Eat your fill at these Black-owned dining options around Philadelphia

Philadelphia is rich in Black culture, heritage and history. That tradition carries on in Philly’s wide array of Black-owned restaurants, coffee shops and bars. All of these places can be reached by the extensive, well-developed transportation system of the City of Brotherly Love.

Sweet T’s Bakery

Opened in Reading Terminal Market in early 2021, Sweet T’s is the first Black-owned bakery in the market’s 128-year history. Operating first as a South Philly storefront and then out of a food truck, the sweet potato pies are the star of the menu.

Franny Lou’s Porch

Espresso drinks are named after notable radicals, including Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis and Gil Scott-Heron here. Teas, smoothies, panini sandwiches, biscuits and muffins come with a side of activism with space for community gatherings and creative expression.

Aksum Cafe

A Mediterranean, Afrocentric restaurant that serves Moroccan-style tajines, Lebanese lemon chicken and shrimp and Greek lamb chops, along with weekend brunches of sweet corn griddle cakes, Turkish scrambled eggs and epic Monte Cristo sandwiches.

48th Street Grille

Serving up soul in addition to Caribbean and regional American cuisines with a Cajun twist, this West Philly outfit has found success with offerings such as their signature Island Wings, New Orleans-style blackened salmon and Rasta pasta on the menu.

All The Way Live

This vegan-and-raw-foods restaurant is known for its chickpea burgers, quinoa salads, mushroom chili, zucchini lasagna and more.

Baby Buns

Located inside the food hall of the Bourse Building, this small operation makes a big impact with its small (but mighty) signature burgers, sliders and bao buns.

Booker’s Restaurant And Bar

Get drawn in by the Southern-inspired cuisine, weekend brunch and great drinks at this West Philly spot that was named after Booker Wright, an activist and a server in an all-white restaurant in Mississippi in the 1960s.

Caribbean Feast Restaurant

This Jamaican spot serves up oxtail, goat, seafood, as well as house-made juices, jerk chicken, reggae and jazz rule this North Philly spot.

If you enjoy our perspective on travel and Black culture, please sign up for our newsletter. You should consider joining our travel club, too. Or maybe write a piece for us about your favorite destination. In other words, let’s stay connected!

This story was originally published July 25, 2022 at 11:38 AM.