50 Black-Owned Restaurants to Try in the Detroit Area

Jake Newby

| 10 min read

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Courtesy of IVY Kitchen & Cocktails/Facebook
Detroit is simply one of the cultural capitals of the country. Musical influence, a vast art presence, a strong automotive heritage and an incredible restaurant scene are hallmarks of our great city. And that restaurant scene has never been so diverse.
Detroit is home to one of the largest Black populations in the country. It took too long for Detroit’s restaurant scene to develop a well-rounded representation of its people, but the city is getting there. In recent years, a surplus of fantastic Black-owned restaurants has sprouted up, adding to a foundation of go-to staples. It may take you a while to try all 50 restaurants on this list, but they should at least be on your radar.

Baker’s Keyboard Lounge

Believed to be one of the world’s oldest Jazz clubs, Baker’s likes to say it serves “soul food with a side of music.” Their menu features soul food and classic American dishes.

Baobab Fare

From Burundi to Detroit, this immigrant-owned East African restaurant has enjoyed so much success since opening in early 2021 that it expanded to open the Soko East African Market and Waka East African food truck.

Bert’s Marketplace

Bert’s Saturday morning barbecue cookout adds to the incredible Eastern Market ambience. Open six days a week, Bert’s is known for its delicious BBQ back ribs rub down with secret special seasoning.

Breadless

Breadless is the place to go for savory, super-green sandwiches made by local chefs with clean ingredients. The menu is 100% gluten-free.

Central Kitchen & Bar

Courtesy of Central Kitchen & Bar/Facebook
Central Kitchen & Bar is anchored by an approachable menu with unique takes on burgers, salads, sandwiches and dinner plates. The restaurant also has a cocktail menu and serves brunch.

Chef Greg's Soul 'N' The Wall

Chef Greg’s soul food restaurant is locally renowned for its “Boogaloo Sandwich,” a decades-old Detroit take on the Sloppy Joes. It’s made with seasoned ground beef, caramelized onions, melted cheese and the "famous" Boogaloo sauce, on a toasted bun.

COOP Caribbean Fusion

A Caribbean restaurant and food hall in Detroit, COOP whips up fresh and unique takes on Caribbean food, Jamaican food, chicken wings, sandwiches, salads and more.

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar

The menu at Cornbread Restaurant & Bar – formerly known as Beans & Cornbread –boasts award-winning soul food and low country cuisine. The restaurant also honors important Black historical figures through its decor.

Cutter’s Bar & Grill

Cutter’s is an historic Detroit Eastern Market spot lauded for its burgers, bites and booze.

Delphine's Jamaican Restaurant

Delphine’s is known for its classic Jamaican cuisine and seafood dishes. The restaurant also have lunch specials and a vegetarian menu.

Detroit Pizza Bar

The Detroit Pizza Bar bakes close to 17 specialty pizzas named after Motown greats, Detroit influencers and Northwest Detroit streets.

Detroit Soul

You can find this farm-to-table restaurant in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. Detroit Soul prides itself on producing health versions of classic soul food dishes.

Detroit Vegan Soul

Detroit's first 100% vegan soul food restaurant provides great-tasting, high-quality, nutritious plant-based food while also doing its part to support a sustainable earth.

Dime Store

Dime Store’s scratch-made breakfast, lunch, brunch, beer, wine and cocktails can be had inside of downtown Detroit’s Chrysler House building.
Courtesy of Dime Store/Facebook

Empire Kitchen & Cocktails

This new bistro in Detroit’s Brush Park neighborhood specializes in craft cocktails and innovative takes on American-style fare.

Flamz Pizzeria

Since 2019 Flamz has prided itself on quality, consistent pizzas, wings and salads. Its staple specialty pies include a seafood pizza, BBQ pizza and Detroiter pizza. 

Flood’s Bar & Grille

Flood’s is one of the aforementioned foundational Black-owned restaurants in Detroit. For well over 30 years, this family-owned, Greektown-area spot has served some of the best classic soul food in the city.

