Excellent Black-Owned Restaurants in San Francisco

One way to experience black culture in SF is with your meals. Across the city, you'll find black-owned restaurants serving a variety of cuisines.

One way to experience black culture in San Francisco is with your meals. Across the city, you'll find black-owned restaurants serving up a wide variety of cuisine. Here are just a few of them, grouped by the neighborhoods in which you can find them.

Thanks to Soleil Ho of The San Francisco Chronicle, Eater SF, 7x7, and The Infatuation for helping to identify these businesses.

Bayview

Bayview is home to some of the oldest black businesses and cultural institutions in the city.

Bayview Bistro

401 Third St.

At Bayview Bistro, you'll find two of the most popular neighborhood pop-ups: Big H BBQ, offering chicken sandwiches and ribs, and Yes Pudding, serving banana and bread puddings in mason jars.

Frisco Fried

5176 Third St.

Frisco Fried has everything from catfish to an oxtail dinner special. You can also get family-sized meals, including 12- to 20-piece chicken dinners. Available by DoorDash delivery.

Radio Africa & Kitchen

4800 Third St.

If you want a taste of pop-up history, visit Radio Africa & Kitchen. This was one of the first pop-up restaurants in Bayview to go brick-and-mortar. It's a powerhouse of California-Ethiopian cuisine that doubles as the Bayview dining scene's spiritual home.

Yvonne's Southern Sweets

5128 Third St.

Yvonne's Southern Sweets is just the place if your sweet tooth can't be tamed. Owner Yvonne Hines first built her reputation with her patented pralines, but her repertoire now includes cakes, pies, and cookies.

Civic Center and Lower Haight

Axum Cafe

698 Haight St.

Axum Cafe started as a coffee shop and has grown into one of Lower Haight's most popular restaurants, offering traditional Ethiopian fare.

Cafe International

508 Haight St.

Cafe International has been around for more than 30 years and has become "the living room of the neighborhood." Besides the comfy surroundings, Cafe International also hosts jazz performances and open mic nights.

Z Zoul Cafe

295 Eddy St.

"Zoul" means friend in Sudanese; but once you sample some of Chef Aref Elgaali's traditional recipes at Z Zoul Cafe, you'll feel more like family. Aref's wife and co-owner, Dalia, is famous for her irresisitable rice pudding.

Mission District

It's no surprise to find such great culinary variety in one of San Francisco's most diverse neighborhoods.

Anthony's Cookies

1417 Valencia St.

If it's sweets you want, you have to visit Anthony's Cookies on Valencia Street. They'll even serve you a glass of ice cold milk to wash your selections down.

Cafe Ethiopia

878 Valencia St.

You can enjoy East African food at Cafe Ethiopia. Vegetarians love the plant-based focus of their menu, while everyone appreciates their generous portions.

El Nuevo Frutilandia

3077 24th St.

For authentic Afro-Caribbean cuisine, pick up a meal at El Nuevo Frutilandia. They're offering take-out for dinner hours, Wednesday through Sunday.

Little Baobab

3388 19th St.

Enjoy West African food at Little Baobab. The live music and friendly staff get almost as much praise as what comes out of the kitchen.

Mission Bowling Club

3176 17th St.

Mission Bowling Club serves up your favorite bar bites while you and your friends compete for a few frames on one of their six bowling lanes.

Richmond

The Richmond, which spans the western blocks of the city sandwiched between the Presidio and Golden Gate Park, also features many black-owned restaurants.

Osteria Bella

3848 Geary Blvd.

Here, you can get delectable pizzas and antipasto plates. Osteria Bella is also known for its wide selection of vermouth, giving you endless cocktail options.

Taquerias Los Mayos

331 Clement St.

You can create your own tacos at Taqueria Los Mayos. They are known for their panuchos, crispy tacos that are a specialty of the Yucatan.

Tastebuds

600 Fifth Ave.

Tastebuds serves up soul food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their weekday Happy Hour can't be topped!

SoMa

Eko Kitchen

167 11th St.

Eko Kitchen, founded by Simileoluwa Adebajo, is home to outstanding Nigerian dishes that the head chef herself learned from her grandmother.

International Smoke

301 Mission St.

International Smoke can't be missed, both for its menu and its pageantry. Certain dishes are served beneath a glass dome so that none of the aromas can escape on their way to your table.

Little Skillet

360 Ritch St.

Tucked away on a tiny side street a few minutes from Oracle Park is Little Skillet, known for its weekend jazz brunch.

Local Kitchen

330 First St.

Local Kitchen has an eclectic menu, offering everything from fried okra to a burrata salad, pizzas, and yellow curry.

Sextant Coffee Roasters

1415 Folsom St.

Sextant Coffee is the a perfect place for a pick-me-up, with its strong brews largely sourced from Ethiopia.

Voodoo Love

1599 Howard St.

At the western edge of SoMa, you'll find Voodoo Love, with its mouth-watering Creole cuisine. Gumbo, po' boys, and catfish are all on the menu.

The Sunset

The Sunset neighborhood stretches from the shadow of Sutro Tower in the east all the way to the Pacific Ocean in the west.

New Eritrea Restaurant

907 Irving St.

Close to Golden Gate Park, you'll find New Eritrea Restaurant, serving up homestyle dishes from the horn of Africa.

Sunset Cantina

3414 Judah St.

Closer to the beach, be sure to stop at Sunset Cantina for flautas, tortas, or the Machete: a giant, machete-shaped cheesy taco, stuffed with your choice of meat.