 |
| President Obama visits Black-owned Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC |
About 18 million people visit Washington D.C. every year, making the nation's capitol one of the most popular tourist sites in America. D.C. is also home to some of the finest black-owned restaurants in the country. Here are the top 5, rated by Yelp, a web site founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses, restaurants and more.
Whether you have a hankering for burgers and fries, breakfast or brunch, or seafood and spirits, here are D.C.'s top 5 best black-owned restaurants.
#1 - Ben's Chili Bowl: located in the U Street Corridor, this restaurant is a landmark in D.C. The restaurant has been around since 1958, serving their famous chili, chili dogs and chili fries, as well as homemade coleslaw, potato salad, and homemade cakes. Even Barack Obama has eaten lunch here.
#2 - Sankofa Bookstore and Cafe: this restaurant on Georgia Avenue is half cafe/half bookstore. They serve breakfast all day and serve sandwiches named after African-American directors like Spike Lee, Billy Woodberry and Charles Burnett. The restaurant is right across the street from Howard University and offers good food plus a cultural environment in which to relax.
#3 - Uprising Muffin Company: you probably guessed what their specialty is -- homemade muffins baked daily, including Cranberry Orange, Almond Bliss, Lemon Poppyseed, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Peach Cobbler -- just to name a few. Their muffins contain no preservatives or artificial anything. It's located on 7th Street, close to the metro.
#4 - Policy Restaurant and Lounge: located on 14th Street in the U Street Corridor, this restaurant serves some of the finest meals in D.C., including lamb sliders, green beans, sweet potato gnocchi, chicken, steaks, pork belly and short ribs, served with hip hop bumpin' dance music. They are also open for brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Sleek and sophisticated, this is one restaurant you don't want to miss.
#5 - Negril Jamaican Bakery & Eatery: located at 2301-G Georgia Ave, NW, this restaurant was founded in 1979 by Earl Chinn, a Jamaican native who saw the need for a quick service Jamaican restaurant in the D.C. He has since expanded to three other locations throughout Maryland.