The great thing about the cuisine in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) is that you don’t have to travel far to experience the world.
There, you can find cuisine from East and West Africa, tasty vegan restaurants, food from the Caribbean, and desserts that you won’t find anywhere else.
Go ahead and start planning a foodie tour, as we’ve curated this list of Black-owned restaurants in the DMV that you need to try in 2022.
NuVegan Café
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NuVegan Café is a family-owned business with locations throughout Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The owners’ are on a mission to expose people to natural vegan food without compromising that feeling you get when you taste something so good that it hits your soul.
The food is 100% vegan prepared and includes yummy raw sides like the sweet kale salad, hot side items like the famous crab cake sandwich, and they even have something for your sweet tooth.
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Shark Bar and Seafood House
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Shark Bar & Seafood House is a fun and exciting atmosphere where you can enjoy some cocktails and even better seafood.
The menu features seafood boils, raw and chargrilled oysters, crabs, lobsters, and more.
One of the signature items on the menu is the “oyster sharkafeller” made with grilled blue crab, spinach, and Parmesan cheese.
If you go on the right day, you may catch a live musical performance while you eat.
Ben's Chili Bowl
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Ben’s Chili Bowl has been serving their namesake dish since 1958. Located on U Street, supporting this Black-owned staple is a must as it has supported the local community for decades.
Not a meat-eater? No worries. There are vegetarian options and other ways to support Ben’s, like picking up a t-shirt.
Kaldi’s Social House
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Kaldi’s Social House is rooted in community and coffee. Voted as one of the top 5 coffee shops in Silver Spring, it’s a place where you can enjoy really good coffee in a space the owner calls “a comforting oasis of creativity and community.”
But, Kaldi’s also offers more than coffee. The breakfast menu features açaí bowls, pumpkin pie stuffed French toast, waffles, pancakes, and more.
There’s also a lunch and dinner menu that you can check out here.
You should also note that there’s a location in Arlington, Virginia.
Gangster Vegan
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Gangster Vegan Organics is redefining what it means to be a “gangster” in the Baltimore community by encouraging people to spread love, kindness, all while eating healthy in a community that the owner says lacks access.
“We live in food deserts, surrounded by fast food and convenience. We have to actually ‘gangster’ our way through all the poison, just to find access to real food,” a statement reads on the website. “We created the brand, to create access to real organic […] unprocessed food to every community.”
Kefa Cafe
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Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant
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Dukem Ethiopian Restaurant is the most enduring Ethiopian music entertainment landmark in the District.
The restaurant provides a large variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals made fresh daily.
Turning Natural
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Looking for a healthy fix? Turning Natural has you covered. While the owner, Jerri Evans, offers amazing smoothie, juice, and food options, such as the black bean burger and pitaya bowl— she’s all about making healthy food affordable and cool.
There are more than six locations across the nation’s capital and Maryland.
Take a look at the menu here.
Here's The Scoop DC
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Located in the lower Georgia Avenue corridor, across from Howard University, Here’s The Scoop DC is one of the best spots in town for ice cream, desserts, snacks, and more.
The shop is closed Monday through Wednesday, but open Thursday through Sunday starting at 1 pm.
You can get your regular sundae with two scoops of ice cream, a topping with whipped cream, or make your own cream sandwich with your cookies of choice.
For the full menu, click here.
Port Au Haitian Cuisine
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In 2016, Chef Roberto Massillon opened Don Berto’s Kitchen (DBK) as a weekly Sunday pop-up restaurant in Silver Spring. After a successful year of winning awards and the hearts of locals, he teamed up with his brother, Makendy Massillon, to present the DMV with Port Au Haitian Cuisine – a brick and mortar Haitian restaurant.
The Massillon brothers’ goal is to introduce you to Haiti’s culture through food and art.
Inside, they have rotating original artwork by local and visiting Haitian artists on display, along with a monthly showcase of musicians from Haiti and beyond.
Rahama Restaurant
Rahama is an authentic, upscale Ghanaian restaurant servicing D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
The menu features jollof rice, meat pies, beans, fried plantains, waakye, fried yam, and more staples from Ghana.
Nailah's Kitchen
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Nailah’s Kitchen is located in Baltimore and is known for having some of the best Senegalese food in the region.
From kabobs, couscous, fish, lentils, and its famous ginger drink, you will not be disappointed.
Keep in mind, if you’re ordering takeout, you want to order at least one hour in advance! That’s just how good and popular the food is.
More Than Java Coffee
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More Than Java Coffee is serving exactly what its name implies: more than coffee.
The restaurant is a place where you can also eat and relax. On the menu you’ll find jerk chicken and waffles, bagels, sandwiches, salads, and paninis. It’s also vegan-friendly.
Fresh Green
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Founded in 2018, Fresh Green pairs art and science with creativity and consciousness.
After a personal health scare, the founder envisioned Fresh Green as a place to customize a wholesome meal without compromising taste or the quality of its unique ingredients.
“We’re simply putting convenience and benefit at the heart of clean eating,” a statement reads on the website.
You can find the restaurant in Bowie and Laurel.
Southwest Soda Pop Shop
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Southwest Soda Pop Shop is both Black-owned and woman-owned. The sisters sell over-the-top ice cream creations as well as an assortment of other sweet treats.
In 2020, the founders came close to shutting the shop’s doors for good. After posting on GoFundMe, the community rallied behind them and supported them in a way that allowed them to stay open.
“We’ve gone from having 35 maybe 36 customers on a weekday to now seeing 350,” Brittany Jones, co-owner of Southwest Soda Pop Shop, told us in an interview.
Magnolia’s On King
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Magnolia’s on King offers Southern Comfort Cuisine in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.
Set in a 200-year-old historical building, Magnolia’s On King has three floors of dining venues.
The Magnolia Room is the first floor main dining room and can accommodate private groups of up to 40.
The Palm Lounge, on the second floor, is a dining room that can accommodate private groups of up to 30. The Nest, its premier private dining venue, can accommodate groups of up to 14 guests.
The brunch here at Magnolia’s was voted one of the best in Alexandria! Make reservations by clicking here.
HalfSmoke
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HalfSmoke is a fast-casual modern spin on sausages and beer. Located in Shaw, Washington, DC and now in Baltimore, it’s a unique space that also gives you the nostalgia from your childhood.
The menus come in VHS classic covers from the 90s, and you will find milkshakes and brunch items made from your favorite cereal as a child.
