The Most Talked About Black-Owned Restaurants in Minneapolis
Minneapolis is known for its stellar restaurant scene, and Black-owned restaurants contribute to this reputation in a major way. From bakeries to African cuisine and vegan eats to juice bars, there are countless options to satisfy all tastes and cravings. Plus, each establishment has a backstory that’s just as interesting as the flavorful dishes or drinks on their menu.
Tender Lovin' Chix
What started as a food truck soon became a popular restaurant in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood. Tender Lovin' Chix, owned by Marques (Ques) Johnson and Billy Tserenbat (behind Billy Sushi) is known for "Blackenese" flavors. Most dishes are served with flavorful fried rice and their signature yum yum sauce. You can't go wrong with any of the wings, and we recommend the Rush Hour 4 or Basil Chicken for a main dish. The restaurant itself is bistro-style with a full bar and televisions for sports. In Ques' words, "Tender Lovin' Chix" is a billion-dollar chicken spot."
Soul Bowl
Husband and wife team Chef Gerald and Brittney Alise Klass use soul food to bring people together and celebrate the community and culture of North Minneapolis. They do so with Soul Bowl – a self-proclaimed reimagination of “soul food for the urban millennial.” The Klass’ restaurant opened in 2019, and now aim to expand nationwide to become the first casual soul food restaurant enterprise in the US. Mpls.St.Paul Magazine raised an important question in its article, "Could Soul Bowl Be Minneapolis’ New Chipotle?" The answer? Most definitely. Soul Bowl is just what it sounds like: build your own bowl of soul! Choose a base (Mack & Cheese or yellow rice), your veggies (like yams or collard greens), protein (variety of meats and vegan options) and sides or order an already-built bowl. Find them in Graze | Provisions + Libations in the North Loop.
Lutunji's Palate
Good news, you don’t have to travel too far south to get authentic, Southern-style peach cobbler. You can find one right in the Elliot Park neighborhood – a rarity! Lutunji Abram recently opened her bakery built on her signature dessert, the peach cobbler. Her secret? Using canned peaches! They’re juicy and cut easily with a fork while you’re chowing down. Vegans can also savor this delightful dessert, because Abram makes two versions: one with a buttery crust and one with a vegan crust. Even though her family grew up eating cobbler with lots of butter, they approve of the vegan option, too. Other than the peach cobbler or pecan pie with butter crusts, her entire menu is vegan. She also adds nutritive elements to her desserts. You could get red velvet cupcakes that get their coloring from organic beets, gluten-free coconut cake bites or even peanut butter cookies baked with Irish sea moss, a mineral-rich algae.
Slice Pizza
Owners Adam Kado and Hosie Thurmond brought Slice Pizza, the first Black-owned pizzeria in Minneapolis, to the Northeast Neighborhood in October 2021. On opening day, their small walk-up window had eager supporters in lines wrapped around the building. Two weeks later, a fire (the cause of which was suspected arson) damaged much of their restaurant. It was a devastating blow to the owners, but the community came together and raised nearly $25,000 for repairs. Slice Pizza reopened that November and later a second location in Midtown Global Market in July 2022. Their New York style mega slices of pizza are a Minneapolis favorite!
Trio Plant-Based
In 2016, Louis Hunter, the owner of Trio Plant-Based, attended a protest after his cousin Philando Castile was killed in a police-involved incident. Falsely accused of throwing rocks at police officers, Hunter faced 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges. With the help of local allies, the charges were dropped. Soon after, Hunter started pop-ups to give back and serve his community healthy and tasty food. Each one sold out. The community raised over $50,000 for a permanent restaurant, which soon became one of Lake Street’s pride and joy: Trio Plant-Based, the Twin Cities’ first Black-owned vegan restaurant. Located on West Lake Street, its menu serves up soul food herbivores and omnivores can both enjoy. Try their Mac & Cheeze, collard greens, southern slaw and barbecue jackfruit ribs.
Heal Mpls (Herbs. Eats. All Love.)
Located in North Minneapolis on the corner of 42nd & Lyndale Avenue North, Heal Mpls serves affordable herbal medicine and plant-based foods to support a holistic lifestyle. Sierra Carter created the restaurant to help her community transition out of diets that cause illness and food addiction, and to bring awareness to spiritual healing (Heal Mpls is a spirit-led organization). The menu rotates frequently, depending on what ingredients are fresh that day. Most of the produce is grown on family farms or in family gardens to keep costs low and the food hyper-local. Carter started Heal Mpls to compliment her other venture, The Zen Bin, which offers yoga, cardio workouts, meditation, acupuncture, and cooking classes to North Minneapolis.
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen
If you’re a long-time fan of the Food Network, there’s a chance you’ve heard of Pimento Jamaican Kitchen. Tomme Beevas, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, started selling his food at pop-up locations across Minneapolis in 2012. Beevas' dishes embrace family recipes and French cooking techniques, which gave him the fire to win Food Network’s Food Court Wars in 2013. His brick-and-mortar spot opened three years later on Eat Street (thanks to the prize money), and he’s since expanded to the Bde Maka Ska pavilion. The authentic Jamaican street and comfort food also earned Pimento Jamaican Kitchen features on Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmerman’s Bucket List and Food Network’s I Heart Food. Beevas' favorite thing on the menu? The oxtail (pictured below) – a fully-roasted, deliciously tender piece of meat served up with buttery beans, rice, fried plantains and island slaw.
