Black-owned businesses are a key part of the cultural fabric of Greater Miami & Miami Beach – and checking out Black-owned restaurants is a great way to explore the culinary scene here while supporting local businesses.
We’ve gathered some of the best Black-owned eateries celebrated by locals and visitors alike. From Caribbean fare to soul food delights, you can taste the varied cuisines of the African diaspora right here in Miami. Many of these restaurants are represented at the annual Black Pepper Food Festival.
Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen
Come for the food and stay for the vibes at Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen, an upscale Caribbean restaurant. Dynamic husband-and-wife duo Rodrick Leighton and Shrusan Gray, M.D., honor their West African heritage and welcome you with Dukunoo’s fresh food, hand-crafted cocktails and vibrant decor. Enjoy al fresco dining in Wynwood as you eat saltfish frittaz, jerk ribs and whole-fried snapper while listening to reggae and soca music.
Jackson Soul Food
The rich aroma of home cooking will welcome you at Jackson Soul Food in Historic Overtown, along with the staff’s Southern hospitality. Owner Shirlene Ingraham aims to create the feeling that you’re eating food made with love in your family’s kitchen. Fill up your tummy with hearty choices such as the T-bone steak with onions, the salmon and egg sandwich, and delicious salmon croquettes.
Lil GreenHouse Grill
Lil Greenhouse Grill started as a local food truck and is now a treasured restaurant in Historic Overtown. Dig into barbeque rib tips, the seafood cake burger, and baked mac and cheese. Chef and co-owner Karim Bryant started the “neo-soul” restaurant to provide upscale soul food that stays true to its family roots. Treat yourself to some black-eyed peas and some of the best lemon pepper wings you’ve ever had.
Red Rooster Overtown
A tribute to Historic Overtown’s rich African-American history and cultural impact on Miami, Red Rooster Overtown’s food fuels your soul. Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson pours his heart into the menu. The James Beard Award winner was the guest chef for the Obama administration’s first state dinner, which hints at how elegant your meal at the Red Rooster will be. Indulge in mouthwatering dishes such as peppercorn steak, fried yard bird, roasted snapper and the oxtail pepper pot. Sway to live music performances and DJ sets with Afro beats, hip-hop remixes, jazz and more as you finish off the night. This place is quite popular, so it’s a good idea to make a reservation.
Rosie’s
With humble beginnings as a pop-up led by husband and wife duo Akino and Jamila West, Rosie’s in the Little River area is the place to go to get your brunch fix. Here, the ambiance is as relaxed as brunch should be (doesn’t delicious food served al fresco in a courtyard sound heavenly?) and the menu is Southern-American style, with Italian influences. Rosie’s biggest hits are the cacio e peppe omelet, the savory fried chicken and waffles, and the fried fish and grits – tasty dishes that helped the restaurant earn a Michelin Bib Gourmand award.
Bar ONE
Tantalize your taste buds with Afro-Cuban cuisine and tropical cocktails at Bar ONE’s speakeasy-inspired waterfront restaurant with unparalleled views of Biscayne Bay and the Downtown Miami skyline. Enjoy fine dining alongside celebrities and socialites at this South Beach restaurant owned by legendary restaurateur Peter Thomas, who has been curating high-end Miami nightlife for more than 35 years. Taste the Caribbean with fall-off-the-bone-good Jamaican oxtail, deliciously homemade curry chicken, and juicy grilled branzino paired with a coconut martini or sparkling peach sangria.
Chef Creole Seasoned Kitchen
Known as the Emeril of Haitian food, owner and Chef Wilkinson "Ken" Sejour opened Chef Creole Seasoned Kitchen with his late brother, Jude Pierre, 30 years ago. There are multiple locations where you can taste vibrant Creole flavors and see why it draws A-list celebrities, like the Obamas, Jay Z and Dwyane Wade. Sample exceptional Bahamian and Creole dishes, such as fried fish, stewed conch, Creole wings, griot (fried pork) and oxtail. Here’s a hot tip: Pick up a bottle of Haitian favorite pikliz (a traditional pickled vegetable relish) to add an extra zing to any meal.
Lorna's Caribbean & American Grille
You’ll treasure the award-winning homemade meals at Lorna's Caribbean & American Grille in Miami Gardens. Lorna Westmoreland, affectionately known by locals as “Ms. Lorna,” infuses her family’s traditional recipes with motherly love, delighting diners with cuisine straight from the Caribbean islands. Lorna's Caribbean & American Grille started as a flea-market vendor and is now a brick and mortar restaurant where you can savor conch soup, curry goat and everyone’s favorite – jerk chicken with rice, corn and peas.
