Courtesy of Dakar NOLA
After years of bringing his Senegalese cuisine to New Orleans via pop-ups, Chef Serigne Mbaye now has an award-winning restaurant on Magazine Street: Dakar NOLA.
It’s Black History Month, and the perfect opportunity to get to know Black-owned businesses in your favorite Louisiana food cities. In New Orleans, there are too many to count—but Dooky Chase is a classic; rich in history thanks to the iconic Chef Leah Chase, this Creole restaurant should be at the top of your New Orleans restaurant list. Newer and sparklier, Chef Serigne Mbaye’s Dakar has been recognized across the country in recent years for its historical (and delicious) exhibition of Senegalese cuisine.
In Baton Rouge, Zeeland Street has been serving up good old fashioned comfort food, made with intention, by Chef Stephanie Phares—who was recognized last year in the New York Times’ 2024 Restaurant List. Another Baton Rouge classic is Chicken Shack—a Capital City legacy serving some of the best fried food in the city. Open for ninety years now, the “Shack” is a family-run business operated today by a Civil Rights icon, Joe Delpit, who gave Baton Rougeans rides in the chicken delivery truck during the 1953 bus boycott.
And in Lafayette, if you haven’t yet tried the Creole stuffed bread at Creole Lunch House, run. The changing menu will fill your belly with grandmother-approved plates of red beans and rice, fried pork chops, fried catfish, and more. And while you’re in town, you might as well try Shane Vallot’s viral Quesadilla Burgers. The former UL Ragin’ Cajuns football player’s recipe has taken the Internet by storm, and already required a second location to meet the growing demand.
Obviously there are hundreds more fantastic Black-owned restaurants across our region. Send your favorite spots (and why you love them) to editorial@countryroadsmag.com for a chance to see them featured on our social media.
