Black-Owned Restaurants, Bars, Bakeries & Cafes in Philadelphia

Note to Editors: Businesses have adjusted how and when they operate as a result of COVID-19. Please verify information before publishing.

Philadelphia is rich in Black culture, heritage and history. That tradition carries on in Philly’s wide array of Black-owned and -operated restaurants, coffee shops and bars across its dynamic neighborhoods.

Those in the mood for stellar Southern food can head to South Kitchen and Jazz Bar. If it’s an organic, fresh-pressed juice they crave, Stripp’d Juice whips up exactly that. And if only a pound cake or pie will suffice, Denise’s Bakery is sure to satisfy.

Here’s a look at more than 30 Black-owned restaurants, bars, bakeries and cafes in Greater Philadelphia:

Bakeries, Desserts, Cafes & Markets:

• Bower Cafe – Thane Wright, owner. Colorful Washington Square West spot adds an element to the coffee-pastry-sandwich trifecta: house-cured meats, served on toasts or by the pound. Wright, a pro coffee consultant, also participates in Quaker City Coffee’s reentry program, hiring people who have been incarcerated. 263 S. 10th Street, bower-cafe.com
• Chef Reeky’s Cafe & Juice Bar – Tarik Ryant, owner. Satisfy breakfast and lunch cravings in Southwest Philly with caramel apple pancakes, salmon cakes, cheesesteak egg rolls and smoothies at Chef Reeky’s. Available in several varieties, the party grits — jumbo shrimp, Chilean salmon, lump crab and jack cheddar dressed with scallions and scampi sauce — are the real standout. 6517 Elmwood Avenue, (215) 921-9915, chefreekyscafe.com
• Clara’s Groovy Deliciousness – Samirah Williams, owner. Samirah Williams named her bakery after her grandmother, and each stunning treat is made with love and care. Pear cardamom honey tarts, chocolate espresso donuts, decadent macarons and more sweets are baked fresh to order, while cake jars (also known as purse cakes) satisfy cravings on the go. This full-service bakery also creates custom wedding cakes and sells mixes to go for those who want to whip up their own batch of Clara’s Groovy Deliciousness. groovydeliciousness.com
• Cloud Cups – Sierra Georgia and Galen Thomas, owners. This pair of entrepreneurs — she’s a graduate of Bologna Italy’s Carpigiani Gelato University; he’s a whiz with CBD infusions — teamed up to serve dairy or vegan, CBD-infused (or not) gelato in flavors that include white coffee, passion fruit, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and brown sugar Pop Tart. They’re now the dessert portion of Fishtown’s Pizza Brain. 1100 E. Berks Street, thecloudcupscompany.com
• Darnel’s Cakes – Kyle Cuffie-Scott, owner. The pastries and desserts at Darnel’s are out of this world, but this little cafe tucked between Old City and Northern Liberties has a full menu worth exploring. Homemade biscuits, baked mac and cheese and beef jerky are among the offerings, and weekends mean pizza (Friday) and brunch (Saturday and Sunday). Darnel’s is also committed to supporting local and national organizations that raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. 4444 N. 3^rd Street, (215) 608-8471, darnelscakes.com
• Denise’s Delicacies – Denise Gause, owner. After a fire closed her 25-year-old North Philly homage to sugar, eggs and flour, Gause did what any strong baker would do: Rebuilt it. Today, the phone rings off the hook for pound cake, pies, brownies, donuts, cookies and wedding cakes. 2916 N. 22nd Street, (215) 225-5425, cakesbydenises.com
• Franny Lou’s Porch – Blew Kind, owner. This cozy, plant-filled Kensington cafe names its espresso drinks after notable radicals, including Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis and Gil Scott Heron. Teas, smoothies, panini sandwiches, biscuits and muffins come with a side of activism, community gatherings and creative spaces — making the spot both a literal and a figurative source of community sustenance. 2400 Coral Street, (267) 596-6274, frannylousporch.org
• iMunch Café – Roger Powe, owner. Chef Nicquan Church has created a good-for-you halal menu at this popular morning-through-afternoon Brewerytown spot. Among the offerings: stuffed omelets, French toast, breakfast sandwiches, salmon patties, chicken panini, fruit smoothies, big salads and more. 1233 N. 31st Street, (215) 236-8624, imunchcafe.com
• Lokal Artisan Foods – Charisse McGill, owner. It’s all about the French toast for Local Artisan Foods: French Toast Bites, French Toast Bites Beer and French Toast Bites Coffee, to be exact. Started in 2018, this collection of food and beverage products uses ingredients grown and sourced responsibly with respect to origin and seasonality. Devotees of the sweet treats can find French Toast Bites at places like Cherry Street Pier, Spruce Street Harbor Park and at seasonal events. (267) 312-8339, lokalartisanfoods.com
• Pound Cake Heaven – Pamela Thornton, owner. The name says it all. Owner Pamela Thornton’s pound cakes delight in every flavor and every neighborhood. Lemon blueberry, sour buttercream and more are on the menu in storefronts in Yeadon and Kensington, as well as Thornton’s dessert-on-wheels food truck. But the bubbly 7Up poundcake with a hint of vanilla is a can’t-miss (and a customer favorite). 3415 Kensington Avenue, (267) 239-5004; 3400 Market Street, (610) 613-6948; 712 Church Lane, Yeadon, (610) 574-9491, poundcakeheaven.net
• The Spice Rack –Andrea and Aisha Nash, owners. The Nash duo believes that using the best quality ingredients can elevate any dish and every palate. This small-batch spice shop carries numerous fresh, organic, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO products made in house and by small-batch purveyors all over the U.S. In addition to spices, the store carries marinades, mixes, salsas, sauces, pastas and other products — some of which they make themselves. 8428 Germantown Avenue, phillyspicerack.com
• Stripp’d Juice – Khoran Horn, owner. Locally sourced, non-GMO ingredients combine for organic, fresh-pressed juices and acai bowls at this Old City spot. There’s also a brioche breakfast egg sandwich and chipotle guac toast. 263 N. 3rd Street (267) 550-7877, strippdjuice.com
• Win-Win Coffee Bar – Nikisha Bailey and Matthew Nam, owners. Coffee, cocktails and locally sourced comfort food highlight this popular coffee bar and creative collaborative space in Callowhill. 931 Spring Garden Street, winwincoffeebar.com

