For a decade, Madison Black Restaurant Week has celebrated the diversity of the city’s Black-owned restaurants, food trucks, catering services, and other delicious food vendors. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Camille Carter, president and CEO of the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce, about the origins of the week, this year’s participants, and the special events they’ve planned.
Madison Black Restaurant Week starts on Aug. 10 and runs through Aug. 17. Here are a few of the city’s Black-owned establishments to enjoy on this or any other week. Check out our map of these spots on Overlook Maps!
West African cuisine comes to Atwood Avenue with this elegant spot, where the restaurant’s complex stews and soups can take hours to prepare. The menu also offers grilled meats prepared with the guidance of Islam (AKA halal), and starters like fish beignets and small pan-fried meat pies known as pastels.
Speaking of spices and flavor, this new Monroe Street spot offers both traditional Jamaican dishes like curry goat and oxtail stew along with Jamaican twists on burgers and tapas.
For decades, Madison foodies have been able to brag that we have a top-quality Ethiopian restaurant. Now located on Willy Street, Buraka is enticing a new generation with its dorowot stew and coconut curry chicken.
Vegetarians and vegans know all about this State Street fast-casual spot, which includes grab-’n’-go vegan pizzas, Beyond Meat burgers, seitan fries, and more. They also offer an innovative monthly meal plan.
Rasta Barista, located inside the Black Business Hub, specializes in Blue Mountain Coffee from the mountains of Jamaica. (Rob Thomas / Madison Minutes)
This new coffee shop opened in May on the first floor of the Black Business Hub, specializing in Blue Mountain Coffee from the mountains of Jamaica. In addition to coffee, you can order a sweet hibiscus drink known as a sorrel and snack on jerk chicken tenders or chocolate truffles.
Enjoy jerk chicken, shawarma, and a yam dumpling stew called fufu at this restaurant on Northport Drive, along with Wisconsin favorites like burgers and cheese curds.
Falbo Bros pizza has been a favorite of literally generations of UW-Madison students, having first opened in Madison in 1992. The pizzeria now has five locations through the upper Midwest, including the pizzeria on Park Street and another in Monona.
Located for years in a former Taco Bell on Monona Drive, David’s recently moved around the corner to East Broadway. The menu, including jerk pork, curried goat, and sweet potato pie, remains intact.
Practice your swing on the golf simulator and then enjoy some fine dining at this restaurant in Pioneer Pointe in Verona. In addition to sandwiches, steak, and pizza, Links also offers a weekend brunch.
Who'd we miss? Send us your favorite Black-owned restaurants and let us know why you love them!
