Illinois

13 Restaurants
Chicago’s Cleo’s Southern Kitchen is a 2021 BKI grantee dedicated to providing the ultimate soul food experience.

Cleo's Southern Kitchen

Chicago

Dedicated to providing the ultimate foodie experience, Cleo's Southern Cuisine is a contemporary Chicago-based restaurant founded by Chef Kristen Ashley.

2021 BKI grantee D’s Dreamy Desserts serves the Chicago area with delicious party treats of all kinds.

D's Dreamie Desserts

Chicago

Serving the Chicago Heights area with entertainment of all kinds: Ice Cream Truck, Desserts, Snow Cone Machine, Popcorn Machine, Cotton Candy Machine, Face Painting and so much more.

Chicago’s Demera Ethiopian restaurant is a 2021 BKI grantee specializing in Ethiopian American cuisine.

Demera Ethiopian

Chicago

A long-standing staple in Chicago's Ethiopian-American community, Demera Ethiopian Restaurant has since become one of the city's favorite East African spots.

2021 BKI grantee Dozzy’s Grill in Chicago, IL, features West African cuisine and their famous Jollof rice.

Dozzy's Grill

Chicago

Dozzy's Grill brings the flavors and cuisines of West African culture to the Windy City. Stop by for their famous take on Jollof rice.

FriiStyle Chicago, a 2021 Black Kitchen Initiative grant recipient, serves only fries plus an amazing array of in-house toppings.

Friistyle Chicago

Chicago

Friistyle is a restaurant dedicated entirely to fries. Finally! Each menu item is served up with special seasonings and sauces, all made in house.

Justice of the Pies in Chicago, IL, is a 2021 BKI grantee specializing in sweet or savory pies, tarts, and quiches.

Justice of the Pies

Chicago

Justice of the Pies is a bakery that specializes in sweet and savory pies, quiches and tarts. Maya-Camille Broussard established Justice of the Pies in honor of her late father, Stephen J. Broussard. Steve, who dubbed himself the Pie Master, was a criminal defense attorney with a passion for baking and eating anything made with a crust!

2021 Black Kitchen Initiative grant recipient Kizin Creole serves up Haitian cuisine in Chicago, IL.

Kizin Creole

Chicago

Traditional Haitian fare & exotic juices in a casual, straightforward dining room with BYOB policy.

2021 BKI grantee Neil St. Blues in Champaign, IL, is a full service restaurant and an arts venue with a deep history.

Neil St Blues

Champaign

At Neil St., the fire in the kitchen isn't fueled by charcoal or gas, but by the legacy of the family restaurant's late matriarch and grandma, Eular Mae Henderson. Through Neil St.'s work as both a full-service restaurant and an arts venue, they've become an important meeting place and outlet for their community.

Safari Lounge in Chicago, IL is a 2021 Black Kitchen Initiative recipient and the city’s only African lounge and club.

Safari Lounge

Chicago

Safari Lounge is Chicago's only African lounge and club. With the city's largest selection of African beers and an extensive menu of African and Carribean-style dishes, Safari brings color and vibrance to its Northside neighborhood.

Offering food for the soul, Serenity’s Place Cafe & Bakery in Park Forest, IL, is a 2021 Black Kitchen Initiative grantee.

Serenity's Place Cafe & Bakery Inc

Park Forest

Situated in Park Forest, Serenity's doesn't offer soul food – it offers food for the soul. The community-oriented eatery wants anyone and everyone who steps through their doors to feel like they're home.

Soul Veg City in Chicago, IL, is a 2021 BKI grantee serving plant-based soul food for over forty years.

Soul Veg City

Chicago

Soul Veg City, which for years was known as Original Soul Vegetarian, has been a major destination on Chicago's South Side for 40 years. They specialize in plant-based soul food, attracting veg-heads and meat eaters alike.

2021 Black Kitchen Initiative grantee Teertsemasesottehg holds an underground supper club at a secret location in Chicago.

Teertsemasesottehg

Chicago

@Teertsemasesottehg is a secret-location underground supper club in Chicago, curated by founder and executive chef, Q. Ibraheem.

Virtue Restaurant in Chicago, IL, is a 2021 Black Kitchen Initiative grantee featuring heritage techniques to create favorite dishes.

Virtue Restaurant

Chicago

Stationed in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, Virtue is a Southern American restaurant that leads with a culture of hospitality & kindness. At Virtue, the team uses heritage techniques to create some familiar flavors, & some new ones.