Our Heritage

Jacob Restaurant is the first Black owned and family operated soul food and salad bar buffet, possessing a huge selection of 42 fresh Southern, Caribbean, and Continental cuisines, all prepared without Trans fats. Since our first year, Jacob recognizably became one of New York’s most affordable, reputable caterers, routinely preparing and delivering foods for organizations, churches, associations, clubs and residents throughout New York City’s five boroughs.

Southern favorites include: crispy fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, potato salad, home-made peach cobbler, corn bread and whole roasted turkey.

The first Jacob, 373 Lenox Avenue location opened May 15, 2009. The rapid success of this eatery resulted in the Niang’s second Jacob Restaurant Soul Food and Salad Bar at 2695 Frederick Douglass Boulevard location that opened June 25, 2010. Jacob Restaurant currently employs 40 Harlem residents, many who are natives from the U.S.A, Ghana, France, Mexico, Jamaica, Trinidad, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal.

Opens 7 Days Weekly: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Fresh, delectable food at competitive market rates
Dining capacity seats 45 + Take out service
Private events & parties available

Community Support: We proudly donate food to area churches each night to support our neighbors, including Metropolitan Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church, and Destiny Worship Center.

"A proper greeting is very important. It sets the tone for the dining experience!"

Rachid's Bio

The warm smile that greets you at the door of Jacob Restaurant just might belong to the owner himself, Rachid Niang. Most days, Rachid is the first one in and the last one out, of Harlem’s newest, family-friendly soul food and salad bar. “A proper greeting is very important. It sets the tone for the dining experience,” says Rachid, who worked for a Harlem soul food restaurant business, long before opening his own. No task is too big or small for Rachid. From its daily inspections of ingredients to insure freshness, to occasionally working on the register, or a grill, when someone calls in sick Rachid is committed to making Jacob Restaurant a destination for quality, affordable dining.

As the brain trust of the family operation enterprise, the young, charismatic Senegalese owner, at age 33, opened his establishment, surprisingly, with his distinction of delighting guests. Though named after his father the late, Jacob Niang, Rachid was 22 years old, when he arrived in Harlem, after graduating from college in France.

During Mr. Niang’s second year of employment at a nearby Harlem area soul food and salad bar, he met his young, hardworking, ambitious, but conservative, future wife. At age 22, Kim, a Trinidadian, had recently arrived in New York, before she started working at their former employer’s restaurant. Eight years later and married to Kim, for seven years, following extensive research, planning, and financing Rachid incorporated Jacob Restaurant. Coincidentally, after his wife left the other restaurant, because it closed, when her husband opened Jacob Restaurant Soul Food and Salad Bar, Mrs. Niang quickly assumed management responsibilities for their new family enterprise.

Our Harlem Locations

Headquarters – Harlem (Lenox Avenue)

373 Lenox Avenue, NY 10027

373 Lenox Avenue
New York, NY 10027
(212) 866-3663

Open Daily10am – 10pm

AtmosphereCasual / 43 Seats

Frederick Douglass Boulevard – Harlem

Corner 143rd St & 8th Ave, NY 10030

Corner of 143rd Street & 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10030
(212) 283-3663