10 Restaurants That Played A Part In The US Civil Rights Movement (That You Can Still Visit)

In the grand scheme of human history, it's incredibly strange to think that the American Civil Rights Movement wasn't really that long ago. It defined the entirety of the 1960s, when Jim Crow laws were in effect, schools and public transportation were segregated, violence toward Black Americans was the norm, and legal protections were scarce. 

Citizens across the country — particularly in the South — were making it clear that the old ways needed to go. At the time, even restaurants were segregated, and those that chose to ignore laws designed to keep people separate and judge based on skin color were few and far between. Those that did became safe havens for activists, protesters, and civil rights leaders, and had front-row seats for a long-overdue change.

Some restaurants became crucial to the formation of the Civil Rights Movement, serving as meeting places to plan everything from boycotts and protests to marches and rallies. Others went above and beyond to feed those on the front lines, while some provided safety, security, and a promise to look out for customers. Restaurants, owners, chefs, and staff were willing to risk everything for what they believed in, and some of these places are still around today. Let's talk about some of the restaurants and cafes that witnessed some of the biggest moments in modern American history.

The Busy Bee has been serving the Atlanta area since 1947, and there's a ton of history packed into this place — along with a ton of award-winning recipes. Garnering acclaim from the James Beard Foundation as well as the Michelin Guide and the Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame, The Busy Bee's menu is filled with southern favorites. 

In other words, it's the place to go for the kind of comfort food that, once you've tasted it, just thinking of it again will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. That all comes with a heavy helping of history, too: The Busy Bee was a key meeting spot during the Civil Rights Movement. When civil rights leader Andrew Young spoke with Atlanta magazine about the time he spent working with Martin Luther King Jr., he noted that The Busy Bee was one of their frequent stops — alongside Paschal's. "But you didn't go to those places so much to eat as you did to meet," Young explained. "That's where you found out what was going on." 

Martin Luther King Jr. also frequented this spot and, according to the stories, one of his favorite dishes was the ham hocks. Although the restaurant was sold by the original owner and has changed hands several times, the current owners and chefs pride themselves on continuing the legacy of serving delicious soul food and welcoming everyone who comes through the doors. 

thebusybeecafe.com
(404) 525-9212
810 Martin Luther King Jr Dr SW, Atlanta, GA 30314

Today, Brenda's Bar-Be-Que Pit has customers who say that there are a lot of options in the area for some classic BBQ, but nothing matches Brenda's — especially when it comes to the wings. Reviews follow a theme, saying that the portions are massive, everything is delicious, the smoked meats are so good that there's really no need for sauce, and when some people fly in to visit, they have their Uber make a pit-stop here before even making it to their destination. 

Brenda's has been family-owned since 1942, and it was founded by Jereline and Larry James Bethune (Brenda was their daughter). History buffs will know that Montgomery, Alabama, was the location of Rosa Parks' powerful act of civil disobedience, and it was followed by the Montgomery Bus Boycott. It was far from peaceful: Protestors were arrested and had their homes bombed, and Brenda's turned into the heartbeat of the resistance.

Not only was it a meeting site, but the restaurant printed and disseminated literature, and held classes to prepare people to pass the literacy tests required before they were allowed to vote. Brenda's passed on to Jereline's granddaughter, Donetta Bethune, who told AL.com, "She always believed in helping people, always believed in Black people getting educated so that you could create a lane of your own." Photos of Jereline, including one of her at the Selma to Montgomery march for voting rights, are on display at the restaurant.

facebook.com/brendasbarbequepit
(334) 262-9346
1457 Mobile Rd, Montgomery, AL 36108

Every state has its own iconic dishes, and some restaurants have signature dishes as well. Head to the Big Apple Inn, and you'll find it's still serving up the same fan-favorite sandwich that's been on the menu for years: Pig ears and red smoked sausages come together on a slider bun (along with slaw and sauce) for sandwiches affectionately called smokes and ears. That was the creation of the restaurant's original owner, and today, it's still in the family — albeit four generations down the line. 

Founded by Juan Mora, the local icon traces its roots back to 1939. Fast forward a few decades, and the Big Apple Inn became one of the go-to locations for civil rights leaders to meet, plan, and strategize. Medgar Evers was a regular there, and for a time, rented office space above the restaurant.

