We once got a bunch of cornbread from this West African spot for game night, and after our first bite, we stole the orders back while everyone clowned our friend who didn’t know the rules to Spades. Outside of having buttery, fluffy, and sweet cornbread that’s worth some light tableside robbery, we love the custom bowls at this Northern Liberties spot that come topped with mounds of jollof rice with dry-rubbed blackened chicken, yaji-seasoned steak, or lightly charred brussels sprouts.

Maybe you watched Netflix’s High on the Hog, or maybe you just really love sandwiches, but either way, there are lots of reasons to join the line outside Omar and Cybille St. Aude-Tate's Honeysuckle Provisions. The Afrocentric grocery store and all-day cafe has a menu full of products sourced from Black farmers, including everything from a sausage, egg, and cheese on a sweet potato english muffin to a satisfying cornmeal hot pocket packed with stewed collards.

The crowd outside of Southwest Philly’s Kingston 11 may be bigger than any dance floor when “Candy” by Cameo drops at a wedding. When you do get to the counter, though, make sure you grab an order of oxtails and a side of mac and cheese. The oxtails have a bit of sweetness from the tamarind and a flicker of tanginess from the pimento berries, thyme sticks, and ginger they’re cooked in. As for the mac and cheese, it’s flowing with six mystery cheeses.

For the picky eaters, we want you to know that you won’t find a bad dish on Jamaican D’s menu. And even though the wait at this Chelten Ave. spot can get longer than a braiding shop on a busy day, a platter of jerk chicken, rice and peas, and cabbage is worth sticking around for. Plus, once you’ve ordered, they’re quick, so you don’t have to wait too long before biting into their chicken that’s dripping with jerk sauce.

This neighborhood African spot on Lancaster Ave. has a menu with everything from egusi soup to jollof rice. But when we pull up to one of their red booths or take something home (and definitely sneak bites between stop signs), we go with their beef in spicy red sauce. It’s a chunky mix of red peppers, habanero, curry, and tomato that you should order with a side of their softball-sized banku. Make sure you put a nice portion of the cassava dough dumpling in each spoonful.

One bite into the island wings at 48th Street Grille has us feeling better than the first time we look in the mirror after a fresh cut—the wings come in an order of 10 and have a smoky, charred taste highlighted by the orangey glaze. And they aren’t the only shareable thing on the Caribbean spot’s menu. The West Philly restaurant has braised oxtails and jumbo shrimp curry that can be passed around the table with a big group.

Abyssinia in Spruce Hill serves Ethiopian platters that get us more excited than hearing the food is ready on Thanksgiving night. Their stewed lentils, oniony sauteed greens, spicy beef tibs, and warm injera on their own are great, but when you want a nice big spread, their combination platters are the way to go–especially the Abyssinia Special 1. It’s under $14, large enough for two people, and the peppery kick from the berbere sauce has us thinking about it even in the late hours.

Sometimes you start planning your day around your next sip of sopa de camarones, or catch yourself thinking about biting into a slab of seasoned yuca at a red light. Mixto, a Washington Square Pan-Latin and Caribbean spot, has us not only daydreaming about those dishes, but there are a few other menu items that we have in a steady rotation there. For example, you can bite into a maduro relleno that’s stuffed with spiced ground sausage and coated with a layer of gooey mozzarella cheese.

Spring Garden’s SOUTH is the place to go for an incredible brunch, or when you want to try some catfish that’s as good as the live jazz coming from the stage. Out of all the Cajun and Creole dishes, though, the buttermilk fried chicken is our favorite thing on the menu. The three pieces of chicken have a honey drizzle and come with creamy turkey collards, doughy drop biscuits, and a sweet and silky potato au gratin.

Sometimes we need to hit our rotation of comforting things: Minnie Riperton's “Lovin’ You,” old episodes of Martin that we know word-for-word, and the goat and fufu soup from this Liberian spot in Elmwood Park that’s like a Christmas gift in gumbo form. A stew of goat chunks, braised okra, and a whole mess of habanero peppers, it’s both savory and earthy and comes with round fufu for dipping or sopping-up purposes.