9164 Best Restaurants in USA

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We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

The Onion Taphouse & Grill

$$

Pressed-tin ceilings, vintage photographs, and a century-old bar with ornate columns evoke the past at this former saloon and pharmacy, enthusiastically serving American fare for decades. There are more than a dozen sandwiches and burgers on the menu, along with heartier dishes like pot roast dinner, two kinds of fish-and-chips, wild Alaskan salmon, and sirloin steak. For sharing, there's the baked Cougar Gold cheese dip with flatbread and a decadent warm chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Area 51 Taphouse is located inside the restaurant and offers 51 beverages on tap.

302 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane, 99201, USA
509-747–3852
Known For
  • Excellent desserts, including huckleberry pound cake
  • Six good choices on the "leaner menu"
  • Salads are a meal on their own

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The Only Doughnut

$

You can get anything here as long as it’s on a doughnut (accompanied by hot or iced coffee, if you wish). Made in the Maine tradition with potato flour, the day's flavors might include salted caramel, buttermilk, and “full-tilt” blueberry with a glorious blueberry glaze. Brioche doughnuts are available on weekends.

225 Northport Ave., Belfast, ME, 04915, USA
207-218–1231
Known For
  • The “citrus” (orange zest in the dough, lemon juice in the glaze)
  • The “sea smoke” (chocolate doughnut, maple glaze, smokey salt)
  • The “chocolate toasted coconut" (chocolate doughnut, coconut milk glaze, toasted coconut)
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.–Wed.

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Onlywood Pizzeria

$$ | Old Town

Pizzas are the star of the show at this bustling trattoria a short walk from the Duval fray. The kitchen churns out a variety of Neopolitan pies from its 2-ton wood-fired oven made of bricks and stones from Mt. Vesuvius. Pastas run the gamut from gnocchi to buccatini done cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) style. Antipasti and salads round out the lengthy menu.

613½ Duval St, Key West, FL, 33040, USA
305-735–4412
Known For
  • Brick-oven pizza
  • Another location near the harbor
  • Burrata salad

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Recommended Fodor's Video

Onyx Tonics

$

This coffee-tasting bar would satisfy the staunchest coffee aficionado, with its rotating menu of specialty drinks designed to highlight the texture and flavor profile of distinct beans and roasters; so it's not surprising that co-founder Jason Gonzales won a top 10 spot in the 2013 World Cup Tasting Championship (the coffee Olympics). If a coffee education is what you want with your morning cup, Onyx Tonics offers it—thankfully with a friendly and inviting atmosphere—as baristas have been known to warn against adding milk to a certain drip coffee, because it would raise the acidity of the brew and alter its delicate flavor.

126 College St., Burlington, VT, 05401, USA
802-777–2583
Known For
  • Local milk from Rogers Farmstead in Berlin, Vermont
  • The VT Big Easy, coffee and chicory mixed with milk and maple syrup
  • More than six single-origin coffees brewing

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Oohhs & Aahhs

$ | U Street

No-frills soul food is what you'll find at this friendly eat-in or take-out place, where the price is right, and the food is delicious. Ultrarich macaroni and cheese, succulent chicken and waffles, and teriyaki salmon just beg to be devoured, and collard greens are cooked with vinegar and sugar rather than the traditional salt pork. Save room for the hummingbird cake (pineapple with banana–cream cheese frosting). Smack in the middle of the U Street area, the place is both a neighborhood hangout and destination for those missing the perennial dishes that Mom always made best. And best of all, it's open until 4 am on Friday and Saturday.

1005 U St. NW, Washington, DC, 20009, USA
202-667–7142
Known For
  • Home-style soul cooking
  • Mac and cheese, collard greens, and hummingbird cake
  • Late-night weekend hours

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Opai Thai

$ | Upper West Side

Thai restaurants come and go, but this one has stayed, in large part due to its authentic tastes and no-frills prices, including a two-course prix-fixe lunch (appetizer and shrimp, chicken, or beef main) for under $12. The decor is no-frills contemporary, allowing the food to shine.  Adventure beyond pad Thai to explore curries and lemongrass-scented meat, fish, and noodle dishes. Save room for green tea ice cream or paper-thin crepes slathered with green tea custard.