Manjay
Celebrate Caribbean cuisine in Wynwood with Manjay’s colorful, flavorful meals created by friends who wanted to honor their roots. Manjay owner Christian Dominique’s love for cooking – and his career as a restaurateur – was sparked when he was just 19 and his grandmother taught him how to cook classic Haitian dishes. Taste tried-and-true recipes that were passed down in Christian’s family, such as Creole-style slow-braised pork, coconut curry shrimp and jerk chicken. Top off your meal with a benyen (Haitian-style beignet). You can also sample Manjay’s cuisine at The Citadel food hall near Little Haiti.
Pack Supermarket
Pack Supermarket & Cafeteria is a beloved part of Little Haiti – in fact, many dedicated fans have been dining here since childhood. The Haitian restaurant’s crispy, juicy fried chicken is considered some of Miami’s best. Transport yourself to the streets of Haiti with Pack Supermarket & Cafeteria’s authentic dishes cooked cafeteria-style, right in front of you. Be sure to sample red beans and rice or smashed and fried plantains with your meal to get the full Haitian experience.
Clive’s Cafe
Serving authentic Jamaican food since the 1970s, Clive’s Cafe in Little Haiti is one of the longest-running Jamaican restaurants in Miami. Pearline Murray and her late husband Clifford opened Clive’s (named after their son) 50 years ago at a time when local factory workers were their primary customers. Dine on Jamaican staples including curry goat and jerk chicken with plantains, and indulge in specials such as cow foot, conch and fries and tender oxtail while sipping on sorrel ginger beer, a classic Jamaican drink.
Grown
Nurture your body with food that makes you feel good at Grown. Created by Shannon and (NBA champion) Ray Allen, Grown offers nutrient-dense, farm-to-fork organic meals made with locally sourced ingredients. What started off as a part of Shannon’s television show, “The Pre-Game Meal,” has grown into a “fast-but-healthy food concept” restaurant offering tasty, unique and affordable meals in South Miami, South Beach and at Hard Rock Stadium. Discover popular menu items such as the black bean & squash quinoa bowl, chicken tortilla soup and avocado toast.
Conch It Up Soul Food
Shake up your taste buds with Conch It Up Soul Food’s bold seafood, soul food and a variety of conch dishes. Owners Noreese Kelly-Howard and husband Lavelle Howard curated multi-generational family recipes as inspiration for opening Conch It Up Soul Food in the heart of Liberty City in 2015. Try Southern-style conch dishes – everything from stew conch to sweet-and-sour conch to conch salad.
The Licking
DJ Khaled’s The Licking soul food restaurants will have you saying, “More, please!” The Grammy Award-winning artist was motivated to start The Licking so that local underserved Black communities could enjoy an exceptional soul food restaurant. With locations in Miami Gardens, North Miami and South Beach, The Licking’s family-friendly and laidback atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for diving into shrimp Alfredo pasta, fried turkey wings, fried chicken tenders and the red velvet waffle sandwich. Order the Famous Mystery Drink as the perfect accompaniment to your meal.
Smith & Webster
Miami-born NFL veteran Kayvon Webster has teamed up with Starex Smith, the culinary mastermind behind The Hungry Black Man, to curate a foodie’s paradise at Smith & Webster. Dive into elevated Southern cuisine that pays homage to the African diaspora. Relish the flavors of bourbon-glazed smoked short rib, crispy lemon catfish with grits and sweet potato souffle in this high-energy North Miami restaurant. Cocktail connoisseurs will want to indulge in Smith & Webster’s creations like the pear margarita or the all-time-favorite Blacker The Berry cocktail, which fans say is pleasantly potent.
We Shuckin Southern Eatery
Have a groovy night out in Miami Gardens at We Shuckin Southern Eatery, renowned for its 1960s and 70s vibes and seven different mac n’ cheeses. Owner Ernisha Randolph created this restaurant to show respect to Black culinary icons – evident in its famous mac n’ cheeses that honor the creator of American mac n’ cheese, James Hemings, an innovative African American who was once the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson. We Shuckin’s menu pays homage to the farm-to-fork regional styles of Southern soul food, from South Carolina’s Gullah-Geechee cuisine and Georgia’s country cooking to Louisiana’s Cajun-style dishes.
World Famous House Of Mac
Make your cheesiest dreams come true at World Famous House of Mac, available for takeout or delivery only from its location inside Wynwood Eatery. Revel in an ooey-gooey experience and savor Buffalo chicken mac, Philly cheesesteak mac, lump crab meat mac, and the “World Famous Five Cheese Truffle Mac and Cheese.” There’s even a vegan mac and cheese option. Owner Derrick “Chef Teach” Turton, who formerly managed rapper Pitbull, has many celebrity fans, including ASAP Rocky, Venus and Serena Williams, Rick Ross, and members of the Miami Marlins and Miami HEAT.
Black Restaurant Week
Black Restaurant Week is returning for its fourth edition across Florida from November 10-19, 2023. This is a great opportunity to support Black-owned restaurants, food trucks and culinary service companies. Local participants include Lil Greenhouse Grill, World Famous House of Mac, Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen and Rosie’s.