Black culinary traditions built what we call “Southern food” long before it was a category filter on DoorDash, from Gullah Geechee cooking on the coast to backyard barbecue smoke in Middle Georgia.
In honor of Black Business Month this August, we’re spotlighting Black-owned restaurants across Georgia, starting in Atlanta on to Athens, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, and the Georgia coast. This list isn’t exhaustive; it’s a representative snapshot of the breadth and creativity of Black-owned restaurants in Georgia, and a starting point for seeking out more.
Atlanta proper
Atlanta Breakfast Club
Where: 249 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Owner: Anthony Sanders and Osiris Ballard
Co-founders Chef Anthony Sanders and Osiris Ballard opened this downtown brunch institution in 2015. The draw today: peach cobbler chicken and waffles, salmon croquettes, and fried green tomato BLT.
Bomb Biscuit Co.
Where: 519 Memorial Dr SE Suite B-02, Atlanta, GA 30312
Owner: Erika Council
Erika Council turned a 2016 pop-up supper series into a Michelin Bib Gourmand, NYT-lauded biscuit shop, now settled in Grant Park. The hot honey fried chicken biscuit and country ham biscuit lead the menu, alongside a beloved OG cinnamon roll.
Breakfast At Barneys
Where: 349 Decatur St. SE Unit A1, Atlanta, GA 30312
Owner: Barney Lee Berry Jr. and Dr. Rashad Sanford
A platter of 24-karat gold flaked pancakes and a fried lobster and truffle oil po’ boy share menu space with crispy egg rolls stuffed with collards and mac and cheese at this ostentatious brunch spot anchored by a trendy green and gold-accented bar.
Bread and Butterfly
Where: 290 Elizabeth St NE F, Atlanta, GA 30307
Owner: Demetrius Brown and Brandon Blanchard
By day, Bread and Butterfly is a European-style cafe serving cappuccinos and croissants in Inman Park; by night, chef-owner Demetrius Brown’s menu shifts into seasonal flavors pulled from across the African diaspora, like plantain buns, curry-sauced scallops, and beef tenderloin with pickled chow chow.
Busy Bee Cafe
Where: 810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314
Owner: Tracy Gates
Founded in 1947 by Lucy Jackson on Hunter Street (now MLK Jr. Drive)—one of only two Atlanta streets where Black-owned businesses could operate under segregation—Busy Bee Cafe became a favorite meeting spot for civil rights leaders. Now under the Gates family, it’s a James Beard “America’s Classic” known for fried chicken, oxtails, and catfish publicly praised by Oprah.
The Consulate
Where: 10 10th St NW Ste P200, Atlanta, GA 30309
Owners: Douglas Hines and Mei Lin
Every 90 days, The Consulate’s co-owners Douglas Hines and chef Mei Lin spin a globe and let a lucky guest pick the next themed menu—recent stops have included Paraguay, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea. The rotating “Visa” menu sits alongside globally inspired staples (the “Resident” menu) in a moody, art-filled Midtown space that would make any Bond villain swoon.
Delilah’s Everyday Soul
Where: Three locations: Chattahoochee Food Works, Politan Row at Colony Square, South Downtown
Owner: Jason and Delana Reeves
Oprah crowned Delilah’s seven-cheese mac and cheese “best in the nation” back in 2003, and the accolades have kept coming since, including a James Beard honor and a finalist spot on Netflix’s “American Barbecue Showdown.” Bone-in fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and candied yams round the menu.
Desta Ethiopian Kitchen
Where: Two locations: Druid Hills (2566 Briarcliff Rd Suite 10, Atlanta, GA 30329) and Westside (2250 Marietta Blvd NW, Ste. 206, Atlanta, GA 30318)
Owner: Ash Nega and Titi Demissie
Started with room for just eight guests in 2006, husband-and-wife owners Ash Nega and Titi Demissie have grown Desta into a 250-seat operation across two locations. The name means “happiness” in Amharic, and it shows on the menu: tibs sauteed with onions and peppers, kitfo (Ethiopian beef tartare), and communal platters meant for tearing into with spongy injera.
Good Azz Burgerz
Where: 1020 White St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
Owner: Keisa Carroll
Founder Keisa Carroll grew Good Azz Burgerz from a 2017 catering truck focused on healthier Southern comfort fare into this Lee + White Food Hall stall. The burgers back up the name: short rib-brisket patties with Applewood bacon and house BOOM sauce, a wagyu-and-lobster burger, jerk chicken, and vegan options.