722 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10025, USA
212-866–8989
Known For
  • Green-tea custard crepes for dessert
  • Good noodle dishes
  • Delicious curries

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Opakapaka Grill and Bar

$$

Named after a seasonal local fish, Opakapaka is the only oceanside restaurant on Kauai's North Shore and is a great place to stop for a meal or a quick bite on the way to or from Haena State Park and Kee Beach. The longtime community gathering hub serves local fish and seafood, burgers, steaks (try the rib eye), and pasta; add shrimp to your salads and fried rice sides.

5–7132 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, HI, 96714, USA
808-378–4425
Known For
  • Fish tacos (crispy or grilled)
  • Fish-and-chips
  • Live entertainment several nights a week, starting at 6 pm

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The Open Door

$$

This wine bar and Mediterranean-inflected restaurant exudes an artsy, small-town eccentricity, with the dining room’s mix of mismatched tables and chairs opening into a gallery displaying work from regional craftspeople. The rather tacky art and trinkets all look swell after a few glasses of vino from the well-curated bottle collection.

303 W. Hood Ave., Sisters, OR, 97759, USA
541-549–6076
Known For
  • Boards with charcuterie from Sisters Meat and Smokehouse
  • Regular live music performances
  • A leafy patio
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.

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The Optimist

$$ | Midtown

For top-notch seafood, head to this restaurant in a dazzlingly refurbished warehouse space. You can slurp raw oysters on the half shell from the oyster bar or dive into the seafood gumbo, which has dark, complex gravy and is full of meaty hunks of crab. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere (there's a putting green out front) and can get a bit noisy in the middle of dinner.

914 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
404-477–6260
Known For
  • Upscale seafood dishes
  • Cool industrial space
  • Noisy crowds
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Oquirrh

$$$

An unprepossessing storefront eatery near the leafy Avenues district, Oquirrh (rhymes with "poker") is named for the snowcapped mountain range west of Downtown and focuses on seasonal fare with locally sourced ingredients. Boldly flavored dishes like house-made radiatori pasta with basil-cashew pesto and Niman ranch pork chops with feta and beet puree are presented artfully on handmade stoneware in an intimate, art-filled dining room.

368 E. 100 S, UT, 84111, USA
801-359--0426
Known For
  • Friendly, knowledgeable service
  • Excellent French- and West Coast–centric wine selection
  • Sunday brunch
Restaurant Details
No lunch weekdays

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Oran Mor Bistro

$$$ | Town of Nantucket

Climb the copper-clad stairs into this historic home, settle in at one of three dining rooms, and get ready to enjoy the island's freshest fish and produce, impeccably prepared. The menu changes with the seasons, but count on house-made pasta (available in half portions) and toothsome mains with an international tilt, like Moroccan fish tagine.

2 South Beach St., Nantucket, MA, 02554, USA
508-228--8655
Known For
  • Seasonally influenced menu
  • Vegetarian and vegan options
  • Lobster gemelli
Restaurant Details
Closed Wed. June.--Aug. and Wed. and Thurs. Sept.--Nov. Closed Dec.--May. No lunch
Reservations recommended

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Orange Blossom Bakery & Cafe

$

There's a line out the door during summer for this bakery's "Apple Uglies," fried amalgams of doughnut dough and apples. There's also a full menu of breakfast burritos and egg sandwiches to enjoy on the patio out front. 

47206 Rte. 12, Buxton, NC, 27920, USA
Known For
  • Pastries doused in chocolate
  • Homemade biscuit sandwiches
  • Breakfast burritos
Restaurant Details
Closed weekdays Jan.–mid-Mar.

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Orchid

$$

Behind the plainly marked door, you will find a restaurant dressed in red and gold. You have more than 26 house specialties to choose from, including such favorites as the spicy and sweet orange beef and the Grand Marnier shrimp. Paintings of birds and a dramatic mirrored ceiling adorn the space.