Fusion Flare Kitchen and Cocktails

Fusion Flare’s fresh salads, sandwiches and entrees – likes their chicken and waffles, fish and grits, and lamb chops – have vaulted them up the list of go-to American and soul food eateries on Detroit’s west side.

Hygrade Deli

  • 3640 Michigan Ave., Detroit
  • 313-894-6620
Hygrade Deli’s old school, no frills classic sandwich deli has been a Detroit institution for decades. But it wasn’t until 2022 that it became Black-owned, when Cutter’s owner Chuck Nolen accepted the torch from longtime former owner Stuart Litt.

Ima

  • 2015 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-306-9485 | 4870 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-883-9788| 32203 John R. Rd, Madison Heights; 248-781-0131
  • imanoodles.com
From Corktown to Midtown to Madison Heights, Ima’s Japanese fusion concept and wide-reach across the area has earned the restaurant household name status.

ImaginATE Restaurant

ImaginATE’s offers fine dining enhanced by Le Petit, a digital dining experience that shows animated chefs and characters preparing your order digitally before your actual plated meal arrives. It’s a restaurant with a heavy seafood presence, sushi bar and expansive red-meat menu.

IVY Kitchen & Cocktails

  • 9215 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit
  • 313-332-0607
  • ivykc.com
IVY is a casual restaurant anchored by elevated American fare. There are small plate and large plate options galore, highlighted by surf + turf, jerk-rubbed smoked turkey, the IVY spicy chicken sandwich and much more. IVY’s does brunch, too.

Jamaican Pot

The highly decorated Jamaican Pot restaurant plates authentic Caribbean-inspired dishes amid a charming Caribbean-themed atmosphere.

Joe Louis Southern Kitchen

Joe Louis Southern Kitchen is the heavyweight champion of southern breakfast spots in Detroit. The restaurant’s creative brunch and lunch menus are a knockout, as well.

Krazy Kravings

From a food truck in 2021 to a brick-and-mortar within a year, Krazy Kravings’ menu features burgers, wings, tacos and all types of homemade seafood mains.

Kuzzo’s Chicken & Waffles

This fast casual American soul food restaurant and bar on Detroit’s Historic Avenue of Fashion offers award-winning chicken and waffles 

Le Petit Dejeuner

Le Petit Dejeuner aspires to highlight special moments with meals freshly prepared with you in mind. The breakfast restaurant serves up crepes, French toast, pancakes, waffles, eggs and much more.

Louisiana Creole Gumbo

  • 2051 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-1200 | 13505 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-397-4052 | 29216 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills
  • detroitgumbo.com
After more than 52 years on Gratiot in Eastern Market, one of Detroit’s oldest, most prominent Black-owned businesses took its talents to Farmington Hills and West Seven Mile Road in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Courtesy of Louisiana Creole Gumbo/Facebook

Maty’s Cuisine

Detroit’s first Senegalese restaurant specializes in flavorful fish, lamb and chicken entrees. It opened in early 2017.

Motor City Soul Food

  • 12700 W Seven Mile Rd, Detroit |14830 Telegraph Rd, Redford | 24790 Greenfield Rd, Oak Park 
  • motorcitysoul2go.com
Another of Detroit’s soul-food go-to's found so much success that it had no choice but to expand to two more locations. Chicken, porkchop, turkey, meatloaf, roast beef and oxtail dinners highlight the menu.

Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q

Another legendary black-owned restaurant in Detroit, demand is so great at Parks that the restaurant goes through 2,500-3,000 ribs a week. The classic BBQ restaurant opened in 1964.

Petty Cash

Petty Cash is a high-end small plates and cocktail restaurant on Livernois Avenue. Its dishes are ripe with West African influences and flavorful spice mixtures.

Pizzaman Pizza

Pizzaman’s mission statement is simple: fresh, quality food at affordable prices that impact the community in a positive way.

