27 Black-owned restaurants in Tampa Bay everyone should visit

Gabby Bakes

Various locations
Thirty-one year-old Tampa resident Gabby Duncan is the one-woman-show and creative mastermind behind Gabby Bakes. The self-taught baker launched her small business right before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and it’s swiftly evolved into one of the most popular food pop-ups in all of Tampa Bay and recently opened a brick-and-mortar in Seminole Heights.
Photo by Ivana Cajina

Lorene’s Fish House

927 22nd St S, St Petersburg
The fried catfish sandwich is a staple of this St. Pete fish shack. But Lorene's has been a local's favorite for years, and more recently made a cameo in They Hate Change's music video for "Blatant Localism."
Photo by Ray Roa

Flava's Chitown Wings

4819 E Busch Blvd., Tampa
Opening last September, Flava's is all about, you guessed it, wings. The new spot offers dozens of chicken wing variations—from unique sauces to dry rubs, and everything in between. Just a handful of wing flavors include chili lime, honey barbecue, ghost pepper, Nashville hot, mango habanero and garlic parmesan. Flavas co-owners Jacques Brooks (pictured) and partner Deonta Taylor recently relocated from Chicago, and wanted to bring a taste of home back to Tampa. A few Chicago-inspired items on their menu include a Polish sausage topped with cheese, grilled onions and peppers, and the city's beloved pizza puff, which is basically a fancy Hot Pocket.
Photo by via Flavas restaurant

Pepper’s Island

1701 E 4th Ave., Ybor City
Trinidadian restaurant Pepper’s Island officially debuted last August. The official opening of Pepper’s Island marks an important chapter for owner Rodney Dhanraj, who had a long-term goal of opening a restaurant in honor of his grandparent’s 60 year-old roti shop back in Trinidad. Guests can dive into dishes like stewed chicken, curry duck, and paratha aka “Buss up Shot."
Photo by Kyla Fields

Coasis

7701 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa
Coasis is a hybrid restaurant from popular Tampa chef Melissa Gardner. Hence the name, the dining concept shares a building with a salon, and as you can see, the decor is an entire vibe. But besides the Instagramable space, Coasis features crafted cocktails from the bar and a diverse menu with everything from oysters, lamb chops, and shrimp ceviche.
Photo via Coasis/Instagram

Thee Burger Spot

3917 N Tampa St., Tampa
A one-stop shop for burgers, Thee Burger Spot is known for having the best burgers in Tampa. Owned by husband and wife duo Joe and Tivona Hill, the neighborhood fave is known for whipping up unique burgers like the pizza burger, which is a quarter pound patty with pizza sauce, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, white American cheese on grilled Texas toast.
Photo via TheeBurgerSpot/Facebook

Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood

2705 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa
Whether you like soul food or seafood, Ladies of the Sea & Soulfood has a variety of options for both. The spot has been open for over 25 years and serves classics like conch, snow crab trays, jerk chicken, shila (a traditional rice dish originating from Georgia) plus fried fish and shrimp.
Photo via Ladies Of The Sea & Soulfood/Facebook

Yuppi

9024 W Hillsborough Ave., Town 'N' Country
At Yuppi, Executive Chef Kyle Luke is known for whipping up the infamous “Yuppi Wings,” with a sauce that is sweet, savory, and tangy (definitely squeeze the lime on it). The half and half special is great for newcomers because it features a little bit of everything, two proteins, and two sides. Choose between fish, shrimp and the Yuppi pattie, which is actually a plant-based burger.
Photo via website

The Outside Kitchen

4622 E Hillsborough Ave., Tampa
The Outside Kitchen has a menu packed with flavor. Make sure you get there early because the kitchen is known for selling out quickly. The rotating menu includes glazed lamb chops, jerk crab cakes, shrimp and grits, bang bang pasta and rasta pasta
Photo via Jmagic Chef/Facebook

Queen of Sheba

11001 N 56th St., Temple Terrace
Queen of Sheba owner Seble Gizaw curated a menu focused solely on traditional Ethiopian cuisine with a weekday lunch buffet. The food is served on a traditional flatbread called teff and if you’re new to Ethiopian cuisine, start with the Queen’s Eight Platter, loaded with four beef and chicken samplings, alongside four veggie choices.
Photo via Queen Sheba

