Featured image: Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
To celebrate Black History Month, we’re shedding light on some of North Carolina’s most popular Black-owned food purveyors. From fine dining and food trucks to sweet shops and fish frys, flavors run deep in this Southern state, and the personalities in the kitchen are as diverse as the culinary creations.
Here’s just a taste from around the state.
Jammin’ All Day Long | Wake Forest
This saucy business was born out of Kelsey Rigby’s love of the spicy flavors he craved from his native Bahamas. You’ll find Rigby and his wife Teresa at the Wake Forest farmer’s market, selling jerk chicken and beef patties, as well as jams and sauces through Jammin’ All Day Long. To get just the right island flair, Rigby grows his own peppers. Tropical Ghost Pepper Jam and Chipotle Cranberry BBQ sauce are just a few of their best-sellers.
Mia’s Kitchen | Raleigh
Also from the Bahamas, Raleigh-area resident Hermia Sands is no stranger to the kitchen. Growing up as one of 10 children, she was cooking for her whole family by age 10. Her passion for feeding others fueled her dream of having her own place, and in 2022, Sands opened her Bahamian food truck, Mia’s Kitchen. Devoted fans line up for conch fritters, curry chicken and other island favorites.
East Durham Sweet Shoppe | Durham
At this gourmet candy shop, owner Stacy Michelle has just the treat you’re craving, from premium ice cream and candied fruit to gourmet popcorn and cake pops. In addition to their own hand-crafted treats, East Durham Sweet Shoppe showcases Black-owned bakers like Royal Cheesecakes & Varieties to spread the love.
Catch | Wilmington
James Beard finalist, Top Chef participant, and Catch restaurant chef and owner Keith Rhodes hopes you will “catch his passion” for North Carolina seafood. Showcasing seasonal ingredients from organic growers and local sustainable fisheries is part of his recipe for success; Rhodes has been named the city’s best chef three consecutive times. As an advocate for preserving the region’s food history, he helped develop the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor and serves as a “designated culinarian” along the route.
Dirtbag Ales | Hope Mills
Dirtbag Ales’ story starts with Tito Simmons-Valenzuela, a U.S.Army combat medic with a passion for craft beer. Simmons-Valenzuela experimented with a home brew kit, and a single batch of Blood Orange Kolsch was his springboard to success. Now, jalapenos, coffee, blueberries, and pineapples all make their way into his creative brews. An onsite restaurant, playground, and dog park make this brewery a hopping neighborhood gathering spot.
Zweli’s | Durham
At the first full-service Zimbabwean restaurant in the United States, Chef Zweli Williams and her husband Leo introduced diners to the cuisine of her homeland with original recipes and imported spices. Garlic-infused Peri Peri Chicken, peanut-y Dovi collards, and unlimited sides make Zweli’s one of Durham’s favorite restaurants. Leveraging their success, the couple opened Zweli’s Ekhaya in 2023, focusing on elevated African tapas.
The BayHaven Food and Wine Festival | Charlotte
James Beard finalist Gregory Collier and wife/business partner Subrina are on a mission to elevate the city’s Black dining scene and empower the community. In addition to their own restaurants Uptown Yolk, 3rd & Fernwood and Leah & Louise (closed for relocation), this power couple founded the BayHaven Food & Wine Festival, celebrating the culinary heritage of the African Diaspora. They are also hands-on supporters of Serving the Culture (see below).
Serving the Culture | Charlotte
Pop-up dinner series Serving the Culture gathers talented Black chefs and mixologists to celebrate the area’s finest African American cuisine. Events center around a musical theme, integrating Black culture into a high-end multi-course dinner party.
Co-founders Shelton Starks, Winston Robinson, and Jamie Barnes (of now-closed What the Fries fame) strive to share their love of hip hop and food through these creative high-end events. Cocktails named after artist Cardi B and a dish celebrating rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s love of pickles are just a few past offerings.
Good Hot Fish | Asheville
Ashleigh Shanti’s awards include The New York Times’ list of “16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America,” and James Beard Rising Star of the Year semifinalist. Despite the fame, she’s stayed true to her roots, cooking up food influenced by her Southern Appalachian matriarchs.
In 2024 Shanti opened a counter service restaurant inspired by the nostalgia of Southern fish camps: Good Hot Fish. She shares her journey in her recent cookbook “Our South: Black Food Through My Lens.”
Sweet Potatoes | Winston-Salem
Capitalizing on North Carolina’s passion for sweet potatoes (they are the nation’s top producer), chef-owner Stephanie Tyson and partner Vivián Joiner opened Sweet Potatoes restaurant. The tempting tuber finds its way into cornbread, salads, waffle fries, and biscuits at this Southern down-home cooking spot.
Tyson’s cookbook “Well, Shut My Mouth!: The Sweet Potatoes Restaurant Cookbook” shares the duo’s story of building the restaurant, along with delectable recipes to try at home.
