After-top notch bars and restaurants for getting your fill? From traditional African food to those serving authentic Jamaican fare or cooking up Nigerian dishes fused with the soul food of America's Deep South, these are the Black-owned businesses in Manchester that you shouldn't hesitate to visit.
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Kool Runnings
If you're a proper foodie, then you probably know of one of the best Black-owned restaurants in Manchester already: Kool Runnings. Father-son duo Aval and Dominic Saunders run the show here, whipping up generously sized Caribbean take-out from their truck outside Sharon Pentecostal Church on Upper Chorlton road. Having served everyone from Tyson Fury to Usain Bolt and Ainsley Harriot, even these guys might have an inkling that their food is tip-top.
Watching chicken sizzle on the grill here is sure to make your mouth water.
House Of Habesha
This pop-up turned permanent space is delving out Eritrean and Ethiopian food at Kargo Mkt in Salford, promising huge curry platters, loaded fries and kulwa (meat chunks fried in spices, tomatoes and onion). Made using traditional methods, House Of Habesha's menu of unrepresented cuisine is a must when you're looking for a Black-owned African restaurant in Manchester city centre - and not just because you can get a 'Full House', which includes a little bit of every dish they have on offer.
Expect spicy, aromatic plates at House of Habesha.
Soul & Surf
Co-founder of Soul & Surf, Titi, also holds the position of head chef at the Black-owned Nigerian restaurant in Manchester. Fusing food from the country with America's Deep South, she's cooking garlicky, butter-laden lobster tail, jollof, crispy wings, and mac 'n' cheese. Plus, the Ancoats spot has brunches of fried brioche French toast and a huge mural celebrating the likes of Whitney Houston, Anthony Joshua and Aretha Franklin.
Nab the Soul Platter to munch through all of Titi's best bits.
Vegan Shack
Plant-based peeps rejoice; there's plenty for you in this guide too. Namely Vegan Shack on Piccadilly Gardens, where Biscoff milkshakes wash down dripping burgers, tater tots, BBQ loaded fries, fried 'chicken' and more. Better yet, you can pop by at breakfast for bagels or pancakes, and there's even refreshing salads topped with grilled 'prawns' to try. Launching from humble beginnings in their one-bed Salford Quays flat, Dimeji and Saffron have grown the business into a city centre staple.
This one is sure to have you coming back for more.
What's Your Flava
When you're wondering 'where are the best Black-owned restaurants near me?', What's Your Flava should be on your radar. Grub like brown chicken stew, sweet curry fried prawns, mac 'n' cheese balls, splits and spicy fried jackfruit is waiting to fill you up here. The Levenshulme favourite sees Craig Swann James Cole at the helm, creating an extensive menu of authentic Jamaican food that's sure to quell any pesky hunger pangs (and then some).
There's Jamaican meals by the bucket-load at What's Your Flava.
Jerk Junction
Miss Lola and Miss Ivy have been the kitchen maestros at Jerk Junction since it launched in 2013, while new owner, Jake, launched the restaurant to new heights when he took over almost two years ago. Here, you'll find lashings of jerk gravy, fluffy dumplings and their namesake chicken coal-cooked in a custom-made drum imported from Jamaica. As for the decor? There's outer cabins with neon-lit walls and fairy lights strung above the seating - a playful look to match the feel-good food.
Expect community vibes, music and more at this Black-owned restaurant bar in Manchester.
Rads
Rads, a Black-owned business in Manchester, is one of the city's most highly-rated places for Caribbean food. It's the type of low-key place that doesn't even have its own website, but if you know, you know. Meals here are accompanied by homemade ginger beer, while the dishes themselves span all the classics - think saltfish, jerk and more. If that wasn't enough, the £6 lunch boxes will hit the spot on your break from work too.
Hungry? Let Rads sort you out.
Pull Up Bar Cafe
Whether you head in for the reggae roast or something more traditional, like fried hake with escovitch or marinated lamb chops, Pull Up Bar Cafe is your one-stop NQ spot for all things Jamaican. Their jerk seasoning, which coats the chicken for a minimum of 24 hours, is a closely-guarded secret, meaning it's definitely a winner. Not only that, but the restaurant hosts monthly poetry and spoken word events - all of which are accompanied by rum punch, of course.
Admiring the wall mural? Listening to poetry? The food here is sure to go down easy either way.
Trap Kitchen
Having been founded in London, but since spread to venues in Manchester and Birmingham, Trap Kitchen are known across the county for their tasty combos. There's a daily-changing menu to choose from here, which includes regular staples of succulent lobster tail, juicy chicken, waffles flaunting sweet-as-sugar toppings, and mac ‘n’ cheese. These are all served up into one box for you to gorge yourself on, so make sure you arrival with plenty of room in your belly.
These sweet and savoury-stuffed boxes aren't for the faint of heart.
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