Detroit’s Black-owned restaurants everyone should’ve tried by now
By Metro Times Staff
Detroit is a city with a rich culture, a whole lot of soul, and great food. It's also one of the Blackest big cities in America. Despite this, we often see many non-Black faces and businesses getting highlighted when looking for places that represent Detroit.
We've compiled a list of Black-owned Detroit restaurants that we think everyone who has ever stepped foot in the 313 should have tried by now.
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Courtesy of Breadless
Breadless
2761 E. Jefferson, Suite A, Detroit; 313-474-2870; eatbreadless.comBreadless is EXACTLY what you think it is, a breadless sandwich shop that uses leafy greens as a substitute for bread.

Se7enfifteen
Krazy Kravings
20826 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit.; 954-839-7099Krazy Kravings began as a food truck in 2021, and in 2022, chef Kourtney Coleman opened a brick and mortar restaurant on Detroit’s westside.

Detroit Pizza Bar
Detroit Pizza Bar
7316 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-646-4601; thedetroitpizzabar.comThis pizzeria is located in Detroit’s historic Bagley neighborhood, and not only are the employees all residents of the city, the pizza names are a nod to the neighborhood.

Viola Klocko
Petty Cash
20050 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-380-6336;pettycashdetroit.comPetty Cash is a high-end small plates and cocktail restaurant tucked on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion.

Courtesy of Soul on Ice
Soul on Ice
8867 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-646-4601; soulonice.comDubbed the Detroit Drinking Den, Soul on Ice is a soul-food inspired bistro and lounge that also offers live entertainment throughout the week.

Courtesy of Featherstone
Detroit Soul
2900 Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 14300 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit;detroitsoul.netDetroit Soul has been a soul food favorite in Detroit since 2015. They recently opened a new location in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood. The farm-to-table eatery adds a healthy spin to classic soul food and 90% of its ingredients are sourced locally.

Kuzzo's Chicken & Waffles
19345 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-861-0229; kuzzoschickenandwaffles.comFounded by former NFL player Ron Bartell, this chicken and waffle eatery serves food that will provide all the comfort your soul needs. After closing in 2019 for kitchen renovations, the Avenue of Fashion mainstay reopened this year better than ever.
Courtesy photo

Lee DeVito
Joe Louis Southern Kitchen
3100 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-788-8338; joelouissouthernkitchen.comJoe Louis Southern Kitchen surely is a knockout when it comes to Southern breakfast staples.The restaurant features classics like, buttermilk biscuits, croquettes and rice, shrimp and grits, country fried steak, and much more.

The Lobster Food Truck/Facebook
Lobster Food Truck & Pitstop
10405 Ford Rd., Dearborn; 313-406-5854; thelobsterfoodtruck.comThe Lobster Food Truck & Pitstop is what the dreams of lobster lovers are made of. From lobster mac-n-cheese, fried lobster bites, and of course, a lobster roll (hot or cold), it gives Detroit a taste of the sea all year round.

Tom Perkins
Ima
2015 Michigan Ave., Detroit | 4870 Cass Ave., Detroit | 32203 John R. Rd., Madison Heights | imanoodles.comLocated in Corktown, with newer outposts in Midtown and Madison Heights, this Japanese eatery is run by chef-owner Mike Ransom. Filling menu items are created with a base of either rice or udon noodles and they're freaking delicious. Try the Midtown location's spicy karaage chicken sandwich.

SuperCrisp/Instagram
SuperCrisp
4830 Cass Ave., Suite C, Detroit; 313-474-8880; supercrisp.comChef Mike Ransom’s karaage fried chicken sandwich at his other restaurant Ima was so popular that he decided to open another shop dedicated to it. Beyond the famous fried chicken sandwich, SuperCrisp also offers burgers and fries topped with Asian flavors like kimchi and wasabi. There are also plenty of vegetarian options available.

