30 Great LGBTQ+

All over the U.S., LGBTQ+-owned businesses have come a long way, emerging from the closets and the sidelines of society into the forefront. That's thanks to pioneering entrepreneurs and loud-and-proud voices championing change and doing their parts to influence communities in meaningful ways. Venerable LGBTQ+ bars are commonplace nowadays, but queer-owned restaurants tend to fly more under the radar. Unlike bars and clubs, where drag brunches and disco balls make the message unabashedly clear, LGBTQ+-owned restaurants tend to operate a little more subtly (for the most part), toeing the line between Pride and mass appeal. But for diners willing to look a little closer, messages of inclusion weave an important throughline.

Restaurants, which frequently operate as cornerstone beacons of their community, are an inspired way for queer entrepreneurs to shine. For some, it's decorating cookies with rainbow sprinkles, while others might opt to dangle rainbow flags above their doorway. Some actively partake in Pride celebrations and other seasonal LGBTQ+ events, and some boldly — and proudly — display their LGBTQ+ ownership on their social media handles, unwilling to hide behind culinary anonymity. No matter the means by which LGBTQ+-owned restaurants display their Pride, these are 30 of the best worth visiting across the U.S. — during Pride month and year-round.

Owned by wives Lisa Becklund and Linda Ford, the former being a seasoned chef short-listed for a James Beard Foundation Award this year, FarmBar is the epicenter of one of Tulsa's most esteemed restaurants — one that celebrates agricultural cuisine of Oklahoma through ever-changing, always-beautiful tasting menus utilizing ingredients plucked from their own farm in Depew.

Said farm also hosts communal dinners, while the pair's newest venture is a date night-worthy Italian gem downtown called il Seme.

A veritable hospitality icon in the Russian River Valley (and beyond), Crista Luedtke is a chef, restaurateur, and hotelier who not only reigns over one of the best restaurants in Sonoma County but her influence on the town of Guerneville — a popular retreat for LGBTQ+ travelers — can't be understated.

Along with boon eat + drink, Luedtke's intimate Californian bistro that always commands a crowd, she owns boon hotel + spa, modern German BROT down the block, and The Highlands Resort.

Neighborhood restaurants don't get any more quintessential than Split-Rail, a comfy and relaxed cornerstone in Humboldt Park that manages to also feel upscale and special at the same time.

That's a testament to the inclusive vision of chef/owner Zoe Schor, who presides over the rustic-chic restaurant from her open kitchen, cooking up wholesome comfort food like fried chicken tenders, Nashville hot lamb ribs, grilled steak tips, and biscuits. After dinner, head downstairs to Schor's subterranean lesbian bar, Dorothy.

A recent addition to Asheville's robust food scene is one that's sure to shift a paradigm or two. That's due to Neng Jr.'s, the city's first full-fledged Filipinx restaurant, an intimate and colorful dining room from transgender Filipinx chef Silver Iocovozzi.

The chef curates a dynamic assortment of contemporary Filipinx flavors and dishes, from fried soft-boiled quail eggs and halo halo flan or king crab claws enriched with cultured butter and coconut.

It's a taste of New Mexico in Brooklyn — with a side of Pride — at Ursula, a vibrant and spirited restaurant from queer restaurateur and chef Eric See. Renowned for its queue-inducing breakfast burritos, the atmosphere at Ursula is just as heartwarming as the cuisine. See's dedication to emphasizing an inclusive work environment (80% of the restaurant's staff are queer, as reported by TimeOut New York).

The food, from green chile fried mushroom sandwiches to salsa-slathered burritos, is icing on the cake.

On the outskirts of Cincinnati in northern Kentucky sits the charming Lil's Kitchen, a little cafe with a huge heart. Julia Keister, who owns the kaleidoscopic eatery, reopened the business inside a location of Roebling Point Books & Coffee. Now, customers can pair their toasts and bagels with a side of queer literature.

The breakfast- and lunch-focused menu is particularly known for its sandwiches and toasts, like trout salad toast, egg salad sandwiches, and tahini-enriched smoothies.

