Joe Randall

Joe Randall (July 23, 1946 – February 14, 2026) was an American chef, educator, and cookbook author, who specialized in African American cuisine.

Early life Joe Randall was born Joseph Monroe Glascoe on July 23, 1946, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. When he was a child, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle. His adoptive uncle Joseph A. Randall was a doctor.

Randall later received restaurant management certificates from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Davis.

Randall cooked in over a dozen establishments across the country, including The Cloister in Buffalo, New York, The Fishmarket in Baltimore, Maryland and Georgia in Los Angeles, California.

In 1998, Randall authored A Taste of Heritage: The New African American Cuisine, with Toni Tipton-Martin. The book went beyond the limits of African and soul food, and introduced non-traditional pairings of ingredients and other cuisines (including French, Caribbean, and Latin).

In 1999, when Randall was visiting Savannah, Georgia, the president of the Savannah College of Art and Design asked him to cook dinner for her. She was so impressed with his cooking, that she hired him to run the food services of the college.

In 2021, he was honored with the Chef Darryl Evans Milestone Award, recognizing his leadership, mentorship and lasting impact on the culinary profession.

Randall died of natural causes on February 14, 2026, at his home in Savannah, Georgia. He is survived by his wife, their three children and a grandson.