Try the critically acclaimed SF Gumbo pop-ups and these other black-owned local restaurants

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Bon Appetit recently named Gumbo Social one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of 2023, and if you’ve ever tried their roo, you know why. Dontay Ball, known to friends and fans as Mr. Gumbo, is showing up at farmers’ markets across San Francisco during the pandemic, and he’ll find a soft spot to land in Bayview in March. Until then, you can find his gumbos and po’boys at Outer Sunset Farmers Market on Sundays.

Gumbo Social

outside sunset

37th Avenue, San Francisco, 1994
Gumbosocial.com

Elsewhere in the Bay, new Afro-Caribbean lunches, Philadelphia vegan cheese steaks, and a new Oakland liquor store are some of the latest offerings from black restaurateurs that we’re obsessed with and that you should definitely try.

First off, SoMa just opened a hidden soul food kitchen that you could blink and miss.

1. Afro-Caribbean soul food by Nat & Betty

SoMa

st. Morris, 60, San Francisco
natandbettyskitchen.com

Around the corner from the San Francisco Flower Market, perhaps the closest thing south of the Market is homemade Caribbean food. Nat and Betty have already built a loyal following with their shrimp with yellow rice, fried chicken, fried oysters and burgers, all made even more hearty by side dishes that include mac and cheese, slaw and green beans. The lunch and dinner space is currently operating as an auxiliary kitchen, so expect takeout and delivery only.

2. Jamaican sweet spices

East Auckland

6672 International Blvd., Auckland

During Covid, Richard Grant began selling a la carte lunches from a picnic table on the shores of Lake Merritt. Late last year, his Caribbean diner was converted into brick and mortar in a nondescript white building that proudly waved the Jamaican flag along busy International Boulevard. It’s the kind of hole in the wall that food TV hosts are looking for. Inside, you’ll find Grant’s best recipes: pumpkin soup, fried chicken, fish stew, and oxtails. He complements his plates with freshly squeezed pineapple, carrot and beetroot juices.

3. Nuni’s place

Vallejo

2907 Sonoma Boulevard, Vallejo
noonyesplace707.com

This soul food deli is about to reboot in a new location in Vallejo. Originally opened in 2019 at the Georgia Street mall in downtown Vallejo, Noonie’s temporarily closed last year but staff have been biding their time driving a food truck between it and downtown San Francisco. Waffles are Nuni’s pride and joy, but fried chicken and hot link sandwiches never cease to disappoint. The plant-based Philadelphia Cheesesteak is a great option for vegans.

4. CoCo Noir

downtown auckland

360 13th Street, Oakland
coconoirwine.com

CoCo Noir, a brand new wine bar in downtown Auckland, plans to celebrate Black History Month with a series of tastings. The newest addition to Auckland’s Black Arts Movement business district, Alicia Kidd’s modern, loft-like space specializes in fresh beers, beers and non-abt brews made by black, local and female producers. On most evenings, she pairs flights with a generous sausage board.

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