A true multi-talent, Wusong Road is not only among the best tiki bars in the country, but it's an incredible, heartfelt, and creative Chinese restaurant from Jason Doo, who named it after Wusong, China, near his family's hometown of Shanghai.

Minority- and LGBTQ+owned, the second-floor dining room features an inventive menu of Asian-American small plates from Doo, like coconut-glazed spareribs and scallion pancakes with braised Angus brisket, along with periodic whimsical specials, such as bunny-shaped bao buns for the Chinese New Year.

Come for the arepas, empanadas, and cayenne fried chicken, and stay for one of the most epic drag brunches in the nation. That's the vibe at R House, a contemporary Latin American mainstay in Miami's buzzy Wynwood district, where LGBTQ+ chef Rocco Carulli not only cooks up delicious dinner dishes but helps create the drag brunch meals.

At R House, the food is as destination-worthy as the scantily-clad dancing, and a marriage of the two is why we come. The wildly popular weekend affair features decadent spreads of drinks and family-style feasts, accompanied by sexy theatrics on the huge patio.

A veritable Willy Wonka of both sweet and savory pastries, Vanarin Kuch is the force behind one of the most whimsical and dizzyingly inventive bakeries in the U.S.

Located in Houston's EaDo, Koffeteria is the Top Chef alum's culinary playground, where he bakes up an always-changing assortment of fascinating pastries and savory snacks, like beef pho kolaches, pan-fried taro tacos, fried onion Danishes, and Italian sub croissants stuffed with smoked ham, Swiss, capicola, and giardiniera cream cheese.

Otherwise known as "Little House," Petite Maison is the kind of cozy and intimate bistro typically seen in dreamy romance movies. That's the vision from Erich Owen and Ross Martin, the owners behind this ultimate aprés-ski staple in Telluride.

Contemporary French haute cuisine is the bill of fare, exuding a date night ambiance with buttery, wine-friendly bites like moules frites, steak tartare, beef Wellington, escargots, and coq au vin. Pro tip: Petite Maison is always a popular stopover during Gay Ski Week, held annually in late winter.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Austin, on the ground floor of the sleek LINE Hotel, celebrity chef Kristen Kish works with chef Alejandro Munoz to curate a menu that fuses central Texan roots with influences from Italy and France.

The result — served in an elegant dining room overlooking Ladybird Lake — is an array of distinct seasonal dishes like oyster mushrooms with pepita butter, fried steam buns with sunchokes and roasted broccoli, and grilled pork chops with chamomile and acorn squash puree.

Colorful, cute, and charming, LB Kitchen is the kind of heartwarming cafe that exudes sunshine no matter the forecast. The wholesome eatery hails from partners — both in business and life — Bryna Gootkind and Lee Farrington.

The pair spotlights a dynamic cornucopia of seasonal, fresh, and oft-organic eats and sips, like golden milk pancakes with grass-fed butter, overnight oats with bee pollen and almond milk, and harissa hash with sweet potatoes and organic fried eggs.

Across the country, many "gayborhoods" are typified by nightclubs and party bars, but in Philadelphia, the LGBTQ+ neighborhood is home to one of the city's foremost dining destinations. Winkel hails from chef Joncarl Lachman, who features unique Dutch fare for a brunch that's at once hearty, wholesome, and unique.

Look for hefty cheese-filled omelets; Benedicts heaped with the likes of smoked salmon and Gouda, deep-fried bread pudding French toast, and uitsmijters, aka Dutch open-faced sandwiches layered with eggs, ham, cheese, and spicy chicken.

The tropical comfort food is vibrant enough on its own at Lil' Deb's Oasis, but the messaging and inclusivity are just as warming. This loud-and-proud bastion hails from partners Carla Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black, who preach missives of love, acceptance, and equality across all things Lil' Deb's Oasis.

Naturally, a place as patently queer as Lil Deb's serves some truly special, singular cuisine — the eclectic, tropical menu features the likes of sweet plantains with cilantro yogurt, octopus tostadas, and parsnip cake with black tahini schmear and sesame halva crumble.

