9209 Best Restaurants in USA

Winding downhill through a boatyard, this truly hidden gem juts into Somes Sound, delightfully so as the place hums on summer nights: adults grab a drink from the outside bar, families play cornhole, kids and dogs romp, and folks angle to watch lobsters steam in seawater over an outdoor wood fire before eating at picnic tables on the sloping lawn or heading in to the window-lined mid-century wood-walled dining room with views from every table. The one-page menu is easy to digest when you want to relax and enjoy the view. Another page lists inventive craft cocktails, including the bartender’s choice of the day.

Previously San Jose’s only Michelin-starred restaurant (it had one prior to closing in 2023, only to then reopen in the same space a year later) and the most ambitious destination for Portuguese-influenced cuisine in the Bay Area is this fantastic tasting menu-only spot. At around seven courses with a few extra bites, each dinner weave together meat and seafood plates, where a delicate squid salad comes with a warm cilantro sauce, before leading to a slow-roasted suckling pig belly with sweet potato puree and collard green puree. Each plate is meticulously composed and presented. Adega also has two terrific casual offshoots in San Jose for pastries (Pastelaria Adega) and casual Portuguese cuisine (Petiscos Adega).

This enchanting French brasserie offers a charming library, a bar with a fireplace lounge, a private dining room, a beautiful covered outdoor dining patio, and a large interior dining room. The talented chefs prepare traditional French fare that includes the best French onion soup, sliced baguette with Normandy butter, garlicky escargot, steaks, duck, fish, and pasta. Select from an appealing range of California and French wines to pair with your meal. Save room for the vanilla crème brûlée and chocolate mousse cake with pistachio ice cream. Sip mimosas during the elegant Sunday brunch.

For an extravagant dining adventure, step into Barton G and start with a tantalizing nitro-cocktail with a flaky lobster pop tart baking inside a bright yellow retro toaster. Drinks and dishes here are to be admired and appreciated in this fun and glamorous setting. A large carnival-style popcorn machine is delivered to various tables with Old Bay spiced popcorn and crispy shrimp with a sriracha aioli dipping sauce. Save room for a smoking treasure box with Valrhona 66% double chocolate bittersweet brownies and house-made Tahitian vanilla bean nitro ice cream, and a wig of pink cotton candy piled on a Marie Antoinette silver head.

Chef Corey Lee's three-Michelin-star fine-dining mecca is a must-stop for those who hop from city to city collecting memorable meals. Lee, formerly of the French Laundry, meticulously ties together cooking techniques and ingredients commonly seen in different cuisines of Asia—such as xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and "thousand year old" eggs—with a deft gastronomic touch. You may find spectacular dishes like an haute take on grilled beef rib that is braised with pear and finishes cooking over lychee charcoal; or a delicate, impeccable salad with shaved abalone and winter melon cooked in tomato water. Bare-wood tables and a hip, minimalistic interior guarantee concentration on the plate. The tasting menu is mandatory and memorable, but the restaurant makes sure to not repeat menus for returning diners.

Inside the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Spa is celebrity chef Michael Mina's sophisticated steak house. It's a local favorite for American classics presented with a dramatic flair. The flavorful menu items pair well with wines from an extensive international list. Start with a complimentary amuse-bouche, before ordering a generous lobster pot pie for two or steaks perfectly cut and cooked. Save room for the Basque cheesecake adorned with edible flowers on a swirl of caramel sauce.

This Californian-Mexican tasting-menu concept by chef Val M. Cantú continues to be one of the hottest tickets in the entire Bay Area. Cantú and his team's creations, along with an acclaimed wine program that often pours wines from Mexico's growing wine industry, remain as special as ever, crafting what is possibly the country's leading Mexican-influenced fine-dining experience. As wonderful as what's on the table is, the posh black-walled setting with contemporary art and dramatic chandeliers is just as notable. It's also possible to make a reservation for seating at the intimate bar (with the same menu as the dining room), where guests can have a front-row seat for watching the terrific tequila and mezcal cocktails being made.

Stretched aside Route 27 as it curves into Stratton, this eye-catching white farmhouse restaurant has an inconspicuous rear entrance, allowing for maximum use of original rooms, one tin-ceilinged, and an old-fashioned glassed porch-turned-dining space. The seasonal menu features ingredients from area farms and items range from halibut to rack of lamb. The establishment’s modern pub has a separate menu. The restaurant’s entrepreneurial owners also have a more causal eatery in the village, Backstrap Bar & Grille, that’s home to a shop selling fine cuts of meat as well as seafood, including Maine lobsters and steamer clams (live or cooked).

The draw at this rustic-sleek trattoria is chef Michael Tusk's (also the chef of the nearby Quince and Verjus) flavorful, seasonally driven Italian cooking, headlined by pastas, beautifully grilled or spit-roasted meats, and homemade gelato. The look inside and outside is comfortably chic, with wood tables, quality stemware, and fantastic Italian wines by the bottle and glass.

