February is Black History Month, and there is no better way to celebrate than by supporting Black-owned restaurants that continue to shape Orlando’s food scene.
From Caribbean soul food and Southern staples to Ethiopian cuisine and bold seafood boils, these spots bring culture, flavor, and community to the table.
Here are 20 Black-owned Restaurants in Orlando to Try this February:
1. Seana’s Caribbean Soul Food
719 Good Homes Rd., Orlando, FL 32818 | 321-800-6846
Seana’s Caribbean Soul Food is a true Orlando hidden gem, now celebrating six years of building community and serving bold Caribbean flavors. This year, they mark the milestone after a record-breaking year and continue to partner locally, including Route 7 Orlando’s Annual Black History Month Brunch on February 21. Regulars love the rum punch, honey chicken, mac and cheese, cornbread, fried okra, jerk chicken, and curry goat.
2. Chicken Fire
2425 E Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32803 | 689-227-0981
4777 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL
If you like your fried chicken with personality, Chicken Fire delivers. The tenders come out crackly and golden, with heat that builds slowly and then lingers just enough to keep you reaching for another bite.
3. P and D Soulfood Kitchen
927 S Goldwyn Ave #120, Orlando, FL 32805 | 407-730-3486
P and D Soulfood Kitchen serves the kind of meal that makes you slow down and settle in. Think smothered pork chops over yellow rice, tender green beans, baked mac and cheese, and cornbread that tastes like it came straight out of someone’s kitchen at Sunday dinner. The turkey wings are cooked low and slow until they fall apart with one forkful.
4. Jesse’s Rib Shack
2202 W Pine StOrlando, FL 32805 | 407-501-9299
Jesse’s Rib Shack keeps it simple: smoke, fire, and food that sells out fast. Open Friday through Sunday from noon until sold out, this Pine Street spot draws a crowd for fall-off-the-bone ribs, wings, seafood, and weekend oysters that go quickly. The Jerk Shrimp Pasta Bowl makes surprise returns and never lasts long.
5. Smokemade Meats + Eats
1400 S Crystal Lake Dr, Orlando, FL 32806 | 407-270-9199
Smokemade Meats + Eats earned a spot in the MICHELIN Guide 2025 with a Bib Gourmand in April, recognized for delivering serious quality at a great value. Known for low and slow Central Texas-style BBQ, the brisket, pulled pork, beef ribs, and andouille sausage speak for themselves, and weekends bring brunch sandos, breakfast tacos, cinnamon rolls, and beermosas until sellout. It is the kind of place where you show up hungry and leave planning your next visit.
6. Nikki’s Place Southern Restaurant
742 Carter St, Orlando, FL 32805 | 844-536-7962
A true Orlando staple, Nikki’s Place is built on legacy and family recipes that have stood the test of time. Known for fried chicken, oxtails, smothered pork chops, and rotating specials like turkey wings on Thursdays and Sundays, this Carter Street spot delivers comfort that feels deeply rooted in community. Plates are generous, sides are seasoned right, and desserts like peach cobbler often sell out before the day is done.
7. Kook’n with Kim
307 W Kennedy Blvd, Orlando, FL 32810 | 407-683-0815
Kook’n with Kim is a family-built soul food spot with roots that run deep in the Orlando and Pine Hills community. Founded by Ms. Kim, who began cooking for her family after moving to America in the 1970s, the restaurant officially launched in 2020 and has since earned recognition as one of Yelp’s Top 25 Soul Food Restaurants in America. The menu blends Southern comfort with subtle Asian influence, with favorites like baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, seafood boils, and fried fish.
8. Shantell’s Just Until Restaurant & Lounge
503 Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32771 | 407-878-7785
Shantell’s Just Until has been serving Central Florida since 2013, growing from its early days as Shantell’s Soul and Caribbean Cuisine into a neighborhood favorite now rooted in its own building. Best known for award-winning fried chicken, recognized three years in a row in Central Florida, the menu also features a juicy 16-ounce Angus cheeseburger and a flavorful jerk chicken Philly. The vibe is casual, welcoming, and filled with the smell of home cooking. Stop by on Reggae Sunday every fourth Sunday, when the energy is high and Shantell herself is in the kitchen.
9. Nile Ethiopian Restaurant
7048 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819 | 407.354.0026
Located on International Drive, Nile Ethiopian Restaurant has been serving Orlando since 2006, founded by Abeba Gonetse and her husband to bring authentic Ethiopian flavors to Central Florida. Meals are built around injera, a sourdough flatbread used to scoop up richly spiced stews, lentils, vegetables, beef, lamb, and poultry, with strong vegetarian and vegan options that truly shine. Popular choices include the Taste of Nile sampler and fresh starters like sambusa and tomato fitfit. Do not miss the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony or a glass of house-made tej honey wine for the full experience.
10. Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine
5494 Central Florida Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32821 | 407-778-3119
Opened in 2018, Selam Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine was built from a longtime dream of sharing culture through food. The menu highlights traditional dishes like doro wat and tibs served family style with injera, including gluten-free options. Vegan diners are especially well cared for here, with flavorful plant-based combinations that feel anything but limited. Every plate is colorful, aromatic, and layered with spice, delivering a true celebration of Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine in Orlando.
