Celebrate Black Business Month by dining at one of these Black-owned restaurants in Virginia.
August is Black Business Month, offering the opportunity to celebrate the Black entrepreneurs who are making a difference in our communities. Luckily, Virginia has a plethora of Black-owned restaurants that don’t just do good in their communities but also know how to serve up some seriously delicious dishes.
No matter what corner of the commonwealth you’re in, ranging from Coastal to Southwest Virginia, you can celebrate Black Business Month and dine at one of these Black-owned restaurants.
Northern Virginia
Tropical Bites
Location: 8130 Ashton Ave., Manassas, VA 20109
Chef and co-owner of Tropical Bites, Prudence Gordon refined her culinary techniques after years of watching the Food Network, which allowed her to open the Caribbean restaurant in 2018.
The tasty spot is known for using authentic spices and traditional recipes to make dishes such as jerk chicken, oxtail, roti, and goat curry.
Irie Caribbean
Location: 14561 Richmond Hwy., Woodbridge, VA 22191
Founded by a Jamaican-born U.S. veteran, Irie Caribbean draws inspiration from recipes that have been passed down for generations to offer an authentic dining experience. It’s been in business for more than 17 years.
Menu items range from jerk chicken and rasta pasta to brown stew chicken and curry shrimp.
Foode + Mercantile
Location: 900 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Founding partner and executive chef Joy Crump originally launched Foode out of her home in 2008-2009. By 2011, Crump and business partner Beth Black had opened a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Fredericksburg. Some may know Crump from her appearance on Season 12 of the award-winning show “Top Chef.”
The restaurant offers breakfast, brunch, and lunch options. Be sure to try Rosie’s fried chicken, a dish Crump learned to make from her mother. Pair it with a side of truffle-asiago fries.
Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine
Location: 5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
Meaza Ethiopian Cuisine started out as a humble effort by Meaza Zemedu, whose entrepreneurship began by supplying local Ethiopian stores with homemade injera bread. As demand for her bread grew, the idea of starting her own restaurant gained traction.
Start your order with the Meaza salad, which comes with house dressing. Then, try the Yabug tibs: cubed lamb marinated in seasoning and sautéed with onions, tomatoes, and green peppers. Eat your meal with some handmade injera.
Central Virginia
Crocker’s Spot
Locations: 1020 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224 & 9 E Old St., Petersburg, VA 23803
Crocker’s Spot got its start as an “after hours” meet-up for the artistic community in Richmond’s Jackson Ward. Today, it serves as a go-to spot for those looking for down-home food with a Harlem touch.
Its specialty is seafood, so give the oyster po-boy with a side of steamed red potatoes a try.
Lillie Pearl
Location: 305 Brook Rd., Richmond, VA 23220
At Lillie Pearl, chef Michael Lindsey uses West African heirloom ingredients to pay tribute to his North Carolina culinary roots. The result is a combination of traditional recipes and modern execution. His grandparents, including grandmother Lillie Pearl, also influenced the restaurant’s taste.
Start with an order of sweet potato cornbread, then try the cauliflower steaks with a side of pimento macaroni and cheese. Wash it all down with the Lillie Pearl pilsner.
Philly Vegan
Location: 1126 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224
Family-owned and operated Philly Vegan exists to prove that plant-based food can still taste great.
Go for the Philly cheesesteak sliders, made with plant-based ground beef. And don’t leave without trying one of the dairy-free milkshakes; current flavors include vanilla Oreo delight, chocolate Oreo delight, Mama C’s peanut butter blondie, dreamsicle, strawberry, and banana pudding.
Philly Vegan also gives back to the community by offering a pay-what-you-can dining option.
Pig & Brew
Location: 1313 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224
Lamarr Johnson started Pig & Brew in 2018 with the idea of bringing together the ideals of culture, connection, and community. It has since become a go-to place for North Carolina-style barbecue in Manchester.
Stop by every day between 3 and 7 p.m. for happy hour. Go for the $6 brew punch and $7 hillbilly fries. For dinner, try the burnt end brisket sandwich, and end your evening with a slice of homemade peach cobbler.
Shut Yo Mouf Soulfood Restaurant
Location: 424 N. Market St., Petersburg, VA 23803
Shut Yo Mouf Soulfood is where Petersburg residents go for southern comfort food. It opened in 2016 by a mother-and-son duo Katrine Nelson-Bey and Mizraim Kidd-Bey. Following Nelson-Bey’s death in 2025, the restaurant honors her legacy in myriad ways.
Start with a fried shrimp basket, then try the SYM chicken and waffles entrée, which comes with French fries.
Harlym Blue’Z Bar & Grill
Location: 210 W Brookland Park Blvd., Richmond, VA 23222
Harlym Blue’Z Bar & Grill in Richmond’s Northside community is owned by Mecca and Teshia LeSane.
You can’t go wrong with the pulled pork BBQ sandwich basket that comes with a side of fries. Enjoy it with a slice of sweet potato pie.
The establishment regularly offers entertainment in the form of open mics, karaoke, line dancing, and live bands.
Southwest Virginia
Mama Sarah’s
Location: 675 N. Main St., Rocky Mount, VA 24151
Visit Mama Sarah’s where the namesake’s love is served with every plate of soul food. The restaurant was opened in 2023 by Brad Wood and Barbara Hickman as a way of honoring Wood’s late mother, who taught him how to cook.
