Good Food

60 fantastic Black-owned Los Angeles restaurants

Written by Elina Shatkin Feb. 28, 2023 Food & Drink

An assortment of dishes at Barsha in Hermosa Beach. Photo courtesy of Barsha.

Los Angeles is filled with fantastic Black-owned restaurants serving all kinds of food. This list features 60 of them. It's divided into 12 categories because we needed to give it some semblance of order. But cuisine, like culture, is a fluid thing. Not every restaurant fits neatly into a single culinary genre.

Beyond that, this list only scratches the surface. For more resources on finding Black-owned restaurants in Los Angeles, go here:

Upscale

Keith Corbin, the James Beard Award-nominated executive chef and co-owner of Alta Adams, hard at work at his restaurant. Photo credit: Nick Muncie

Alta Adams - West Adams

5359 W. Adams Blvd., West Adams.

At Alta Adams, chef and co-owner Keith Corbin serves up fancified versions of soul food staples such as pimento dip, smoked brisket, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, oxtails and vegan gumbo alongside a terrific wine list. Like what you're drinking? The wine shop next door offers many of the bottles you see on the menu. Born in 1980 in Watts, Corbin grew up around gang violence and began living on his own by age 15. By his 20s, Corbin was in and out of California’s prison system and served 10 years. As a free man, he got a job as a kitchen manager at LocoL. He describes his journey in his memoir, "California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival." Or listen to his full interview with Evan Kleiman.

Barsha - Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach

1141 Aviation Blvd., Hermosa Beach.
917 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach.

Husband and wife duo Adnen and Lenora Marouani have two ventures under the Barsha name — a full restaurant in Hermosa Beach and a wine bar and bottle shop in Manhattan Beach. At both spots, Tunisian and Mediterranean flavors guide the menu. Their bruschetta includes tuna, mashed chickpeas and a soft boiled egg on crusty bread. The lamb meatballs are served in stewed couscous, the mac and cheese is spiced with tabil (a blend of coriander, chili, garlic and other spices) and the shakshuka features Tunisian stewed vegetables. At the Hermosa location, you'll find several beers on tap as well as a craft cocktail list. The Manhattan Beach shop, you'll find cheese, crackers, jams, chocolate, salami, and honey as well as a thoughtful array of wines and spirits.

Post & Beam - Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw

3767 Santa Rosalia Dr., Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw.

Brunch, Cafes, and Comfort Food

The Bangin' Breakfast Sandwich at Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen. Photo credit: Jakob Layman.

Bloom & Plume - Westlake

1638 W. Temple St., Westlake.

Coffee and Plants - Pasadena

62 W. Union St., Pasadena

Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen - multiple locations

4427 W. Slauson Ave., View Park-Windsor Hills
170 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood
4247 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock
718 S. Hill St., DTLA

After successfully launching popular West Hollywood sports bar The Parlor, Ajay Relan and Yonnie Hagos turned their attention to South L.A., where they wanted to see more dining options. In August 2018, they opened Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen in the View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood. The goal? Hire from the community and establish a gathering spot for locals. It's been so successful, Hilltop now has four locations, including their most recent spot in downtown Los Angeles. They describe their fare as "conscious comfort," which translates to acai bowls, cornbread, breakfast burritos and sammies, a Cobb salad, a crispy chicken sandwich and the Smoked Salmon Droptop, a thick slice of multigrain bread topped with dill cream cheese, pickled red onions, capers, hard boiled eggs and cucumbers. And, of course, there's plenty of coffee.

Lou, the French on the Block - Burbank

4007 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank

This Toluca Lake spot, run by retired French basketball player Laurent "Lou" Correa makes fabulous croissants. So fabulous, they made our list of LA's best croissants.

Obet & Del's - Los Feliz

5233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz

Patria Coffee Roasters - Compton

108 N. Alameda St., Compton

Poppy + Rose - DTLA

765 Wall St., DTLA.

Silverback Coffee Of Rwanda - DTLA

400 S. Hope St., DTLA.

Simply Wholesome - View Park - Windsor Hills

4508 W. Slauson Ave., View Park - Windsor Hills

Sip & Sonder - Inglewood, DTLA, Sherman Oaks

108 S. Market St., Inglewood
11 S. Grand Ave., DTLA (at the Music Center)
14000 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks (at Macy's)

South LA Cafe - Exposition Park

1700 Browning Blvd., Exposition Park.

Super Domestic Coffee - Culver City

10054 Culver Blvd., Culver City

Undergrind Cafe - Beverlywood

2713 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverlywood.

