9221 Best Restaurants in USA

This hip sidewalk café and bakery on the ground floor of a downtown St. George apartment building is a pleasing option for both decadent sweets—think passionfruit-coconut–glazed doughnuts and blood-orange tarts—and filling sandwiches on crusty house-baked breads. Notable drink options include brown sugar–cinnamon lattes and high-octane cold brews.

In a high-ceilinged former barn with plenty of outside seating, Farmstead revolves around an open kitchen whose chefs prepare meals with grass-fed beef and lamb, fruits and vegetables, and eggs, olive oil, wine, honey, and other ingredients from nearby Long Meadow Ranch. Entrées might include wood-grilled trout with fennel and bacon-mustard vinaigrette, caramelized beets with goat cheese and chimichurri, or a wood-grilled heritage pork chop with jalapeño grits.

Located on the boardwalk, this cozy family-run café serves up hearty helpings, as well as advice on local sightseeing. The weekend breakfast buffet includes nearly 50 items—including biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros casserole with house-made green chile sauce, and a wide selection of scones, pastries, and pies that are baked in-house.

Dallas celebrity chef Dean Fearing has been winning over new fans with his namesake restaurant in the Ritz-Carlton with three graciously designed rooms: friendly, bustling Dean's Kitchen, the more formal Gallery, and an airy glassed pavilion. Fearing's creations hint at his Southwestern roots, but rely more on his adventurous spirit and relationships with regional and global producers. The maple-marinated buffalo tenderloin is pleasantly sweet, nestled near jalapeño grits and a butternut squash taquito. Every plate reveals a similar layering of flavors, colors, and textures, such as cod atop hijiki rice, stacked with tempura-fried herbs and surrounded by a complex miso-clam broth. For dessert, butterscotch pudding and whipped cream are served next to hot apple fritters and a scoop of praline ice cream.

Cakey doughnuts are the star at this local-to-Philadelphia chain run by chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook of the celebrated CookNSolo restaurants. The menu includes both a "fancy" doughnut menu, which has daily and seasonal specials, and a hot doughnut menu with includes staples that are available throughout the year. In addition to doughnuts, the shop is also known for its Korean-style fried chicken and fried-chicken sandwich.

A bustling space with high ceilings, brick walls, and live music some evenings, this contemporary take on a traditional Jewish deli is in a cheerful neighborhood on the south edge of Sugar House. It's a must for classic dishes—in enormous portions—of Reuben sandwiches, blintzes with fruit compote, matzo ball soup, and everything bagels with smoked sockeye salmon and a schmear.

Beloved by the Bay since opening in 1922 (the creamery itself dates back to 1894) and featured in the Pixar film Up, this is the leading diner name locally for ice cream sundaes and good old-fashioned soda fountain fare. Kids of all ages adore the signature black-and-tan sundae with toasted almond and vanilla ice creams layered with caramel and chocolate sauces. Of course, there’s a cherry on top.

The mixologists at this verdant "bar-focused restaurant" whip up creative "garden-to-glass" cocktails meant for pairing with neo-comfort food whose ingredients, especially the produce, are primarily cultivated in west Sonoma County. "Umami bomb" mushrooms with sticky rice and the tofu with five-spice pistachio entice vegans and vegetarians at dinner, but with pork belly skewers, chicken wings to share, a smash burger, and pan-seared fish, there's plenty for carnivores and pescatarians.

Murals of tropical flowers and, of course, massive ferns decorate the softly lighted, sunny dining room of this superb restaurant in the heart of downtown Bellevue, which serves some of the best Thai food in greater Seattle. Specialties include Gai Tod Hat Yai, a deep-fried marinated half-chicken served with a panang curry dipping sauce and roti bread, and salmon grilled and served over a rich coconut curry sauce with eggplant and green beans. 

This popular creamery, located on a massive family-owned and -operated dairy farm since 1864, creates its own made-on-the-farm frozen desserts (that's ice cream!) daily. Choose from more than 30 "regular" flavors, like coffee almond fudge and maple walnut, and as many "special" flavors, like Caramalt and Sunset on the Peach (with a raspberry swirl).  This is not a nut-free facility.

