Akadi
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Portland's acclaimed West African restaurant Akadi, which was on hiatus for over a year, reopened with an expanded menu in a new, bigger space on SE Division last spring. The Portland Mercury's Jenni Moore wrote, "A starter plate of alloco, AKA fried sweet plantains, were expertly caramelized and even more delicious when dipped in the tomato-ginger-garlic-cayenne Akadi sauce. Portions of the flavorful tchieboudjen with mushrooms (instead of animal protein) were generous, deeply pleasant, and came served with harvest veggies like carrots and potatoes, green bissap (spinach and okra) sauce, and tamarind paste."
Hosford-Abernethy
Pickup, delivery, dine-in
BAES Fried Chicken
This fried chicken franchise from restaurateur Micah Camden and NFL star Ndamukong Suh serves up Southern-style fried chicken three ways (traditional, Nashville hot, and honey butter). Its newly opened full-service location
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also offers fresh biscuits, waffles, and sandwiches.
Old Town-Chinatown, Sellwood, Concordia
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Bete-Lukas
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Tucked away on the second floor of a building on SE Division, this warm, enduring Ethiopian standby is beloved for its veggie and meat combos, spongy injera (Ethiopian flatbread), and other staples.
South Tabor
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Big E
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Former Top Chef contestant and Iron Chef America champion Justin Sutherland, who currently hosts the BIPOC-focused food and travel series Taste the Culture and appears on the cooking competition show Fast Foodies, owns this sandwich shop inside the downtown Moxy
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hotel. Named in tribute to rapper Biggie Smalls, the spot pays homage to Sutherland's love of music with menu items like the LCD Soundsystem-referencing "Dance Yrself Clean" (sunnyside-up egg, smoked bacon, Tillamook aged cheddar, and Cry Baby Craig's aioli) and the Flaming Lips-inspired "Her Name is Yoshimi" (scrambled eggs, lump crab, bean sprouts, scallions, pickled daikon, and miso aioli).
Downtown
Pickup, dine-in
Deadstock Coffee
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Claire Holley wrote, "Home of 'snob-free' coffee in Portland’s Chinatown, Deadstock also happens to be a great place for cool people and sneakerheads to mingle and discuss their favorite passions. But stop looking for a menu—Deadstock doesn’t have one. They figure you already know what you want, and they’re more than qualified to make it, whether it’s a mocha, drip, or cold brew. Plus, nearly everything they sell is locally sourced, from the coffee and tea to the chai and syrups. In-the-know Portlanders know it’s the place to be."
Old Town-Chinatown
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DB Dessert Company
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Damala Badon's business bakes up a variety of whimsical sweets, including cookies, cupcakes, brownies, showstopping drip cakes, and more.
Concordia, Rockwood
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Dirty Lettuce
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Portland Mercury news editor Isabella Garcia praises the "silky 'mac and cheeze,' smoky barbecued ribs, and crispy fried seitan-based chicken that can actually satisfy a KFC craving" at Alkebulan Moroski's vegan Southern food cart.
Cully
Pickup, delivery, dine-in
Dots Cafe
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Owned by Johnny Ricci and Eli Johnson, this local Clinton Street neighborhood hangout is much-loved for its stiff drinks and comforting menu of nachos, burgers, and cheese fries.
Hosford-Abernethy
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Erica's Soul Food
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After going on hiatus, Erica Montgomery's beloved soul food cart, which has gained a loyal following for its Southern menu of dishes like "soul bowls" (stuffed with delights like cornbread, greens, mac and cheese, and gravy) and Atlanta-style hot lemon pepper wings, officially reopened in its new home in the Park the Carts pod on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd last month.
King
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Kann
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Top Chef star Gregory Gourdet unveiled his highly anticipated wood-fired Haitian restaurant Kann, which has been in the works for over three years, last August, serving dishes like akra (crispy taro root fritters), coffee-rubbed and smoked beef ribs, and twice-cooked griyo (Haitian fried pork). The restaurant also features downstairs pan-Caribbean bar called Sousòl
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(Haitian Creole for "basement"). Gourdet has been vocal about his sobriety, and both the bar and restaurant offer plentiful zero-proof options in addition to cocktails, beer, and Oregon wine.
Buckman
Dine-in
Mirisata
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This hit Sri Lankan pop-up-turned-restaurant is entirely BIPOC worker-owned and serves an all-vegan menu. One of the most popular dishes is a rice and curry plate with a variety of curries served over banana leaves. They also have a vegan version of kottu roti (a famous Sri Lankan street food typically made with godhamba roti and vegetables, egg and/or meat, and spice), made with meatless Chick'n or polos (jackfruit).
Buckman
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Nacheaux
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Currently located inside Swan Dive, this family-owned spot specializes in Mexican-Southern fusion fare like Cajun onion rings, mac and cheese, fried chicken, burritos, beignets, smash burgers, and po' boys.
Buckman
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Plant Based Papi
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Chef Jewan Manuel's coveted vegan comfort food pop-up-turned-restaurant, known for its mouthwatering dishes like truffle mac and cheese and crispy fried "chick'n" sandwiches, can be found at Fortune
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inside the Sentinel Hotel
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. Jenni Moore wrote, "Plant Based Papi isn’t just 'good vegan food'—Manuel’s rightfully earned his cult following for meals that are consistently flavorful, creative, and delicious."
West End
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Poboyz Cajun Creole Kitchen
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Former Oregon Ducks football player Randall Willhite's Cajun-Creole restaurant serves hearty po' boy sandwiches, stuffed with fillings like fried shrimp, oysters, chicken, and catfish, as well as Cajun and Creole staples like jambalaya, beignets, shrimp and grits, and red beans and rice.
Old Town-Chinatown
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Po'Shines
This Black-owned Cajun and barbecue restaurant and church-operated nonprofit in Kenton is the place to go for a taste of Southern hospitality, dishing up homey plates like fried chicken and waffles, blackened catfish, po'boys, brisket, ribs, and pulled pork.
Kenton
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Trap Kitchen PDX
The Portland branch of the wildly popular Oakland-based restaurant and catering company Trap Kitchen, which counts stars like SZA and Kendrick Lamar among its fans, opened a new restaurant inside the Roseland Theater
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last spring. The spot is known for its signature "pineapple boats" with jasmine rice-filled pineapples and meat, as well as its seafood gumbo, oxtails, enchilada pie, Cajun alfredo pasta, pastrami sandwiches, garlic fries, four-cheese mac and cheese, and the popular "Martha and Snoop" (fried chicken and waffles).
Old Town-Chinatown
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Viking Soul Food
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This popular food cart, which recently expanded with its first brick-and-mortar location in Woodstock, is known for its lefse (Norwegian flatbread) and other Scandinavian specialties.
Kerns, Woodstock
Pickup, delivery, dine-in
These Are Some of the Best Black-Owned Restaurants in Portland
Akadi, Kann, and More
February 1, 2023
Black History Month runs from February 1-March 1, reminding us of the year-round significance of supporting Black-owned businesses and highlighting their contributions to our communities. We've made it easy for you by gathering a number of Black-owned bars and restaurants, from the West African favorite Akadi to Gregory Gourdet's Kann. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.