Hungry this Essence Fest weekend? Here are 10 Black-owned New Orleans restaurants you should try (2024)

If you are in town for the Essence Festival of Culture and looking to try some New Orleans food, here are 10 Black-owned restaurants that are favorites among locals. The menus range from creole comfort food and New Orleans classics to Ethiopian and Caribbean flair.

Addis NOLA, 2514 Bayou Road

This spot near the Fairgrounds is a family-run Ethiopian restaurant with a special menu for brunch on Essence Fest weekend featuring chicken and waffles, Ethiopian honey wine and a fusion dish, shrimp tibs & grits.

Boswell's Jamaican Grill, 3521 Tulane Avenue

This Tulane Avenue restaurant is perfect for a group that wants a little bit of everything. The menu features Jamaican staples like jerk chicken and oxtails, but patrons can also grab a poboy with fries.

Buttermilk Drop Bakery, 1781 North Dorgenois Street

For breakfast or a sweet treat, visit this Treme gem starting at 6 a.m. each day. The bakery specializes in New Orleans buttermilk drops but has also won awards for its "melt in your mouth" donuts and king cakes.

Cafe Abyssinia, 3511 Magazine Street

Tucked away on Magazine Street, this hub of Ethiopian cuisine features traditional dishes ranging from lamb to fish on spongy Ethiopian injera bread. Stop by for a foodie experience or if you are in the mood to branch out from New Orleans classics.

Dooky Chase, 2301 Orleans Avenue

The late chef Leah Chase, the Queen of Creole Cuisine, is known for growing this historic Treme spot from a sandwich shop into a sit-down restaurant with specialty co*cktails, sandwiches and seafood entrees like stuffed shrimp and shrimp clemenceau, sauteed shrimp with garlic sauce, veggies and potatoes.

Li'l Dizzy's Cafe, 1500 Esplanade Avenue

Nestled in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood, L'il Dizzy's began as a lunch takeout restaurant on the corner of Esplanade Avenue and North Robertson Street. Its fried chicken is a customer favorite, but L'il Dizzy's also serves flavorful sides like dirty rice and candied yams.

Morrow's, 2438 St. Claude Avenue

Led by mother-son duo Chef Lenora Chong and Event Curator Larry Morrow, this restaurant bills itself as a spot where "great food and dope vibes collide." Signature co*cktails paired with oyster dishes and chef specials like lamp chops and gumbo ramen keep folks coming to the Marigny eatery, which fuses "classic New Orleans cuisine and authentic Korean dishes."

Neyow's Creole Cafe, 3332 Bienville Street

This local favorite has pastas, sandwiches and platters, or you can always try the $70 "Neyow's Extravaganza Dinner" for two, which includes gumbo, salad, seafood, steak and dessert to share.

Nice Guys NOLA, 7910 Earhart Boulevard

Known for its brunch parties, this Earhart Boulevard restaurant describes its menu as "true New Orleans food with a twist." The eatery features oysters, including an ohh lala oysters dish, and chargrilled oysters on the half shell topped with shrimp, crawfish, crab and lobster cream. For dessert, the chefs make a different bread pudding each day.

Queen Trini Lisa, 4200 D'Hemecourt Street

Chef Lisa Nelson's restaurantis an homage to her home country, Trinidad & Tobago. At her Mid-City spot, Nelson makes Caribbean soul food with seafood and vegan options on the menu. A fried fish sandwich with cucumber, tomato, pineapple and plantains is an example of the fusion she creates.

Editor's Note: This post has been updated to include the restaurant Addis NOLA and to remove the restaurant Beaucoup Eats, which is no longer open.