Detroit boasts a great culinary scene and an equally remarkable community of women. When these two elements mix, it results in some of the best restaurants, cafes, and businesses the city has to offer. However, the spotlight tends to shine more on male-owned establishments, which doesn’t always represent the rich culture of the city well. 

In celebration of Women’s History Month and in tribute to the spirit of Detroit women, we have compiled a list of women-owned and co-owned restaurants that we think every Detroiter and visitor should have tried by now.

Sister Pie 8066 Kercheval St., Detroit; 313-447-5550; sisterpie.com This bakery in Detroit’s West Village neighborhood serves pies and cookies, as well as breakfast and lunch, changing its menu with the local agriculture. Sister Pie was started in 2012 by Lisa Ludwinski out of her parents’ basement in Milford, later opening its current location in 2015. Credit: MT File photo
Khana instagram.com/khanadetroit While this Detroit-based Pakistani food business is currently just a pop-up, it’s setting its sights on a brick-and-mortar later this year. Owner Maryam Khan has been running Khana in spaces all around Detroit since 2018, and while it is not a food truck, the eatery recently competed on season 19 of The Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race and made it all the way to second place. Credit: Randiah Camille Green
Evie’s Tamales 3454 Bagley St, Detroit; 313-843-5056; Facebook.com/EviesTamales Located along a stretch of Bagley Avenue in Mexicantown, Evie’s Tamales has been serving up its famous corn husk-wrapped tamales and other authentic meals for more than thirty years. Originally housed within Honey Bee Market, Evie’s quickly gained popularity. In 1982, owner Evelyn Grimaldo made the decision to venture out and establish her own standalone store. Credit: Facebook, Evie's Tamales
Detroit Vegan Soul 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-727-1973; detroitvegansoul.com Co-owners Kirsten Ussery and Erika Boyd opened what is now Detroit’s premier vegan soul food restaurant in 2013 with the desire to make healthy food more accessible. Since, the spot has succeeded in its mission to help people live healthier lives by offering a menu full of great tasting and nutritious vegan food. Credit: Facebook, Detroit Vegan Soul
Egg Roll Diva eggrolldiva.com This woman-owned mobile eatery travels to different events in the city. The egg rolls on the menu give the Chinese food staple a Detroit flare, serving corned beef egg rolls, cheeseburger egg rolls, peach cobbler egg rolls, and many other options. Credit: Facebook, Egg Roll Diva
Ivy Kitchen & Cocktails 9215 E. Jefferson, Detroit; 313-332-0607; ivykc.com” Opened by Nya Marshall on the city’s east side in 2019, this spot offers casual yet high-end American fare, like squid ink pasta, charred branzino, and short rib stroganoff, with burgers, chicken sandwiches, and lots of cocktails too. Credit: Google Maps
Good Cakes and Bakes 19363 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-468-9915; goodcakesandbakes.com Owned by April Anderson and Michelle Anderson, this Livernois Avenue organic bakery offers delicacies such as lemon gooey butter cake, strawberry crunch cake, and 7-Up pound as well as a mouth-watering selection of cupcakes and cookies. Plus, they’ve got tons of vegan options too. Credit: City of Detroit, Flickr Creative Commons
The Kitchen by Cooking with Que 6529 Woodward Ave. (Suite A), Detroit; instagram.com/thekitchenbycwq Even before opening this vegan-centric restaurant in 2015, Quiana “Que” Broden’s goal has always been to bring healthy food to the hood…and she did that. The New Center space serves as a culinary classroom of sorts where vegans and meat lovers can hone their culinary skills; a place for businesses and individuals to rent a shared commercial kitchen; and a place where visitors can rent private dining space. In August, Que announced that she plans to soon open a second location on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion. Credit: Courtesy photo
Marrow 8044 Kercheval Ave., 313-513-0361; marrowdetroit.com A restaurant-butcher shop hybrid in Detroit’s West Village, this business was inspired by owner Ping Ho’s childhood in Singapore. Women are present all around at the store, where Sarah Welch operates as a partner and executive chef of the company, with Amanda Franke leading the team as a general manager. Marrow, which first opened its restaurant in 2018, recently launched a provisions division in 2023 as part of the company’s mission to build and support sustainable food systems in the Great Lakes region. Marrow Detroit Provisions now produces a signature line of quality meats sourced from Michigan farmers, and just announced its first storefront outside of the city, set to open in Birmingham in the spring. Credit: Google Maps
Pietrzyk Pierogi 1429 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-614-9393; pietrzykpierogi.com Erica Pietzyk has operated this pierogi shop, based on her family’s recipes, since 2014. She opened the current storefront in Detroit’s Eastern Market in 2019. Credit: Lee DeVito
Fried Chicken and Caviar instagram.com/friedchickenandcaviar_ This pop-up restaurant has something like a cult following in Detroit. Co-founders and chefs Nik Cole and Chi Walker have curated eclectic menu items like duck nuggets, loaded lamb fries, and lemon-roasted fennel risotto. Credit: Courtesy photo
Little Liberia instagram.com/little_liberia Owner and Chef Ameneh Marhaba started Little Liberia as a pop-up in 2016, serving an array of Liberian dishes like groundnut stew and palm butter, Liberian country dry rice, cassava leaves, and plantain chips. A few months ago, the African-fusion pop-up announced its first brick-and-mortar at 6513 Woodward Ave. in Detroit’s New Center area, which is expected to open in mid to late 2024. Credit: Courtesy of Featherstone