The Freedom Rides kicked off in 1961. It was a series of multi-state bus journeys, where an integrated group of riders made it a point to cross lines desegregating facilities along the way. They were largely planned at the Big Apple Inn, and meetings were so popular and widely attended that attendees filled the entire building. Smokes and ears were served, and even above and beyond that, the restaurant's owners were known to participate in events, donate food when needed, and bail out those who were arrested during protests. 

facebook.com/BigAppleInn
(601) 354-9371
509 N Farish St, Jackson, MS 39202

Yes, you can still visit Lannie's BBQ Spot in Selma, Alabama. Things have changed, though, as June of 2023 saw demolition-day posts on Facebook. After devastating tornado damage left the family-run business stuck between a rock and a hard place, they completely demolished and rebuilt the building, and reopened at the same location in June of 2024. 

Part of the reason that they opted for a rebuild was to accommodate large groups, often those touring some of the most important locations of the Civil Rights Movement. Selma was the starting point of a 50-mile march to the capital, and it was also the site of a violent confrontation on Edmund Pettus Bridge. Known as Bloody Sunday, protesters were tear-gassed and beaten by law enforcement, leading to more than 50 hospitalizations. 

Lannie's wasn't just a meeting spot, but it welcomed everyone. As then-owner Lulu Hatcher explained to the Southern Foodways Alliance, "We were the only place that wasn't segregated. White, Black, whoever. They bought what they wanted. I don't know of any other place that did that." When word broke that Martin Luther King Jr. was going to be heading to Selma in 1965, celebrations were held at Lannie's, but Hatcher also recalled being in the center of protests and violence. "It was tough back then, in '65," she recounted. "We had some mean people back then." 

facebook.com/people/Lannies-Bar-B-Q-Spot/100048685224601
(334) 874-4478
2115 Minter Ave, Selma, AL 36703

Reviews of the Four Way in Memphis suggest that this is the place to go for comfort food. There's a lot of it, it's delicious, and it's served by friendly staff who love what they do. The menu is huge, with staples like burgers, hot dogs, and catfish sandwiches. If you were to go back in time and ask Martin Luther King Jr. what he recommended, you could still get his picks today: Go for the fried catfish and the fried chicken, and then finish things off with some peach cobbler. 

The Four Way opened in 1946, and just a few decades later, it would be one of the places where the leaders in the fight for equal rights would go to talk, to meet those they were fighting for, and to work out the details of the campaign. King was a regular, and so was the Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, together with scores of musicians who worked at Stax Records. They all knew they could count on founders Irene and Clint Cleaves to open at all hours, ready to feed activists, protesters, and marchers.

The restaurant has had an up-and-down history in recent years, but it continues to serve up comfort food with a side of history. In addition to the restaurant, there's also the Four Way Legacy Plus Building, which is a community center that hosts programs like the youth mentoring charity Hope Activated. 

fourway901.com
(901) 507-1519
998 Mississippi Blvd, Memphis, TN 38126

Dooky Chase's is named for founder Dooky Chase Sr., who opened the New Orleans hotspot in 1941. It was his son's wife, Leah Chase, who cemented the restaurant's reputation as a place for incredible food, outstanding music, and as a place where people came together. She explained the restaurant's importance, saying (via Civil Rights Trail), "Food builds big bridges. If you can eat with someone, you can learn from them, and when you learn from someone, you can make big changes. We changed the course of America in this restaurant over bowls of gumbo."

Before it became a key meeting place for civil rights leaders, the restaurant had already opened its doors to those fighting for workers' rights in the 1950s. It hosted Martin Luther King Jr., served as a planning site for bus and lunch counter protests, and it didn't go unnoticed: It was bombed in 1965 (fortunately, no one was hurt).

The Chase family still helms the restaurant, and Leah Chase is still widely known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine. There are a lot of Creole dishes that you should try at least once, and it's safe to say that the U.S. knows about at least some of them because of Chase. Dooky Chase's has had its share of difficulties — including suffering severe damage during Hurricane Katrina — but you should probably make reservations, and definitely try the gumbo. 

dookychaserestaurants.com
(504) 821-0600
2301 Orleans Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119

Ben's Chili Bowl has a few locations now, but since we're talking about the places that were front and center during the Civil Rights Movement, that means talking about the location on U Street. That's where some of the foremost civil rights leaders of the era sat down to plan the 1963 March on Washington, that day when more than a quarter of a million people descended on the capital and witnessed one of the most powerful and famous speeches in American history. 

