Which of These 32 Trendy, Top-Rated and Tasty Black-Owned Restaurants Are Near You?

Original Ben’s Chili Bowl

BensChiliBowl.com

Owners/chef: Virginia Ali and her late husband Ben opened the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl hot dog shop in 1958. Located on U Street, formerly known as the “Black Broadway,” Ben’s was a safe haven during racial unrest in the 1960s and frequent host to activists like Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King Jr. to name a few. Entertainers, including Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, also swung by.

Hot dish: A visit to Ben’s is a must when in the District. Celebrity spottings include Obama, President George W. Bush, Bruno Mars, Bono, Chaka Khan, Jimmy Fallon, DJ Khaled, John Leguizamo, the late Anthony Bourdain and others.

Liquor: No. Full bar is available next door at Ben’s Next Door. (BensNextDoor.com)

The space: ’50s retro with counter seats and tables

Outdoor seating: Yes

Vibe: Afternoon takeout or late night after the party (open until 2 a.m. on weekends)

People-watching: Celebrity spottings, after-party people-watching

Known for: Chili bowls, chili dogs and burgers

Cost: $

You may also enjoy: Georgia Brown’s for upscale Southern in the District, or Horace & Dickie’s for fried seafood takeout in nearby Glenarden, Maryland

Los Angeles

Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen

FindYourHilltop.com

Owner or chef: Co-owners Ajay Relan and Yonnie Hagos partnered with actress and producer Issa Rae (HBO’s Insecure) on their downtown Inglewood location in 2019. They also have locations on Slauson and Eagle Rock.

Hot dish: Growing up in nearby View Park, Rae wrote all of her projects in coffee shops around LA and longed for a Black-owned shop in her hood. Coffee shops facilitate collaboration, she told la.eater.com, it’s so important to have these spaces where you can be creative.

Liquor: No

The space: Sleek design, bright and massive with two floors

Outdoor seating: No 

Vibe: A popular hang out for Black creatives and dealmakers

Known for: Coffee, drop top sandwiches

People-watching: Black creatives creating, VIPs and celeb guests from radio station KJLH across the street

Cost: $

Post & Beam

PostandBeamLA.com

Owner or chef: Legendary New York restaurateur Brad Johnson (Roxbury, Georgia, with Denzel Washington, and BLT Steak) opened Post & Beam 10 years ago in Crenshaw Plaza when he saw the need for a sit-down eatery serving diner and drinks in the community.  Former Post & Beam head chef John Cleveland has since taken over.

Hot dish: A favorite of LA’s Black locals, it is the first Black-owned restaurant to win a prestigious Los Angeles Times Gold Award.

Liquor: Yes

The space: Beautiful, modern yet cozy with an open kitchen and garden patio

Outdoor seating: Yes

Vibe: Great for a date night with jazz on weekends 

Known for: Shrimp and grits, fried catfish

People-watching: Neighborhood locals and a few celebs and VIP dealmakers

Cost: $$ 

You may also enjoy: Pip’s on La Brea for dinner and jazz and Stevie’s Creole Café for world famous gumbo and more.

Chicago

Litehouse Whole Food Grill, Hyde Park

LitehouseWholeFoodGrill.com

Owner/chef: “The light of Christ and light food all under one roof,” says owner Erik Nance about Litehouse Whole Food Grill. His mission with the restaurant was to bring healthy fast food to his community. Nance has said that Litehouse is “always friendly, always whole, always organic and always really, really good.”

Hot dish: Litehouse provides about 20-30 free meals a day for those who are hungry. Customers can support Litehouse’s efforts by going “premium,” which adds $2.50 to their bill, or they can “pay it forward” and donate money for someone else’s meal.

Liquor: No

The space: Modern, clean, no frills

Outdoor seating: No

Vibe: Quick lunch with coworkers or friends

Known for: Wraps, burritos, tacos and pizza

People-watching: Health- and community-conscious locals

Cost: $

Cleo’s Southern Cuisine

EatCleos.com, CleosSouthernCuisine.com

Owner/chef: Kristen Ashley named Cleo’s after her late grandmother, whose recipes inspired her Southern-meets-Creole dishes. Cleo’s is a family-run operation, located in the Black community Ashley grew up in. Sports fans know Ashley as a sports journalist and the current head coach for the Whitney Young HS Lady Dolphins, her alma mater.

Hot dish: There’s often a long line to get into the café to taste her chicken, which earned her the Time Out Chicago title “Queen of Fried Chicken.” 

Liquor: Yes

The space: Small, only a few tables, elevated casual with white marble touches

Outdoor seating: No

Vibe: Girlfriends’ meetup or family takeout

Known for: Fried chicken and fish, 24-karat gold muffins

People-watching: Regulars and locals from the South Side and nearby

Cost: $$

You may also enjoy: Kenny’s Ribs and Chicken, voted best BBQ, or try Booze and Bingo Wednesdays at Ina Mae Tavern.

Detroit

Griot Music Lounge

GriotDetroit.com

Owner/chef: Co-owned by comedian Karen Addison, along with husband Scott Boswell and associate Jonathan Taylor, Griot Music Lounge is a music-listening bar. With a full bar, the café serves up soups and street tacos.

