top of page

Here's Where to Find the Harlem Spots Mentioned in "The Black Mecca" Episode of "High on the Hog"

Updated: Feb 29


Charles Pan-Fried Chicken on 145th Street.


Finished watching "Black Mecca" on Season 2 of Netflix's High on the Hog and wondering where to find all the spots mentioned in the show?


The episode, which focuses on the people and businesses of Harlem, is filled with places you'll definitely want to visit.


Here's where to go:


• West Harlem 439 W 125th St between Morningside and Amsterdam Aves

Central Harlem 340 W 145th St and Edgecombe Ave

Chef Charles Gabriel's legendary fried chicken, prepared in huge cast-iron skillets, can now be enjoyed at two locations in the neighborhood after a recent expansion.


The Harlem-based chef—known for holding dinner parties at his apartment in Hamilton Heights—was for a while the co-owner of historic jazz club Minton's Playhouse and its sister restaurant The Cecil. While both spots have changed ownership, you can still soak up their retro facades on the corner of W 118th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. Smalls' latest project is a Harlem version of his African food hall, Alkebulan.


515 Malcolm X Blvd and W 135th St

This division of the New York Public Library dedicated to Black culture is a must for any visitor to Harlem. While researchers have to make an appointment to access items in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, you can find gems like the Cotton Club menu, glimpsed in "High on the Hog," in the NYPL digital collections.


Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Strivers' Row

W 138th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass Blvds

"High on the Hog" host Stephen Satterfield takes a walk down this historic Harlem street lined with stately townhouses while talking to sommelier Cha McCoy.


W 139th St and Lenox Ave

Food truck owners Tyrell Dixon and Kiana Miles talk about the wonders of watermelon from their popular fruit stand, located on a street corner just a few blocks from the Schomburg.


2082 Frederick Douglass Blvd between W 112th and W 113th Sts

This speakeasy-style bar serves up a long list of cocktails, plus a few punches similar to the one prepared in "High on the Hog."


Dark Tower townhouse owned by Madam C. J. Walker & A'Lelia Walker

A'Lelia Walker, the daughter of hair care entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Madam C.J. Walker, was famous for hosting parties during the Harlem Renaissance in the Dark Tower, her townhouse on 136th Street. The building was eventually torn down and is now the site of the Countee Cullen Library. Today you can find a street name honoring both mother and daughter on the southwest corner of 136th Street and Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard.


For daily updates, follow The Curious Uptowner on Facebook, Instagram and X

Recent Posts

See All
Screen Shot 2020-11-18 at 2.39.32 PM.png
  • Black Pinterest Icon
  • Black Twitter Icon
  • Black Facebook Icon
  • Black Instagram Icon
bottom of page