The culinary scene in communities of color is inherently vibrant, undeniably distinctive and unapologetically Afrocentric. And now that this sector of the population is reducing its animal consumption faster than any other population, a new generation of leaders and entrepreneurs is helping to spread the plant-based love to their communities — accented with the same cherished ethnic fervor.
Supports diversity
In recent years, there has been a new wave of black-owned vegan restaurants popping up across the country. This means it’s easier than ever to show your support for black business owners. And with that, you’ll be able to experience a cuisine as varied and versatile as Black culture. From bakeries and burger joints to soul food and Caribbean and African cuisine, the black vegan scene is the ideal canvas for various flavors and plant-based ingredients to shine.
Black-Owned Vegan Restaurant
Major cities from New York to Los Angeles offer no shortage of black-owned vegan restaurants to choose from. Join us on a soul-food and health-food tour across the country, starting with these 25 black-owned vegetarian restaurants.
Compton Vegan
1 Compton Vegan of Los Angeles, CA
Specializing in vegan comfort food, Compton Vegan founder Lemel Durrah lets her customers dig into creamy vegan buffalo chicken mac and cheese drizzled with house-made ranch, or juicy BBQ jack ribs served with mac and cheese, baked beans, collard greens and grits. Find Compton Vegan food trucks in the greater Los Angeles area.
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Vergara Guys
2 Burger Guys of Los Angeles, CA
Founded by four former NCAA athletes as a project to promote healthy eating, Vurger Guyz serves up next-level burgers from a food truck that travels around Los Angeles every day of the week. Choices include the super-indulgent Verger with lettuce, fried onions, pickles, tomatoes, fried jalapeños, vegan American cheese and your choice of sauce.
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Eats centrally
3 Food centered in Los Angeles, CA
Centric Eats is on a mission to promote a healthy love of plant-based foods, including its giant oyster-mushroom fried chicken and mac and cheese. Keeping it real with fresh, whole food ingredients, they say their comfort foods are “made from the soul for the soul.”
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Ashla
4 Azla in Los Angeles, CA
Founded by a mother-daughter duo in a food hall near the University of Southern California, Azla specializes in mix-and-match dishes featuring authentic Ethiopian wat, salads and injera, allowing local students to get affordable vegan grub between classes.
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Soli is vegan
5 Solly Vegan in Oakland, CA
Chef Tamera Dyson has been cooking vegan soul food since she was 18 years old. Along with Sauli Vegan, he continues to impress locals with his Southern-inspired dishes like New Orleans Okra Gumbo with Grits, Homemade Seitan in Jambalaya, and Seitan Shrimp Po’ Boys.
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The Vegan Mob
6 Vegan Mob in Oakland, CA
Toriano Gordon combined his talents as a rapper, social media entertainer, and chef to create Vegan Mob, a vegan BBQ and soul food pop-up—that was an instant hit, selling out within six hours of opening day. Gordon’s serves classics like shrimp and sausage gumbo and plant-based brisket with Cajun potato salad and BBQ baked beans.
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Malibu Burger
7 Malibu Burger in Oakland, CA
If you’re looking for a place to go for classic American fast food, Malibu’s Burgers is right up there. Think Double Impossible burgers, vegan chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and milkshakes—all vegan, of course.
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Veg on the Edge
8 Veg on the Edge in Santa Cruz, CA
A fast-casual restaurant created by Nigerian owner Akindele Bankole, Veg on the Edge may be the world’s only vegan, gluten-free and kosher West African restaurant. Bankole traditionally eats a meat-heavy West African diet and eats mushrooms, beans and tofu instead of making truly hearty vegetarian meals.
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Simply Pure
9 Authentic in Las Vegas, NV
Simply Pure is run by vegan chef and nutritionist Stacy Duggan, who serves up Mama Mia Lasagna, Nachos Grande and Jicama Chili Cheese Fries with the goal of inspiring others to adopt a plant-based diet.
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Green seeds are vegan
10 Green Seed Vegan in Houston, TX
Owned by Matty Merrell and Rodney Perry, Houston’s popular Green Seed Vegan outgrew its roots as a food truck, adding a brick-and-mortar outpost in 2012 with an expanded menu of fresh-pressed gourmet paninis, cold-pressed juices and smoothies. did Building smoothies.
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Dazen eats
11 DaJen eats in Eatonville, FL
Crowned Orlando’s Best Caribbean Restaurant in 2018, DaJen Eats offers crowd-pleasers like Jamaican jerk BBQ jackfruit sliders with pineapple broccoli slaw and “honey” ginger chipotle cauliflower bites at its colorful Florida cafe.