Vegan

Baba's Vegan Cafe - South L.A.

6619 S. Western Ave., South LA

Berbere - Santa Monica

510 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica

Crystals Soul Cafe - Willowbrook

12823 Avalon Blvd., Willowbrook

Stuff I Eat - Inglewood

114 N. Market St., Inglewood

Ethiopian

An assortment of stews at Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant in Inglewood. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW

Rosalind's Ethiopian Cuisine - Fairfax

1044 S Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Fekere Gebre-Mariam, known locally as Mr. Fekere, brought the first Ethiopian restaurant to Fairfax Ave. when he opened Rosalind's in 1988. He had come to the United States from Addis Ababa in 1971, to finish his education. After launching Rosalind's, he encouraged other African businesses to set up shop on the street. That's how he earned the nickname "the Godfather of Little Ethiopia." In 2002, the area was officially designated Little Ethiopia, making it the first neighborhood in the world to be named after an African nation. For more, check out Shaka Mali Tafari's three-part series, "Exploring Africa in LA: A Little Ethiopia story."

Meals By Genet - Fairfax

1053 S. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Lalibela - Fairfax

1025 S. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant - Fairfax

1036 1/2 S. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Messob Ethiopian Restaurant - Fairfax

1041 S. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Queen of Sheba - Inglewood

630 N. La Brea Ave., #106, Inglewood

Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine - Fairfax

1047 S. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax

Caribbean

Two rotis from Bridgetown Roti. Photo by Kennedy Clark.

Bridgetown Roti - DTLA

672 S. Santa Fe Ave., DTLA

At James Beard-nominated pop-up Bridgetown Roti, Rashida Holmes puts her spin on roti, a dish that came to the Caribbean in the 1800s, when British colonialists moved southern Indians to the islands to work on plantations. Today, roti stands are as common in Trinidad and Barbados as taco trucks are in L.A. Launched as a pandemic pop-up, Bridgetown Roti now operates on weekends out of a kitchen in the Arts District. There, Holmes offers roti and patties filled with goat, oxtail or chicken curry, among other options, as well as crisp fried cod cakes, cabbage salad and fried potatoes.

Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine - Leimert Park

4305 Degnan Blvd., Leimert Park

Caribbean Gourmet - San Gabriel

264 S. Mission Dr., San Gabriel (inside Blossom Market Hall)

Caribbean Soul Kitchen- Mid-Wilshire

5354 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire

Island Boy Cafe - Mid-Wilshire

5025 W. Pico Blvd., Mid-Wilshire

Jerk Kitchen - Jefferson Park

2502 W. Jefferson Blvd., Jefferson Park

The Jerk Spot Jamaican Restaurant - Culver City

9006 Venice Blvd., Culver City

Wi Jammin Caribbean Restaurant - Mid-Wilshire

5103 W. Pico Blvd., Mid-Wilshire

BBQ

Kevin Bludso says because rib tips are not in the historical canon of barbecue, they are the most underrated cut. Photo by Eric Wolfinger.

Bludso's Bar & Que - Fairfax

609 N. La Brea Ave., Fairfax
1329 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica

Kevin Bludso is an LA barbecue legend who learned to smoke brisket as a child while visiting his paternal great aunt, Willie Mae Fields, in Texas during the summer. "The key to good barbecue is consistent temperature, once you get that down you can cook anything," he tells Good Food. In 2008, he opened Bludso's as a small takeout BBQ stand in Compton then moved into a much larger spot on La Brea. In the summer of 2023, he opened a second location in Santa Monica. Aside from brisket, the menu features barbecued pork and beef ribs, pulled pork, chicken, links, rib tips (Bludso's favorite) and smoked jackfruit.

Big Ant's BBQ - Glassell Park, Koreatown

2207 N. San Fernando Rd., Glassell Park
3076 W. 8th St., Koreatown

Chicken

Fried chicken: Resistance is futile (if you’re a meat eater). Photo by Lucas Andrade/Unsplash.

Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles - multiple locations

1865. S. La Brea Ave., La Brea

1514 N. Gower St., Hollywood

106 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood

621 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood - LAX

730 East Broadway, Long Beach

830 N. Lake Ave, Pasadena

2110 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim

Founded in 1985 by Harlem native Herb Hudson, Roscoe's has become a Southern California juggernaut with seven locations, from Anaheim to Pasadena. It delivers what its name promises, a sweet-and-savory partnership of crisp fried chicken alongside thick, fluffy waffles. Even former POTUS Barack Obama paid a visit and reportedly ordered three wings served with two waffles (you'll find it on the menu as Obama's Special). The menu also includes biscuit breakfast sandwiches, chicken livers, grits and sides such as candied yams, greens and red beans.

Honey's Kettle - Culver City

9537 Culver Blvd, Culver City

Willie Mae's - Venice, West LA

324 Lincoln Blvd., Venice
11419 Santa Monica Blvd., West LA (inside The Colony)

Burgers, Tacos, and Fish

A double burger sits next to a pile of fries. Photo by Jonathan Borba/Unsplash

Earle's on Crenshaw - Leimert Park

3864 Crenshaw Blvd., Leimert Park

Hawkins House Of Burgers - Willowbrook

11603 Slater St., Willowbrook

Mel's Fish Shack - West Adams

4524 W. Jefferson Blvd., West Adams

Oh My Burger - Gardena

2142 W. El Segundo Blvd., Gardena

Sky's Gourmet Tacos - Mid-Wilshire

5303 W. Pico Blvd., Suite #01, Mid-Wilshire

Creole & Cajun

Jambalaya with sausage and shrimp. Photo via Shutterstock

Harold & Belle's - Jefferson Park

2920 W. Jefferson Blvd., Jefferson Park

Need your fix of filé gumbo, oyster po'boys, catfish nuggets, jambalaya, cajun meatloaf and Louisiana hot links? Head to Harold & Belle's, opened in 1969 by Harold Mary Belle Legaux. The restaurant is now in the hands of the third generation of the Legauz family and still serving delicious New Orleans staples.

Stevie's Creole Cafe - Mid-Wilshire

5545 W. Pico Blvd., Mid-Wilshire

Soul Food

Most of the sides at My 2 Cents are gluten-free, including the mac & cheese and "gries" (grit fries). Photo by Gary George.

My 2 Cents - Mid-Wilshire

5583 W. Pico Blvd., Mid-Wilshire

Growing up in a household in Los Angeles where her family ate together every night, Alisa Reynolds always loved food. As an adult, she moved to New York to train under David Burke then returned home to start her own venture. "I wanted to create a restaurant that felt like a hug. We welcome you when you come in, we thank you when you leave, we dance when it’s your first time. It’s my little piece of heaven in LA," she tells Good Food. At My 2 Cents, she ushers Southern comfort foods into a modern diet, creating gluten-free versions of fried chicken and macaroni and cheese. The menu also features plenty of vegan options.

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen - Inglewood, Gramercy Park

202 E. Manchester Blvd. Inglewood
1714 W. Century Blvd., Gramercy Park

You can't talk about soul food in Los Angeles without mentioning Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen, which Adolf Dulan opened in 199 after running several other restaurants including an Orange Julius stand, the Hamburger City chain andAunt Kizzy's Back Porch. Ever since, Dulan's and has been serving fried fish, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, ox tails, fried chicken and all the fixings. In 2022 and again in 2023, Greg Dulan earned a James Beard nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Comfort LA - DTLA, Inglewood

1110 E. 7th Street, DTLA.
902 N. La Brea Ave., Inglewood.

Fixins Soul Kitchen - DTLA

800 W. Olympic Blvd., A150, DTLA (at LA Live).

Georgia's Restaurant - Long Beach, Anaheim

4101 McGowen St., Suite 155, Long Beach.
440 S. Anaheim Blvd., #209A, Anaheim.

Wine & Beer

Laughing and enjoying wine, it's a nice way to spend a Wednesday. Photo via Shutterstock

Pip's on La Brea - Mid-Wilshire

1356 S. La Brea Ave., Mid-Wilshire.

A large patio, live music and good drinks… what's not to like about Pip's, a longtime haunt for jazz fans? The menu runs the gamut, offering everything from wings, caesar salads and calamari to pizzas, rack of lamb and linguine. On Winedown Wednesdays, get half-off on all bottles of wine.

Dessert

Red velvet cupcakes.Photo by Owen Bruce/Unsplash.