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This year, “Big Easy” residents have opened new restaurants, started new food trucks, launched new food brands, or reviewed their favorite food joints for audiences on TikTok.
To say that food and New Orleans go hand in hand is an understatement.
Each year, New Orleans welcomes more than 19 million tourists looking to taste the city’s rich history and culture savored in each dish. With more than 1200 dining options within the city, people can now use social media or Yelp to narrow down their choices.
In addition, while New Orleans will always be known for authentic Creole and Cajun dining experiences, the city is enjoying a bit of a food evolution with new culinary concepts melding ingredients, flavors and cultures worth exploring.
From vegan soul food and Jamaican beef patties to Haitian nachos and Ethiopian dishes with a New Orleans twist, Black-owned restaurants in New Orleans continue to give locals and tourists alike a taste of the African diaspora plate by plate.
Black-Owned Restaurants in New Orleans Whippin Dem Pots
Journalist and community expert Megan Braden-Perry knows firsthand about New Orleans’ ability to hypnotize your taste buds. “New Orleans food has always been Black, but unfortunately, for so long we never got the credit,” says Braden-Perry, who recently wrote about the importance of preserving New Orleans food culture and recipes despite the changing foodscape.
“There is a saying in New Orleans that New Orleans people you can tell who we are when we are out to eat because we are always talking about the next spot.” She continues, “The Black food scene in New Orleans is going through a bit of a renaissance, which is exciting to me.”
They also say, when in New Orleans, eat like New Orleanians, so we tapped Braden-Perry for 25 Black-owned restaurants that are bringing history, culture and flavor.
14 Parishes Jamaican Restaurant | 8227 Oak Street | Website
Named for the 14 parishes of Jamaica, this family-owned and operated restaurant pays homage to the country with classic dishes such as beef patties and jerk chicken paired with sides like sweet plantains and cornbread. After dining, step into the restaurant’s adjacent spot, The Hummingbird Lounge for music and cool vibes.
Addis NOLA | 2514 Bayou Road | Website
The award-winning Ethiopian restaurant in New Orleans opened in March 2019 with the goal of bringing a taste of Ethiopia to New Orleans. In addition to the menu that features a selection of traditional dishes and others with a New Orleans, end the meal with coffee served during a traditional coffee ceremony.
Backatown Coffee Parlour | 301 Basin Street, Ste 1 | Website
This locally-owned gathering house serves coffee, tea, juices, espresso drinks, freshly baked pastries, desserts, and light bites.
Baroness New Orleans | 339 Baronne Street | Website
Come early and stay late. Baroness is the spot for great cocktails, food and a New Orleans vibe. Owners Camille Whitworth and actor Sidney Webb are taking cocktail culture to another level with a menu that is said to be next to none.
Benna’chin | 1212 Royal Street | Website
Discover cuisines of Africa, especially Gambia and Cameroon, right in the heart of New Orleans at Benna’chin, which has been serving locals and tourists since 1992. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes for carnivore eaters to vegans.
B Spot NOLA | 3150 Calhoun Street | Website
Located in the Fontainebleau/Marlyville neighborhood of New Orleans, the B Spot NOLA boasts buzzing dishes curated by Raneka Remadee Kitts, including oxtail and grits, deep-fried lamb chops and grandmother’s gumbo.
Cafe Sbisa | 1011 Decatur Street | Website
Cafe Sbisa offers fresh, local French-Creole cuisine in a welcoming, historical setting in the French Quarter. Local fare includes turtle soup, Louisiana blue crab cakes and BBQ shrimp.
Chapter IV | 1301 Gravier Street | Website
Chapter IV by Chef Dook Chase follows the legendary family’s tradition of good food with a Creole breakfast and lunch paired with craft cocktails and enhanced by art.
Compère Lapin | 535 Tchoupitoulas | Website
Compère Lapin or “brother rabbit” by Chef Nina Compton, is one hot reservation you’ll be lucky to score while visiting. Named after a mischievous rabbit she read about while growing up in St. Lucia, the menu mixes Indigenous ingredients with Chef Nina’s Caribbean roots.
Dakar NOLA | 3814 Magazine Street | Website
This James Beard Award-winning restaurant by chef Serigne Mbaye features a tasting menu inspired by his most cherished childhood memories in Senegal, where he learned to cook at his mother’s knee. Dakar NOLA offers multiple course dinners, some served family style in homage to West African dining traditions.
Dooky Chase’s | 2301 Orleans Avenue | Website
No other restaurant is synonymous with New Orleans than Dooky Chase’s. Legendary Creole chef Leah Chase put the restaurant on the global map, serving down-home staples in a vibrant, art-filled space that is still owned and operated by her family today.