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rabbit hole
12 Rabbit Hole in Pompano Beach, FL
Billed as serving upscale vegetarian comfort food, The Rabbit Hole offers a variety of plant-based dishes from around the world with modern twists on classics, such as the “Smoke in the Woods” Southern BBC platter featuring citrus-marinated barbecue spare ribs, mac and cheese, and cob on the cob. corn; buffalo shrimp battered and tossed in buffalo sauce; and boneless wings that are triple battered, seasoned, and fried to golden perfection.
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It’s live love
13 Loven It Live in East Point, GA
Located 10 minutes from Atlanta, Lov’n It Live believes in food as medicine and offers a menu that delivers on its promise of high-quality, nutritious, organic vegetarian dishes with collard rolls, seaweed soup, lentil burgers and stuffed avocado.
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South V
14 South V Nashville, TN
Run by husband-and-wife team Clifton and Tiffany Hancock, Southern V serves up Southern favorites vegan-style, like crispy fried chicken, chicken and waffles, and silky mac and cheese—with the goal of making vegan food accessible to everyone.
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Madeleine Boykin
15 Slutty Vegan in Atlanta, GA
Arguably one of the fastest growing vegan chains, Slutty Vegan is a black-owned empire founded by entrepreneur Pinky Cole. The Slutty Vegan concept features a menu of “slutified” fast-food dishes called the Fully Loaded Super Slut and the Philly Cheesesteak-style Hollywood Hooker.
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leaf
16 Mazani in Chicago, IL
At Mazani, husband-and-wife owners Tsadakeeyah and Nasya Emmanuel are vegan and catering veterans who serve soul food like BBQ cauliflower, jerk tofu and Sunday brunch at communal tables at this charming cafe.
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Nuvegan Cafe
17 Nuvegan Cafe in Washington, DC
Founded by Vernon and Lynn Woodland, Nuvegan has four locations in DC, Maryland and Virginia. Aiming to make vegan food appealing to everyone, The Woodlands crafts creative takes on fried chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers, and also serves healthy sides like herbed quinoa and ginger-spiced tofu in their cafeteria-style cafe.
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The land of Kush
18 Kush lands in Baltimore, MD
Named after an ancient African civilization, The Land of Kush is a longtime all-vegan spot that feeds your soul with soul-food classics like black-eyed pea fritters, crab cakes, and carrot tuna.
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Plum Bistro
19 Plum Bistro in Seattle, WA
Lifelong vegan Makini Howell is a superwoman on the Washington culinary scene for her creative vegan food concepts, including the upscale restaurant Plum Bistro, where she serves sophisticated dishes like avocado scallop ceviche, black truffle gnocchi and crispy cauliflower steak.
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Belmont is vegetarian
20 Belmont Vegetarian in Worcester, MA
This popular takeout spot, Belmont Vegetarian, specializes in “vibrant Belmont twists on Jamaican and American inspired dishes” featuring plant-based entrees like vegan BBQ chicken and lamb, plus hit-the-spot pasta dishes like mac and cheese and spaghetti with meatballs.
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Detroit Vegan Soul
21 Detroit Vegan Soul in Detroit, MI
What started as a catering company has grown into a thriving business for partners Erica Boyd and Kirsten Usary. Detroit Vegan Soul offers comfort food like full-bodied seitan pepper steaks, bacon ranch tofu wraps, and a soul platter that includes mac and cheese, smoked collards, maple-glazed yams, black-eyed peas, and cornbread.
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Urban Vegan Kitchen
22 Urban Vegan Kitchen in New York, NY
Co-owned by Pamela Elizabeth of New York’s Blossom restaurant, Urban Vegan Kitchen is part restaurant, part lounge that celebrates the flavors of the American South with fried okra and hush puppies, as well as American classics like burgers and BLTs.
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cadence
23 Cadence New York, NY
A vegan restaurant with Southern soul, Cadence’s executive chef Shenery Freeman spotlights soul food through health and sustainability through her Virginia upbringing, such as smoked grits with roasted oyster mushrooms, collard greens stuffed with succotash, and saudalas frie. Pine nut ricotta.
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The trio is plant-based
24 Trio plant-based in Minneapolis, MN
Founded in 2018 out of a mission of racial justice, Louie Hunter is now the sole owner of Trio, making it Minnesota’s first black-owned 100 percent plant-based restaurant. With classic soul food on the menu, burgers, wraps, cauliflower wings and more, this restaurant is a must-stop in Minneapolis.
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Hoo Hoo Vegan
25 Chi Chi Vegan Atlanta, GA
Founder Chris Hodge made history when he opened Atlanta’s first brick-and-mortar vegan taqueria. Opened in 2020, the taco shop became an instant favorite for its selection of vegan tacos (think chicken asada, fish and chicken and pineapple) and can’t-miss Mexican-style street corn.
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For more black-owned vegan businesses, read:
Nicole Axworthy is VegNews’ news editor and cookbook author DIY Vegan.