Local favorite Fido is part of the Bongo Java family and has one of the coffee shop group's more extensive food menus. In addition to Fido's own take on the creatively made, ethically sourced espresso drinks found at other Bongo locations, the restaurant serves locally sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner; try the burger.

Spend an evening at this trendsetter for fresh-off-the-farm ingredients cooked with unfussy, flavorful finesse—the Food Is Good kitchen has produced two James Beard Best Chef: Southeast winners. The menu changes frequently, but the family-style vegetables might be as simple as young beets in sherry vinegar served in a plain white bowl. Main dishes get more complex: there's the must-have chicken liver pâté, slow-baked red porgy with Carolina Gold grits, and perfectly executed pan-roasted golden tilefish. The waitstaff is as inspired and informed as the masterpieces they serve.

Employing a team of world-class pastry chefs, including acclaimed owner and Food Network competitor Adalberto Diaz, this sumptuous little cake shop produces artful and delicious sweet treats. Stop by and treat yourself to a guava tart or a slice of raspberry chocolate cheesecake. There's an additional location in Salt Lake City International Airport.

Perched on a scenic hill overlooking Stonington Harbor, diners can watch lobster boats unload their daily haul and enjoy the sounds of seagulls and foghorns in the distance while dining on dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. The dining room has delightful atmosphere, but the alfresco space is especially enchanting. Chef Andrew Chappell whips up house specials such as rib-eye steak with garlic herb butter and blue cheese, and sea-centric wood-fired pizzas with scallops, applewood bacon, ricotta, and maple drizzle.

In an uncluttered, light-filled storefront space in Uptown, this hip neighborhood bistro opened by a husband-wife team with experience at some of New York City's and Seattle's top restaurants turns out some of the most flavorful locavore-driven cuisine on the peninsula. You might start with sunchoke soup with chives and truffle oil, before graduating to rabbit lasagna with sofrito and mustard greens, or seared scallops with romesco, cauliflower, and Meyer lemon.

There's often a wait for breakfast and lunch at this great little diner with pine paneling, hardwood floors, and an exposed-beam ceiling, but it's worth it. The pastries are made from scratch, the salmon is smoked in-house, the salsa is hand cut, and there's real maple syrup for the many types of pancakes and waffles.

A white-light-adorned oak tree in the center of the dining room sets a warm, wistful tone at this casual fine-dining gem. The menu features fresh seafood (including a sushi bar) and Southern feel-good staples, all creatively plated. Diners typically rave about the personalized service.

After a day of playing in the snow, Empire Canyon Lodge's Fireside Dining is the perfect way to warm up as you eat in the timber-framed lodge surrounded by several stone fireplaces. You'll feel like a medieval lord as you go from fireplace to fireplace to be served hearty fare like veal stew, elk, or a slice of perfectly roasted lamb cooked over a spit. Feast in old-European style for hours and savor the raclette cheese melted by the fire paired with bread and charcuterie with house-made pickles, basil jam, and fig mustard. Wrap up the night with a dessert fondue of green apples dipped in white chocolate sauce made with Grand Marnier.

Unsurprisingly, fish—specifically, fresh, sustainably caught fish—is the focus at this gleaming dockside fish house a mile north of downtown. Order at the counter and then grab a seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows or at a picnic table on the pier, overlooking the yachts and fishing boats. There are too many signature dishes to count here, and even the fish sticks on the kids menu follow the general theme as breaded and fried seasonal fish with homemade tartar sauce.

Seafood, spicy, and sharing plates are the key concepts at this convivial and colorful Thai restaurant, where the dishes aren't what you find on typical Thai restaurant menus. Order for the table and if you like spice, make sure to include the zabb (a Thai spice blend) wings to start and move on to the coconut crab curry, among other things.

Although everything served at this seafood shack and market beside Fish Beach is delicious and simply prepared, the crab roll—a large, split-top roll buttered and griddled and stuffed with fresh, sweet, mayo-tossed crabmeat—may just be the best on the Maine coast. Order at the window, carry your tray to a picnic table inches from the water, and lap up the view of lobster boats in the harbor. You can also have your order packed to go. 