A celebrity favorite for vegan and vegetarian diners, Crossroads's level of plant-based inventiveness knows no bounds. The dining room is dimly lit with red-leather booths and a full bar. Diners enjoy the artichoke oysters, eggplant short rib, pizzas, and house made pastas. They serve coffee and pastries on the weekends on the outdoor patio starting at 10 in the morning.

At his namesake restaurant, celebrity-chef Daniel Boulud offers one of Manhattan's most refined dining experiences in an equally elegant dining room with a formal dress code (men's jacket required). A predominantly French-driven, five- or nine-course prix-fixe menu is served. Selections can encompass such seasonal and modern classics as upstate New York foie gras, Maine lobster, local venison, and other decadent dishes. Vegetarian menus are also available. Equally impressive are the professional service, extensive wine list, and masterful cocktails. Don't forget the decadent desserts and enticing artisan cheese trolley. 

What was once a Rittenhouse institution is now a Rittenhouse darling after the restaurant was sold to husband-and-wife team Chad and Hanna Williams and revitalized as a warm yet elevated space with boundary-pushing but still familiar food and drinks. The new American fare ranges from a curated raw bar, featuring oysters and caviar, to delicate pastas coated in punchy sauces with proteins like lobster and pork cheek. Equal attention is given to the bar, which offers well-thought-out cocktails that look like they’re ready for a photo shoot. The restaurant received the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant award in 2023, which has made it hard to snag a reservation, though it's worth going out of your way for special occasions.

Gracis Madre is known for its creative plant-based Mexican cuisine made from scratch. Everything is organic, non-GMO, and vegan, sourced from local and regenerative farmers. The large patio is popular on warm days and evenings. 

A thriving oyster farm north of San Francisco in Tomales Bay serves up its harvest at this raw bar and restaurant in the Ferry Building, where devotees come for impeccably fresh oysters on the half shell. Other mollusk-centered options include first-rate clam chowder, grilled oysters, and steamed Manila clams; the kitchen also makes one of the city's best grilled cheese sandwiches.

It's oyster bliss at this very friendly daytime restaurant along Tomales Bay. There are a few indoor seats, but the in-demand spots are on the outside deck, where heaters keep guests somewhat warm even on the chilliest days. It's the restaurant wing of the Tomales Bay Oyster Company, so every table has one or more kind of oyster preparation (grilled, smoked, or raw). House-smoked fish and meats as plates or sandwiches round out the menu since it's probably best not to only eat oysters for lunch.

Along Fairfax Avenue in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood locals and visitors can enjoy Ethiopian signatures like tofu tibs; spicy chicken dorowat; and potato, green bean, onion, and carrot atkilt. Chef-owner Genet Agonafer transports diners to Addis Ababa.

Sunday brunch at James Beard Award Finalist Wes Avila's MXO has churro French toast, yellow corn pancakes, and Puerto Nuevo lobster on the menu. Located in the heart of vibrant West Hollywood, the menu is a tribute to Chef Avila's Mexican roots and Los Angeles upbringing; the MXO stands for "Mexican Origins." The wood-fired preparations are at the heart of traditional Mexican cuisine infused with seasonal California ingredients. Try the sweet potato taquitos, grilled cabbage Caesar salad, and pork al pastor.

The sunset unfolds on Frenchman Bay beyond a curved window wall as a pianist plays and diners set glasses on white tablecloths between sips—this iconic Bar Harbor Inn restaurant delivers what the setting commands with finely prepared and sourced choices like grilled filet of beef and seared scallops. Breakfast is also served in the Reading Room, which chef Zach Dallesandro has re-elevated post-pandemic. He's also started growing greens in-house, and salads here are generous—try the arugula with beets and burrata. A men’s social club built the historic property in 1887 as the Mount Desert Reading Room, and the restaurant’s Oasis Lounge evokes that past.

Sushi aficionados swear that this tiny, stylish restaurant is the Bay Area's finest option for raw fish, but don't overlook the excellent cooked dishes that are an impeccable mix of California seasons, Japanese ingredients and French techniques. Book in advance or expect a wait, which you can soften by sipping one of the bar's many by-the-glass sakes from the encyclopedic list. Yoshi Tome's restaurant is a Bay Area institution and it's easy to see why.

This Woodside institution actually is a Michelin-starred fine-dining destination; the only similarity with an actual pub is that the bar has its own casual menu (the main dining room is a three-course prix-fixe experience with multiple choices per each course) and is frequently a gathering place for well-heeled regulars. The suave dining room with red velvet chairs and booths is a beautiful backdrop for intricate dishes that often feature produce from the nearby organic SMIP Ranch. It's the flagship restaurant for a local group that includes the acclaimed Spruce in San Francisco.