730 Franklin Ave., Garden City, NY, 11530, USA
516-742–1116
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted

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Organic Oasis

$$ | Spenard

Part eatery and part community center and event space, this café offers plenty of healthy (or, at least, healthy-sounding) fare, including fresh-squeezed juices, smoothies, organic sandwiches, fresh soups, and tempeh wraps. While vegans and vegetarian visitors to Anchorage should definitely make a beeline to Organic, omnivores are not left out in the cold: the menu also includes Thai chicken salads, grass-fed burgers, and lamb.

2610 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, AK, 99503, USA
907-277–7882
Known For
  • House-baked breads and buns
  • Inventive juice bar
  • Live music throughout the week

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Origami

$$

In-the-know locals head to this Warehouse-District destination for fresh sushi. The interior shimmers with lilac lights and flickering candles, and a sidewalk patio is open in summer.

1354 Lagoon Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55408, USA
612-223--8666
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
No lunch Mon.--Thurs.

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The Original Crisfield Seafood Restaurant

$$

With not much more elegance than a neighborhood barbershop, the prices here might seem absurd. But you get your money's worth: no-nonsense seafood and an eyeful of Old Maryland arrested in time. Crab cakes don't get any more authentic than these, presented with just enough structural imperfection to guarantee they're made by hand; the clam chowder—creamy, chunky, and served with a bottomless bowl of oyster crackers—is rendered with similar, down-home care.

8012 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
301-589–1306
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
Closed Mon.

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Original Joe's

$$$

Clubby, vibrant, and radiating old-school charm, this San Francisco mainstay has been serving classic Italian American fare since the 1930s. Folks flock to this third incarnation---run deftly by the third generation of the founder’s family---for classic cocktails and large portions of favorites like prime rib and chicken parmigiana. Expect high decibel levels, high energy, and a wait.

601 Union St., San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
415-775–4877
Known For
  • Classic Cal-Ital food
  • House-made ravioli
  • Excellent bar
Restaurant Details
No lunch Mon.–Thurs.

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Original Oyster House

$$

Dining at this nautically themed restaurant on the bayou is a local tradition. Fried, steamed, broiled, and grilled seafood is served, but oysters are the house specialty, including Firecracker Oysters on the half shell baked with sliced jalapenos, garlic cream sauce, and topped with cheese. Don't miss the homemade gumbo, brimming with crab claws, shrimp, okra, and a secret combination of spices.

Original Pancake House

$ | Southwest

The original of what's now a franchise with more than 100 branches in North America and Japan, this pancake house is the real deal. Faithful customers have been coming since 1953 to this cabin-like local landmark, which is crowded with both locals and tourists from the time it opens at 7 am until it closes in the mid-afternoon. With pancakes starting around $7, it's not the cheapest place to get a stack, but with 20 varieties and some of the best waffles and crepes around, it's worth the trip.Signature item is Apple Pancakes.

Original Pantry Cafe

$ | Downtown

Opened in 1924 by Dewey Logan, this classic diner's former claim to fame is that it never closed in the entirety of its run. Currently owned by former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan, the diner has more limited hours and serves American food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is known for cakes, pies, steaks, and chops. The establishment is also a Los Angeles historic cultural monument.

877 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA, 90017, USA
213-972--9279
Known For
  • Long lines
  • Amazing breakfast
  • Historic restaurant
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner Wed.--Fri.

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Oriole 9

$
With pale wood floors, original art on the walls, and chalkboards crowded with menu options, Oriole 9 is a local favorite known for its breakfast all day—be that the traditional eggs and bacon or something more special, like poached artichoke, curried coconut tofu hash, or bread and butter pudding served with bacon and maple syrup. There are several different soups and salads if you're not feeling breakfast for lunch, as well as heartier fare like sandwiches made with slow-braised pork or brisket with spicy mayo. The bittersweet chocolate mousse is a perfect dessert to share.

Ornos Estiatorio

$$$$

Take a trip to the Greek Isles at Michael Mina's Mediterranean restaurant featuring bright, light fare and fish that's delivered overnight straight from the Aegean Sea. In addition to a raw bar, menu items include dishes inspired by the chef's travels, including classic Greek spreads, grilled octopus, lamb shoulder, and more.

