Five Places to Eat for Support Black-Owned Restaurants Week

From vibrant West African cuisine to stupid-good burgers, here are five standout eateries to get you started.

(Christine Dong)

This week, Aug. 26-Sept. 1, marks the fifth annual Support Black-Owned Restaurants Week, which encourages people to support black restaurant owners and local business. First started in 2014 by Bertha Pearl after she was inspired by the Bay Area's Black Restaurant Day, the annual event has now grown to a full week of celebration.

Not sure where to start? These are five standout eateries to get your week started—but, of course, there are many more places to patronize in town. For a complete directory of Portland's black-owned eateries, see iloveblackfood.com.

(Christine Dong)

1. Akadi

3601 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 503-477-7138, akadipdx.com

When Akadi's young chef and proprietor Fatou Ouattara opened her restaurant in 2017, she extended the Ethiopian-heavy boulevard's palate to West Africa. Ouattara's restaurant vibrantly showcases her native Ivory Coast cuisine with plates like the Goat, accompanied by fufu-steamed cassava dough ideal for sopping up savory remnants.

Related: Akadi Broadens Portland's Palate for West African Cuisine.

(Rocky Burnside)

2. Assembly Brewing

6112 SE Foster Road, 971-888-5973, assemblybrewingco.com.

Newly opened in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, Assembly is one of the handful of black-owned craft breweries in the country, but it's as notable for its pizza as its brews. The Detroit-style pies are already up there with the best in town. Thick slabs of crust lie beneath lightly charred cheese, topped by various meats and veggies before getting a healthy dose of tomato sauce on top.

Read the full review: Assembly Brewing Brings Working-Class Craft Beers and Detroit-Style Pizza to Foster-Powell.

Theotis “Uncle Theo” Cason, owner of Cason’s Fine Meats, has revived his butcher shop at Alberta Commons. IMAGE: Ian Stout.

3. Cason’s Fine Meats

5015 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., 503-287-0855, casonsfinemeats.com.

Theotis "Uncle Theo" Cason's butchery has been a staple of black Portland for years. After losing his spot up on Denver Avenue in Kenton two years ago, the market has been revived as a part of the Dream Street district in Alberta Commons, along with two other black-owned businesses, Champions Barbershop and Greenhaus Gallery and Boutique.

Related: The Launch of Alberta Commons Brings Renewed Visibility to the Black-Owned Businesses of Northeast Portland.

(Shaun Daley)

4. Enat Kitchen

300 N Killingsworth St., 503-285-4867.

Among the delights of Portland's best Ethiopian restaurant is the sensation of briefly escaping an oppressively homogenous city. Enat Kitchen contains none of the wood-hewn clichés that plague Portland dining; instead, it looks like a 1950s drive-in with art imported from Addis Ababa. Among the standout dishes are gomen, collard greens unmatched in flavor and texture anywhere in the city, and enkulal tibs, scrambled eggs with enough onions, tomatoes and peppers to fill a Denver omelet—but with significantly more spice.

Read the full review: Restaurant Guide 2018: Enat Kitchen

(CJ Monserrat)

5. Stoopid Burger

2329 NE Glisan St., 503-477-5779.

The burgers from this food cart turned brick-and-mortar will render you dazed, meat-drunk and dumbfounded. Our favorite is the Wicked Burger, which has a spicy pineapple mango habanero chutney and peanut butter. Looking to keep your sandwich under $10? Get the $9 Almost There, essentially house style stripped down to the bolts.

Read the full review: Stoopid Burger Leaves You Dazed, Meat-Drunk and Dumbfounded. It Is Wonderful.

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