WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI —Washtenaw County has all kinds of Black-owned restaurants serving everything from soul food to flavorful cheesecakes.
February is quickly coming to an end and so is this year’s Black History Month. Here are a few Black-owned businesses in Washtenaw County you can support not only this month, but every other day of the year.
A caramel peach slice of cheesecake at 24th Cheesecakerie, 474 Briarwood Cir. in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024.Rebecca Villagracia | MLive.com
24th Cheesecakerie
Owner Sean Brezzell runs the 24th Cheesecakerie out of Ann Arbor’s Briarwood Mall at 474 Briarwood Circle. The shop features all kinds of flavors like chocolate chip, strawberry, lemon raspberry, cookies and cream and even has vegan options.
The business also serves other menu items like hot dogs, fries, grilled-cheese sandwiches and its popular cheesesteak sandwiches.
Related: ‘Up, up and away!’ Superman cheesecake is a superhero at 24th Cheesecakerie
Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-489-4707.
Jerk chicken served with rice and a house blend of sautéed vegetables at Jamaican Jerk Pit, 314 S Thayer St. in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.Jacob Hamilton/MLive.com
Jamaican Jerk Pit
Caribbean cuisine fills the menu at Jamaican Jerk Pit in Ann Arbor.
The restaurant at 314 S. Thayer St. has all kinds of options to choose, including jerk chicken and pork served in sandwiches, salads, nachos or pitas, with plantains, or alongside rice, vegetables or rice and peas cooked in coconut milk.
Related: Local Eats: Jamaican Jerk Pit serves a taste of the Caribbean in downtown Ann Arbor
Other menu items include coconut shrimp, codfish critters, fried plantains, oxtail and curry goat, among other dishes.
Jamaican Jerk Pit is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday. Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-585-5278.
Andrea White, owner of Cuppy’s Best Soul Food poses at the counter of her new location in Ypsilanti on June 15, 2022. Cuppy’s Best Soul Food serves southern soul food featuring fried chicken and fish, and countless other sides.Ryan Sun | rsun@mlive.com
Cuppy’s Best Soulful Bistro
Cuppy’s Best Soulful Bistro is bringing a bit of soul to Ypsilanti.
The restaurant at 2469 Washtenaw Ave. serves a variety of options like shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, fried okra, catfish nuggets and other dishes.
Related: Ypsilanti soul food restaurant opens new location as business ramps up
Cuppy’s, 2469 Washtenaw Road, is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Find it on social media or by phone at 734-961-8384.
From top left: an athenian pizza, cheesy bread, vegetarian benachin and an oxtail pizza at Issa’s Pizza, 530 N. Huron St., in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Rebecca Villagracia | MLive.com
Issa’s Pizza
Owner Omar Sowe is behind Issa’s Pizza at 530 N. Huron St. in Ypsilanti and sells by the slice or by the pie with a “build your own” option and specialty and limited-time menus.
Customers can find traditional offerings like pepperoni or meat lovers, but also some unique flavors like a Jerk Chicken pizza.
Read more: From jerk chicken to oxtail, Issa’s Pizza in Ypsilanti offers unique range of pizzas
Issa’s Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 9:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-905-7076.
The Rib tip dinner with candied yams and Mac & cheese, left, beside the Catfish dinner with fried corn and green beans from at A Taste of Soul by Biggie’s in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021.Alyte Katilius | MLive.com
A Taste of Soul by Biggie
Get a bite of even more soul food in Ypsilanti with A Taste of Soul by Biggie
The restaurant at 1004 W. Michigan Ave. features menu items like a catfish dinner, ribs, collard greens, rib tips, fried chicken and corn bread, among other dishes.
Related: Michigan’s Best Local Eats: A Taste of Soul by Biggie’s serves up ‘wholesome’ soul food
Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-483-8360.
Beef, spicy chicken and mild chicken sit on a platter at the Blue Nile in downtown Ann Arbor on Saturday, June 13, 2020. The Ethiopian restaurant reopened this week after the pandemic forced restaurant closures across the country.Jenna Kieser
Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant
The Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant at 221 E. Washington St. has been serving its traditional cuisine to Ann Arbor since 1989. Menu items include a variety of meat dishes as well as an Ethiopian Vegetarian Feast which has a sampling of veggies.
Related: Local Eats: Recently re-opened Blue Nile Restaurant offers traditional Ethiopian food to Ann Arbor
The restaurant is open 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Find it online or by phone at 734-998-4746.
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