4 Black-Owned Restaurants to Try in 2022

You'll find great Black-owned restaurants in every corner of Little Rock. Here are just four that are worth seeking out, but there are far more that could fit on this list. Don't worry - we've got you covered with even more Black-owned restaurants in Little Rock.

Lassis Inn

Lassis served its first meal around 1905 and has been producing some of Little Rock’s best fish ever since. Much of the restaurant’s décor has been untouched since the early 1930s, and the catfish fillets and buffalo fish “ribs” have been menu staples for generations. It was a safe meeting place for the “Little Rock Nine” Black students in 1957, and today it’s Little Rock’s only James Beard award-winning restaurant.

Sim’s Bar-B-Q

Sim’s is the city’s oldest continually operating Black-owned restaurant having survived integration. In 1937, Allen and Amelia Sims opened up a restaurant and served bar-b-que with what became known as the world-famous Sim’s Bar-B-Que Sauce: a unique blend of herbs, spices, and a few other secret ingredients.

Yeh Mon

When you take a seat here, you’re on island time! Owner Patrick Blackburn is the man behind this family-owned business, where you’ll find Jamaican staples like jerk chicken and pork, curried shrimp, and oxtail. This West Little Rock hangout may seem tucked away, but we promise that it’s one of the city’s shiniest hidden gems.

Kontiki

This family-run African restaurant is on a mission to bring tasty and authentic African food to Little Rock. Kontiki is owned by Christian Domingo, who emigrated from Sierra Leone and has lived in Arkansas for more than 20 years. He has a passion for cooking and is enthusiastic about sharing African cuisine and culture.

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