Madison Black Restaurant Week returns Aug. 9-16 for its 11th run as the Black Chamber of Commerce looks to highlight local Black-owned eateries across Dane County.
When it started in 2016, Black Restaurant Week by the Madison Black Chamber of Commerce was the first such celebration in the nation. While other cities across the United States have started their own Black Restaurant Week, the week-long celebration originated in Madison over a decade ago. This year will continue the tradition with 16 restaurants and 17 food trucks and caters participating and three events.
Here’s our guide to Black Restaurant Week to help plan what eateries you want to check out.
Restaurants
Alice & Bernice Kitchen
The restaurant prides itself on family traditions and the comfort of home cooked meals. Alice & Bernice Kitchen specializes in gluten-free fried chicken wings, but has a wide array of tavern style foods, sandwiches and jerk chicken — many of which with gluten-free options.
504 State St.
Open Monday 12-9 p.m., Tuesday-Friday 1-11 p.m., Saturday 11-11 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Bernell’s
Bernell’s is a sports bar and grill with all the classics you can expect from the style of restaurant. However, what separates Bernell’s is its events. It often features special brunches, dance parties the first Friday of every month, live music, fish fries and a variety of other community events.
2513 Seiferth Rd.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 3-11:59 p.m. and Sunday 10-11:59 p.m. Closed Mondays. Special additional hours for community events.
Buraka
Ethiopian food on Madison’s East Side. Buraka brings the taste of East Africa and Ethiopian recipes with spiced, aromatic cuisines. Its location bounced around since 1992, but its reputation in Madison led to it finding a more permanent location in 2016.
Buraka offers a variety of food to get a taste of the African region. Staple dishes include dorowot, a stew made with chicken, carrots and a blend of spices slowly cooked in a thick red sauce and paired with berbere, a traditional Ethiopian flat sourdough made from teff.
1210 Williamson St.
Open Monday, Wednesday-Friday 4-9 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 2-9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
David’s Jamaican Cuisine
Monona’s long-standing, and for a long time one of the only, Jamaican restaurants in the greater Madison area. David’s Jamaican Cuisine has been around since 2003. It brings all the classic Jamaican foods like jerk chicken, ox tail and beef patties.
1006 E. Broadway, Monona
Open Monday-Friday S 11:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday 11:3030-8 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Fya Syde Kitchen
The restaurant opened last summer as a new spot for Jamaican cuisine. Previously it operated as a food truck in the Dells, and now has a physical storefront on Monroe Street.
1925 Monroe St.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 12-8 p.m. and Sunday 12-11 p.m.. Closed Monday.
House of Flavas
Soul food and BBQ with a taste of Jodie Jefferson’s hometown of Chicago. House of Flavas has been around for four years as a family venture when Jefferson decided to leave her job and pursue her passion for cooking, but wanted to bring the tastes of Chicago to Madison.
Jefferson has seen a lot of support throughout the years and moved into the Black Business Hub in 2025 after operating her restaurant on the North Side.
2352 S. Park St.
Open Tuesday-Friday from 12-7 p.m. Closed Saturday-Monday.
Juicy Organics
Juicy Organics is part of the Black Mens Coalition’s mission to offer post-incarceration assistance. It features a large line of smoothies, teas and coffees with a unique interior laden with shades of green.
5 N. Pickney St.
Open Monday-Thursday from 9-7 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9-1:30 a.m. and closed Sunday.
JustVeggiez
The vegan restaurant brings a healthy alternative to all your favorite classics. JustVeggiez was started by James Bloodsaw to make a positive impact on his own health after he watched his father’s health deteriorate. He knew he needed to make a change in his lifestyle, so he sought to recreate foods but completely vegan.
540 State St.
Open Monday-Saturday 9-5 p.m. Closed Sunday.
Kingdom Restaurant
While Kingdom Restaurant is a Gambian restaurant, it has just about every food option you could look for. Dishes range from burgers, wings, gyros, country fried steak and Gambian specialties like domada — a meat stew in a mild peanut sauce served over rice.
1865 Northport Dr.
Open daily from 10 a.m -10 p.m.
Lés Délices de Awa
Les dèlices de Awa brings a culinary adventure through West Africa’s rich and vibrant flavors. Chef Awa, founder of the restaurant, sought to bring a curated taste of her West African Heritage through taste to Madison.