J’ouvert Caribbean Kitchen and Bar
Where: 558 Main St NE, Atlanta, GA 30324
Owner: Tasha Cyril
Named for the pre-dawn festival that kicks off Caribbean Carnival, this Uptown Atlanta spot is owner Tasha Cyril’s love letter to her native St. Lucia and beyond. Chef Rory Grange’s menu leans past the expected Jamaican dishes into Trinidadian and Dominican flavors like pumpkin and mushroom roti and passion fruit pancakes.
Marcus Bar and Grille
Where: 525 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Owner: Marcus Samuelsson
James Beard Award winner Marcus Samuelsson brings his global palate to Old Fourth Ward with Southern comfort classics reimagined—think A-Town deviled eggs with chicken cracklings, brisket over fries, miso halibut, and fried chicken with cornbread waffles. The retro-diner space doubles as a music-and-cocktail hangout, hosting weekly community events like Sunday Supper Club.
Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Where: 224 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
Owner: Harold Martin Jr.
The last of 16 “tea rooms” that once dotted 1940s Atlanta, Mary Mac’s opened in 1945 and integrated in 1962. Harold Martin Jr.’s 2020 purchase made this civil rights-era dining room Black-owned for the first time in its 75-plus-year history.
Paschal’s Restaurant and Bar
Where: 180 Northside Dr. SW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Owner: Paschal’s Concessions Inc. through surviving Paschal’s family members
Fried chicken and mac and cheese have kept regulars coming back since 1947, when brothers James and Robert Paschal opened a small lunch counter on West Hunter Street. Late-night strategy meetings cemented its place in civil rights history, though today those same late nights are filled with cocktails and peach cobbler at the modern Castleberry Hill location.
Scotch Bonnet
Where: 4454 Campbellton Rd SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
Owner: Scotchie Salter
A permanently parked food trailer painted in Rastafarian red, yellow, and green marks this Southwest Atlanta spot, where Kingston native “Scotchie” Salter smokes jerk chicken and oxtails on a 500-gallon steel-barrel rig using pecan and cherry wood in place of hard-to-source pimento wood.
Southern National
Where: 72 Georgia Ave. SE, Ste. 100, Atlanta, GA 30312
Owners: Duane Nutter and Reggie Washington
A 2024 James Beard semifinalist nod backs up chef Duane Nutter’s globally inflected Southern cooking, which draws on Creole, Kentucky bourbon country, and Pacific Northwest influences from his own cross-country upbringing. Southern National sits fittingly in Summerhill, a neighborhood founded by formerly enslaved people in 1865.
Tassili’s Raw Reality Cafe
Where: 1059 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
Owner: Tassili Ma’at
Founder Tassili Ma’at opened this West End raw vegan spot on New Year’s Day 2011, building a reputation on kale—the spicy kale wrap remains a signature—plus internationally inspired dishes like Pad Thai, curried plantains, and Carob Climax Brownies. Housed in a big yellow Victorian, it’s become a hub for Atlanta’s plant-based scene.
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours
Where: 1133 Huff Rd. NW, Ste. D, Atlanta, Georgia, 30318
Owner: Deborah VanTrece
You’ll find everything from chitlins to hoisin-glazed oxtails and collard greens golumpki at this Blandtown soul food restaurant, where former flight attendant-turned-James Beard semifinalist chef Deborah VanTrece filters soul food through decades of international travel. This Michelin-recommended spot has landed on multiple Atlanta “best-of lists” alongside an appearance on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.”
Verdure Kitchen & Cocktails
Where: 560 Dutch Valley Rd NE Apt 100, Atlanta, GA 30324
Owners: Aïda Lemma and Jacob Ilkner
Helmed by Côte d’Ivoire-born, Paris-trained chef Jean-Louis Sangaré, this Morningside fine-dining spot reimagines Western dishes through an African lens—think crispy fried octopus with corn purée, or Kedjenou de Moules, an Ivory Coast-style steamed mussels dish.
North Metro Atlanta
876 NyamMinz Jamaican Cuisine
Where: 1475 Terrell Mill Rd. SE, Marietta, GA 30067
Owner: Rena Rose-Bailey
Rena Rose-Bailey left her American Airlines job mid-pandemic to open 876 NyamMinz Jamaican Cuisine, named for Jamaica’s original area code and an island phrase for “eat.” Her grandmother’s recipes anchor the menu: jerk-pan chicken, slow-braised oxtail, and Mama May’s Fried chicken, named in her memory.
D’Juan’s New Orleans Bistro
Where: 4500 W. Village Pl. #1017, Smyrna, GA 30080
Owner: Donald Williams Jr.
