Washington, D.C. celebrates Black culture for more than just one month—it’s woven into the city’s fabric, making for a richly rewarding and easy-to-plan vacation. Just ask Anthony Jones, the executive chef of Marcus DC, a new Marcus Samuelsson restaurant that opened in June 2025 and features Black culinary traditions, from the U.S. South to Ethiopia. Recently, Eater named Jones its Rising Chef of 2025 for D.C. and Top Chef announced he’ll be a contestant.
People who haven’t been to the capital “don’t realize how fundamental Black culture and Black people have been to the city, in its foundation, and its restoration,” says Jones. “It’s always been a very comfortable environment and atmosphere to be in.”
Chef Anthony Jones in the dining room of Marcus DC in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Joshua Foo
Visit Black cultural landmarks in Anacostia
The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge spans Anacostia river.
Courtesy of washington.org
Centuries of history shaped that Black cultural foundation, including the years Frederick Douglass lived at Cedar Hill, the estate in the historic Anacostia neighborhood that now hosts the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. You can delve deep into the impressive life of the escaped slave–turned–renowned statesman—arguably one of the most important figures in all of American history (and believed to be one of the most well-traveled humans of the 19th century)—with a guided tour of the estate.
The GoGo Museum & Café
Courtesy of washington.org
Also in Anacostia, experience the power and potency of Black joy through music at the Go-Go Museum & Café, which opened last year. Check out numerous interactive displays across two floors of the small but energetic gallery and hear testimonials from go-go legends and the rippling impact of their art across Washington.
Head to the Anacostia Community Museum for a rotating exhibit highlighting community-building efforts. Past presentations have focused on the role of women in environmental justice movements in Washington and the people and events that shaped the city during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.
Go to the National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
Courtesy of washington.org
As one of the Smithsonian’s crown jewels, the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall is naturally among Jones’ favorite places to reflect on the role of the Black community in American culture. From exhibits on military contributions and sports memorabilia to a multilevel walk through the history of Black repression and emancipation, Jones says the museum’s curators “do such an amazing job collecting pieces and works and telling the story.” He tries to make sure he has as much time as possible at the museum to “stop and read every blurb … to try and soak in as much as I can and make a connection to it.”
Explore D.C.’s Black neighborhoods
A mural featuring Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson on U Street in Washington D.C.
Courtesy of washington.org
To dive deep into other historically Black neighborhoods in Washington, like the H Street and U Street corridors, check out the city’s neighborhood heritage walking trail guides. If a walk along the National Mall is a priority, take a nighttime stroll along the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
“There is Black art and Black history dotted throughout the city,” says Jones, noting how green social spaces like Alethia Tanner Park in Eckington, near the bustling Union Market neighborhood, are dedicated to important Black historic figures from the region and beyond.
Eat at Black-owned restaurants in Washington, D.C.
Dishes at Elmina
Courtesy of washington.org/Nico Schinco
That same citywide thread of cultural heritage extends beyond public spaces and into the dining rooms of D.C., where food becomes another way to honor Black creativity and the cuisines of the African diaspora.
To impress your dinner mates, Jones recommends a reservation at chef Eric Adjepong’s modern Ghanaian restaurant, Elmina, along the U Street corridor, for dishes like fried sweet plantains, fried turkey tails, and jollof duck pots. At nearby St. James, run by Executive Chef Alfredo Romero Contreras, try the crab fritters with cilantro and garlic aioli, pimento-smoked jerk wings, oxtails with coconut rice, and the succulent jumbo shrimp in a scotch bonnet sauce.
In the buzzing Union Market district, you’ll find Jones at Marcus DC whipping up large shareable mains like tamarind-braised lamb shoulder, and crab rice with pickled alligator pears and uni béarnaise. Desserts you won’t want to pass up include coquito-tapioca pudding and praline cake.
Down near The Wharf, chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Dōgon ties together Afro-Caribbean and West African cuisines in star-quality dishes like the crispy lamb and tamarind bowl with chickpea curry, carrot tigua (Mali’s national dish) featuring a peanut crustacean stew, and plantain hoe cake with crab.
For a more relaxed setting, head to H Street for restaurants like the Caribbean spot Cane or Open Crumb, which Jones says has “amazing West African food and flavors.” He says he’s “a sucker” for the plantains in particular.
You can also check out Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Black Washington D.C. classic since 1958, for half-smokes, burgers, and, of course, piping-hot chili.
“The family loved and stood by the city, the community, and the culture, and I honestly think that love was just reciprocated tenfold,” says Jones. “They couldn’t have been around as long as they have been if they weren’t doing something right.”
Discover more about the Black culture and history of Washington, D.C.—and more plan your next trip—at Washington.org.
