On November 19, South Philadelphia’s popular Southern-style fried chicken haven, Redcrest Fried Chicken, opens its first New York City location at The Starliner, a bar in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood. Best known for serving high-quality food in a quick-service environment, Redcrest’s chef and founder, Adam Volk, will prepare his crispy, years-perfected fried chicken recipes to droves of bar-goers, locals, visitors, and loyal Redcrest followers alike.

Volk prides himself on building more than just a fan-favorite restaurant; he is devoted to ensuring each Redcrest Fried Chicken is immersed in the communities and neighborhoods it resides in. His new location takes this mission statement literally, as dine-in guests must enter through The Starliner to get to the semi-hidden restaurant. Once inside the bar, patrons walk the length of the space, and exit through the back door to discover a quaint, 15-seat wooden patio and a white 300-square foot subway-tiled storefront dressed with an Instagram-worthy, ‘Fried Chicken’ neon sign. Next to the sign sits a small, sliding window which allows for intimate counter-style service.

Adam and his team have a simple goal: to make fried chicken they love, and to bring that passion to as many people as possible. As such, Redcrest Fried Chicken’s Brooklyn menu will feature all the beloved dishes made famous by the original Philly location, including: fried chicken served with a legendary buttermilk biscuit, sandwiches, boneless chicken, homemade sides and sauces, a variety of homemade teas and lemonades, and ‘sweet stuff’ for dessert.

A sampling of namesake dishes, served seven days per week from 4 p.m. to 2 a. m., include a Quarter Chicken ($7+) served as choice of dark or light meat and one buttermilk biscuit; Whole Chicken ($22+) with two breasts, wings, legs, and thighs, also served with a biscuit; the Redcrest sandwich ($8+) featuring red curry mayo, spicy onions, and lettuce; and the South X Southwest sandwich ($11) made with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickled jalapeños, and charred jalapeño mayo.

All sauces and side dishes are made in-house, which include, but are not limited to the Spicy Honey ($1), Garlic Aioli ($1), Collard Greens ($4) made with bacon, and Corn Pudding ($4). In addition to all savory, finger-licking, dishes served at Redcrest, the ‘sweet stuff’ portion of the menu features Rice Pudding ($5) topped with cinnamon. Select menu items are available as vegetarian or vegan.

Bar patrons can order in-person at the storefront window, or via a forthcoming ‘Redcrest Fried Chicken,’ mobile app. Designed to be convenient for today’s technology-driven consumer, the app will allow diners to order food without having to close out their tab at The Starliner. Once an order is ready, guests pick up their food from the window, and can settle into the outdoor patio or take their meal inside The Starliner which has a 20-seat bar, and an additional 40 seats between the bar’s iconic red vinyl booths and white banquettes.

For those interested in a grab-and-go option versus dining in, a separate, equally-as-elusive takeout-only entrance can be accessed via 235 Menahan Street, a small alleyway between Knickerbocker and Myrtle Avenue. Those who are interested in bringing Redcrest Fried Chicken to their next function can also place a catering order.

The restaurant’s Brooklyn expansion serves as a homecoming for Volk, who worked in prominent New York City restaurants for 15 years before moving to Philly’s East Passyunk Square neighborhood in 2018 to open his first Redcrest Fried Chicken. Volk is already familiar with the NYC market—in addition to Redcrest’s debut in Bushwick this month, he is currently a partner at both The Exley in Williamsburg and as well as Esme in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 

“We are thrilled to be making our entrance into the New York City market in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood, where the Redcrest brand will quickly fit right in,” Volk says about the new opening at The Starliner. “As a New York veteran, I cannot wait to launch this new chapter for the brand, bringing our delicious fried chicken and biscuits to one of the greatest food cities in the world.”