New Orleans native Donald Williams Jr. brings a taste of his hometown to this French Quarter-styled space in Smyrna’s West Village. A Mardi Gras jester greets guests at the door; the menu runs chargrilled oysters, crawfish mac and cheese, and crab cake egg rolls, and the Hurricanes are strong.
Fish Thyme
Where: 3979 S. Main St., Acworth, GA 30101
Owner: Veronica Dudley
Steve and Veronica Dudley opened this upscale seafood spot in 2010, building on the success of their Kennesaw restaurant Caper’s on Main. Lamb chops, crab-stuffed salmon, and bourbon bread pudding built its date-night reputation.
Jambo Grill
Where: 2555 Delk Rd. SE, Ste. A11, Marietta, GA 30067
Owner: Tina Wanja and Lucy Karinge
Kenyan natives Tina Wanja and Lucy Karinge bring East African cooking to a Delk Road strip mall, where samosas nod to Kenya’s Indian influences and regulars order chicken nyama choma with coconut rice and sukuma wiki. The whole fried tilapia and goat stew with pilau are a hit with first-timers and homesick Kenyan expats alike.
RC’s Southern Cooking
Where: 1516 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30062
Owner: Renaldo Lewis
This family-run gem isn’t so hidden anymore. RC’s Southern Cooking has slung classic (and generously portioned) soul food from an East Marietta strip mall since 2012. Today, you’re likely to find a line queuing up for bone-in turkey wings, crispy catfish, mac and cheese, and banana pudding.
Zeke’s Kitchen & Bar
Where: Two locations: Smyrna (4454 S. Cobb Dr., Ste. 101, Smyrna, GA 30080) and West Midtown (1016 Howell Mill Rd., Ste. A, Atlanta, GA 30318)
Owner: Ezechiel “Zeke” and Ashley Jean-Louis
Raised in Queens on his mother’s boulèts—Haitian meatballs seasoned with epis—Zeke Jean-Louis and his wife Ashley opened Zeke’s Kitchen & Bar in Smyrna in late 2020, later expanding to West Midtown. The menu leans into djon djon rice, epis aioli, and pikliz-topped sandwiches, what Zeke calls “authentically unauthentic” Haitian fusion.
Fly Chef Restaurant
Where: 6470 Spalding Dr., Ste. B, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
Owner: Gregory Osamede Owie
Founder and chef Gregory Osamede Owie brings Nigerian heritage to Peachtree Corners with Fly Chef Restaurant, where he serves up his signature jollof rice, egusi soup, and grilled beef suya, alongside American plates and a full bakery.
South Metro Atlanta
Bole Ethiopian Restaurant
Where: 1583 Virginia Ave., College Park, GA 30337
This College Park mainstay near the airport has been family-run since 2010, building a menu that spans vegan shiro to beef kitfo served raw, medium, or well done. Shareable platters like Taste of Bole—a mix of kitfo, doro wot, shiro, and both beef and lamb tibs—let first-timers sample the range in one sitting.
The Original Mustard Seed BBQ
Where: 6000 Lynmark Way #101, Fairburn, GA 30213
Owner: Bertram McCray Jr.
Founder Bertram McCray Jr. started selling ribs from a Miami backyard pit in December 2005, cooking three times a week until they sold out. Two decades later, that hustle has grown into a full-service Fairburn restaurant known for ribs, chicken, and a solid potato salad.
Gocha’s Breakfast Bar
Where: Two locations in Cascade (3695 Cascade Rd., Ste. 440, Atlanta, GA 30331) and Fayetteville (834 Glynn St., Ste. 244 & 248, Fayetteville, GA 30214)
Owner: Gocha Hawkins
Celebrity hairstylist-turned-restaurateur Gocha Hawkins opened her Cascade original in 2018 after noticing the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood lacked upscale dining. The menu leans playful with Krunch-tastic French toast and a veggie-based Impossible burger alongside classics like shrimp and grits and croquettes.
The Breakfast Boys
Where: 3387 Main St., College Park, GA 30337
Owner: Gregory “Gee” Smalls, Juan Smalls, and Lorenzo Wyche
Minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, this Downtown College Park restaurant serves up jerk chicken and sweet potato waffles, pineapple upside-down French toast, and lobster tail over mac and cheese, chased with passion fruit mimosas and peach cobbler lattes.
Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar
Where: Three locations: College Park (3721 Main St., College Park, GA 30337), Conyers (914 Commercial St. NE, Conyers, GA 30012), and West Midtown (822 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318)
Owner: Gregory “Gee” and Juan Smalls
Named for owner Gee Smalls’s late father, this Gullah Geechee spot pays homage to his Charleston and James Island roots with red rice, she-crab soup, and Gullah egg rolls. The West Midtown patio, with palm trees and a strong Geecherrita (Hennessy and Grand Marnier), turns the strip into a summery hangout.
Che Butter Jonez
Where: 627 E College Ave., Ste. D, Decatur, GA 30030
Owner: Chef Malik Rhasaan and Detric Fox-Quinlan
Chef Malik Rhasaan calls his Queens-rooted cooking “Refined Ratchet:” equal parts swagger and craft. The menu at his family-run burger joint shifts daily, but the smashed lamb burger (“That Sh!t Slambing”) remains a fixture alongside the ODB, a double-patty burger piled with smoked gouda, beef bacon, and chimichurri.
Athens
Food for the Soul
Where: 1965 W. Broad St., Athens, GA 30606
Owner: Harold Henderson
Siblings and Athens natives Harold and Bertha Henderson opened this buffet-style soul food spot in 2007 with no restaurant background, just a lifetime of family cooking. The dining room stays intentionally small, forcing strangers to share tables over fried chicken, meatloaf, and cornbread dressing.
Rashe’s Cuisine
Where: 585 Vine St., Ste. 3, Athens, GA 30601
Owner: Rashe Malcolm
Rashe’s Cuisine has served Jamaican and Deep South-inspired comfort food since 1993; it’s now a three-generation family business. Oxtails are the top seller, though Malcolm’s favorite is the stuffed whole roasted snapper.
Kelly’s Authentic Jamaican Food
Where: 1583 S Lumpkin St., Athens, GA 30605
Owner: Kelbourne “Kelly” Codling
A former construction worker from Jamaica, Kelly Codling brings his grandmother’s soulful cooking (there are no measurements here) to Kelly’s Authentic Jamaican Food in Athens’ Five Points neighborhood, serving everything from curry chicken to beef hand pies.
Mannaweenta Ethiopian Restaurant
Where: 1055 Gaines School Rd., Ste. 107, Athens, GA 30605
Owner: Haregu Bahtu
Eritrea-born Haregu Bahtu built a following at Athens’ West Broad Farmers Market before opening this East Side restaurant in 2015. Yebeg alitcha (slow-cooked lamb in a garlicky gravy) has been known to win over lamb skeptics.
Macon & Middle Georgia
Macon Water Ice
Where: 490 Cherry St., Macon, GA 31201
Owner: Andre Roberts
A Philadelphia staple transplanted to downtown Macon, this water ice shop first opened in 2021 and has since expanded its menu to include chopped cheese, Philly cheesesteaks, and jerk chicken nachos. Wings are the sleeper hit, in flavors like honey whiskey apple and orange pepper.
Tropical Flava
Where: 2396 Ingleside Ave., Macon, GA 31204
Owner: James Duncombe
Duncombe has served up Caribbean comfort food from this Ingleside Avenue eatery since 2008, sourcing ingredients from local farmers’ markets to stay close to his roots. The braised oxtails in brown gravy are the restaurant’s top seller, alongside curried goat and rice and peas.
Francar’s Wings
Where: 1365 Linden Ave., Macon, GA 31201
Owner: Carl Fambro
Carl Fambro opened this wing shop in 1993. Today, he offers more than 40 house-made sauces. Beyond the wings, Fambro treats the restaurant as a training ground for local Black youth, teaching responsibility and work habits to first-time employees.
Augusta & East Georgia
Jackie M’s and Son Cafe and Catering
Where: 3308 Milledgeville Rd., Augusta, GA 30909
Owner: Clinton McCalla
A three-generation family operation named for chef Clinton McCalla’s mother, this Augusta institution is beloved for its Philly cheesesteak, Jamaican beef patties and crispy, cheese-stuffed “soul rolls.”
The Brunch House of Augusta
Where: 573 Greene St., Augusta, GA 30901
Owner: Asian Brown
Augusta native Asian Brown opened The Brunch House on a whim in February 2021, right in the middle of COVID and her own kidney disease diagnosis. Family carried it through, hence the tagline, “Family Feeding Families,” with an Evans location now in the works.
Cafe 209
Where: 566 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901
Owner: Cassandra Brinson
A meat-and-two lunchroom tucked into a lively stretch of Broad Street, Cafe 209 has served Augusta home cooking for two decades. Regulars swear by fork-tender oxtails and Thursday-only cornbread dressing.