Saucey Crab

  • 21754 W. Eleven Mile Rd, Southfield; 248-728-4444 | 21639 W. Eight Mile Rd, Detroit; 313-437-2746
  • instagram.com/sauceycrab
This black and woman-owned restaurant was ahead of the Viet-Cajun seafood boil curve. The Saucey Crab opened its Southfield location in 2019 and followed up with an Eight Mile Road restaurant in 2021.

SavannahBlue

SavannahBlue – a 2022 James Beard Foundation semifinalist – serves contemporary northern soul food and tasty cocktails in downtown Detroit.

Sloppy Chops

Courtesy of Sloppy Chops/Facebook
Sloppy Chops meets casual and fine dining in the middle. Good luck visiting the Sloppy Chops website without getting hungry. Sloppy sandwiches, fried lobster tacos and a giant 44-ounce French-cut Tomahawk ribeye stand out on the menu.

Soul on Ice

Soul on Ice is a laid-back, soul-food inspired bistro and lounge. Known to some as “Detroit’s Drinking Den,” Soul on Ice frequently hosts live entertainment.

Southern Smokehouse

This takeout spot may not get as much publicity as some of its contemporaries, but Southern Smokehouse’s delicious brisket, chicken and ribs have earned the restaurant a “hidden gem” reputation.

SuperCrisp

The owner of Ima, chef Mike Ransom, opened SuperCrisp near the Wayne State University campus in 2022. Its unique concept combines Asian fusion and American-style sandwiches and burgers.

Sweet Potato Sensations

The only true bakery on this list, Sweet Potato Sensations bakery in Detroit features a delectable selection of savory and sweet treats with a mix of pies, cakes, cookies, ice cream and much more.

Sweet Soul Bistro

Visit the Westside for some of Sweet Soul Bistro’s tasty take on soul food and vibrant Motown atmosphere.

Table No. 2

Table No. 2 is a fine-dining restaurant right in the heart and soul of downtown Detroit. Sushi, woodfired dinners, and a plethora of inspired seafood, fish, duck and lamb entrees highlight its menu.

The Block

The Block is the place to go for handmade burgers, wings and other elevated pub fare. The neighborhood restaurant and bar offers boozy weekend brunches.
Courtesy of The Block/Facebook

The Kitchen by Cooking with Que

There’s nothing in Detroit quite like The Kitchen by Cooking with Que, which boasts the city’s only demonstration kitchen and culinary shared space. Come for a zestful and earth-conscious menu that mindfully meshes both vegan and meat-based dishes.

The Lobster Foodtruck & Pitstop

One of Dearborn’s best-kept secrets is getting out. From lobster mac-n-cheese to surf & turf burgers and lobster rolls served both hot and cold, the Lobster Foodtruck & Pitstop is a lobster-lover’s dream.

They Say Restaurant

  • 267 Jos Campau, Detroit; 313-446-4682; | 17810 Vernier Rd., Harper Woods; 313-309-3600 
  • theysayrestaurant.com
It’s been almost 20 years since They Say started serving inspired American fare and delicious cocktails to downtown Detroit customers. Now with a second location in Harper Woods, the cozy restaurant regularly hosts live music.

Trap Vegan

Trap Vegan’s 100% plant-based burgers and sandwiches are so flavorful that they taste like the real thing. You can also order smoothies, salads and acai bowls from this new fast-casual spot.

Vicki’s BBQ

Vicki’s is another pillar on this list of Black-owned restaurants. It’s an old-school carryout rib joint that’s been a fixture in Southwest Detroit since 1964.

Whatcha Wanna Eat Food Hall

Detroit’s only Black-owned food hall offers a common area space that goes beyond delicious food. Whatcha Wanna Eat’s commitment to the community goes hand in hand with our mission to provide a platform for first-time restaurateurs, ensuring their dreams have staying power.

Yum Village

Yum Village promises a flavor-packed, chef-prepared menu of West African and Caribbean dishes. This affordable spot on Detroit’s north end also makes its own fresh juice.
Photo credit: IVY Kitchen & Cocktails, Central Kitchen & Bar, Dime Store, Louisiana Creole Gumbo Sloppy Chops and The Block, all courtesy of Facebook.
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