11. StreetWise Urban Food
2615 N Pine Hills RdOrlando, FL 32808 | 407-233-4368
StreetWise Urban Food is officially back for 2026, shifting from individual bowls to a structured catering concept built for real gatherings. Known for bold, street-inspired flavors, the menu now centers on taco bowls, burritos, and rice bowls designed for groups of 5 to 50 people, available by pre-order with advance notice. Expect the same seasoned beef, fresh toppings, house sauces, and crowd-pleasing combinations like the Bang Bang Taco Beef Bowl.
12. Oley’s Kitchen & Bar-B-Que
2700 Rio Grande Ave, Orlando, FL 32805 | 407-841-8933
Oley’s Kitchen and BBQ is a family-owned spot on Rio Grande Avenue that feels like eating at someone’s home with extra spice and soul. Their menu mixes Caribbean and classic American barbecue, from tender jerk chicken and oxtails to ribs, fried chicken, and homestyle sides made from scratch with fresh ingredients.
13. Sister Soul Food
436 S. Parramore Ave, Suite B, Orlando, FL 32805 | (321) 207-6283
Sister Soulfood is the original home of the $5 bowls, and yes, they are exactly what you hope they are. The Soul Bowl lets you choose one protein and two sides, and whether it is pot roast with potatoes, cabbage, and mac and cheese or shrimp and grits, the portions and flavor deliver. The mac and cheese alone deserves a shout-out: creamy, rich, and absolutely worth the hype. From fried tilapia and shrimp to collard greens, yams, sweet potato pie, wings, and tenders, this family-owned spot feels like pulling up to your auntie’s house for lunch; just check the hours before you go.
14. Virgin Island Thyme
457 Avalon Park S Blvd #600, Orlando, FL 32828 | 321-804-5357
Recently awarded 2025 Best Caribbean Restaurant in Orlando, Virgin Island Thyme brings bold US Virgin Islands flavor to every plate. The jerk pork ribs are slow cooked and glazed until sticky and packed with heat, while dishes like oxtail mac and cheese, oxtail loaded fries, and sweet plantain lasagna lean rich and indulgent in the best way. If it’s your first time, start with the johnny cake and island fungi, then go straight for the braised oxtail with rice and peas. The jerk wings bring the heat, the kind that lingers in the best way. Chef Vern is not cooking light; he’s cooking bold, layered, unapologetic island flavor.
15. Jenny’s Eat Drink Socialize
595 West Church Street, Suite E, Orlando, Florida 32805 | 407-486-0993
Jenny’s is where Southern comfort meets celebration energy. You might pull up for brunch or BBQ chicken and ribs, then realize the full bar and live entertainment turned dinner into an event. The carved baked ham, sweet yams topped with marshmallow, Southern green beans, and honey butter cornbread lean classic and comforting, the kind of plates that feel made for gathering. Whether it is a holiday spread, a private event for 20 or more, or a large group lunch, Jenny’s is built for good food and good company in one space.
16. Kalalou Signature
4904 S Kirkman Rd, Orlando, FL 32811 | 407-743-6333
Kalalou Signature is where Caribbean flavor meets culture and community. The grill does not whisper here, it speaks loud, with perfectly seasoned meats, Haitian inspired dishes, and plates layered with French Caribbean and African influence. The cocktails are generous, the pours are confident, and it is always drink o’clock once you sit down. Beyond the food, Kalalou hosts monthly Signature Social Experience nights that bring together Orlando’s entrepreneurs and creatives, proving this is more than dinner, it is connection.
17. Brappin Crabs
5805 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, Kissimmee, FL 34746
Brappin Crabs is not a quiet dinner situation, it is gloves on, sleeves rolled up, sauce everywhere energy. Their build your own seafood boils start at $28 and let you stack crab, shrimp, corn, eggs, sausage, and now even noodles, all drenched in bold, buttery seasoning. The jerk chicken eggrolls and rotating shrimp flavors keep things interesting, especially during their Thursday through Sunday runs. Located at one of the largest food truck parks around, this is messy, loud, share with the table seafood done the fun way.
18. Angel’s Soul Food And BBQ | Sanford FL
2520 S French Ave, Sanford, FL 32773 | (407) 974-5478
Angel’s Soul Food keeps it classic and comforting, the kind of place you pull up to when you want something hot, crispy, and made with care. The fried chicken comes out golden and crackly, the BBQ ribs lean smoky and tender, and the candied yams deserve that extra spoonful on top. Their 2 piece snack with a leg, thigh, and cornbread muffin is an easy win when you want something quick without sacrificing flavor. Open at 11am, it is straight up Southern comfort that hits every time.
19. Maxtro’s Orlando
1300 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32804 | 407-620-3045
Maxtro’s is not just a food truck, it is a full on flavor experience parked right outside Alfie’s on Mills. Chef Max has built serious momentum over the last year, turning comfort food into something elevated, especially on Wagyu Wednesdays when the burgers hit different. The double Wagyu burger with aioli fries is rich, messy, and absolutely worth the line that wraps around the building.
20. SMILE Ice Cream Company
4353 Edgewater Dr #400, Orlando, FL 32804 | (407) 286-4607
Smile Ice Cream is the kind of place that lives up to its name. They use quality local ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, and you can taste the difference in every scoop. With 16 rotating flavors at a time, plus milkshakes, ice cream flight samplers, and bubble waffles, decision making is the hardest part. Whether it is cinnamon cereal inspired flavors for breakfast events or your new favorite classic turned into a shake, this is your sweet stop in Orlando that refuses to take itself too seriously…