Lucia: Usher, Saweetie, and a Taste of the African Diaspora in Los Angeles

Lucia, a new Los Angeles restaurant, is quickly becoming a celebrity hotspot, not for the spectacle of being seen, but for its elevated Caribbean cuisine. The restaurant, launched in 2025 by Sam Jordan, aims to fill a gap in the city’s dining scene by offering high-end dishes inspired by the African diaspora.

A Culinary Vision Rooted in Travel and Heritage

Jordan, the owner of Lucia, noticed a lack of sophisticated Caribbean dining options in Los Angeles, despite the city’s diversity. “For LA to be such a diverse city, I didn’t have a lot of high-end cuisine serving dishes from the African diaspora,” he shared. He envisioned Lucia as a space that would break down barriers and highlight Caribbean cuisine with the same prominence as other culinary traditions.

Jordan’s passion for food and entrepreneurship was sparked by his childhood travels. He translated this passion into a brick-and-mortar establishment, with a menu crafted by Chef Cleophus “Ophus” Hethington.

Flavor-First Caribbean Cuisine

Chef Hethington brings a fine-dining approach to Caribbean soul food, focusing on authentic ingredients, unexpected flavor combinations, and visually appealing presentations. Dishes include NY strip with fufu, coconut rice and peas, and a callaloo dish featuring spinach, collard greens, butternut squash, and okra.

Plantains are a particular highlight, served in three different ways as part of the “Plantain Expressions” – maduros and chips with BBQ sauce. The menu similarly features a Chayote and Guava Chow, a mix of starfruit, gooseberries, plantain and Marcona almonds.

Celebrating Black American Culinary History

Lucia aims to celebrate the heritage of African cuisine and its influence on Black American culinary traditions. Jordan emphasizes the often-overlooked connections between African and Caribbean cuisine, highlighting shared techniques, ingredients, and historical influences. “Black American cuisine is kind of lost on the general population—not just Black people, but America in general,” he stated. “We don’t necessarily draw those connections when actually there are a lot of connections through African cuisine and the Caribbean.”

Recent celebrity diners have included Usher and Saweetie, who celebrated a birthday at the restaurant.