After King's assassination, riots kicked off across the country, including in Ben's neighborhood. The Chili Bowl didn't just stay open, though — it served activists and protesters along with law enforcement and first responders, and remained untouched amid the destruction. Ben's role in planning some of the biggest moments of the Civil Rights Movement is just part of what makes it famous: This is also the restaurant that helped popularize the half-smoke as the iconic dish of Washington, DC.

If you happen to head there, you can recreate Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite order. According to what co-founder Virginia Ali told the Washingtonian, "Dr. King always ordered the chili cheeseburger. That was his favorite." About King himself, she added, "He was just a very calm, cool, self-confident, easy-to-be-around person. He was so passionate about what he was doing. Helping people — not just Black people, all people."

benschilibowl.com
(202) 667-0909
1213 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

When Paschal's first opened in 1947, it was only a small place with no stove — the only thing on the menu were cold sandwiches — and room for 30 seats. It was soon able to expand in a huge way, including into the nearby La Carrousel Lounge. Both the jazz club and the restaurant ignored segregation laws, and by the time the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, Paschal's was pretty naturally at the forefront. 

The restaurant became well-known not only as a meeting place, but as the place where leaders hashed out the details on planned protests that would turn into history-changing events like the March on Washington. It was so important that it earned itself the nickname of the Black City Hall, and photos of those leaders still adorn the walls of Paschal's today.

There is, however, a bit of a footnote to this one. The original Paschal's location is now a part of the Clark Atlanta University campus, but one of the original founders — James Paschal — was the driving force of the reborn restaurant on Northside Drive. Some of the same recipes are still being used, and the restaurant still gets high praise for comfort food favorites like the black-eyed peas, biscuits, mac and cheese, and peach cobbler. It's not far from the airport, so it's also an excellent option for anyone with a long layover and a few hours to spare.

paschalsatlanta.com
(404) 835-0833
180 Northside Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30313

The Chris that gave his name to Chris' Famous Hotdogs is Chris Katechis, a Greek immigrant who opened the restaurant in 1917. It's still family-owned today, and has been passed down through his son and grandson, and they're still doing things much the same way as they've always been done. Loyal customers still love the handmade burgers, and while there are a ton of different variations on the humble hot dog, it's Chris' carefully perfected sauce that keeps customers coming back.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Chris' became a meeting spot that ignored segregation laws — and Chris's son, Theo, recalled working there as a boy, at a time when they were threatened by the KKK for allowing Black patrons to go through the front doors. He told WSFA12, "A lot of restaurants, they came in the back door. Well, this restaurant doesn't have a back door. So they said that will be ok, but it shows you how much power the Ku Klux Klan [had] at one time. It was pretty frightening."

Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. were both regular customers, and so was George Wallace — before he was governor, and before he campaigned and won on a pro-segregation platform. Chris', meanwhile, built a reputation on feeding those in need, raising money for local charities, and today, reviewers still say that it's a no-frills kind of place with a heart of gold.

chrishotdogs.com
(334) 265-6850
138 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, AL 36104

The Florida Avenue Grill lays claim to the wildly impressive title of the oldest soul food restaurant in the country. It's obviously changed hands since opening in 1944, but a look at the menu shows that, in the best possible way, not much else has changed. You don't mess with perfection, after all, and this little diner is still serving up all-day breakfasts, half-smokes, buttermilk biscuits, and lunch items like fried chicken, salmon cakes, and pigs' feet. Soul food got its distinctive, celebratory name as a tribute to embracing an entire heritage, and it's that heritage that Florida Avenue Grill was built on.

Visit the Florida Avenue Grill today, and you'll be dining in a building that relatively new owner Imar Hutchins created to be not only a diner, but a museum to the area's past and involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. It's here that Martin Luther King Jr. sat while he planned a portion of the March on Washington, and the booth is still there.

The restaurant, too, was caught in the middle of the riots that kicked off after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and was one of the fortunate survivors — even though it was firebombed. The family credited the prolonged survival of the restaurant to good food and a good atmosphere, and according to those who've visited the new version of the Florida Avenue Grill, the fried pork chops are delicious, the chitterlings are a consistent win, and the hot cakes are everything you could want in a breakfast and more. 

floridaavenuegrill.com
(202) 265-1586
1100 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009