Google Maps
Baobab Fare
6568 Woodward Ave., Suite 100, Detroit; 313-265-3093; baobabfare.comOpened by immigrants, Baobab Fare brings East African fare, coffee, and fresh juices to Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. Their signature dish is Nyumbani, a slow-simmered beef dish served with fried plantains, peanut stewed spinach, and coconut rice.

Kelley O'Neill
Louisiana Creole Gumbo
2051 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-1200 | 13505 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-397-4052 | 29216 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills | detroitgumbo.comLouisiana Creole Gumbo has been a staple in Detroit’s Eastern Market since 1970. More than 50 years later, the cajun restaurant expanded to the suburbs and opened a new location in Farmington Hills.

Trap Vegan /Facebook
Trap Vegan
20198 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-340-2988; trapvegan.comDope. Healthy. Good AF. This vegan fast-food restaurant offers plant-based burgers, smoothies, acai bowls, and salads. When Trap Vegan opened in November of 2021, they sold out the first day — that’s how good it is.

ImaginATE/Facebook
ImaginATE
401 S. Lafayette Ave, Royal Oak; 248-633-8899; imaginaterestaurant.comOwned by Chef Omar Mitchell, ImaginATE uses technology and creativity to elevate the fine dining experience. ImaginATE makes dining entertaining with the addition of Le Petit, a digital dining experience that shows animated chefs and characters preparing your order digitally before the server presents your real plated meal.

Detroit Vegan Soul/Facebook
Detroit Vegan Soul
19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-766-5728; detroitvegansoul.comHaving a desire to make healthy food more accessible, Detroit Vegan Soul’s mission is to help people live healthier lives by offering a menu full of great tasting and nutritious vegan food.

Good Cakes and Bakes/Facebook
Good Cakes and Bakes
19363 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-468-9915; goodcakesandbakes.comOwned by April Anderson and Michelle Anderson, this Livernois Avenue organic bakery has been in the spotlight since it opened — and we know why. Look no further than Good Cakes’ lemon gooey butter cake, strawberry crunch cake, and 7-Up pound as well as a mouth-watering selection of cupcakes and cookies. Vegan? They’ve got you covered with whole cakes in red velvet, double chocolate, carrot, and lemon pound cake varieties.

Bert's Marketplace/Facebook
Bert's
2727 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-2030; bertsentertainmentcomplex.comIf you haven't been to Bert's Saturday morning barbecue cookout, you're missing out. The slabs of ribs and smoked sausage are cooked on a massive outdoor charcoal grill, filling Eastern Market with mouthwatering smells. Plus, they have karaoke.

Central Kitchen and Bar/Facebook
Central Kitchen and Bar
660 Woodward Ave. #4a, Detroit; 313-963-9000; centraldetroit.comCo-owned by Dennis Archer Jr., Central Kitchen and Bar offers unique takes on classic dishes like burgers and salads.

Sweet Soul Bistro/Facebook
Sweet Soul Bistro
13741 W. McNichols, Detroit; 313-862-7685This westside bar and restaurant is located at McNichols and Schaefer Highway. The bistro takes bar food and the legacy of Motown and weaves them into a menu that’s full of mouthwatering dishes.

Tom Perkins
Chef Greg’s Soul ‘N’ The Wall
10009 Curtis St., Detroit; 313-861-0331; facebook.com/Chef-Gregs-Soul-N-The-WallIn 2007, Greg Beard opened Greg’s Soul “N” The Wall in the tiny brick storefront that used to house Brothers on Curtis near Wyoming Road. Since then, the soul food favorite has revived the Boogaloo Sandwich, a more sophisticated cousin to the Sloppy Joe, that was created in Detroit in the 1960s.

Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q/Facebook
Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q
7444 Beaubien St., Detroit; 313-873-7444; parksoldstylebar-b-q.comRemember that Buster Poindexter song from the '90s, “Hot Hot Hot”? No? Uh, OK, anyway the song embodies the “North End Detroit” heat of Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q which means cayenne-powder dusted chicken that is, well, hot, hot, hot. Opened in 1964, they now go through 2,500-3,000 of ribs each week because, yeah, it’s that friggin’ good.