UPTOWNflavor

I almost forgot to mention that Margie’s Red Rose Cafe on 144th off of 8th Avenue has not only moved a few doors down but they are also expanding! The small diner is retaining the southern grandmother’s kitchen decor but is adding a full size dining room in the space formerly occupied by the business next door.

The building where Margie’s was originally located is presently undergoing renovation, which gave the small diner a chance to spruce up a bit. Anyone who has been there knows that a visit to Margie’s is like sitting in the kitchen of an old relative. You go in and ask what they’ve got (since it changes daily) and watch T.V. while you wait for your home-cooked food to be prepared. The decor makes you think that you’ve stepped back into the 1950s somewhere down south, with plastic red roses sprinkled around and too many mirrors on the walls. The frilly curtains that hang from the front windows add a sweet, homey touch.

Margie’s was a 2001 Village Voice winner for best fried chicken, but according to Cheapo Eats the sides are worth a go as well.  I’m not sure if she is expanding her hours as well, but in true southern fashion the place typically closes when they have run out of food.

Finest Fried Chicken – Margie’s Red Rose Diner
Margie has been frying chicken at this location for 11 years, and next door for 33 years before that. Which explains the wonderful collection of ’60s soul hits on the jukebox. The chicken is fried in the best Georgia style, with a mere dusting of flour and salt on the intact skin and a very careful immersion in fresh oil at just the right temperature. The result is supremely crisp on the outside and juicy in the middle. She also takes particular pride in her vegetable sides, including collard greens and green beans cooked with potatoes, at the incomparable MARGIE’S RED ROSE DINER. -Robert Sietsema, Village Voice 2001