520 Best Restaurants in USA

The pride and joy of Utah State University dairy students, this historic ice-cream shop on campus has been making ice cream "from cow to cone" for 100 years. The luscious creations use milk from cows that live on USU's farm and a recipe and production process that's been perfected over the last century. Savor a scoop or two of lemon custard, blue mint, praline pecan, or huckleberry to fully grasp what all the fuss is about.

Come to this independent bookstore, café, and bakery to buy a book, have lunch (or breakfast), or have breakfast (or lunch) and buy a book. "Nourishment for mind and body" is the approach here—in the style of a European neighborhood café.

More crafty than churning, flavors at this Cuban ice cream shop are inspired by and derived from ingredients at nearby fruit stands, international grocery shops, and farmers' markets. The menu features creations that nod to the culturally rich Little Havana location (café con leche, flan, and the signature Abuela Maria—made with Maria cookies, cream cheese, and guava) as well as seasonal specialties (like sweet creamed corn and egg nog).

You could walk right past this tucked-away café on the ground floor of Beacon Hill Books, but you shouldn't. Stop in for a coffee, a glass of wine, or afternoon tea (Sunday only), or stay a bit to lunch on scratch-made soup, quiche, and salad. After your meal, browse through four floors of books. Note: You enter through an alleyway, into a hidden outdoor courtyard, and then through the door to a narrow space lined with tiny tables for two and a few counter seats.

This little coffee shop, in a repurposed old A-frame house, is an adorable place and the perfect spot for a breakfast sandwich or midday coffee. Tasty beverages and delicious homemade scones, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, and muffins are a welcome respite from Nome's wind and the industrial surroundings. The homey atmosphere is helped along by soft benches, stained glass lamps, local art, original wood floors, and bookshelves full of magazines, books, and games.

Skilled baristas churn out a dizzying array of coffee drinks—drip, cold brew, all the fave espresso options—in a clean downtown space with white walls and teal wainscoting. Pastries, avocado toast, quiche, and egg-inflected sandwiches (some vegan or gluten-free) are the breakfast hits, with banh mi and the like added for lunch.

What started as a streamlined coffee and craft beer purveyor with sparse hours has evolved into an all-day mainstay of east Austin. The industrial garage vibe blends in well with its I–35-adjacent neighbors and attracts a hip clientele from morning to night, who flock here for cold brews and stacked breakfast sandwiches and then like to stick around for their local lineup of draft brews, full bar, and light café fare including late-night guilty-pleasure snacks.

This tiny, friendly shop serves big, flavorful coffee and interesting sweet and savory pastries. On sunny days the patio tables out front fill up with locals and visitors alike.

No visit to New Orleans is complete without a chicory-laced café au lait paired with the addictive, sugar-dusted beignets at this venerable institution. The tables under the green-and-white-stripe awning are jammed with locals and tourists at almost every hour, for very good reason. If there's a wait, head around back to the takeout window, get your coffee and beignets to go, and enjoy them overlooking the river right next door or in Jackson Square. The most magical time to go is just before dawn, before the bustle begins and can hear the birds in the crepe myrtles across the way. The metro-area satellite stores (there's even one at the airport now) typically lack the character of the original, although the newest addition in City Park is quite charming.

Thanks to its misted patio, fast Internet connection, plethora of seating, and, most importantly, fine selection of caffeinated hot and cold drinks, this is a great work-from-café option on the main drag in uptown. The colorful, independently owned, Latina-influenced coffeehouse serves Sisters Coffee out of Oregon, local Townie bagels, Lotus Energy elixirs, fresh-daily pastries, and filling breakfast plates, including smoked salmon toast and chorizo con papas. There's also a vast assortment of chilled and canned beverages alongside healthy grab-and-go nibbles and prepackaged snacks by local makers for those in even more of a hurry.

Equal parts artisan coffee roaster and casual-chic brunch room, this airy café on a busy downtown corner stands out for both the quality and creativity of its food and drink. Highlights on the food side include the toast with balsamic rainbow beets and Humboldt Fog goat cheese; notable sippers range from a ginger-turmeric latte to local-blueberry mimosas.

Tucked beside the popular Glover Street Market, this bakery is justly renowned for both savory and sweet treats, including—most famously—cinnamon "twisps" (the bakery's own decadent version of cinnamon rolls). Note that they often sell out by late morning, so arrive early if you want to get one. There are also smoothies, milk shakes, and build-your-own sandwiches.

The light and open, bamboo wood–filled flagship location of Coava Coffee Roasters offers some of the highest-quality single-origin, pour-over coffees in the city. There are additional branches in Hawthorne and Downtown, and a separate coffee bar a few blocks away on S.E Main Street where you can watch the coffee roasting process.

This local coffeehouse company pours specialty coffee employing unusually high standards for environmental and economic sustainability. Flavor-wise, the sturdy coffee is brewed from beans they roast themselves, which have become a staple in many locals’ home kitchens. There's also quirky and creative baked goods—everything from vegan Pop-Tarts to rich daily quiches.

Specializing in locally roasted PERC coffee, house-made baked goods, and craft beers, the Coffee Fox is a great stop whether you're on the run or looking to perch. The cold brew will win the hearts of coffee aficionados in the hot summer months. The popular Mexican Mocha is a sweet and spicy twist on the traditional mocha and features local chocolatier Adam Turoni's dark chocolate with a kick.

Modeled after the cozy coffee cafés of Melbourne, Australia, this bustling locale serves espresso, cold brew, and its famous spiced lavender mochas, as well as a curated menu that features favorites like smashed avocado toast at brunch and duck confit, served alongside fingerling potatoes and oyster mushrooms, at dinner. The beer selection includes favorites from craft breweries around the country, and the wines are carefully selected from some of the world's most unique regions to complement the food. With high ceilings and beautiful natural light, this airy spot is very photogenic.

This casual breakfast and lunch place inside a clapboard house satisfies diners' cravings with dishes like homemade slow-roasted corned-beef hash topped with two eggs and accompanied by a slice of sourdough or gluten-free bread. You can get breakfast and excellent pastries all day, with soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and burgers on the menu for lunch.

An early adopter of sustainable sourcing and zero-waste coffee bean roasting, Crema has introduced Nashville coffee lovers to new brews for years. Intentionally partnering with small farmers around the world, Crema advocates for living wages and also brews a fine cup of java to accompany a short list of breakfast dishes. Their specialty espresso drinks are among the most creative in town, and they also offer ground beans to go, as well as educational coffee classes.

This crepes-all-day spot is the place to be on summer mornings, specifically if you can nab a seat on the expansive patio. Located in the center of downtown, the Crepery offers a lengthy menu of sweet and savory crepes stuffed with ingredients from brie and pear to salmon and crab.

Stop by this cute cake shop to stock up on creative, and utterly delectable, baked goods, such as grapefruit-rosemary-cardamom shortbread cookies, maple cinnamon rolls, and macarons in a variety of flavors, and egg, maple-sage sausage, cheddar breakfast sandwiches constructed on ethereal duck-fat biscuits. Fine coffees are available, too.