Avalon International Breads Multiple locations; avalonbreads.net This bakery, cafe, and breakfast restaurant has been around for over 25 years, first opened by Ann Perrault and Jackie Victor in Detroit’s Midtown/Cass Corridor neighborhood. Now, the bakery has two locations in Detroit and one in Ann Arbor, serving both individual customers and wholesale clients such as grocery stores and restaurants. Credit: Courtesy photo
Momo Cha 474 Peterboro St., Detroit Located in the Detroit Shipping Company, this dumpling shop is operated by husband and wife pair chef Lama and Louisa, and serves locally sourced Nepalese dumplings and snacks made from scratch. Credit: Facebook, Momo Cha Detroit
Konjo Me 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-307-5518; instagram.com/konjo.me Opened in 2020 by Chef Helina Melaku, this Ethiopian food pop-up has continued to grow. Melaku’s mission is to share the flavors and traditions of her home country’s cuisine with Detroit. Credit: Instagram, @konjo.me
Coriander Kitchen and Farm 14601 Riverside Blvd., Detroit; 313-338-9466; corianderkitchenandfarm.com Allison Heeres and Gwen Meyer synergized their talents to create a family-friendly farm-to-table restaurant nestled in the city’s far east side. Officially opened in 2021, the canal-side spot in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood presents a springtime menu with salads and sandwiches. Additionally, it offers a new upstairs event space with live music and yoga sessions. Credit: Alejandro Ugalde from Featherstone
Fusion Flare Kitchen & Cocktails 16801 Plymouth Rd., Detroit; 313-653-3700; fusionflare.net When owner-chef Mashelle Sykes opened her new American and soul food eatery in 2019, it marked the first full-service restaurant to open in Detroit’s west side Joy community in nearly 20 years. Their diverse menu features plates like fried catfish with a remoulade sauce, grilled pork chops, and buttermilk fried chicken, and different preparations of shrimp, as well as vegan options. Credit: Courtesy of Fusion Flare Kitchen & Cocktails
Sweet Potato Sensations 17337 Lahser Rd., Detroit; 313-532-7996; sweetpotatosensations.com For close to three decades, Cassandra and Jeffrey Thomas have been preparing a variety of sweet potato treats in Old Redford. Although pie is what they’re most known for, the bakery specializes in other goodies as well such as cheesecake, cake, cookies, and more. Credit: Facebook, Sweet Potato Sensations
Baobab Fare 6568 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-265-3093; baobabfare.com Burundi immigrants Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere opened Baobab Fare to bring East African cuisine, coffee, and fresh juices to Detroit. Their signature dish is Nyumbani, a slow-simmered beef dish served with fried plantains, peanut stewed spinach, and coconut rice. Credit: Courtesy photo
Mink and Folk 1701 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-351-0771; minkdetroit.com The women behind Marrow Detroit opened these two spots on Trumbull in Corktown that focus on high-quality local ingredients. Folk serves up elevated brunch plates, while Mink focuses on raw dishes like oysters and shrimp tartare. Both also specialize in wine that can be enjoyed in-house or at-home. Credit: Instagram, Folk
Vámonos 4444 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; instagram.com/_vamonos__ This community space in Southwest Detroit offers fresh juices, tea, and coffee. Plus, it hosts weekly fitness classes, art events, and more, so you can make new friends or nourish your body while enjoying a good beverage. Credit: Instagram, @_vamonos__
Eastside Roasterz 16555 Warren Ave., Detroit; instagram.com/eastside.roasterz Currently located inside Next Chapter Books in Detroit’s Morningside neighborhood, this Black, LGBTQ+, and woman-owned coffee company plans to open its own brick-and-mortar right next to the bookshop later this year. For now, you can grab a coffee while you peruse for new and used books. The spot offers unique drink options made with housemade syrups, plus bags of beans that you can buy to enjoy at home. Credit: Instagram, @eastside.roasterz
The Congregation 9321 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-307-5518; thecongregationdetroit.com With ample space and various seating options, The Congregation is great for a date or a group meeting. The spot, whose building used to be a church, serves up alcohol and coffee along with some food options. There is also a beautiful outdoor patio with plenty of seating for when the weather is warmer. Credit: Facebook / The Congregation
House of Pure Vin 1443 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2501; houseofpurevin.com Founders Regina Gaines, Terry Mullins, and Andrea Dunbar opened this trendy wine hub in the heart of downtown Detroit in 2015. Credit: House of Pure Vin/Facebook
Best Breakfast/Brunch (Wayne) Dime Store 719 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-962-9106; eatdimestore.com Credit: Facebook, Dime Store
Michigan & Trumbull 1331 Holden St., Detroit; 313-637-4992; michigantrumbullpizza.com When Detroit natives Nathan Peck and Kristen Calverley moved to Pittsburgh in 2017, they could not find pizza that reminded them of home. So, they started making Detroit-style pizza for themselves and friends, finally opening Michigan & Trumbull as a Pittsburgh restaurant. In 2020, they returned home and opened a brick and mortar in Corktown, later moving to their current location at the Dreamtroit development. Credit: Bridget Ekis

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Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about art, music, food, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between...