Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Photos: Peer Inside The Secret Crown Heights Chicken Window
By
Scott Heins
Published Nov 18, 2015
Modified Nov 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Scott Heins/Gothamist
By
Scott Heins
Published Nov 18, 2015
Modified Nov 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
What if I told you there's a secret window to slow-cooked happiness somewhere in Crown Heights? Would you believe me? Can you suspend disbelief long enough to ponder an unmarked restaurant selling delicious chicken that falls right off the bone? This is a story with no signs, doors, menus, or sales tax; just a man named Papa selling Caribbean home cooking to those in the know.
Located on Kingston Avenue, the poultry portal in question is nothing more than a propped-open gap in a gold-painted wall. It's been running strong for years. "Six or ten?" Papa asks each customer—his dishes of curry goat, marinated chicken, oxtail, and sauteed fish comes in only two prices, and are sized to match. Rice, beans, and chopped vegetables accompany each, and everything arrives piping hot in a styrofoam container. Your dining options are, of course, limited, but then the benches of Brower Park are only a 5 minute stroll away.
Just call it "Hole in the Wall" Papa said during a recent visit, when I sampled his chicken and curry goat, which both arrived in near-bursting containers. Papa moved to Brooklyn from Jamaica eight years ago, and before he and his brother started this chicken operation, the corner shop used to be a newsstand and meeting place for tired-out cab drivers.
A peek inside the secret window (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
Curry Goat and Marinated Chicken entrees (Scott Heins/Gothamist)
The Hole in the Wall is open Monday - Saturday, and at these prices it's not just a bargain, but satisfying break from the bustle of Franklin Avenue, where one can get lost amidst the brunch wait lists and mountains of organic scones. Despite a total lack of advertising and promotion in a neighborhood brimming with West Indian eateries, the chicken cavern has managed to keep its simple and tasty operation running. Papa opens the window when his morning prep work is finished, and closes up shop when the day's stock runs out.
When I asked him for more and more details—Why just a window? What's in the sauce?—all he gave me was a blank stare. The Hole in the Wall is a place of unspoken simplicity. Let's not ruin this with words.
[h/t Edible Brooklyn]
Tagged
chicken window
Crown Heights
hole in the wall
papa
original
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .