Black-owned businesses have been and continue to be a key part of the cultural fabric of Greater Miami & Miami Beach – and checking out the Black-owned restaurant scene is a great way to explore the culinary scene here while supporting local businesses.

We’ve gathered some of the best Black-owned eateries celebrated by locals and visitors alike. From Caribbean fare to Cajun bites and soul food delights, you can taste the varied cuisines of the African diaspora right here in Miami. Many of these restaurants are represented at the annual Black Pepper Food Festival.

Afro-Cuban

Bar ONE, South Beach

Tantalize your taste buds with Afro-Cuban cuisine and tropical cocktails at Bar ONE’s speakeasy-inspired waterfront restaurant with unparalleled views of Biscayne Bay and the Downtown Miami skyline. Enjoy fine dining alongside celebrities and socialites at this South Beach restaurant owned by legendary restaurateur Peter Thomas, who has been curating high-end Miami nightlife for more than 35 years. Taste the Caribbean with fall-off-the-bone-good Jamaican oxtail, deliciously homemade curry chicken, and juicy grilled branzino paired with a mango pineapple frozé or white peach sangria.

Fried fish sandwich at Chef Creole — Explore the taste of Bahamian and Creole cuisine at Chef Creole

Caribbean

Chef Creole Seasoned Kitchen, Multiple Locations

Known as the Emeril of Haitian food, owner and Chef Wilkinson "Ken" Sejour opened Chef Creole Seasoned Kitchen with his late brother Jude Pierre 30 years ago. Now there are six locations where you can taste vibrant Creole flavors and see why such A-list celebrities as the Obamas, Jay Z and Dwyane Wade love Chef Creole. Sample exceptional Bahamian and Creole dishes such as fried red snapper, stew conch, Creole wings, griot (fried pork) and oxtail. Here’s a hot tip: Add the Haitian favorite, pikliz (a traditional pickled vegetable relish), to any meal for an extra zing.

Lorna's Caribbean & American Grill, Miami Gardens

You’ll treasure the award-winning homemade meals at Lorna's Caribbean & American Grill in Miami Gardens. Lorna Westmoreland, affectionately known by locals as “Ms. Lorna,” infuses her family’s traditional recipes with motherly love, delighting diners with cuisine straight from the Caribbean islands. Lorna's Caribbean & American Grill started as a flea-market vendor and is now a brick and mortar restaurant where you can savor conch soup, curry goat and everyone’s favorite – jerk chicken with rice and peas.

A busy dining room at Citadel — Visit Manjay inside the lively Citadel food hall

Manjay, Wynwood

Celebrate Caribbean cuisine in Wynwood with Manjay’s colorful, flavorful meals created by friends who wanted to honor their roots. Manjay owner Christian Dominique’s love for cooking – and his career as a restaurateur – was sparked when he was just 19 and his grandmother taught him how to cook classic Haitian dishes. Taste tried-and-true recipes that were passed down in Christian’s family, such as Creole-style slow-braised pork, coconut curry shrimp and jerk chicken. Top off your meal with a benyen (Haitian-style beignet) or a slice of rum cake. You can also sample Manjay’s cuisine at The Citadel food hall near Little Haiti.

Cajun

The Rumcake Factory, North Miami

As the name suggests, this is the place to try authentic Caribbean rum cake – but you’ll also find traditional Louisiana specialties at The Rumcake Factory’s mobile kitchen in North Miami. The Rumcake Factory’s smoked chicken wings and NOLA po’boys dripping with fried turkey or pulled pork will have you craving more. Husband-and-wife power couple Larry and Elena Robinson used a family recipe passed down across generations to create the decadent, spiked rum cake with a sweet, buttered rum and walnut glaze.

Haitian

Pack Supermarket, Little Haiti

Pack Supermarket & Cafeteria is a beloved part of Little Haiti – in fact, many dedicated fans have been dining here since childhood. The Haitian restaurant’s crispy, juicy fried chicken is considered some of Miami’s best. Transport yourself to the streets of Haiti with Pack Supermarket & Cafeteria’s authentic dishes cooked cafeteria-style, right in front of you. Be sure to sample red beans and rice or smashed and fried plantains with your meal to get the full Haitian experience.

Clive's jerk chicken — Indulge in Clive’s Cafe's authentic jerk chicken

Jamaican

Clive’s Cafe, Little Haiti

Serving authentic Jamaican food since the 1970s, Clive’s Cafe in Little Haiti is one of the longest-running Jamaican restaurants in Miami. Pearline Murray and her late husband Clifford opened Clive’s (named after their son) 50 years ago at a time when local factory workers were their primary customers. Dine on Jamaican staples including curry goat and jerk chicken with soft coco bread, and indulge in specials such as cow foot, Rasta pasta and tender oxtail while sipping on the classic Jamaican drink called Sorrel.

Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen, Wynwood

Come for the food and stay for the vibes at Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen, an upscale Caribbean restaurant. Dynamic husband-and-wife duo Rodrick Leighton and Shrusan Gray, M.D., honor their West African heritage and welcome you with Dukunoo’s fresh food, hand-crafted cocktails and vibrant decor. Enjoy al fresco dining in Wynwood as you eat fever grass shrimp, jerk ribs and fried snapper while listening to reggae and soca music.

