Third-generation Inglewood staple named an American classic by James Beard Foundation
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- Third-generation family-owned Serving Spoon in Inglewood won the 2026 James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classics award after 40-plus years as a beloved community staple.
- Founder Harold E. Sparks’ grandchildren now run the restaurant, which is celebrated for Southern comfort food served at accessible prices.
- The foundation recognized the diner as a vital social and cultural anchor for the Black community in Los Angeles.
The Serving Spoon, a family-owned diner and beloved Inglewood staple for over 40 years, has been recognized with the America’s Classics award by the James Beard Foundation.
Founded in 1983 by Harold E. Sparks, the Serving Spoon has long been known for its classic Southern breakfast plates in a welcoming space that feels like home for the Black community in Los Angeles.
Since 1998, the America’s Classics distinction has highlighted “independently owned restaurants with timeless appeal,” according to the James Beard Foundation.
The Serving Spoon was named alongside six other cultural and historic culinary pillars across the country, including the first Chinese restaurant in Kingston, N.Y., and an over 100-year-old Omaha steakhouse.
Previous California winners include San Francisco-based Burmese restaurant Mandalay in 2024 and Vietnamese noodle shop Pho 79 in Garden Grove in 2019. Notable Los Angeles awardees include Mexican-American stalwart Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks in 2022; Philippe the Original in 1999, known for the French Dip sandwich; the historic Langer’s Deli in 2001; and Mexican restaurant Yuca’s in 2005.
The James Beard Foundation referred to Serving Spoon as a “vital social and cultural anchor,” and recognized the restaurant’s warm hospitality and hefty portions of Southern food at an affordable price.
The Serving Spoon has remained family-owned for three generations, and is currently owned by siblings Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane, Sparks’ grandchildren.
“The food is just a piece of the puzzle,” said Johnson in a previous interview with The Times, when describing the family’s approach to hospitality. “It’s the environment that you create, the way the staff greets you, the way somebody calls you by your first name.”
The Serving Spoon is famed for its generous helpings of golden catfish, salmon croquettes and daily specials like oxtails on Wednesdays and shrimp and grits on the weekends.
“We would like to thank all of the people before us that have paved the way to make this possible,” the restaurant said in an Instagram post. “This is for Inglewood! This is for our Grandfather, our parents, our team and everyone that had a hand in this special place called The Serving Spoon!”
The Serving Spoon will receive the America’s Classics medal at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 15. The full list of the award winners can be found online.
