All Things BLACK,  Blogging,  DC

10 Black Food and Drink Bloggers to Follow

Black Bloggers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia

When I started blogging and discovering other foodies like myself, I didn’t immediately come across many who looked like me. Slowly but surely more Black faces came across my Instagram feed and I started following all the Black foodies I could find. Many of the Black food bloggers I came across initially were out of state, though as I started building up my community I discovered more Black food bloggers in the area. When I finally found other Black food bloggers who reviewed restaurants, I felt welcomed by those who would answer my questions and provide advice on how to maneuver in this space. 

Being Black in the food space, is no different than any other space, sometimes you are the only ‘one’. After blogging for a few years, networking, and growing my audience, I’ve been fortunate enough to build trust with the people who follow my account. The relationship I have with my community has opened the door to opportunities for paid influencing campaigns, invites to attend soft openings, try out new restaurant menus, and continuous requests to appear on my website and social media channels. 

I don’t know the numbers, but from my perspective as a Black food blogger, there just aren’t many of us out there. Being a food blogger can be difficult, specifically a food blogger who reviews restaurants and highlights local businesses. I’ve gone into some space and I am the only Black person in the room or one of a few who have been thought of for an invite. I have seen how as Black food bloggers we sometimes aren’t even considered for an invite to events, we’re underpaid (if we’re offered payment at all for services), we’re only sought after for political correctness (during Juneteeth or Black History Month), and we are constrained to defending ourselves in a way that make us seem the least ‘aggressive’ or ‘angry’ (if we are able to speak up at all). 

This Black History Month I would like to celebrate just a few Black food bloggers who deserve their flowers today. Sticking close to home, I’m recognizing food bloggers in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia that everyone should be following. If you’re only looking for ‘food porn’ these accounts may or may not be for you, because you may not find it. What you will find is thoughtful content, fun food photos, travel content, drink recipes, quick and easy recipes, vegan restaurants, Black owned restaurants, BIPOC owned restaurants, and resources (often made available for free) for the local hospitality community. 

Arli Lima – @ArlisAppetite

(Baltimore, Maryland) 

Ashlee Tuck – @WillDrinkForTravel

(Baltimore, Maryland)

Bianca Dodson – @LenoxBakery

(Woodbridge, Virginia) 

Cornelia Poku- @bgexploredc

(Washington, DC)

Crystal Jones – @TheSkinniFoodWhore

(Washington, DC)

Donta Harris – @The.Southern.Vegan

(Richmond, Virginia) 

Jarrell Williams – @_Nomarama_

(Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Khara – @TheBrunchBelle

(Washington, DC)

Simone Phillips – @CharmCityTable

(Baltimore, Maryland)

Takera Gholson – @FlightsandFoods

(Washington, DC)

This is not at all an exhaustive list, but a great start for anyone looking for some creative Black food bloggers to follow. If you’ve ever wondered what bloggers really do, bloggers are project planners, copy writers, content creators, photographers, and social media managers (just to name a few). We’re often expected to perform all of these jobs for free. For all of the work we’ve done and all the work we’re going to do, I celebrate my people.

If there’s a Black food blogger you would like to shout out, or you’d like to share about your experience as a Black blogger, let us know in the comments.

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