Hot dish: Detroit music enthusiast Jonathan Taylor is the visionary. Appealing to old-school music lovers, the lounge plays full catalogs of blues, jazz, R&B or rock classic selections on vinyl. Karen Addison and Tony Roney serves as MCs.

Liquor: Yes

The space: Cozy, speakeasy-style lounge with art-covered walls

Outdoor seating: Yes

Vibe: Happy hour with friends or a fun date night

Known for: Nightly signature cocktails 

People-watching: A grown-up spot for old-school music lovers

Cost: $

Le Culture Café

LeCultureCafe.com

Owner/chef: Drew Matthews Jr. has found fast success with this, his first restaurant. A former funeral director with a passion for cooking, he couldn’t find a place where Black foodies could go and enjoy top-notch food in a beautiful setting. So, he decided to open that place himself.

Hot dish: A popular go-to spot for Detroit’s Black professionals and food lovers in Black Bottom, the city’s historically Black community. Now located in a larger space in Harmonie Park, the café continues it’s reign.

Liquor: Yes

The space: Modern, upscale and sexy

Outdoor seating: No

Vibe: Date night

Known for: Seafood Overload Mac and Cheese, Culture Wingz

People-watching: A mix of Black professionals and food lovers from all over town

Cost: $$$

You may also enjoy: Detroit Vegan Soul for vegan, soy-free, gluten-free dishes or grab a take-out sandwich at Chef Greg's Soul-N-The Wall.

Atlanta

Slutty Vegan, Westview

SluttyVeganAtl.com

Owner/chef: Pinky Cole, a vegan for 10 years, started Slutty Vegan as a food truck serving tasty vegan burgers with fun names like Super Slut, Sloppy Toppy and Fussy Hussy. Her goal was to change the way people thought about vegan food and appeal to meat eaters.

Hot dish: Lines out the door. Celebrity superfans who come for the burgers. Cole is also dedicated to her Atlanta community. Her Pinky Cole Foundation has partnered with celebrity friends Chris Paul, La La Anthony, Gabrielle Union and Ludacris to provide food. 

The space: Small, colorful, takeout-only burger bar

Vibe: Busy, loud, with fun energy

Known for: Vegan burgers and fries

People-watching: Celebrity and VIP spottings. Fans of Slutty Vegan include Snoop Dogg, Usher, Taraji P. Henson, Tiffany Haddish, Will Smith, Colin Kaepernick, Tyler Perry, Martin Lawrence and Missy Elliott.

Cost: $

Old Lady Gang, Castleberry Hill, Georgia

OldLadyGang.com

Owner/chef: Owned by multiplatinum singer/songwriter and entrepreneur Kandi Burruss, and her husband Todd Tucker of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, with dishes from Kandi’s Mama Joyce and her sisters

Hot dish: RHOA fans know drama queen #MomaJoyce. Despite her issues, Burruss and Tucker love Mama Joyces’ cooking and have set her, and sisters Bertha Jones and Nora Wilcox, up with Old Lady Gang. Be prepared to wait for a table.

The space: Casual chic with rustic touches, two floors and fun photos of the RHOA

Vibe: Bring the fam. Suitable for large groups.

Liquor: Yes

Outdoor seating: Yes

Known for: Deep fried deviled eggs, shrimp and grits

People-watching: Tourists and RHOA fans looking to spot Mama Joyce

Cost: $$

You may also enjoy: Ludacris’ Chicken + Beer, where you can have a beer flight, chicken and more, or Frost Bistro & Bar for American fare, beer and wine.

New Orleans

Café Sbisa, French Quarter

CafeSbisaNola.com

Chef/owner: Alfred Singleton, a New Orleans native, began as a prep cook at Café Sbisa and is now co-owner and executive chef, serving traditional French Creole cuisine in the French Quarter.

Hot dish: The historic fine dining restaurant is the third oldest in the French Quarter, open since 1899, and located across from the French Market. The owners had to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina’s destruction.

Liquor: Yes

Outdoor seating: Yes

The space: Two floors of old world charm, hand carved mahogany, murals, paintings

Vibe: Busy. Bring the fam or take a date to jazz brunch.

Known for: BBQ and Louisiana blue crab

People-watching: The French Quarter is always busy with colorful types, tourists and great food lovers.

Cost: $$

Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, Tremé

LilDizzysCafe.net

Owner/chef: Wayne Baquet Jr. learned the restaurant biz from his father Eddie Baquet Sr., of the legendary restaurant Eddie’s. Wayne Jr. took over Li’l Dizzy’s from his dad last year.

Hot dish: Family run Li’l Dizzy’s is an institution in New Orleans. Great fried chicken, po’boys and gumbo served buffet-style are a matter of multigenerational pride to the Baquets. Bouncing back from the pandemic, Li’l Dizzy’s is continuing their legacy.

Liquor: Yes

Outdoor seating: Yes

The space: Charming, old school, no frills, buffet-style

Vibe: Casual for lunch or family breakfast

Known for: Fried chicken, fried fish

People-watching: Neighborhood regulars, police officers, politicians. Obama and other former presidents, the New Orleans Saints and local celebs have also been spotted.

Cost: $

You may also enjoy: Loretta’s Authentic Pralines for pralines and beignets, or Victory, a downtown bar famous for its craft cocktails