11 Native American Restaurants in the U.S. to Try - AFAR
"This vibrantly decorated restaurant located near the Fruitvale BART Station opened in November 2022 and is run by Crystal Wahpepah, the first Native American chef to have been featured on the Food Network’s Chopped. A member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, Wahpepah was born and raised in the Bay Area and ran a catering business for 12 years, preparing food for tech companies like Google and Twitter, before opening her restaurant. At Wahpepah’s Kitchen, patrons can expect standout dishes like Kickapoo chili with bison and blue cornbread (perfect for the foggy, cool Bay Area weather) and bison and blue corn meatballs, served with a turnip slaw. Expect to see lots of proteins like bison, salmon, and venison—all native to the region and selected by Wahpepah to honor the Ohlone people, the original inhabitants of the Bay Area, and their diet." - Mae Hamilton, Andrea Cooper