Meat & asparagus next to a pot of potatoes — Find healthy & organic fare at Grown

Organic Fast Food

Grown, Multiple Locations

Nurture your body with food that makes you feel good at Grown. Created by Shannon and (NBA champion) Ray Allen, Grown offers nutrient-dense, farm-to-fork organic meals made with locally sourced ingredients. What started off as a part of Shannon’s television show, “The Pre-Game Meal,” has grown into a “fast-but-healthy food concept” restaurant offering tasty, unique and affordable meals in South Miami, South Beach and at Hard Rock Stadium. Discover popular menu items such as the black bean & squash quinoa bowl, chicken tortilla soup and avocado toast.

Satisfy your soul food craving at Jackson Soul Food

Soul Food

Conch It Up Soul Food, Liberty City

Shake up your taste buds with Conch It Up Soul Food’s bold seafood, soul food and a variety of conch dishes. Owners Noreese Kelly-Howard and husband Lavelle Howard curated multi-generational family recipes as inspiration for opening Conch It Up Soul Food in the heart of Liberty City in 2015. Try Southern-style conch dishes – everything from stew conch to sweet-and-sour conch to conch salad. Cater to your sweet cravings with lemon cake, banana pudding and sweet potato pie.

Jackson Soul Food, Historic Overtown

The rich aroma of home cooking will welcome you at Jackson Soul Food in Historic Overtown, along with the staff’s Southern hospitality. Owner Shirlene Ingraham aims to create the feeling that you’re eating food made with love in your family’s kitchen. Fill up your tummy with hearty choices such as a T-bone steak with onions, cheese grits with eggs, and delicious salmon croquettes.

The Licking, Multiple Locations

DJ Khaled’s The Licking soul food restaurants will have you saying, “More, please!” The Grammy Award-winning artist was motivated to start The Licking so that local underserved Black communities could enjoy an exceptional soul food restaurant. With locations in Miami Gardens, North Miami and South Beach, The Licking’s family-friendly and laidback atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for diving into lobster Alfredo pasta, turkey wings, fried chicken and red velvet waffles. Order the Famous Mystery Drink as the perfect accompaniment to your meal.

A healthier version of traditional chicken wings at Lil Greenhouse Grill

Lil GreenHouse Grill, Historic Overtown

Lil Greenhouse Grill started as a local food truck and is now a treasured restaurant in Historic Overtown. Dig into barbeque rib tips, seafood cakes, and baked mac and cheese. Chef and co-owner Karim Bryant started the “neo-soul” restaurant to provide upscale soul food that stays true to its family roots. Treat yourself to some black-eyed peas and some of the best lemon pepper wings you’ve ever had.

Red Rooster, Historic Overtown

A tribute to Historic Overtown’s rich African-American history and cultural impact on Miami, Red Rooster’s food fuels your soul. Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson pours his heart into the menu. The James Beard Award winner was the guest chef for the Obama administration’s first state dinner, which hints at how elegant your meal at the Red Rooster will be. Indulge in mouthwatering dishes such as Prime Dawadawa steak, fried yard bird, stone crab claws and the fire-roasted Wagyu oxtail. Sway to live music performances and DJ sets with Afro beats, hip-hop remixes, jazz and more as you finish off the night. Red Rooster was recently recognized as a “Bib Gourmand” restaurant by the MICHELIN Guide, meaning it offers great food at a great value. This place is quite popular, so it’s a good idea to make a reservation.

Smith & Webster, North Miami

Miami-born NFL veteran Kayvon Webster and Starex Smith, the culinary mastermind behind The Hungry Black Man, have curated a foodie’s paradise at Smith & Webster. Dive into elevated Southern cuisine that pays homage to the African diaspora. Relish the flavors of bourbon-glazed short rib, catfish with grits, and saffron seafood rice in this high-energy North Miami restaurant. Cocktail connoisseurs will want to indulge in Smith & Webster’s cocktails like the pear margarita or the all-time-favorite Blacker The Berry cocktail, which fans say is pleasantly potent.

We Shuckin Southern Eatery, Miami Gardens

Have a groovy night out in Miami Gardens at We Shuckin Southern Eatery, renowned for its 1960s and 70s vibes and seven different mac n’ cheeses. Owner Ernisha Randolph created this restaurant to show respect to Black culinary icons – evident in its famous mac n’ cheeses that honor the creator of American mac n’ cheese, James Hemings, an innovative African American who was once the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson. We Shuckin’s menu pays homage to the farm-to-fork regional styles of Southern soul food, from South Carolina’s Gullah-Geechee cuisine and Georgia’s country cooking to Louisiana’s Cajun-style dishes.

World Famous House of Mac, Multiple Locations

Make your cheesiest dreams come true at World Famous House of Mac. Revel in an ooey-gooey experience and savor Buffalo chicken mac, Philly cheesesteak mac, lump crab meat mac, and the “World Famous Five Cheese Truffle Mac.” There’s even a vegan mac and cheese option. Owner Derrick “Chef Teach” Turton, who formerly managed rapper Pitbull, draws a celebrity crowd, including ASAP Rocky, Venus and Serena Williams, Rick Ross, and members of the Miami Marlins and Miami HEAT. You’ll find locations in North Miami Beach and Historic Overtown.