Ask Bodega Bay residents where they go for super fresh, reasonably priced seafood, and many will suggest this order-at-the-counter shack with tented and uncovered outdoor dining areas. Boston clam chowder, seafood tacos, and fish-and-chips are the hands-down favorites, along with raw or cooked oysters, served for lunch and early dinner.

This cozy yet sophisticated restaurant put the Athens culinary scene on the map almost two decades ago with chef Hugh Acheson's inventive cuisine that blends European technique with down-home Southern cooking. Acheson, an Ottawa native, honed his culinary skills in classical French kitchens in Ontario and San Francisco before settling in Athens. His cooking has garnered numerous regional and national accolades, including a James Beard Award. Five and Ten’s seasonal menu draws from local sources and includes updated Southern classics such as pimento cheese with bacon marmalade; veal sweetbread with Red Mule grits custard and succotash; and Lowcountry Frogmore stew with shrimp, mussels and potatoes.

You know the offerings are good when the hours include a "or till sold out" proviso, and that's the case with this locally-owned bakery located just off 12th Avenue South. Pastries and cookies fill the cases, but the large, beautifully decorated gourmet donuts are what people talk about most (mini versions are also available).

The chef at this colorfully lighted, contemporary, Old Town restaurant applies Western European techniques to mostly locally sourced ingredients in dishes that might include a wood-fired steak slathered in sauce au poivre, fish with saffron rice, or a mushroom-laden meatless cassoulet. Many patrons start with a classic or specialty cocktail or one of the clever mocktails.

Drive to the end of Route 127 and relax in the breezes off Sheepscot Bay in the tiny fishing village of Five Islands, not too far from Reid State Park. This award-winning lobster shack overlooks at least five islands from its perch atop the working wharf, and you can watch lobstermen unload their traps onto the dock while you feast on fresh lobster rolls or a full lobster dinner and sample Maine-made ice cream. If you've got a big craving for lobster, order the Big Boy lobster roll, with double the amount of meat in a large roll. The “secret” to the famous tartar sauce is dill. This is a BYOB place, so bring a cooler with your preferred beverages, settle at a picnic table, and enjoy the sublime setting.

A lively strip of bars wouldn't be complete without a pizza joint, and Five Points Pizza fills that void in the Five Points neighborhood, slinging slices, pies, and brews to the crowds heading to nearby Duke's or The 5 Spot. For the late-night set, Five Points offers a walk-up window for ordering slices to go. The prosciutto and basil slice is a sure bet, as are the big greasy garlic knots.

This breakfast and lunch hot spot offers up nourishing dishes that look and taste like works of art. The restaurant manages to pull in flavors from all over the globe while using Utah-sourced ingredients with an Aussie twist, a nod to the owners' roots. Yes, they serve Vegemite on toast topped with ripe avocados, but also Moroccan baked eggs with goat curd and dukkah (a spicy mix of pepper, hazelnuts, coriander, sesame seeds, and cumin) as well as fried chicken with apple and jalapeño slaw. Breakfast is served all day. Their coffee is not to be missed and especially their outstanding iced coffee, served Aussie style (with ice cream).

A cheery, sometimes boisterous vibe prevails at this ode to Black cuisine and culture that former NBA star and past Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and his wife, Michelle, founded in a high-ceilinged, quasi-industrial space 3½ miles southeast of the Capitol. Expect heapin' helpings of soul food's greatest hits—gumbo, shrimp and grits, oxtails, and fried chicken, catfish, and pork chops among them—that you can pair with sides that include hush puppies, black-eyed peas, candied yams, and collard greens (with turkey necks).

Boulder's most opulent restaurant has formal service and thoughtfully prepared food, served in a sophisticated space with oversized windows and tables with crisp, white tablecloths. Executive chef Chris Royster has fresh fish flown in daily and is noted for the exquisite combinations of ingredients on his daily-changing menu, which might include Wagyu ravioli; Colorado lamb rack, loin, and shank; or Maine lobster soup. Choose between the four-course menu or multicourse chef's menu with optional wine pairings.