With the Harbourfront Marriott Halifax as my home base, the goal was to visit two restaurants daily, one for lunch and another for dinner.

I practice intermittent fasting and start eating daily at about 12:00 pm. My morning routine is to drink a cup of water followed by a cup of coffee, so I end up eating two meals (lunch and dinner) a day.

Throughout my stay, I intentionally ate exclusively at Halifax's Black-owned establishments and it wasn't difficult, because Halifax has an amazing Black food scene.

Day One

After checking in early, I headed out for lunch at Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint, 1567 Grafton Street, Downtown Halifax and within walking distance from the hotel.

This was the location for the media launch scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, and I felt immediately at home with the owner, Christine. I ordered a chicken trifecta of barbeque/jerk/curry served over rice and peas, plantain and steamed vegetables. Loved the Jamaican patois names for the dishes and the colour scheme for the restaurant. It was a lot of food, and it took me an hour to finish it.  

Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint is still thriving on 1567 Grafton Street in Halifax with glowing reviews. They have since introduced vegan options (as of June 2023) such as jerk tofu and curry chickpeas.

Brawta Jamaican Jerk Joint is participating in ByBlacks Restaurant Week again this year with a $10 special – a jerk chicken meal with three sides.

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For dinner, I ventured uphill again to Mary’s African Cuisine, 1701 Barrington Street, another Downtown Halifax-based restaurant. The restaurant was very busy, with a combination of dine-in and large online orders. I ordered a grilled chicken meal with spinach and pumpkin seed stew. For dessert, I devoured the mango cheesecake. 

Mary’s African Cuisine continues to serve from 1701 Barrington St. in Halifax.

They will be participating in this year’s ByBlacks Restaurant Week with a $10 special of black-eyed peas with fried plantain.

Day Two

On day two, chaperoned by a local influencer, the lunch destination was Xaymaca Caribbean Cuisine & Seafood at 210 Waverley Road in Dartmouth. We sampled the 2-style chicken combo of barbeque and jerk chicken, and the oxtail & chicken combo. The food tasted authentic and the service was friendly. I understand why they have a bustling patio.

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Xaymaca continues to bring Jamaica to Dartmouth on 210 Waverly Rd, 972 Cole Harbour Road and 175 Wyse Road.

The jerk chicken & curry chicken combo and oxtail & chicken combo are still available, complimented with rice and peas and vegetables. Curry goat can also be thrown into the mix.

Other options include seafood, rasta pasta, roti and more…all with a Xaymaca twist.

Later that evening I went to East Coast Conch Restaurant & Bar in Bedford where I feasted on Conch fritters, Fried Red Snapper, rum cake and a Bahama Mama.

The restaurant offered memorable seafood and chicken dishes with fruity accents such as pineapple pepper chicken, sweet mango lobster roll, CO’s BBQ ribs (pina colada glazed ribs with fruit mango and pineapple salsa) and more.

East Coast Conch Restaurant & Bar has since closed at this location. 

Day Three

For lunch, I visited  Efty Dishes, a Nigerian restaurant celebrated for its unique flavours. I ordered jollof rice and suya chicken with plantain and fish. 

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Efty Dishes continues to operate from this location serving in-person and online orders. They have since included all-you-can-eat buffets every Sunday from 1:00pm-6:00pm. 

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For dinner, I went back to East Coast Conch and had the calamari, Bahamian jerk chicken bowl and a Blue lagoon drink.

I also visited Gloria’s International Grocery (200 Portland St, Dartmouth) a newly opened and Black-owned restaurant just outside of Halifax. Warmly named after the owner’s Jamaican grandmother, Gloria’s is a great place for finding traditional Caribbean groceries.

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Stepping into Gloria's, I was greeted with fresh produce, spices, and products from various African and Caribbean countries. The shelves were lined with the familiar items I’d grown up with in Jamaica. 

I left Gloria’s with a spiced bun in hand and headed back to the hotel.

Day Four

As my journey neared its end, I visited Opus Café & Catering on 18 Wilfred Jackson Way, Westphal for brunch and had the eggs benedict on an English muffin with ham and taters on the side. 

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The menu lures customers in with elegant classics such as chicken & waffles, sandwich & soup combos, tea biscuits and more.

Opus Café & Catering is participating in ByBlacks Restaurant Week this year with a $10 special of creamy mac and cheese topped with Cajun-seasoned chicken.

Later that day, I went back to Brawta and had ackee & saltfish.

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Before heading back to the airport, I stopped by Franyz Kitchen on 1000 Sackville Drive, Middle Sackville and ordered the suya chicken with jollof rice and BBQ chicken to-go. 

Franyz Kitchen offers authentic Nigerian Cuisine, specifically from Port Harcourt.

As mentioned on their website, the city is well known for bole and fish (barbequed fish and plantain), however, the menu spanned across rice dishes (jollof and fried), soups, beef suya and more.

Franyz Kitchen at this location has since closed, but still operates in Calgary, Alberta.

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My time in Halifax was a testament to intentionality and the role it plays in supporting Black-owned businesses. 

During my stay, I shopped from one Black-owned grocery store and ate at seven Black-owned restaurants. Six out of the seven Black-owned restaurants I visited were participants in ByBlacks Restaurant Week 2023 Spring Edition. Three of which are participating again during May 11 -17 of this year.

The opportunity to visit and speak with the owners before the event added an extra layer of appreciation to my journey. Seeing their processes and experiencing the results created connections beyond food. It was a reminder of what is possible when we step outside of mainstream options.

Making a conscious decision is the first step to raising visibility, support, and opportunities in our community. 

Halifax is a place for anyone willing to explore and celebrate it, making it a city where Black Canadians from across the diaspora can thrive.