Black-Owned Restaurant Tour kicks off this weekend in Baltimore with 18 locations in 2026
BALTIMORE —
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Black-Owned Restaurant Tour kicks off this weekend, featuring more than a dozen restaurants.
Visitors and residents are encouraged to make a reservation or pop into one of the 18 participating restaurants for breakfast, brunch, lunch and/or dinner.
One of the restaurants, Werner’s Diner, merged with Saturday Morning Café on historic East Redwood Street.
“We have delicious, outstanding strawberry chocolate chip pancakes — that is just decadent. Our famous seafood omelet with Baltimore crab — we got shrimp with it —breakfast burrito and hot honey chicken and biscuit,” said William Sterling, owner of Werner’s Diner. “(This is) one of the most historic diners in Baltimore, ‘House of Cards’ was filmed here, ‘The Wire’ was filmed here, ‘Head of State,’ so it’s a throwback diner with elevated type of breakfast menu.”
The CIAA and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore host the tour.
“It’s an opportunity where we have 18 restaurants featured for our CIAA fans and everybody to come and explore these restaurants — breakfast options, brunch options, café options, even some exclusive dinners,” said Shelonda Stokes, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
Werner’s Diner is extending its hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the tour, and will feature a special early dine menu and mocktails at budget-friendly prices.
“It’s not only them who are featured, but the Empanada Lady, Proper Cuisine, and we have a new restaurant opening during that same day, Tribe Social Café that’s on (Feb.) 27. And then, that Saturday, it’s a similar feature at Harborplace,” Stokes told WBAL-TV 11 News.
WBAL
William Sterling, owner of Werner’s Diner, shows off the plates featured that patrons can taste, especially during the Black-Owned Restaurant Tour.
Stokes said Crust By Mack, Cuples Tea House, Waiting to Oxtail and more restaurants are expected to participate in the Harborplace feature. The tour’s crew is said to be bringing vibes and surprises this year.
“We have some dinner and drink specials. We have some really nice liquor sponsors this year, who are giving some samplings and tastings at some of our restaurants,” Stokes told WBAL-TV 11 News. “We really want people to look at the guide because there are 18 all featured with the breakout times that will be there.”
“It’s an opportunity where we have 18 restaurants featured for our CIAA fans and everybody.”
This is the fifth year the hosts have curated BORT, and Sterling said he’s excited to participate for the first time.
“We’re happy to have people come in, so the locals, the tourists, people visiting the city, especially for the first time. We get (crowds during) the Orioles (games), we get it (during) the Ravens, but we need them now,” Sterling told WBAL-TV 11 News.
BORT begins Saturday and runs through March 1.
BORT’s participating restaurants in 2026BAR V 2.0SWILLRooted RotisserieYeiboh KitchenStem & VineBLK SWANBlanco’sUnity Bar & RestaurantWerner’sThe Empanada LadyProper CuisineCuples Tea HouseSoul KuisineNostalgiaGood FoodWaiting to OxtailCrust by MackThe Garden Rooftop
