Black-owned restaurants in Pensacola: Over 20 restaurants, bars to support

Black History Month is the celebration of African Americans in the United States, honoring Black people from every period of U.S. history and their contributions.

It’s celebrated Feb. 1-28 and typically highlights big names like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but you can celebrate members of our own community in various ways.

Maybe one of the easiest is checking out their culinary contributions to Pensacola.

Here’s a list of over 20 Black-owned restaurants and bars that you can visit to celebrate Black History Month in Pensacola.

Tops Hamburgers

401 E. Cervantes St.

Tops Burgers tops the list with its brown bag special. For just around $8, you can get a double-meat burger with fries and a drink. And this isn’t just any burger, it’s one of the best burgers in town, and arguably the best burger for the price.

The hamburgers are quarter-pound, 100% beef patties that seem to fit perfectly on the bun. It comes with all the traditional dressings like mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mustard, onion and ketchup, but feel free to add chili, bacon or jalapenos. They're not smash burgers but reminiscent. The mouthfeel and knee-quivering taste of the first bite will make you feel like you just broke the law by driving off with something that good for less than $10.

Blue Dot

310 E. DeVilliers St.

Blue Dot Barbecue owners Thomas Long Jr. and son Byron have a way of making the question, “What ya want?” sound almost endearing. Maybe it’s because Blue Dot has been serving the people what they want for several decades now, and if there’s anything Pensacolians love, it’s history.

Perhaps a theme for truly good burgers, Blue Dot is a no-frills affair. If you’re stopping by, you’re stopping by for a burger the way they prepare it, and if you’re lucky, you might catch the ribs, too. Also, good news for cheese-lovers, you can now add it to your burger.

Dwarf Chicken

407 N. DeVilliers St.

The legendary chicken shack has been burning the midnight cooking oil since 1963 in the heart of the Belmont-DeVilliers historic district.

The menu is simple with a handful of entrees like a breast and wings combo, a dark meat combo, chicken nuggets and tenders and more. Sides are fries, corn nuggets, cheese fries and okra.

Arlene’s BBQ

Call 850-549-8101 for details on hours and location.

The Arlene Williams BBQ food truck has served the Pensacola area since 2008, making it another long-time favorite for Pensacola barbecue lovers.

Fans of Arlene's love to rave about the service as much as they rave about their greens, brisket and ribs. One reviewer even stated that when you let Arlene feed you, you become part of her family.

Casks and Flights Wine Tasting Room

121 S. Palafox St.

Casks and Flights Wine Tasting Room is a one-of-a-kind on Palafox Street. It’s a unique space where you can load up a card, peruse the room and get a semi self-pour experience where you pick your wine, pour and enjoy. There are over 70 hand-selected wines to choose from and craft beers on tap if wine isn’t your thing.

Family Ty’s Good Eats

40 W. Nine Mile Road

The secret to Family Ty’s Good Eats is love. Family Ty’s is a favorite lunch spot at the north end of Pensacola that specializes in backyard barbecue style ribs, chicken and seafood. Most of the staff are all related, too, and the ones that aren’t have been “adopted.”

The restaurant has earned rave reviews on social media websites with offerings like the seafood rice, steak sandwiches and grilled shrimp tacos being some of the favorites. The wings are no joke either. Co-owner Ursula Jones has previously told the News Journal, "The wings are definitely made with love. … We make our sauces all homemade. So the the lemon pepper (dry rub wings) is made with real lemon, you get the real feel of it. The garlic Parmesan, it's real garlic, real Parmesan. Everything is made with our twist on it.”

Fatboiz a Real Sandwich Shop

1673 Pace Blvd. Ste #1

Fatboiz’s own slogan calls itself a real sandwich shop, which isn’t something you can get away with if you can’t back it up. Unlike some of the other sandwich places on this list, you won’t find an extensive menu full of every type of sandwich imaginable.

You can get signature sandwiches like the Beefed Up, which has roast beef, corn, beef, mushrooms and Swiss cheese; or the Porkies Delight, which has honey ham, salami, pastrami, pepperoni, lettuce, spinach pepper jack and provolone cheese. The place shines with its create-your-own Husky or Fatboi — the restaurant’s names for its sandwich sizes.

Each sandwich comes loaded with a generous amount of cheese, veggies and an equal helping of “love,” according to general manager Moses Williams.

Five Sisters Blues Café

421 W. Belmont St.

Like the Dwarf, Five Sisters is located in the heart of Belmont-DeVilliers at an intersection that was the epicenter of African-American business and social life. It’s located inside the former site of Gussie’s Record Shop and WBOP Radio Station, and it’s Marker No. 203 on the Mississippi Blues Trail to signify the location’s contribution to the Blues’ musical heritage.

When it comes to food, Five Sisters doesn’t mess around. If you grew up eating Southern cooking, you can expect to find everything your grandma made, from fried chicken and corn bread to collards and country fried steak.