Dishes aim to tell a story of West Africa with options like palm nut stew; Theibou Guinar, Djollof and chicken; and Chicken Kedjenou, a popular spicy stew from the Ivory Coast.
2045 Atwood Ave.
Open Tuesday-Thursday 3:30-8 p.m., Friday 1-9 p.m., Saturday 12-9 p.m. and Sunday 1-8 p.m. Closed Monday.
M&J Jamaican Kitch’n
M&J Kitchen has finally opened a brick and mortar restaurant this past May after working as a food truck and caterer for years. The restaurant continues to serve its staples it has been known for, like its oxtail, cabbage and jerk chicken, but looks forward to expanding its menu with its new permanent location.
4692 Cottage Grove Rd.
Open Tuesday-Thursday 1-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 12-9 p.m. and Sunday 1-8 p.m. Closed Monday.
Moneecia’s Kitchen
A taste of Chicago, soul food and fusions come to life at Moneecia’s Kitchen. The restaurant was started by Moneecia Alsberry after she was inspired by her grandparents in Chicago. Her grandfather was a short-order cook, while her grandmother introduced her to the lovely aromas of food being prepared at home.
The menu features dishes like fried okra, a gyro burger and a daily rotation of specials and deserts.
447 W. Cottage Grove Rd.
Open daily 12-8:30 p.m.
Pa’Pa’s BBQ
This food truck has been named as the best BBQ in Madison. Pa’Pa’s BBQ brings southern-style BBQ to the Midwest. It has moved from its longtime fixed location on the Northside to Monona this season and can be found there from now on.
400 E Broadway, Monona
Open Monday-Friday 12-3 p.m. for curbside pick-up.
Muriel’s Place
Muriel’s Place is a venture from Mentoring Positives. The organization has long had its pizza company, Off The Block Pizza, that teaches youth leadership, entrepreneurship and culinary skills. Muriel’s Place instead honors Muriel Pipkins, mother of Mentoring Positives’ co-founder Will Green.
It continues with its youth mentorship programming, but with dinner as it brings in local chefs to learn core culinary concepts. The current chef on roster is Tyrone Reese from Queen Bee’s Southern Cuisine.
2844 E. Washington Ave.
Open Monday-Thursday 11-7 p.m.
Sista’s Chicken and Fish
From land to sea. Sista’s brings chicken and fish with a large selection of seafood, along with its gumbo served with rice and hushpuppies. The restaurant opened a new brick and mortar location on the South Side earlier this year after operating as a catering company.
1129 S. Park St.
Open Monday-Saturday 10-10 p.m.
Vita Bella
Mount Horeb’s Vita Bella offers a taste of Italy with its handcrafted pastas, cocktails, authentic sauces and classic desserts from the country. It boasts taking you from north to south Italy with the region’s varied preferences in cuisine as you get a taste from overseas.
209 E. Main St., Mt. Horeb.
Open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 5-9 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 5-10 p.m. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Food Trucks and Caterers
A total of 17 food trucks and caterers will participate in this year’s Black Restaurant Week. While most do not have a specific or fixed location that you can find them in, they will be in small pop-ups around Dane County and most will be present at the kick-off Food Taste Jamboree on Aug. 9.
Chez Moi
These caterers specialize in Togolese cuisine from West Africa paired with French cuisine. Chez Moi has nine menu options with dishes like Jollof Rice, an African-French mixed Couscous Au Gras or Togolese style Tamales.
Dolce Desserts by Dominique
Dolce Deserts specializes in decadent treats and deserts and food catering. It features rotating limited specials like one in July that made egg roll versions of boudin, gyros, buffalo chicken and bayou shrimp.
Finger Licking Good
This food stand and catering company offers soft shell tacos, nachos and its signature Mexican street corn.
Kendra’s Kreation
Kendra’s Kreations caters towards special events. Shakendra Madlock has catered her sweet treats for around seven years across Madison at weddings, anniversaries, graduations and holiday sales.
Keur Fatour Catering
A mix of Senegalese and Gambian food. Enjoy West African staples from Fataya to Jollof Rice.
Kulture Kitchen
Kulture kitchen brings the tastes of South African cuisine to Madison. Dishes are inspired by Missy Husband’s heritage and her drive to bring people together over good food.