Cobble Social House
It’s not quite a bar and not quite a restaurant, but regardless, Cobble Social House is a trendy and up-and-coming lounge in the North Loop neighborhood. It’s owned by brother and sister duo Joe and Veronica Clark. With a speakeasy on the first floor and 29 dining tables on the second, Cobble Social House is an intimate spot to go to with friends before or after your dinner reservations in the neighborhood. Yes, they serve small bites (a fusion of California and French cuisine), but they encourage venturing to the other numerous restaurants in the area for your main courses. Cobble Social House is easy to find – just look for golden eye.
Afro Deli
Abdirahman Kahin, the CEO and founder of Afro Deli — a fast-casual African eatery — is originally from Somalia and is not a trained chef or cook. He jokes that he hits his “sweet spot” when he does the dishes. But customer service, hospitality and creating a welcoming environment are his true talents. Kahin saw a need for Halal food in Minneapolis, which was lacking, and opened a restaurant that catered to Black and mainstream communities. And just like that (and with loads of hard work, of course), Afro Deli was born. It was important to Kahin that Afro Deli represent African culture, not just Somali culture, so multiple audiences could relate to it. With three locations across the city and one in St. Paul, Afro Deli has been a go-to for downtown workers, college students, locals and visitors for years. Ultimately, Afro Deli brings diverse groups together and introduces Minneapolitans to African culture through taste and smell. Afro Deli was recently named the national small business of the year!
The Dripping Root
Need your juice or smoothie fix? You’re in luck. The Dripping Root is Minnesota’s first and only Black-owned cold pressed juice bar. Step inside and it’ll feel like you’re in a smoothie itself – the interior is 100% color and positive vibes. Catiesha Pierson is to thank for the Dripping Root. She saw a lack of Black-owned restaurants in Minneapolis and a need to popularize health and wellness. It all started with dedication and her own at-home juice machine. Pierson built her business from the ground up while working a full-time job, being a single mom and personally making deliveries across town. Soon, she needed room to expand and chose an open storefront on Minnehaha Avenue. The COVID-19 pandemic hit not long after she signed her lease, but regardless, the Dripping Root came to fruition. The smoothie and juice bar is open Thursday-Sunday, 9 am-1 pm or until they sell out, which they do often!
Northern Soul
Growing up, Chef Justin Sutherland spent his childhood in the kitchen learning recipes from his mother and grandmother. Now, he’s classically trained in French cuisine but infuses ingredients and techniques from his southern roots. Sutherland’s won multiple awards (2019 Charlie Awards for Outstanding Chef, and a two-time recipient of MSP Magazine’s Best New Restaurant) as well as Iron Chef America. Sutherland’s newest spot – Northern Soul – is now open at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. Here, you’ll find southern style food with some classic “northern soul,” of course. It’s open for brunch, lunch and dinner with three different menus. Each one features southern staples, like shrimp hushpuppies, cornbread skillets, barbecue sandwiches, brisket sliders and poutine.
Tamu Grill
Meet Tamu, the only Kenyan restaurant in Minneapolis. This Cedar-Riverside restaurant is giving Minneapolis locals and visitors a taste of Kenya and East Africa through flavorful and colorful cooking. It's owned by Fanaka Ndege, a Kenyan US-based rapper, content creator, and businessman, and his father Chef George “Jojo” Ndege, who heads the kitchen. Chef Jojo draws inspiration for his food from his cultural experiences growing up in Nairobi, Kenya. He experiments with spices, flavors and – most importantly – cooks from his heart. Tamu attracts people from many backgrounds. Most customers find themselves in Tamu because they were walking by and wanted to try something new. The Ndege family's philosophy is that everyone should be able to enjoy Tamu's meals. Their dishes are affordable, sensitive to dietary restrictions (no nuts, eggs or dairy) and delicious.
Get Down Coffee Co
Get Down Coffee Co is a pillar in the Minneapolis food and drink community. Houston White (the founder of the Houston White brand of lifestyle goods) collaborated with Dan Anderson of Dogwood Coffee Co to bring specialty coffee to Camdentown. Why? To diversify and increase accessibility of the specialty coffee scene. Get Down Coffee Co is inspired by hip-hop music – hip-hop broke sociocultural barriers and Houston and his team are doing the same. They roast their own beans in its sibling roastery, Dogwood Coffee Co, and are planning to build their own North Minneapolis roasting facility in the coming years. Their menu has creative drinks, like a sweet potato cream latte or a brown sugar banana cream latte, but also classics, like chai and matcha lattes or an array of teas.
STEPCHLD
According to owner, Kamal Mohamed, Northeast Minneapolis' STEPCHLD serves up “music you can eat.” At STEPCHLD you’ll find Ethiopian-inspired cuisine developed by the entire staff. There’s no “I” in Kamal’s STEPCHLD for a reason – dishes aren’t developed by one top chef. Instead, Kamal will think of a dish, bring it to the team and it’s collectively tweaked to perfection. Their menu features Ethiopian birria tacos, sweet potato fritters and double burgers, to name a few.
Wendy's House of Soul
Wendy Puckett's House of Soul in north Minneapolis gained national attention when it was featured on the Cooking Channel's Food Paradise. However, Minneapolis locals already knew that House of Soul is special. Known for her Soulrolls — gluten-free egg roll wraps fried golden and filled with delicious foods like greens, mac and cheese, taco fixings and more — Puckett puts her heart and soul into every meal.
The Camden Social
If you're craving soulful Southern comfort food, then make your way to The Camden Social. Signature dishes like blackened catfish, smoked salmon croquettes, and shrimp and grits are sure to become instant favorites among diners. But it's not just about the food at The Camden Social; it's about creating a space where the community can come together to connect, celebrate, and share in the joy of good food. The restaurant hosts regular events such as live music nights, cultural festivals, and community gatherings, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among all who visit.