Mama Lattes

5412 Stewart St., Milton

Mama Lattes may be one of Milton’s best-kept secrets, especially when it comes to coffee. With a 4.5 rating on Facebook after 598 reviews, it’s definitely a hit in the area. Mama Lattes is an eclectic coffee shop located in downtown Milton that serves up smoothies, specialty coffees and food. And you can catch live music on Saturdays.

Mr. Wings

3507 N. Pace Blvd.

Contrary to its name, Mr. Wings offers a diverse menu that includes chicken and waffles, burgers, seafood, cheesesteaks, pork chops, and of course, outstanding wings. Every Wednesday, patrons can enjoy 10 wings with a choice of 22 flavors for just 79 cents each.

Popcorn King

1531 E. Nine Mile Road

The Popcorn King is the place to go if you’re looking to get wild and crazy with popcorn. It offers over 35 different flavors of popcorn. Savory flavors include things like bacon cheddar, dill pickle and spicy buffalo. Sweet flavors get a bit crazier with cheesecake, blueberry and watermelon. And specialty flavors include birthday cake, turtle and more.

Shirley’s Deli & Catering

1014 Underwood Ave.

Shirley’s Deli and Catering offers made-to-order sandwiches, fresh bread baked in-house and KONA coffee. Breakfast items include breakfast burritos and sandwiches, lunch includes muffuletta, clubs and other sandwiches. Plus, there are daily specials like a garden lei wrap on Wednesday and taco wrap on Thursday.

The Tatted Vegan

Pick-up only

The Tatted Vegan isn’t a place you go, it’s a person you call when you’re craving some vegan soul food with a fast-food remix. Heather Higgins operates her business from home, providing meal prep jars with things like taco salad, chili, spinach salad and black bean salad, plus other prepared meals like buffalo cauliflower macaroni and broccoli, smothered steak and collards and more. You can check her out here: https://www.facebook.com/TheTattedVegan/.

Kolache Bakery

4212 U.S. 90, Pace

The Kolache Bakery in Pace serves up freshly-baked kolaches stuffed with a variety of ingredients. Flavors include everything from sausage and strawberry cream cheese to boudin and ham egg and cheese.

KJ’s Fried Kitchen

121 Boone St.

KJ’s Fried Chicken offers up a hefty menu of homemade burgers, wings, specialty fries and country plates, including their signature barbecue fried ribs. KJ’s is also on the move now with a food truck, popping up at events and other places around town. Follow them on social media to find out where they will be next.

East King’s Corner Café

1400 N. Davis Highway

East King’s Corner Cafe offers Southern soul food on North Davis Highway. On the menu, you’ll find smoked ribs, smoked wings, burgers, sandwiches, nachos, bowls, tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, quesadillas and even al la carte items.

Island Fish and Grits

3300 N. Pace Blvd., Suite 50

Island Fish and Grits was formerly called Just Fish and Grits before the owners retired in 2019, passing the baton off to the new owners. While the name may be different, the food is still very much on point. Visitors can expect fish and grits along with Caribbean-inspired specials. Part-owner Mike Gray is also the owner of Island Kitchen on Warrington road, so he’s no stranger to good Caribbean food.

The main menu keeps it sweet and simple with mullet, catfish and tilapia plates being the mainstays. Customers can pick how many pieces of each they want with grits and bread as sides. Additional sides include things like rice and peas, steamed rice and more. The daily specials are where the restaurant gets to mix it up, and it’s always worth calling ahead to see what’s available. Jerk chicken, curry chicken and ox tails are just a few of the specials that have locals raving.

Joe’s Caribe Restaurant

6224 N. Ninth Ave., Suite 3

Joe’s Caribe offers delicious Caribbean cuisine such as mofongo, jerked chicken, curry, guisado and more. Husband-and-wife owners Jose and Jessica Perez grew up in New York but spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico where Jose discovered his love for cooking from his grandmother, Rosa. When the two ended up in Pensacola, they wanted to bring a taste of the Caribbean with them, and so Joe’s Caribe was born.

The Chill Spot

1673 N. Pace Blvd.

The Chill Spot, also known as the Daiquiri Spot, is a place serving up daiquiris, smoothies and more.

The Neighborhood Ice Cream Parlor

120 Chief’s Way, Unit F

The Neighborhood Ice Cream Parlor is located near Warrington that has more than a dozen Hershey’s brand ice cream flavors and also bakes and serves individual slices of cake. Regular flavors include things like green mint chip, Lil’ Blue Panda, Rocky Road and more. There’s also vegan flavors, sundaes, cones, coffee, frappes and more.

Who Dat Po-Boys Food Truck

3391 N. Pace Blvd.

This truck at 3391 N. Pace Blvd. delivers on its namesake by stacking up tons of New Orleans-style po'boy varieties, including Cajun sausage po'boys, cheeseburger po'boy, shrimp po'boys and many more.