Community
12 Black-Owned Restaurants To Celebrate & Support
June 6, 2023
From Los Angeles to Chicago to New York City and many places in between, here are a dozen Black-owned restaurants across the country to check out.
Championing and celebrating minority-owned restaurant owners, operators and chefs is one small but powerful way to build visibility and support the growth of more diverse demographics in the industry. We’re highlighting a few of our talented Black-owned restaurant partners, including actionable ways you can support them and their businesses right now.
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How to Open a Restaurant [Free Guide]
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Addis NOLA
Dr. Biruk Alemayehu | New Orleans, LA | Owner
Addis NOLA stands out as one of the only Ethiopian restaurants in New Orleans. Owner Biruk Alemayehu and her staff bring traditional Ethiopian flavors to the mid-city dining scene which centers around injera, a slightly fermented, crepe-like flatbread.
Diners eat with their hands here which Alemayehu believes “exercises a tradition built on sharing, trust, and love.” Interested in sharing Addis with others? Have them cater your next gathering by inquiring through their website.
Burke & Black
Nicole Burke | San Francisco, CA | Owner
Nicole Black is an industry veteran with over 15 years of restaurant experience in New York (Del Posto) and San Francisco (Quince, Gary Danko). She’s worked across several positions, from line cook to server to catering manager to the head of reservations.
In 2019, she started Burke & Black, a San Francisco catering company specializing in grazing tables, boards, boxes, and cones using artisanal cheeses and homemade jams & compote. Sustainability is at the heart of what they do: there are no single-use plastics, all boxes are compostable, and jars & utensils are reusable.
Cork Wine Bar & Market
Dianne Gross & Khalid Pitts | Washington, D.C. | Owners
Cork Wine Bar & Market is a must-stop near Washington D.C.’s Logan Circle. Owners Dianne Gross and Khalid Pitts founded Cork in 2008 and offer their guests access to over 300 small production, sustainably made wines from around the world at their market.
They’ve been included in Food & Wine’s Best Wine Bars in the U.S. and covered by Bon Appetit. Enjoy alternative Cork offerings such as joining their “Flight Club,” which includes a hand-curated selection of wines each month and exclusive invitations to wine tastings and events. Website visitors can purchase an array of wine and provisions directly through their online shop.
Hav & Mar
Marcus Samuelsson | New York, NY | Chef and Owner
You’ve likely seen Marcus Samuelsson’s face on TV. He’s appeared on shows like Top Chef and Chopped. The James Beard award winner’s latest project is Hav & Mar, a concept cooking seafood-focused small plates. The spot was included in the 11 Best New US Restaurants To Try In 2023 by Mashed and named as one of the hottest restaurants in Manhattan by Eater.
Melba’s
Melba Wilson | New York, NY | Chef and Owner
Since 2005, Melba’s has been a comfort food staple in New York City. The restaurant has played a major role in growing the Harlem neighborhood, thanks to chef-owner Melba Wilson. Wilson is a Harlem native who has gone on to become a restaurateur, Food Network personality, and cookbook author. Purchase Wilson’s cookbook here.
Milk & Pull
Joe & Angela Austin | New York, NY | Co-owners
Husband and wife team Joe and Angela Austin own a cafe with three locations across New York City. They’re passionate about creating a neighborhood coffee spot with minimal design but plenty of warmth — the goal was to build a space that really invites you in. Try their coffee for yourself by ordering through their online shop.
Peaches
Craig Samuel | Brooklyn, NY | Founding Partner
Craig Samuel co-founded B+C Restaurant Group with Ben Grossman in 2006. In the past two decades, they’ve opened four Peaches restaurants throughout Brooklyn with a focus on Southern cuisine. When he’s not at his restaurants, Samuel is a regular judge on Food Network’s Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay.
SOUTH
Benjamin & Robert Bynum | Philadelphia, PA | Co-owners
Brothers Benjamin and Rober Bynum opened SOUTH, a Jazz club serving Southern cuisine, in 2015. They both have over 35 years of experience in Philadelphia’s hospitality community. For comfort food fans who aren’t in Philly, you can still try Executive Chef Benjamin Bynum’s dishes. Get his recipe for Brown Butter Peach Cobbler, thanks to Bon Appétit.
Southern Girl Desserts
Catarah Coleman & Shoneji Robison | Los Angeles | Co-owners
Co-owners Catarah Coleman and Shoneji Robison met through a sorority sister in Los Angeles. Together, they have built a successful business beloved by the local community. The two received national recognition after winning Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” which included a $10,000 prize and a black-tie gala catering event.
The mission of Southern Girl Desserts is to “remind guests of all of the great flavors of the South.” Enjoy it at home by ordering online via their website, which now includes nationwide shipping.
The Edge Harlem
Juliet & Justine Masters | New York City | Chef and Co-Owners
The Edge Harlem is all about a shared experience. Juliet, a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, has over 15 years’ experience in the culinary arts, while Justine, who comes with a background in real estate, fashion, and music, curates the ambiance and the décor.
Since its opening in 2014, it’s become a community hub, as stated by Eater New York. The Edge is a family effort: Juliet and Justine are sisters. Together they have merged their British and Jamaican heritage to bring Harlem something characteristically unique in a historic building, once a meeting place for key figures of the Harlem Renaissance such as Langston Hughes.
Vinatería
Yvette Leeper-Bueno | Harlem, NY | Owner
The team at Vinatería serves up seasonal dishes inspired by Italian and Spanish cuisine. Led by Yvette Leeper-Bueno, the Harlem restaurant has been included in “The Best of New York’s Bold Outdoor Dining Experiences” by Bloomberg. The wine list has caught the attention of national publications like Wine Spectator as well.
Virtue
Erick Williams | Chicago | Chef & Owner
Situated in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Erick Williams cooks up familiar Southern American cuisine with a focus on heritage techniques that bring a unique aspect to the table. Virtue was one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America 2019 and was profiled in “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America” by The New York Times. Bring a touch of Williams’ cooking into your home by ordering online through their website.
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