: Brunch: I got the Oxtails (slightly over-​seasoned) and the Fried Oyster Po’ Boy Sandwich (sub-​par bread, oysters had too much breading). We split four sides: Macaroni & Cheese (good but not great), Collard Greens (decent), Candied-​Yams (too sweet, but I guess that’s traditional), and Stewed Okra (just slimy enough, nice and tender). My friend got the Fried & Smothered Chicken (he complained about excess salt in the gravy) with a Belgian Waffle and Black-​Eyed Peas (he complained about it lacking any sort of depth or spice)… It was a very hearty meal, it gave me a decent view of what they’re capable of, I left satisfied and anxious to return.
Meal #2: Dinner: I got the Sauteed Chicken Livers (ordered medium-​rare but they came out well-​done, but, regardless, they just weren’t at all to my taste) and the Fried Chicken with Lima Beans & Potato Salad and the Red Velvet Cake (which was great). We split the BBQ Pulled Pork (way too much sauce, too sweet, but enjoyable) with Mashed Potatoes & String Beans. My friend got the BBQ Beef Short Ribs (good but not great) with Broccoli (fine) & Asparagus (bland) and Pecan Pie (good).
Meal #3: Dinner: I got the Shrimp & Okra Gumbo and the Royale Spinach Salad with Fried Crawfish Tails (really really liked this, highly recommended) and the Fried Catfish (moist and tender, nice and peppery) with Macaroni & Cheese and Black-​Eyed Peas (good enough, nice and vinegary). We split a ½ Rack of Baby Back Ribs with Broccoli & Lima Beans. My friend got Cornmeal Fried Oysters with Sauteed Spinach & Melted Brie Cheese and the Cobb Salad (highly indulgent and delicious) and the BBQ Chicken Wings with Macaroni & Cheese and Black-​Eyed Peas (he said they were much better this time than last time he ordered them).
So, my overall judgement: I’m not a fan of their biscuits or cornbread, they’re okay but not worth getting full on if you’re trying to save room for the main courses. Nothing was extraordinary. Nothing was worth writing home about. The décor and service are nothing special, neither excellent nor charming nor lacking. But no matter how nit-​picky one can be, it’s almost impossible to not be comforted and be sent into a food-​coma by this sort of cuisine. It hits the spot, though it’s anything but memorable — sorry to say.
Ugh, I need to go on a diet.