Black-Owned Vegan Restaurants in NYC
Black-owned vegan restaurants and the unique blends of cultures and cuisines they offer are far from new in New York. With the help of some of my friends and personal experience, I have listed 10 of the best Black-owned vegan spots, throughout New York City, for your dining ease. All of the restaurants featured in the list below offer takeout for customers who are able to to order food.
Located in: Manhattan
Founded by Pamela Elizabeth, Urban Vegan Kitchen offers diners high quality comfort food and a really lovely ambience. As it is a bit pricier than a lot of other restaurants on this list, UVK is the perfect spot for special occasions - especially if you have a birthday during quarantine, ordering take-out from here can spice up your night. Although there is a little bit of everything on this menu, I recommend the Chick-un and Waffles and the Dirty Green Quesadilla.
Located in: Brooklyn
Owned and founded by Latisha Daring, the fast-casual Greedi Kitchen offers Caribbean/Southern fusion fare. Inspired by Daring’s travels and upbringing, the menu offers a variety of creative and fun dishes set at very reasonable price points - especially for New York City. Honestly, everything on the menu is delicious, but I recommend the Jerk Eggplant Bowl and the Greedi Nachos.
Located in: Brooklyn
Founded by Francesca Chaney, the mere concept of Sol Sips, not even including the delicious food, is incredibly genius and inspiring. As a fully pay-what-you-can restaurant, Chaney seeks to serve the greater community all-the-while not compromising providing healthy options. Sol Sips is also offering pay-what-you-can meal kits for COVID-19. The Avocado/Mushroom Melt and Cheesy Garlic Sticks are to die for.
Located in: Harlem
Owner and Chef Brenda Beener provides good-quality, healthy soul food to Harlem with Seasoned Vegan. I don’t think I have ever come across a more unique and creative chef than Beener, vegan or not - who would ever think to use burdock root to simulate crawfish?! If you’re planning your first order from SV, I suggest trying either the Po’ Boy Sandwich or the BBQ Crawfish Sandwich.
Located in: Brooklyn
Founder and Chef DeVonn Francis brings incredible Ethiopian food to the city with his Brooklyn-based Bunna Caffe. I think the “Feast,” which includes seven dishes and four rolls of injera is the biggest bang for your buck, but the classic “Meal” is also incredibly filling. Something I really appreciate about Bunna Cafe is that they offer rice instead of injera if you are gluten free, so they are extremely accommodating to food restrictions and allergies.
Located in: Queens
Owned by Viburt Bernard, Veggie Castle offers diners comfort food in a fast-casual setting. Although not quite around the corner, I believe Thanksgiving is one of the best times to get takeout from Veggie Castle as many of their dishes, like the Mac n Cheese have a holiday-comfort feel. Aside from Thanksgiving, I typically enjoy one of their incredible burgers.
Located in: Harlem
Founded by Davie Simmons and run by his entire family, the main goal of Uptown Veg is to keep the community as healthy as possible. With classic health-food options like juices, smoothies, and salads, UV compares to many famous health-food spots. My ideal order is the Veggie Burger and a create-my-own green juice.
Located in: Queens
Owners Craig Thompson and Steffen Alexander provide Queens with a little bit of everything at A Live Kitchen. Although the name might make you think the restaurant is fully raw, it is quite the opposite - every dish here is cooked to perfection. Their Curry Jackfruit Empanadas are some of the best empanadas I have ever had and I dream about their Broccoli Alfredo. Although I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, I have to give a shout out to their Tiramisu which is heavenly.
Located in: Brooklyn
Owner and Chef Michael Gordon, born in Jamaica but also from Queens, brings a Rastafarian flare to the New York vegan scene. Gordon somehow manages to create interesting dishes that are comforting, hearty, and healthy. The Turmeric Stew and the Thai-fi Stew are staples in my diet, so I recommend going for one of those if you are a first-timer.
Located in: Brooklyn
Another Brooklyn-based Ethiopian spot is Romeo and Milka Regalli’s Ras Plant Based. Ras Plant Based is the modern manifestation of generations of recipes passed down to the Regalli’s, making the food not only delicious but also full of years of love. The Vegan Sampler Platter is a personal favorite as you get to try a multitude of dishes but their Lentil and Mixed Vegetable Sambusa appetizers are incredible.