A soulful homage to his Venezuelan upbringing and his time spent cooking in Madrid, Amilinda is a Spanish- and Portuguese-inspired sensation from chef Gregory León.

The acclaimed chef, nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award this year, has a deft hand in melding local ingredients with well-traveled flavors, as evidenced by dishes like Portuguese linguica with red grits and caramelized onion gravy, beef tongue with parsnip puree and black lentils, and chicken with hearts of palm and spicy coconut sauce.

Located on the second floor of the historic Oddfellow's Building, The Tin Table is the kind of Cheers-like watering hole that teems with regulars and friendly faces, where folks from all walks of life convene for honest eats and spirited drinks.

That inviting atmosphere is only amplified by the fact that it's LGBTQ+-owned. Under the leadership of Hallie Kuperman, the rustic abode serves pub-style fare and Pacific Northwest cuisine, like duck pastrami, burgers, meatloaf, ricotta gnocchi, and truffle smashed potatoes.

A wunderkind in the pastry kitchen with a stacked resume that runs the gamut from Chicago's Girl & the Goat to Food Network, Mathew Rice is the mind behind some of the cutest, tastiest, and most colorful cookies anywhere.

Pink Door Cookies, a pandemic pivot that started out as an at-home operation making nostalgic sweets for custom orders, has evolved into a pint-sized, pink-hued bakeshop where ever-changing cookies come in whimsical flavors like cotton candy, blueberry pancake, and rainbow brownie — the latter complete with rainbow sprinkles and "optimistic vibes."

Boichik is a Jewish and Yiddish word used to endear young boys or men. But, when Emily Winston's grandmother used it during a visit to describe her recently "gone butch" granddaughter, the term was taken up as the gender-bending brand for a heartfelt bagel operation that wears its Pride on its sleeve.

Inspired to replicate the classic New York-style bagels that she grew up loving, Winston's company has evolved into a veritable empire of boiled and baked dough, with bagels sold at markets and cafes throughout the Bay Area, as well as its own Berkeley shop slinging flavors like "eggything" and "pumperthingle," with all manner of spreads and fish salads to accompany.

One of the most prolific and revered restaurant groups in Washington, D.C., also just so happens to be LGBTQ+-owned. Partners Michael Reginbogin and Jason Berry are the crafty brains behind Knead Hospitality + Design, a brand known for its picture-perfect aesthetics and culinary artistry, as seen at heavy-hitting restaurants like Succotash, Mi Vida, and Gatsby.

Spanning a wide range of cuisines, from Southern to Spanish, the through line for the hospitality group is an omnipresent eye for style and a talented roster of chefs, mixologists, bakers, and sommeliers empowered to express their skills. No matter where you go in the Capital, Knead has an inclusive concept for you.

Long before the notion of feminist bookstores rose to important notoriety, there was Bloodroot. Conceptualized in the mid-'70s, this longstanding beacon is the pioneering effort of partners Selma Miriam and Noel Furie, who combined a feminist bookstore with a vegetarian — and often vegan — cafe in a quaint cottage-like setting.

The menu, which constantly changes and rotates through different specials, features plates equally as heartwarming as the book selection. Think Portuguese kale and potato soup, shiitake mushroom vegan quiche, vegan carrot lox, Jamaican jerk tofu and seitan, and Brazilian tapioca pudding.

Fire Island, a summertime staple for New York City's LGBTQ+ community, is more known as a beach destination than one for fine dining — but Sand Castle on the Ocean is the kind of powerhouse place that tends to lure sunbathers in from the beach.

The only oceanfront restaurant in Cherry Grove, ensuring prime beach views from the patio, the menu from Noelle Grant features an exciting array of decadent originals, like bacon jam crostini, crispy brown rice balls with vegan cheese, and something called Southern-fried lasagna, a crispy vegan spectacle made with plant-based "beef" bolognese and tofu ricotta.

The fact that Slammers Bar & Pizza Kitchen is not only one of the few remaining lesbian bars in the country, but it's among the best dining and drinking spots in Columbus is a testament to the crowd-pleasing appeal of this LGBTQ+ fixture.