Restaurants & Bars:

• Black and Mobile – Ordering food from Black-owned restaurants is now easier than ever thanks to the app Black and Mobile, a food-delivery service founded by Philadelphian David Cabello. App users can have food from popular restaurants such as 48th Street Grille, Barkley’s BBQ, Booker’s Restaurant & Bar and South delivered right to their door.
• 48th Street Grille – Carl Lewis, Sr., owner. Beloved West Philly destination serves soul, Caribbean and American cuisines with a soulful, Cajun twist at low prices. On the menu: healthy portions of their signature Island Wings, New Orleans-style blackened salmon and Rasta Pasta. 310 S. 48th Street, (267) 244-4764, 48thstreetgrille.com
• Aksum Cafe – John Neufvilles, owner. This Mediterranean, Afro-centric bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) spot serves great vegetable tajines, Lebanese lemon chicken and shrimp, and Greek lamb chops, along with weekend brunches of sweet corn griddlecakes, Turkish scrambled eggs and Monte Cristo sandwiches. 4630 Baltimore Avenue, (267) 275-8195, aksumcafe.com
• All The Way Live– Nyeisha Cabiness and Beverly Nedley, owners. On the menu at this raw food/vegan cafe run by a mother/daughter duo: nut burgers, quinoa salads, chickpea chili and more. 6108 Germantown Avenue, (215) 821-7298; 8419 Germantown Avenue, (215) 242-2250, allthewaylivecafe.com
• Atiya Ola’s Spirit First – Atiya Ola, owner. The vegetarian, vegan and raw dishes served here are meant to help customers tap into their spirituality. Stir fries, salads, wraps and veggie bowls are packed with healthy, natural ingredients at this West Philly spot. 310 S. 48^th Street, (215) 939-3298, spiritfirstfoods.com
• Baby Buns – Sylva Senat and Uri Pierre-Noel, owners. International sliders (including of the Impossible burger variety) and fries star on the menu of one of The Bourse’s popular food hall operations, run by a Haiti-born chef (Senat) and art and design tech entrepreneur (Pierre-Noel). 111 S. Independence Mall East, (609) 200-2301, baby-buns.business.site
• Barkley’s BBQ – Tank and Nicole Barkley, owners. Heaping platters of soul food and barbecue — hickory-smoked, sauce-slathered ribs; apple-studded yams; five-cheese mac; garlicky collards; grandma’s recipe potato salad; fried fresh fish; green beans and, on occasion, pig’s trotters — draw a crowd. 2017 N. 29th Street, (215) 763-7427, @tankbarkleysbbq
• The Better Box – Tamekah Bost, owner. Firecracker salmon is one of the inventive eggrolls The Better Box crew dishes out as part of their “Asian fusion with a Philly twist” menu. The signature black takeout boxes also hold items like a general Tso chicken cheesesteak and sweet potato cheesecake. 1519 Spring Garden Street, (215) 613-7381; 8601 Frankford Avenue, (267) 858-4143; 2946 Island Avenue, (267) 858-4143, thebetterboxllc.com
• Birdie’s Biscuits – Jeff Presley, owner. Sweet and savory. Mini and full-size. Birdie’s Biscuits come in many forms, and their sweet and savory deliciousness—think blueberry cheesecake, parmesan chive, mushroom and brie—is all a credit to Grandma Birdie’s classic Southern recipe. Although largely a catering operation, Birdie’s Biscuits often pops up at places like Reading Terminal Market and Cherry Street Pier. birdiesbiscuits.com