Orso

$$$$ | Downtown

The menu at Orso ("bear" in Italian) has gradually shifted from its Mediterranean roots, adding Alaska touches like prosciutto-wrapped halibut to the selection of traditional pastas, fresh seafood, and locally famous desserts. Be sure to ask about the daily specials. If you can't get a table at dinner, you can select from the same menu at the large bar.

737 W. 5th Ave., Anchorage, AK, 99501, USA
907-222–3232
Known For
  • Light bites at happy hour
  • Fresh takes on Italian standards
  • Gluten-free options
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Osaka

$$$$

Fusing Japanese and Peruvian flavors, this sultry Nikkei restaurant is known for its multisensory menu, including many nigiri dishes that are torched tableside, such as the hotate truffle with scallop, truffle butter, and lime. The menu features an array of ceviches, tiraditos, and seafood dishes, but there's also a 24-ounce bone-in rib eye with truffle. Japanese whiskey lovers will enjoy the 24-plus varieties on hand behind the gorgeous bar.

Osaka

$$

The hillside-enclosed porch overlooking the center of town makes Osaka the most recognizable restaurant in Northampton, as well as one of the best dining spots. Whether you're in the mood for sushi, a bento box lunch, or a full hibachi dinner, Osaka serves up traditional Japanese favorites in a welcoming atmosphere.

7 Old South St., Northampton, MA, 01060, USA
413-587--9548
Known For
  • Kobe beef sushi
  • Entertaining hibachi chefs
  • Bento box lunches

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Osaka

$$

You can count on a cheerful greeting when you venture into this immaculate sushi bar and restaurant. The fish is super-fresh, the presentation artistic, and the sake assortment excellent. In addition to sushi, the menu covers teriyaki, tempura, and udon-noodle dishes. The place isn't large and it tends to fill up on weekends, but it is worth the wait. Nearby Tivoli is home to an Osaka branch.

22 Garden St., Rhinebeck, NY, 12572, USA
845-876–7338
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
Closed Tues.
Reservations not accepted

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Osaka

$$

This immaculate Japanese restaurant is popular with the college crowd as well as with the locals. It offers high-quality sushi, teriyaki, tempura, and noodle dishes. There's also an extensive assortment of sake. The meal always ends with a perfectly chilled orange.

74 Broadway, Tivoli, NY, 12583, USA
845-757–5055
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted
Closed Tues.
Reservations not accepted

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Osaké Steak and Sushi Bar

$$

Steaks served with three Japanese sauces sizzle on cast-iron platters in this centrally located sushi and steak house. Traditional tempura appetizers and sushi rolls join noodle bowls, fried rice, and curry on the varied menu. The dining options are just as eclectic, with a few casual tables and a sushi bar up front, a large table with pillow seating in the next room, and a formal dining room open for dinner only in the back. For lunch, try a filling bento box with soup, salad, appetizer, sushi, and entrée. 

137 E. 1st St., Salida, CO, 81201, USA
719-207–4645
Known For
  • Japanese-style steak
  • Historic building downtown
  • Lunch bento box

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Oscar's Café

$

Prepare for an active day with a filling breakfast, or reward yourself after a long hike with lunch or dinner at this welcoming Southwestern café with a big, inviting patio offering stunning mountain views. The pork verde breakfast burrito and huevos rancheros are hearty and delicious, and excellent lunch and dinner options include flame-broiled garlic burgers topped with provolone cheese and shrimp tacos with a creamy lime sauce.

Oseyo

$$ | East Austin

Korean for "please come in," this Korean restaurant has a chic, organic atmosphere complete with an inviting garden courtyard. Dinner menus include traditional and nontraditional dishes "inspired by mom's recipes," from bibimbap to the comforting kimchi bokkeumbap, alongside wood-grilled bulgogi and japchae. An expanded lunch, weekend brunch, and kids' menu is very accommodating for families.

1628 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, TX, 78702, USA
512-368–5700
Known For
  • Soju specials and rotating kimchi cocktails
  • Excellent desserts
  • Share-size portions great for groups
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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