Popular menu items include the 6-ounce hamburger steak, hot smoke sausage combo, and two hotdog plate.
Coastal Virginia
Happy Café
Location: 1270 Diamond Springs Rd. #102, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Happy Café is all about keeping its customers happy by providing them with a relaxing environment to enjoy food and conversation. The café was established by Tomeka Wallace in 2016.
It serves both breakfast and lunch, so if you stop by early, consider trying the Cody Breakfast Club: bacon, turkey, or pork sausage with fried eggs and cheese. For lunch, opt for the Real McCoy, which comes with tuna, turkey bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and avocado.
Be sure to give one of the signature donuts a try as well. The Granny, with cream cheese icing, caramelized apples, ice cream, and caramel drizzle, can’t be beat.
Cobalt Grille
Location: 1624 Laskin Rd. Ste 762, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Cobalt Grille has been offering Virginia Beach residents and visitors alike a fine dining experience since opening in 2000.
Executive chef and co-owner Alvin Williams taps into his unique background, having been born and raised in Leeds, England, by Jamaican parents, in his cooking. He utilizes ingredients from local farmers and fishermen.
Start your meal with an appetizer, like fried green tomatoes. Then, consider the fish and chips, English-style lightly battered whitefish with house-cut fries. End your meal with Madelyn’s coconut cake.
J&K Style Grill
Locations: 6557 College Park Sq. Ste 29, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 & 1650 General Booth Blvd. #104, Virginia Beach, VA 23454
J&K Style Grill is a family-owned establishment driven by a desire to deliver unforgettable flavors as evidenced by its famous waffle-burger.
The waffle-burger is a Kelvin’s waffle with cheese, fried egg, bacon, grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, J&K sauce, and pickles. Pair it with a side of sweet potato fries or smoked macaroni and cheese.
J&K Style Grill is the kind of place you can go to repeatedly and not get bored because of its rotating daily specials.
Rennee’s Restaurant and Lounge
Location: 156 West Washington St., Suffolk, VA 23434
Located in the Historic Suffolk Business District, Rennee’s Restaurant and Lounge serves Southern food in an elegant setting. It was started by U.S. Army Reserve veteran and retired Suffolk Public School system teacher Rennee Townsend.
Start your meal with some catfish bites, then go for the crab cakes with a side of tender collard greens. Finish it all off with peach cobbler for dessert.
Be sure to go on a Friday when there’s a live DJ or Saturday when there are local bands.
Cutlass Grille
Location: 725 Eden Way North #700, Chesapeake, VA 23320
Live your best island life by feasting on some Jamaican cuisine at Cutlass Grille. The restaurant celebrates Jamaican culture, from the smell of jerk cooking on the grill to the sound of reggae from live bands. The restaurant is owned by chef Shawn Dawkins, who was inspired by his Jamaican heritage.
Give the jerk lamb chops, which are lightly marinated and served with garlic aioli sauce, a try. Pair it with a side of Jamaican rice and peas.
Vegetarians might enjoy the plantain tacos. The soft tacos come with fried plantains, vegetable slaw, and black beans with chipotle aioli.
Jerk Sauce
Location: 25 W Mercury Blvd., Hampton, VA 23669
Enjoy the unique flavors of the Caribbean at Jerk Sauce.
The extensive menu, crafted using locally sourced ingredients, features a range of authentic dishes, including goat curry, jerk chicken and beef, and oxtail.
There are also plenty of vegetarian options, including callaloo, soy chunk, stew peas, and ackee.
Be sure to try the homemade juices, including pineapple ginger, mango lemon, and carrot.
East End Café
Location: 2510 Jefferson Ave. Ste. 101, Newport News, VA 23607
East End Café puts as much effort into lifting up the East End community as it does carefully roasting its coffee. The idea is to marry a love of coffee with a sense of community pride.
Stop by in the morning for a breakfast sandwich, which comes with your choice of bacon, turkey sausage, or pork with egg and cheese. It comes served on a buttery croissant bun.
Pair the sandwich with the specialty Pinkett’s Beach summer drink. It’s a macchiato made with a caramel twist.
Yoolks on Us
Locations: 515 Washington St., Portsmouth, VA 23704 & 6205-A Portsmouth Blvd., Portsmouth, VA 23701
Yoolks on Us strives to make brunch into an experience by serving crave-worthy comfort food. The menu offers a modern twist to classic brunch dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
Give the lump crab benedict or shrimp and grits a try. Enjoy a mimosa with your meal.
Corey’s Southern Kitchen & Catering
Location: 5351 Richmond Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23188
Family-owned Corey’s Southern Kitchen & Catering serves southern breakfast and lunch entrees in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg. It says it aims to serve the best soul food and fried chicken in town.
Start with an order of catfish nuggets, then go for the fried chicken entrée (you can choose breast or thigh). All entrees come with two sides and a biscuit, so give the candied yams and baked beans a try. Wash it all down with a refreshing glass of Kool-Aid, and make sure you also ask about what desserts are fresh that day.
Kendall’s Kountry Kitchen
Location: 2554 Lankford Hwy., Onley, VA 23418
Located in Onley on the Eastern Shore, Kendall’s Kountry Kitchen recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. It prides itself on “bringing together great food, great people, and great service” for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The menu features a range of Southern delicacies, including fried chicken gizzards, fried chicken livers, catfish, and pig trotters. All baskets come served with French fries.
