The folks at Yelp just released their 10th annual list of The 100 best places to eat in 2023. The site dedicated to connecting people with local businesses analyzed millions of user reviews and community suggestions to compile a list of their favorite places to eat (in addition to their grandmother’s kitchen, sure). And the result featured restaurants representing 30 states across the country.
Taking first place, was broken mouth, a popular Korean food spot in Los Angeles. And of the 100 restaurants on the list, these five black-owned spots stood out:
#9 – Hello Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine – serving traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean dishes in Orlando, Florida
#16 – Crumbville – a bakery located in Houston, Texas
#17 – Ekiben – a popular Asian fusion restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland
#24 – Zenaida’s cafe – a comfort food destination in Las Vegas, Nevada
#28 – Baobab rate – an East African restaurant in Detroit, Michigan
We now know that people’s opinions of their favorite foods can vary as much as their politics and favorite football teams. So we expected to see everything from cozy, family-friendly neighborhood joints to chic downtown hotspots on the list. But here at The root, we couldn’t help but wonder how, in the name of all that is sacred, only five black-owned restaurants made it onto this list? I’m sure anyone who found themselves queuing at Dough and berries in Chicago, Vegan slut in Atlanta or New York, or Fixins Soul Kitchen in California, can all agree that black people know how to cook.
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So let’s help these Yelpers. Even if you don’t use the site, you can pay for it and help connect users with great black-owned restaurants across the country. If you have a favorite restaurant that isn’t on Yelp’s list (and chances are you are), drop it in the comments below.