• Booker’s Restaurant and Bar – Saba Tedla, owner. Named after Booker Wright, a server who risked and later lost his life for voicing what it was like to be a Black waiter in the 1960s in an all-white restaurant in Mississippi, this West Philly destination draws families and more with Southern-inspired cuisine, weekend brunch and great drinks. 5021 Baltimore Avenue, (215) 883-0960, bookersrestaurantandbar.com
• Butter’s Soul Food – Kevin Bell, owner. This charming Brewerytown soul food eatery got took its name because their food is so good, it melts in your mouth. Fried wings and sides sell out fast; home-baked cakes and pies come directly from Bell’s mother’s oven. 2730 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 235-4724, buttersoulfood.com
• Country Cookin’ Restaurant & Catering – Saudia “Saud” Shuler, owner. With an Instagram following way bigger than her North Philly restaurant can hold — almost 300,000 — Shuler draws customers for jerk chicken, Buffalo shrimp, mac and cheese, fried fish, banana pudding, oxtail — and plenty of personality. 2836 N. 22^nd Street, (267) 625-3664, @countrycookin1
• Frannie Nick’s – Ilisha Simpson, owner. Named after Simpson’s grandmother (Frances Nicholson), this Bella Vista soul food restaurant serves up classic Southern dishes with a modern twist. Popular menu items include meatloaf sandwiches, Spanish Harlem fries and, for dessert, potato chip cookies. 824 S. 8^th Street, (215) 923-3495, frannienicks.com
• Green Soul, Relish and South Kitchen & Jazz Bar – Robert and Benjamin Bynum, owners. Two prolific brothers own five popular spots:
  • Green Soul – For healthful, soulful comfort food, veggie burgers and all. 1410 Mt. Vernon Street, (215) 660-9600, greensoulliving.com
  • Relish – West Oak Lane favorite for modern Southern cuisine. 7152 Ogontz Avenue, (215) 276-0170, relishphiladelphia.com
  • South – North of City Hall and known for its Lowcountry fare (wood-grilled oysters, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, buttermilk fried chicken), old-fashioned hospitality and a 50-bottle bourbon and whiskey 600 N. Broad Street, (215) 600-0220, southrestaurant.net
• New Barber’s Hall Restaurant & Lounge – Jake Adams, owner. In a 19th-century cycling clubhouse and 20th-century music hotspot where John Coltrane, Grover Washington, Jr. and The Temptations performed, this bar and event space serves lunch, dinner and drink specials daily. It’s a Cecil B. Moore landmark. 1402 W. Oxford Street, (215) 763-0369, barbershallphilly.com
• Ooh Lala Salads – Loretta Bullock, owner. Healthy meals are the order of the day every day at this Girard Avenue spot. Salads like strawberry chicken and grilled salmon are overflowing with fresh vegetables, fruits and proteins. Also on the menu: wraps, smoothies and even salmon fries. 1238 W. Girard Avenue, (215) 769-1006, oohlalasalads.com
• Reggae Reggae Vibes – Denice Moore, owner. This Northern Liberties find serves Jamaican and American fusion in the form of flaky chicken patties, homebrewed ginger beer and even a jerk chicken cheesesteak. 517 W. Girard Avenue, (267) 457-2970, reggaereggaevibes.com
• Tasties –Barbara Dewan, chef and owner. Long known for casual, takeout soul food, Dewan has leveled up with a stylish setting for down-home wings, candied yams and 7Up cake and custom cocktails. 1214 N. 52nd Street, (215) 447-0281; 5241 Germantown Avenue, (215) 991-7844

VISIT PHILADELPHIA^® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets. 6^th & Market Streets, (800) 537-7676

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Video section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.