PNS Soul Food

Took like half an hour to get a simple fried chicken sandwich. When I got home, bit in only to find that although I had specifically ordered a chicken breast, it was a thigh and I’d just bitten into bone. Admittedly, it wasn’t bad fried chicken, but who orders a chicken thigh sandwich with bone in it? They also forgot to put any tomatoes/​lettuce on it. It was just fried chicken and cheese between two slices of store bought wheat bread. The two people who worked there seemed old and confused, like maybe they weren’t all there, but very nice. Maybe it’s time to hire some younger folks to run the place?

I came here after one of my roommates recommended this place, saying that the fried chicken was great and that he got great portions. I stopped by with a friend one late night, as it is only two blocks from my apartment. The store is small, dingy, and doesn’t seem well maintained. The exterior has bars on the windows and chains on the doors. Wrong move– we should have gone elsewhere instead. My friend tried to order a chicken platter, only to find that many of the sides were unavailable. He got pretty much the same thing I ended up getting– only I got fried chicken and french fries. The fries were horribly done, dry, stale and soggy. The chicken was alright, but for a soul food place I expected better. That, plus the fact that their card machine wasn’t working, and after ten tries we ended up paying cash. Will never come here again.

Love these ladies! Still not the best fried chicken in all of New York City (Charles Country Pan-​Fried on 155^th St & Frederick Douglass wins that prize), but the best I’ve found in this area. The quality is great and the cooks friendly and knowledgable about the history of the Bed-​Stuy neighborhood. Definitely a take-​out joint. All the sides are great and like the reviewer before me said: not overly greasy.

I often think that the term soul food conjures up the image of, at worst, greasy and heavy food, and, at best, earnest, generously-​portioned food.
PNS surprised this Southern boy (Tallahassee, FL!) with its incredible balance. The ladies behind the counter were friendly and unassuming. They were neither too doting nor would anyone find their customer service not on par.
I got the fish fry meal which included two sides for all of $ 9. I elected to go with the collard greens and cabbage. Feeling the Friday fatassery calling, I added a chunk of mac and cheese for $ 3.
The collards had a great chew to them and weren’t too salty. Having read that they don’t use animal fat in their veggies, I was skeptical, thinking I might get something blander. Instead, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t had greens this good in so long. So many places decide to use such a heavy hand with their pork fattening (as part of the bacon fad no doubt) that the collard greens aren’t allowed to speak for themselves. I killed my food riding the B38 over to a friend’s. The cabbage had some sugary quality I couldn’t quite place but were again the perfect quality, enough chew and give, but not soggy and falling apart on itself. The fish was fried to order and was simple.
Was it the best soul food ever? I’m not sure yet, but what I am sure of is that lack of salt and fat hangover post-​meal was intriguing. It felt light and satisfying, not overwrought and imprecise. Great stuff. Come check it out. They’ve been around since the late summer and are ladies who’ve lived in Brooklyn all their lives. A great chat can be had while you wait a couple minutes for your freshly fried food. The interior is small and cozy. Definitely a takeout place or somewhere you just want to eat it all up and wave a quick goodbye. Quite happy with my experience!