Fritai | 1535 Basin Street | Website
Proud Haitian roots are the inspiration behind chef Charly Pierre’s restaurant Fritai. Fusing tradition with innovative twists, the menu celebrates the local people, ingredients and flavors of New Orleans.
Heard Dat Kitchen | 2520 Felicity Street | Website
After more than 35 years in the culinary and hospitality industry, chef Jeffrey Heard took the leap of faith, opening Heard Dat Kitchen in 2015. He describes the experience as the intersection of home cooking and fine dining and doesn’t hold back on the menu, which includes his signature style for seafood, chicken, pasta and sides.
Lil Dizzy’s Cafe | 1500 Esplanade Avenue | Website
Founder Wayne Baquet, Sr passed the torch to his son and daughter-in-law, who are keeping this legendary Creole-soul restaurant going with foodie favorites such as their po-boys, gumbo, fried chicken and fish and hot sausage sandwiches. Stop by for daily specials.
RELATED: Micah and Heidi Stampley Give a Taste of NOLA With Orleans Foods Beignet Mix
Love Orleans | 1532 Dumaine Street | Instagram
This woman-owned small business eatery has been getting rave reviews from Instagram and TikTok followers as the best Haitian and Caribbean cuisine in the city. Love Orleans also makes savory tacos every Tuesday worth experiencing.
Meals from the Heart Cafe | 1100 N. Peters Street, French Market | Website
Chef Marilyn Doucette started Meals from the Heart in 2006 in her home kitchen, and today, it is a must-visit food destination for traditional Louisiana dishes such as gumbo and crab cakes with a healthier twist.
Monday Restaurant + Bar | 4327 Bienville Street | Website
Mother and son, chef Lenora Chong and Larry Morrow are the duo behind this restaurant that makes you look forward to Mondays every week. Take the Monday blues away by dining for brunch with friends while listening to music.
Morrow’s Steak House | 2438 St Claude Avenue | Website
This is the newest concept from chef Lenora Chong and son Larry Morrow. Morrow’s Steak House is located in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood and serves classic New Orleans cuisine and authentic Korean dishes.
New Orleans Drink Lab | 343 Baronne Street | Website
New Orleans Drink Lab asks you to mix, shake, and stir for the ultimate interactive cocktail experience, all in the heart of Crescent City. Sign up for a two-hour class to learn the history of classic New Orleans cocktails, such as the Hurricane and Ramos Gin Fizz, before getting behind the bar and making them yourself.
Neyow’s Creole Café | 3332 Bienville Street | Website
Neyow’s Creole Café is one of New Orlean’s most talked about restaurants for Creole cuisine, offering comfort food for the masses. Known as one of the oldest Black-owned restaurants in New Orleans, Neyow’s expansive menu boasts all the classics, so be sure to come hungry.
Nice Guys NOLA | 7910 Earheart Boulevard | Website
Owners Glenn and Allison Charles are taking food over the top at Nice Guys NOLA, a new restaurant offering adventure with all the vibes. Seafood or oyster bread, crawfish jalapeno bombs and chargrilled oysters will have you coming back for a second and third visit.
Queen Trini Lisa | 4200 D’Hemecourt Street | Website
Crowned Restaurant of the Year in 2022 by Eater New Orleans, Trinidad & Tobago native Lisa Nelson, better known as Queen Trini Lisa, brings a taste of the islands to New Orleans with dishes heavily influenced by African, East Indian and Asian cultures.
The Munch Factory | 6514 Congress Drive | Website
The Munch Factory has been a neighborhood eatery offering traditional Creole dishes in a warm and casual atmosphere for over ten years. Dine in our order for delivery.
Sweet Soul Food | 1025 North Broad Street | Website
Sweet Soul Food is an experience in vegan, organic, soy-free and dairy-free cuisine. Opened in 2018, the restaurant serves Cajun flavors and soul food classics.
Up and Adam Eatz | 3903 Canal Street | Website
Opened Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch, Up and Adam Eatz offers diners the ultimate coffee and casual dining experience with a full menu with favorites to include shrimp and grits, Tchoupitoulas omelet and a French Market Breakfast sandwich.
Whether you’re headed to NOLA for a girl’s trip, making the visit for a special occasion or embarking on a food tour to taste who makes the best beignets, it can be overwhelming with so many options being a walk, drive or click away. The list of Black-owned restaurants in New Orleans has undoubtedly grown over the years and this one is just a small number waiting for you to experience.
For Black-owned restaurants in New Orleans beyond this list, be sure to follow Where Black NOLA Eats on Instagram or join their Facebook group.