Marys Kitchen
Ghanaian staples like stewed chicken, Kelewele, jollof and more are served up with this Madison caterer.
Monica’s Home Kitchen
From California to Madison, Monica’s Kitchen brings South Indian and Sindhi dishes from the West Coast to the Midwest. Dishes include Bryani, a spiced rice dish; bhaji, fried frittered vegetables; gobi aloo, cauliflower and potato; and more.
Nana’s Kitchen 608
This food truck brings Chicago, Philadelphia and Jamaican cuisine. It features fusions like its jerky chicken Philly cheese steak
Papa Dogs
Sun Prairie’s very own Action Jackson of Jackson’s Yard Care now has a food truck too. Food on offer are largely hot dogs and shaved slushies. Dane County’s most notorious dog Giovanni, the company’s mascot and Action’s pet, has his own signature hot dog.
Pa’Pa’s BBQ
This food truck has been named as the best BBQ in Madison. Pa’Pa’s BBQ brings southern-style BBQ to the Midwest. It has moved from its longtime fixed location on the Northside to Monona this season and can be found there from now on.
Queen Bees Southern Cuisine
Generations of soul food recipes from the south have made their way to Madison with catfish, fried chicken, po’boys and all the fixins. Chef Tyrone Reese learned the recipes his mother Rena, also known as Queen Bee, used to make and wanted to share it with the world.
Rabbo’s Ice Cream
There is no findable website or social media page yet for Rabbo’s Ice Cream, but from the name and logo with a rabbit holding an ice cream cone, one could assume it serves ice cream. Rabbo’s has been around since 2022, according to the text on its logo.
Sensational Sweetz
Sensational Sweetz specializes in bringing all your favorite desserts in a gluten-free option. Its founder, Linda Smith, was inspired to find alternative recipes after her son’s gluten sensitivity and sparked years of experimenting in the kitchen.
Taco Sunrise
Gaylene Norfleet serves up American-style comfort tacos inspired by her childhood eating $1 tacos in Chicago.
We Cake’n Bundt & Pound Cakes
The name says it all as this sweet treatery specializes in bundt and pound cakes. Reviews from local Madisonians herald the design of cakes and its rich flavors. One resident on the Madison Foodie Facebook page described a caramel pound cake she ordered for her son’s birthday party as “the kind of cake where every single bite makes you pause for a second and make sure you’re not dreaming.”
Yeah Mon Tropical Fusion
The Caribbean and Chicago meet to create fusion of bold unforgettable flavors. Yeah Mon entered their food into the Jerk and Jollof Cookoff last year where it received raving reviews of its jerk pasta and stewed cabbage.
Events
Three events will be hosted this year with the return of Black Restaurant Week’s premier event the Food Taste Jamboree, the second time ever for its Heirloom Collard Greens tasting and Business Networking mixer and Community Favorites celebration.
Food Taste Jamboree
The Black Chamber of Commerce’s President Camille Carter urges that if you can’t really participate in Black Restaurant Week, you at least have to make it out to the Food Taste Jamboree. For only $5, you can get a sample of most of the participating restaurants throughout the week.
While the jamboree has typically been a send off at the end of the week, this year is the second that it will mark the start of Black Restaurant Week.
The Food Taste Jamboree will be hosted at the Labor Temple, 1602 S. Park St., on Aug. 9 from 2-6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.
Heirloom Collard Greens Tasting and Business Networking Mixer
This event is back for returns as it highlights the cultural significance of collard greens and the farmers growing them. Local growers share how they nurture the vegetable typically grown in the south with year long heat in Wisconsin’s significantly shorter growing season. It’s also a networking mixer for businesses.
It will be held Aug. 12 from 5-7 p.m. at the Black Business Hub, 2352 S. Park St. Tickets are on sale now.
Community Favorites Celebration
About a month after Black Restaurant Week wraps up, and the community votes on its favorite eateries this year, a celebration is held to honor and award the most highly regarded restaurant from the crop. Voting opens Aug. 9 at 2 p.m. and closes Aug. 17 at 11:59 p.m.
The Community Favorites Celebration will be held Sept. 15 from 5:3030-7:3030 at Bernell’s, 2513 Seiferth Rd. Tickets are on sale now.