Big Mama’s Soul Food
Where: Two locations: Augusta (2803 Wrightsboro Rd. #30, Augusta, GA 30909) and Grovetown (720 E Robinson Ave., Ste. 101, Grovetown, GA 30813)
Owner: Anthony and Karmarsha Johnson
Now nearly 19 years strong, Big Mama’s runs on recipes passed down through the Johnson family at its original Daniel Village location. The menu sticks to the soul food fundamentals: fried chicken, smothered pork chops, chitterlings, and fried catfish served in generous, home-cooked portions.
Columbus & West Georgia
Twist Skillit
Where: 905 15th St., Columbus, GA 31901
Owner: Jerome Lawson
Chef Jerome Lawson trained in culinary arts to rebuild his life after a 13-year prison sentence. Since 2014, his food truck has served handmade burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, and soul food classics.
Bmoski’s Flavor Wings & Cafe
Where: 4701 St Marys Rd., Ste. C, Columbus, GA 31907
Owner: Braxston “Bmo” Hall
Rotating weekly menu drops keep regulars coming back: Monday’s fried lemon pepper ribs, Thursday’s “Rac Chicken Box,” and a Sunday soul brunch. Don’t skip the Hot Lemon Pepper Chitlins, the dish that put Bmoski’s on the map.
Netta’s Southern Flava
Where: 2401 Whittlesey Rd., Columbus, GA 31909
Owner: Arnetta Williams
Arnetta Williams built this North Columbus staple on made-to-order Southern classics: fried and baked chicken, smothered pork chops, and a banana pudding regulars call the best in town. A drive-thru window sets it apart from the usual meat-and-three, letting the lunch rush grab a plate without ever leaving the car.
Rose’s Caribbean Restaurant
Where: 2039 Torch Hill Rd., #200, Columbus, GA 31903
Owner: Lawrence Mitchell
Now in its fourth decade, Rose’s Caribbean Restaurant has built a Columbus following on Jamaican classics like fall-off-the-bone oxtail, jerk chicken, curry goat, and rum-soaked pound cake, alongside twists like oxtail alfredo. A food truck extends the menu beyond the Torch Hill storefront.
Savannah & Coastal Georgia
The Grey
Where: 109 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, GA 31401
Owner: Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano
James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey took the helm of a segregation-era Greyhound bus terminal and turned it into a nationally acclaimed showcase for Port City Southern cooking: Sea Island red peas, chicken Country Captain, and Georgia oysters.
Kim’s Cafe
Where: 714 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. B, Savannah, GA 31401
Owner: Maronda Pierce and Sharon Pierce
Sisters Maronda and Sharon Pierce opened Kim’s Cafe in 2021 to carry on their mother Kimberly Dickens’ legacy after her death from cancer, building a menu of soul food staples—oxtails and grits, liver and onions, smothered pork chops—with breakfast served all day.
Geneva’s Famous Chicken and Cornbread Co.
Where: 1909 E Victory Dr., #102, Savannah, GA 31404
Owner: Geneva and Kenny Wade
Geneva Wade first joined the Savannah restaurant scene in the ‘80s and relaunched her eponymous concept in 2019 with husband Kenny in tow. The signature Fry Bird—hand-breaded, golden, and crisp—headlines the menu, alongside Kenny’s Famous Cornbread in eight flavors, ranging from jalapeno to blueberry.
Big Momma’s Kitchen
Where: 1915 Montgomery St., Savannah, GA 31401
Owner: Tiffany and Curtis Smith
The Smiths built their following cooking soul food pop-ups from their garage before opening this Savannah brick-and-mortar in January 2026, naming it for their mothers who “would feed anyone who’s hungry.” Expect oxtails, smothered turkey wings, and seafood rice.
West Broad Bandshell
Where: 514 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Savannah, GA 31401
Owners: Tanika Hamilton and Chef Romie Cummings
Set on West Broad Street’s historic Black business corridor, this restaurant fuses chef Romie Cumming’s Gullah Geechee roots with Tanika Hamilton’s Korean heritage—think shrimp and grits alongside bibimbap and Korean fried chicken—plus live music and Sunday oxtail feasts.
Sisters of the New South
Where: 2605 Skidaway Rd., Savannah, GA 31404
Owner: Kenneth and Vicky Brown
Founded in 2009, this cafeteria-style Savannah restaurant serves baked chicken, mac and cheese, okra and pork chops, but the peach cobbler is the standout. Guy Fieri featured it on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” calling it one of the most honest desserts he’d had in years.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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