The South is a mecca for Black cuisine. It’s the birthplace of soul food and where things like sweet cornbread complement nearly every meal. Food in the Southern region of the U.S. is its own culture.
There’s no shortage of Black-owned restaurants carrying the torch to keep Black cuisine at the forefront. Every city, and state, has its own flavor and favorite foods. For example, lemon pepper wings in Atlanta are as popular as a much as a staple as this Mom-and Pops-made pork sandwich in Jackson, Mississippi
And the food almost always tells a story, like the significance of a decades-old family-run restaurant in New Orleans that served Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., or the South Carolina-style traditional barbecue at a restaurant in Charleston.
Visitors might be adding southern destinations to their travel plans to visit family, experience Black historical landmarks, or several other reasons, but food should be a standalone highlight on their itineraries.
Here are a few restaurants worth a visit:
Big Apple Inn – Jackson, Miss.
Though it sounds like a hotel in New York City, Big Apple Inn is a tried-and-true option in Jackson, Miss. The unassuming restaurant has been a long-standing pillar in the community since 1932.
It was often a meeting place for the city’s civil rights leaders and quickly became a popular drop-in-style restaurant. The menu primarily consists of grilled and smoked meat options, like smoked sausage, beef sliders, and the famous, though fairly niche, pig ear sandwiches.
Ordering at the Big Apple Inn is simple, especially when you are there for the classic local favorites: hot smokes or no-hot smokes. Smokes are made of a house-specific pork sausage that has been cooked on the grill and then smashed between two pieces of bread. The “hot” part comes from a special sauce and slaw. The famous smoke sandwiches are around $3.
Dooky Chase’s Restaurant – New Orleans, La.
This restaurant offers history and food in its home-style New Orleans, La. restaurant. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant opened in 1941 and became a common meeting place during the Civil Rights Movement for activists, leaders, and allies to talk and strategize over dinner. Famous past patrons include Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., President Barack Obama, James Brown, Ray Charles, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Duke Ellington and many others.
The family-owned restaurant is filled with Black art, historical references, and artifacts that remind visitors of its legacy.
The menu focuses on traditional Creole offerings, like fried chicken, Po’boys, red beans and rice, crawfish etouffee, and more. Menu options range from $7 to $19+.
The Busy Bee Cafe – Atlanta, Ga.
Open since 1947, The Busy Bee Cafe has served the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Vice President Kamala Harris, and countless others. Considered a favorite among both residents and tourists, it’s not uncommon for the restaurant to be packed during the day and into the early evening.
The James Beard Award-winning restaurant is known for its soul food classics and serves up dishes like deep-fried whole chicken wings, fried fish, macaroni and cheese, and yams in the heart of Atlanta. Prices range from $7 to $29.
Rodney Scott’s BBQ – Charleston, S.C.
Pitmaster Rodney Scott proudly boasts his use of the “whole hog” at each of his four Rodney Scott’s BBQ locations in the south, but the location in Charleston, S.C., really feels like home. The restaurant is a Charleston staple and even has a drive-through perfect for a Southern tradition: a post-worship Sunday meal to go.
In addition to various cuts of pork, the menu offers turkey, chicken, beef, and seafood, like deep-fried catfish. The restaurant has many popular items, but its standouts include anything barbecue, like the pulled pork or the ribs, and the pit-cooked sliced turkey breast. Scott’s also offers a wide range of sauces fit for any palette. Prices range from $5 to $30+.
Catch a Taste – Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Catch a Taste of one of Tuscaloosa’s favorite wing spots. The restaurant that began as a food truck features various flavors of wings, topping-heavy Polish-style hot dogs, and other items. Wing flavors include dry lemon pepper, honey mustard, honey barbecue, passion, sweet heat, and more.
It also hosts special events throughout the year, like its discount wing nights and celebrations for calendar holidays like National Cheese Day in June.
Plant-Based Heat – Memphis, Tenn.
Vegan and comfort are two words that coexist at Plant Based Heat in Memphis, Tennessee. In a city known for its smoked hogs and other barbecue meats, this vegan restaurant proves that barbecue can be meat-free, too.
The menu offers various plant-based options, like the “wings,” vegan wings, fried cauliflower, an all-plant barbecue plate, mushroom burgers, and more. Prices range from $7 to $16.