The wood-warmed interior of this shingled building on Lubec's working waterfront invites diners to order a good meal and stay awhile, as do water views flowing beyond the picture windows and the deck. Sweet scallops and boiled lobster (2 pounders!) from local waters are always on the menu, but entrées change with the seasons—halibut in spring, filet mignon in July and August, and sometimes moqueca (a Brazilian seafood stew). The bar is a great place to grab a coffee, beer, or glass of wine, and if you want the lowdown on where to go or what to see in Lubec, this is the place to ask.

Not far from the hubbub of Highland Park lies Eastside’s Bub & Grandma’s, an early-morning American diner complete with cushy booths and a wrap-around bar. It’s a perfect spot to start the day after a walk through Glassell Park; order the egg cheese sandwich with a cup of coffee and a doughnut for the road. For lunch, Bub & Grandma’s switches its menu to a variety of heavenly sandwiches and deli sides. Arrive early to beat the rush and be sure to try their classic sesame loaf bread to see why it is the bread of choice for many other restaurants throughout the city.

Tiburon's dining scene is mostly low-key and casual—except for celebrity chef Michael Mina and partner Brent Bolthouse's hip restaurant right next to the ferry dock. It's certainly a scene and a place to dress up, yet it's also a compelling destination for terrific eats that don't adhere to many rules or cuisines other than high-quality ingredients. There's phyllo-crusted petrale sole and King crab bucatini, and then there's also Mina's signature lobster potpie and a popular burger with onion jam. It's a restaurant that's hard not to love and have fun at.

The Butcher's Daughter now has multiple locations due to its popular vibrant setting and plant-forward menu, café, and juice bar. Start your day with a Superfood smoothie or honey lavender latte; later enjoy mushroom "calamari," a quinoa bowl, or stone oven pizza. They also have a kid's menu. On Friday there is live music in the evening, and a live DJ set on Saturday starting at noon. 

Restaurants in Berkeley and San Francisco tend to get most of the credit for launching the local ingredient–focused farm-to-table California cuisine movement in the 1970s and 1980s. However, chef Jesse Cool played an enormous role in that as well when she opened this venerable restaurant in 1980. It’s a formal restaurant that also manages to be relaxed, where the menu changes frequently and always mentions many acclaimed Bay Area farms, ranches, and gardens. Pasta, gnocchi and risotto (when they're on the menu) are a big strength for the restaurant, but the most excitement tends to come in the first course section, which includes vegetable preparations and a few compelling local seafood creations. Make sure to save room for the always satisfying, unfussy desserts. 

It's hard to keep track of how many awards pitmaster Matt Horn has won at this point. After roving around the Bay Area for years as a pop-up with his smoker "Lucille," Horn set up shop permanently in West Oakland, then was forced to move to Downtown Oakland because of a fire in 2023. Wherever he goes, long lines of fans follow. And for good reason—this is undoubtedly some of the greatest Texas-inspired barbecue on the West Coast. Of course, brisket is the signature here, but almost everyone tries multiple kinds of meats and sides. Make sure to come early and preferably on a weekday.

James Beard Award--winning chef Benjamin Sukle’s downtown Providence restaurant has been called the place to take out-of-town friends you want to impress—no small praise in a city brimming with culinary talent. Take a seat by the open kitchen or in the attractive dining room and savor local seafood in creative preparations, fresh pasta dishes, and paired wines and sake.

This steakhouse, in an elegant room with an actual window, is named for the Old Las Vegas neighborhood occupied by the city's power elite. The atmosphere is contemporary but white-tablecloth restrained, and the menu's as beef-centric as you would expect, with steaks from a wood-fired grill on both a standard and sub-menu dedicated to wagyu options. The departures are in the Filipino touches given some dishes, such as the raw bar's tiradito, by chef Marty Red DeLeon Lopez. Showier highlights include a mesquite-fired crustacean tower in two sizes, traditional caviar service, and, of course, an extensive Scotch program. There's a "social hour" from 5 to 7 pm Mondays through Thursdays offering discounts on select entrees as well as cocktails and appetizers.

It’s a trip back in time at this elegant retro sibling to the Village Pub. Dishes are grand and elaborate, often with luxurious flourishes, yet deeply rooted in the seasonal focus that is the hallmark of California cuisine. It’s a delicious tie between the sensational black label truffle burger at the bar and the honey-lacquered duck breast in the dining room for what is considered the signature dish here. The main dining room serves a three-course menu with several choices in each category; the bar menu is à la carte. The handsome mid-century modern design is worth a trip alone with impeccable details like perfectly smooth white tablecloths, miniature lamps on tables, a roaring fireplace, and a dramatic arched bar backdrop in the lounge. 

The Surf Shack is a six-room B&B with attractive guest rooms with coastal casual decor, but the lodging is almost secondary to Chef Momo Kamara’s Polynesian-inspired dining experience at the restaurant downstairs. Indulge in daily ceviche selections, pork belly steamed buns, and curried and Thai-style mussels, capped with Tahitian-style rice pudding for dessert.