Florida Avenue Grill: The World’s Oldest Soul Food Restaurant
Since 1944, the Florida Avenue Grill in Washington, D.C., has been the capital of soul food in our nation’s capital.
The now world-famous restaurant brands itself as the oldest soul food restaurant in the world and most definitely a D.C. institution. That was not always the case, though. The restaurant you see today was started with hard work and humility.
The Florida Avenue Grill Humble Beginnings
Before 1944, Lacey C. Wilson worked as a shoeshine man on Capitol Hill. Day in and day out, Wilson saved his tips with a dream in mind, opening a restaurant that felt like home and where African Americans could enjoy a meal comfortably. In 1944, Washington D.C. was still segregated, and our country was ripe with racial tension. Wilson wanted his restaurant to be where people of color could come in, sit down, and enjoy a home-cooked meal without the fear of being harassed. In 1944, his dream became a reality, with the then modest restaurant called the Florida Avenue Grill opening on the corner of Florida Avenue and 11th Street in Northwest D.C.
When money was tight initially, it was said Lacey would send his wife Bertha to the supermarket to buy two chickens at a time. Once those were sold and fried, she bought two more, leading them to say, “The Grill,” as affectionately known by many, was built “two chickens at a time.”
Over the decades, the Florida Avenue Grill became a D.C. staple, attracting politicians and celebrities worldwide. Today, many of their pictures hang on the walls.
Eating Lunch in the Martin Luther King Jr. Booth
The place was packed when we went in for lunch, and only one booth was available. We sat down and were incredibly surprised and happy to realize that where we sat was the same booth Martin Luther King Jr. sat in 1963 while planning his march on Washington.
When King was assassinated in 1968, riots erupted across the nation, and the U Street corridor was the epicenter of the riots in Washington. When many businesses were burned to the ground, Lacey and Bertha’s eldest son, Lacey Jr., who would eventually own the Grill, sat in front of the restaurant night and night with a shotgun to protect it. Today, you can still sit in the “Shotgun Booth,” which features a plaque remembering the stand made by Lacey Jr. during the riots.
So what should you order? As far as we could tell, everything was great. When we arrived, customers were enjoying the all-day breakfast. We opted for lunch. The fried chicken, with its 70-plus-year-old recipe, was to die for. The fried pork chops, mac and cheese, and collard greens were also incredible. All washed down with an ice-cold glass of sweet tea.