Filled with billiard-style games and affordable drinks, the rainbow-clad watering hole is particularly renowned for its pizza — thin and crispy, golden-brown pies come with toppings both classic (e.g. barbecue chicken, pepperoni) and wholly original (e.g. white sauce with pickle chips).

When envisioning an LGBTQ+-centric dining environment, a rustic English pub may not be top of mind, but English Ivy's is out to alter preconceived notions.

The rare place where prime rib and stuffed chicken cordon bleu are served against a backdrop of rainbow flags, this inclusive pub is the kind of place that co-owner Sam Scott described as a "gay Cheers" in reporting by the Indy Star. And in true pub fashion, guests can pair pints of beer with hearty grub like pork chops, fish and chips, and sirloin steaks.

In a state riddled with stereotypes, one titan of a restaurateur has amassed a veritable eatery empire that stands in stark contrast to preconceived notions. Rachel Cope, CEO of 84 Hospitality, is responsible for not only one of the best restaurants in Oklahoma City but a restaurant group that's as distinct as it is inclusive and proud.

It all started with Empire Slice House, a mod pizzeria in the artsy Plaza District that has since spawned locations throughout the city and state. Folks flock to this hip haunt for craft beer, mini meatballs, garlic knots, and slices with fun toppings like BBQ sriracha, cherry pepper relish, and ghost chili marinara.

In the particularly quaint and queer-friendly confines of Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, chef/owner Paul Fehribach presides over some of the most superlative Southern cuisines this side of the Mason-Dixon Line at Big Jones.

As dedicated to history and heritage as he is to cooking, the chef does his diligence researching recipes and lore to cook up real-deal fried green tomatoes, Cajun boudin balls, deviled crawfish cakes, and much more. Don't miss the fan-favorite, award-winning fried chicken either, paired with bubbly during happy hour.

It's not too often a B&B comes with a Michelin-starred pedigree, but Milkweed Inn is a far cry from your typical cottage stay. For starters, it's hidden away in the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in an idyllic wood cottage that looks straight out of a fairy tale.

Then there's Iliana Regan, an esteemed chef who racked up Michelin stars and awards at her former restaurant Elizabeth in Chicago, before decamping to the woods with her wife to cook intricate tasting menus for her guests utilizing ingredients she forages herself.

In the queer-centric Los Angeles-area town of West Hollywood, where more than 40% of residents identify as LGBTQ+, WeHo Bistro beckons as a community mainstay.

The modern French-influenced bistro features shareable — and date-appropriate — plates like cheese and charcuterie platters, escargots, and tartines, along with French wine and cocktails aplenty. For an optimal night out at this LGBTQ+-owned keystone, opt for a seat on the cozy covered patio, where plenty of couples can be seen clinking glassware.

In Salt Lake City, the modern Middle Eastern Laziz Kitchen is the kind of place that wears its heart on its sleeve — or rather, a rainbow flag above its door. Unabashed in its Pride, the restaurant is co-owned by Derek Kitchen, a local politician who helped legalize same-sex marriage in Utah.

As if its backstory wasn't inspiring enough, the food — which traffics in contemporary Lebanese cuisine — should do the trick with its wholesome array of dips, mezze, and bowls, dished out in three locations.

Outside the queer-friendly confines of Miami and Disney World, Wilton Manors is a far-smaller town in South Florida that's evolved into an LGBTQ+ destination for residents and visitors alike.

Among the myriad LGBTQ+-owned businesses in town, one that's especially renowned as a community staple is Shawn & Nick's Courtyard Cafe, a late-night frills-free diner that's been slinging comfort food for more than 50 years. Folks flock to this LGBTQ+-owned icon for reliable portions of corned beef hash, burgers, potato pancakes, BLTs, and much more.

At Soul Taco, a lustrous and contemporary taqueria with two outposts in Richmond, customers can chow down on modern Mexican food while playing drag bingo.

Drawing culinary inspiration from across the country and enrobing it in tortillas, the offerings at this LGBTQ+owned eatery feature oxtail al pastor tacos and country fried carne asada tacos alongside other menu musts, like mashed potato and oxtail gravy croquettes or braised turkey and collard empanadas.