If you ever find yourself pondering the amazing dining options across the U.S., take this moment to explore the best Black-owned restaurants.
- Sylvia’s Restaurant
Sylvia Woods founded this iconic Harlem restaurant in 1962 with money lent to her by her mother. Her authentic southern cooking has attracted a range of celebrities, including Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and Barack Obama.
- SoCo Southern Fused Cuisine
If you mix Southern comfort food with Creole and Caribbean influences, you’ll get this famous New York dining experience. SoCo enjoys a reputation as one of the best Black-owned restaurants in the U.S., serving bold flavors in all of their dishes—from their red velvet waffles to their molasses-braised short ribs.
- Dooky Chase’s Restaurant
Now nearly 95 years old, Leah Chase has been feeding New Orleans locals for over six decades. She cooks Southern cuisine with love, which earned her the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. She is best known for her gumbo, a recipe she inherited from her grandmother.
- Teff Stamford
Chef Hadas Mengesha has become increasingly well-known for her unique flavors that celebrate East African cuisine. Her restaurant is an intimate setting that depicts the people and landscapes she recalls from Ethiopia—her home country. Visit her restaurant in Stamford, Connecticut!
- Drop Squad Kitchen
This plant-based kitchen is also certified kosher, which is a rare combination—but, as it turns out, oh-so delicious. This restaurant is feeding healthy comfort vegan food to the masses with flavorful spins on classic American cuisine like mac ‘n’ cheeze and Chicago-style hot dogs.
- Kountry Kitchen Soul Food
Kountry Kitchen serves some of the best soul food north of the Mason-Dixon line. What started as only a six-foot countertop space has since expanded to seat 175 guests. This family’s traditional southern menu is enjoyed by locals and celebrities alike—their most popular item is their perfectly fried catfish.
- Abbey Creek Winery
Bertony Faustin runs one of the only Black-owned and -operated wineries in the U.S. He takes incredible care to plant the vines and harvest the fruit to create his vast selection of wines. Support him and other minority wine-makers by visiting his business and tasting his premium wines.
- Chez Dodo Food Truck
Shayam Dausoa moved from Mauritius (a small island off the coast of southeastern Africa) to Portland and opened this food truck. His heritage is reflected in this melting pot of cuisines—foodies can dig into pan-fried noodles, lamb curry, and elephant samosas.
- Amalfi’s
Amalfi’s is one of the best Italian restaurants in Oregon, and owner Kiauna Floyd takes Italian food very seriously. As the third generation to own this restaurant, she has huge shoes to fill. But she has had no problem maintaining the restaurant’s integrity (their pizza is famous), and she even updated the interior to entice her customers.
- Powdrell’s BBQ House
Nothing works up an appetite like an afternoon at an escape room in Albuquerque. Afterwards, go down to Mr. Powdrell’s BBQ House and taste his grandfather’s tangy barbecue sauce—it dates back to the late 19th century!