Ti Bamboo

9291 Dr. M.L.K. Jr St. N, St. Petersburg
Hard to miss because of the huge Bob Marley mural by Derek Donnelly on the outside, St. Pete’s Ti Bamboo Caribbean Restaurant and Lounge takes diners straight to the Caribbean, with a menu curated of Caribbean classics like oxtail and beans, callaloo and fried plantains.
Photo via Google Maps

7th + Grove

1930 E 7th Ave., Ybor City
Southern restaurant and lounge 7th and Grove is the perfect harmony of good food and good vibes. Offering a menu stacked full of southern favorites like, catfish nuggets, fried alligator Tail and seared salmon. The cocktail menu offers great pairings like the Beyoncé, which is made with Hennessy, lemonade, simple syrup, topped with champagne.
Photo via Google Maps

Copa

1047 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg’s Edge district, Copa is the place for wine and beer lovers. Copa was designed and created by local brothers Maxim and Sebastien Thuriere, and offers a fusion of international dishes, such as jerk tofu spring rolls, seared ahi tuna plus copa tostones.
Photo via Google Maps

Roam

3405 34th St. N, St. Petersburg
Curated by the duo behind Red’s BBQ, Roam is French and New York steakhouse with a Southern twist. The rotating menu highlights staples like alfredo cavatelli, and a drink menu that contains signature cocktails like The Dirty Peach crafted with whiskey, lemon, peach, simple, and dirty cherry.
Photo via Google Maps

Mango's

9718 N 56th St., Temple Terrace
Serving up Caribbean and Haitian Creole cuisine Mangos is a Temple Terrace favorite. The restaurant itself has a Haitian menu, a Caribbean menu, a soul food menu, and brunch menu on Sundays. Food selections like Jamaican patties, jerk chicken, and curry goat are staples across the menus with highlights of traditional soul food like turkey wings, collard greens, plus homemade mac and cheese.
Photo via Google Maps

Bruh Mans BBQ

2702 E Busch Blvd., Tampa
In the shadow of rollercoasters and open on weekends only, Cory Taylor's Bruh Man's barbeque is a roadside must-try off Tampa’s bustling Busch Boulevard. His team slings classic sides and meats—including two-meat combo plates that could feed three people—all cooked in a pair of gigantic smokers behind Bruh Man's food truck trailer and adjacent free standing kitchen. The no-frills, parking lot outdoor dining room is underneath a giant car wash cover and soundtracked by a booming sound system that bumps the classic hip-hop of today (read: Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Mike Jones).
Photo via Google Maps

Rays Vegan Soul

1330 49th St. S, Gulfport
Ray Milton, the owner of Rays Vegan Soul, combines soul food with a vegan twist. Menu items like cashew-based mac and cheese, African almond soup and quinoa meatloaf are on the lineup. Try the local kombucha, stick around for live jazz music on Sundays. If you want to indulge in your sweet tooth, options like plum cobbler and sweet potato pie are also on the menu.
Photo via Ray’s Vegan Soul/Facebook

Al's Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que

1609 Angel Oliva Senior St., Ybor City
If you see chickens in the alley you are most likely in front of Al’s Finger Licking Good Bar-B-Que. Serving up Tennessee-style barbecue, menu favorites include Sparky’s Pulled Pork, Aunt Nita’s Black Eyed Peas, and Mazie’s Serve-It-Up Yellow Rice and Chicken.
Photo via Google Maps

Jerk Hut Island Grille & Beach Club

1241 E Fowler Ave., Tampa
For over 25 years, Andrew Ashmeade's Jerk Hut has served Jamaican cuisine and drinks to the Tampa area with food that takes you on a quick trip to the islands. Not only can you get curry chicken, jerk chicken and yuca, there's also a fully stocked bar that serves up rum punch and Jamaican iced tea. The mothership is in the University area while a downtown Tampa food truck serves daily, too.
Photo via Google Maps

Steaming Pots

1109 W Waters Ave. Suite B, Tampa
One of the only west African spots in Tampa, Steaming Pots has a menu packed with African flavors, like egusi with goat, attieke (cassava) with fish, and groundnut na peanut soup.
Photo via Google Maps