The juiciest place to nosh in SoHo isn’t what you would expect from one of the priciest neighborhoods in Manhattan, let alone one known for $45 hamburgers and $30 cocktails. Droves of the glitterati and neighborhood elite are flocking to, alongside your average Jack and Jane, fast casual crispy chicken joint Tender Crush. And there’s a reason; incredible product steeped in New York flavors that sets your soul on a delicious journey, at a fair price.
While the Big Apple is not known for its chicken, Tender Crush may very well change that; especially given the promise of having delicious, tender chicken (both crispy and grilled), chicken sandwiches and more ready in a “New York minute!” When I sampled Tender Crush, my wife Kylie joined in on the experience because I also wanted to hear a vegetarian point of view on their other fare.
I sampled a variety of chicken from the “House Hits” side of the menu first. Starting with the 3 Crispy Tenders and Grilled Tenders plain (or as they refer to “Hold the Sauciness”). These tenders are available in a variety of signature sauces that all take their cues from their approach to “5 Boroughs of Flavor.” But because I wanted to sample a variety of sauces for our readers, we stuck to the plain version of both. I ordered the Brooklyn Smoke BBQ, Harlem Hot, Zesty White BBQ & Korean BBQ sauces. I took a plain bite of both grilled and crispy (which is brined in club soda batter for that perfect crunch) first which was dreamy enough, and then a bite after dipping in each sauce. The flavor of each sauce doesn’t just blend well with the tenderness of the chicken – they complement both types in a way that is not overpowering but delivers an incredible experience for the palate, and soul. Yes, I was that jazzed by this.
I also ordered the Williamsburg Waffle Fries, which you would be crazy to miss. I then moved onto the Hot Crush Sandwich (crispy chicken with garlic and chili hot sauce, zesty white BBQ sauce, and kosher pickles).
There are not enough words to describe the complex yet harmonious way the flavors in this sandwich delivered. And for NY natives like me, the Old School NY Crush Sandwich will deliver blissful, delicious nostalgia simultaneously.
Kylie was blown away by the Park Slope Spicy Kale and Tribeca Truffle Mac which she would normally just eat a few bites of. In this case, I looked up a few minutes later and both dishes had been wolfed down! She was mesmerized by the flavor profiles and high quality of each. We both ended the meal with Tender Crush’s Soft Serve Vanilla Custard, topped with Oreo Cookies. It was a nostalgic trip in flavor with a quality we had not experienced in a very long time. And I can say that experience was synonymous throughout this entire flavor journey.
CRUSHING THE COMPETITION
Places that claim to have the best chicken, serve boring and typical fried chicken combos and sandwiches. Tender Crush has flatlined all of them with some of the tastiest and juiciest chicken this Foodie has ever had. Between the tenderness of their chicken, the creativity in their sauces, and variety of offerings in a simple, straightforward menu, Tender Crush, in my opinion, is a grand slam.
Tender Crush was born out of COVID-era best-selling chicken sandwiches at sister operation Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, whose original location is right next door. Trend-setting hospitality power couple Chris Barish and Julie Mulligan are the evil geniuses behind what will undoubtedly soon be the most celebrated chicken operation around the world. The menu was developed by Black Tap Executive Chef Stephen Parker, whose creativity I can only call epic.
Tender Crush is also in Las Vegas and is currently opening other outposts globally. The SoHo location of Tender Crush is located at 529 Broome Street. For more information, please visit: Tender-Crush.com