25 Black-owned restaurants in Tampa Bay you should support

Mama's Southern Soul Food Restaurant

3701 E Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tampa, 813-769-9552
Over 15 years of Tampa history makes this restaurant a landmark of southern hospitality, Chef Reaves being known to check in on patrons as they enjoy their meal. Fried catfish nuggets and hush puppies just like mama used to make can be found on the long list of menu items.
Photo via Google Maps

Pop Goes The Waffle

5004 Tangerine Ave. S, Gulfport
Owner Sara Fludd is changing the way you eat this breakfast staple with her inventive flavor concoctions. With items such as the Hot Cheeto Waffle Dog and Shrimp & Grits topped waffle, it's no surprise this success story is getting ready to open a Gulfport storefront this spring.
Photo via Pop Goes The Waffle/Instagram

Thee Burger Spot

3917 N Tampa St, Tampa, 813-993-3926
Voted Best In The Bay for three consecutive years, get your burger fix in the form of a fair-style donut burger or the out-of-the-box pizza burger on a texas toast bun.
Photo via Thee Burger Spot/Facebook

Loaded

1901 Drew St, Clearwater, 727-271-2200
Home of the No. 1 rated baked potato of Tampa Bay, this niche eatery caters to lovers of this comfort side dish. This spot offers potatoes doused in toppings ranging from salmon and shrimp or cheeseburger fixings.
Photo via Google Maps

Chief’s Creole Cafe

901 22nd St S, St. Petersburg, 727-498-8979
Carolyn Brayboy is putting in the work to keep her late mother-in-law’s recipes alive. Jambo – a Jambalaya and Gumbo hybrid – and beignets are cooked up with the knowledge that they’re making Mary Brayboy (or Chief to those who knew her best) proud.
Photo via Chief’s Creole Cafe/Facebook

7th and Grove

1930 E 7th Ave, Tampa, 813-649-8422
Bringing comfort food that could nourish the coldest soul, 7th & Grove offers an elevated dining experience for those in search of southern charm in new ways. Their themed menus offer wings and loaded fries on Rockstar Monday or fried catfish tacos on Taco Tuesday.
Photo via 7th and Grove/Instagram

Main Course

4205 S MacDill Ave Suite H, Tampa, 813-898-2106
Run by a female veteran–and truly personifying what it means to be a girlboss–Main Course refines the familiar comfort meals with their “Boujee Biscuits” and the truly boujee lobster and waffles with champagne syrup.
Photo via Main Course/Instagram

COPA

1047 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, 727-623-9199
A combination hookah and tapas bar with a latin flair, this St. Pete spot offers a vibrant experience to juxtapose what one would expect from a typical hookah lounge. The team of brothers Maxim and Sebastien Thuriere hope to get you coming back for more with their COPA tostones and craft cocktails.
Photo via COPA/Instagram

Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant

11001 N 56th St, Temple Terrace, 813-872-6000
Spices imported directly from her family in Keffa, Ethiopia, owner Seble Gizaw puts her heart and soul into every dish served in her restaurant. The food is served in a traditional mesob made of straw, and is meant to be eaten handheld using the pancake-like bread injera as your utensil.
Photo via Google Maps

Ti Bamboo

Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg, 727-800-5373
A Bob Marley mural welcomes all incoming guests to the Jamaican-style lounge, serving up plates of curried goat and chicken for the authenticity seekers. If you’re playing it safe, jerk chicken pasta and jerk shrimp po’boys offer that flare for those testing the waters.
Photo via TiBamboo/Instagram

Grant’s Crabs and Seafood

13030 Starkey Rd, Largo, 727-584-2722
Grant’s offers a wide array of seafood including mussels, tilapia, and grouper alongside their signature flavored crabs. Owner Will Grant has been in the restaurant business for 32 years, having served his “stuttah buttah” covered crabs to big names like Angela Bassett, Keyshawn Johnson, and Michael Alstott.
Photo via Grant’s Crabs and Seafood/Facebook

Heavy’s Food Truck

Location varies, 727-280-3651
Rob Lancaster and Kendrick Scott have a combined 31 years of cooking experience under their belt, meaning this star-spangled unit has experienced hands crafting this eclectic mix of meals being served. Check out their Facebook or hit their line to see where the truck will be serving their shepherd’s pie casserole and prime rib for the day.
Photo via Google Maps

Duality Vegan Cafe

10865 Cross Creek, Tampa, 813-548-3426
Southern soul reimagined for the vegan palette, cousins Monique and Amirah (Perry) Muhammad are working to break out of the norm that plant-based eats can’t be affordable.
Photo via Google Maps

Ray’s Vegan Soul

953 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, 727-415-9030
”Plant-based alchemist” Chef Ray wants to give his community a healthier take on traditional dishes. Catch them on “Soul Food Sunday” where they offer different menu items for pickup every week from 1 - 4 p.m.
Photo via Ray’s Vegan Soul/Website

Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que

1609 Angel Oliva Senior St, Tampa, 813-956-0675
With humble beginnings out of a concession stand in 2003, this Tennessee-style BBQ joint has cemented its place as a homegrown eatery for the residents of Ybor. Al runs the storefront alongside his wife Jackie and daughter Tia to serve their slow-roasted meats that can get up to eight hours of love in the smoker.
Photo via Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que/Facebook

Burnz Restaurant Bar & Grill

1704 N Howard Ave, Tampa, 813-964-6093
Bringing multicultural flavors in an elevated setting. Make sure to stop by in your Sunday best to get a taste of their chicken wing lollipops or braised oxtail.
Photo via Burnz Restaurant Bar & Grill/Instagram

Jerk Hut Island Grille and Beach Club

1241 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, 813-977-5777
Heralding themselves as “Everyone’s favorite Jamaican restaurant”, Jerk Hut has a variety of island specialties such as Jamaican patties, oxtail soup, and of course, jerk chicken.
Photo via Jerk Hut Island Grille/Instagram

Lorene's Fish House

927 22nd St S, St. Petersburg, 727-321-7297
Known for affordable prices and big portions, this seafood shack menu lists items such as garlic crab and a shrimp-n-grouper platter.
Photo via Google Maps

Flavaz Jamaican Grille

6467 US-301, Riverview, 813-488-5114
When they were unable to find authentic Jamaican food in the Riverview area, this local family decided to take matters into their own hands. “Belly bussin’” coco bread and vegetarian rasta pasta are just a few options on the menu.
Photo via Google Maps

Yuppi

1821 E 7th Ave, Tampa, 813-530-5363
After losing his culinary professor job due to Covid-19, executive chef Kyle Luke kick started his career in the restaurant business as merely a social experiment. Now home of the “Yuppi wings”, they aim to serve not only a good meal, but positivity on a plate.
Photo via Yuppi/Instagram

Zin’s House of Flavors

1916 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, 813-474-7000
A newly renovated location has given Zin’s an extra edge in their already seasoned menu selection. Wash down the multitude of flavored wing options with the house-squeezed “Slush Yo’ Mouth” lemonade.
Photo via Zin’s House of Flavors/Instagram