Owner of Famed Soul Food Restaurants Dies at 90
- - Owner of Famed Soul Food Restaurants Dies at 90
Sabrina WeissDecember 16, 2025 at 9:22 AM
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Ms. Helen's Soul Bistro/Facebook
Helen L. Coleman -
Soul food restaurant owner Helen L. Coleman died at 90
The chef cooked oxtail, candied yams and other classics for Washington residents and celebrities like B.B. King over her nearly 50-year career
Coleman opened restaurants like Helen's Diner and Ms. Helen's Soul Food
Seattle-based chef and restaurant owner Helen L. Coleman, also known as “Ms. Helen" to fans, died on Nov. 29. She was 90.
Coleman, who served celebrities like B.B. King and Muhammad Ali at her soul food restaurants, “went to be with The Lord Saturday morning,” her daughter Jesdarnel “Squirt” Henton shared on Facebook.
“My heart is full today, but I’m proud and thankful to say Ms Helen L Coleman our Mother is at Peace in Heaven,” she continued the Nov. 30 post.
The Texas-born chef grew up in Oklahoma and California before moving to Seattle in 1970. This was the same year she opened her first restaurant, Helen’s Diner, a spot known for its oxtail, pork chops and “Mount St. Helen’s Burger,” Eater reported: a burger patty topped with hot links, bacon, cheese, a sunny-side-up egg and other toppings.
Ms. Helen's Soul Bistro/Facebook
Helen L. Coleman
The restaurant filed for bankruptcy protection and closed in 1983. After several years of cooking at Deano’s Cafe and Lounge, Coleman opened Ms. Helen’s Soul Food in 1987.
The restaurant shuttered in 2001 after an earthquake damaged the building and from then on she and Henton worked side-by-side at various Seattle spots and catering for large businesses including Microsoft.
The mother-daughter duo attempted to open another restaurant called Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro after first announcing the idea in 2015. But in 2023 Henton told Eater that they couldn’t raise the capital to open the restaurant.
Now, Henton and her daughter Nicole Helene, serve food out of a Harley-Davidson dealership in Renton, Washington after impressing the business with her catering. The pair run Ms. Helen’s Soul Bistro there, which has a rotating menu that Henton posts about daily on Facebook.
B.B. King, Muhammad Ali, Ernestine Anderson and Richard Pryor were just a few of the famous frequenters at Coleman’s restaurants, The Seattle Times reported. Seattle Met wrote that Coleman greeted every customer with a “Hey baby,” when they entered her restaurant.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
