9164 Best Restaurants in USA

The name implies fish, and that's what you'll find at this modern temple to seafood, the brainchild of nearby Cochon proprietors Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski. In addition to an airy, modern space enhanced by exposed beams and a wood-burning grill, the dining room has a fascinating history: the building was a former mortuary that claims to have embalmed Confederate president Jefferson Davis. If that doesn't give you something to talk about, the crowd-satisfying fare will: there's head-on, coal fire grilled whole fish; smothered catfish with pickled greens; and excellent nonfish options. The small plates offer inventive options such as spicy ground shrimp with noodles, a raw bar menu featuring the best of local oysters, and an excellent seafood salad.

It's not every day in the Smokies you walk past an 80-foot-high redwood tree to eat at a riverfront steak house comprising five historic log cabins. And it's probably just as unusual to have your steak brought table-side and custom cut before being sizzled over Tennessee hickory charcoal while you graze on hot homemade bread and items from the salad bar. Chicken, shrimp, salmon, and fresh boneless English mountain trout are also on the menu, along with desserts like hot blackberry cobbler or Peddler's version of strawberry shortcake.

This inviting, art-filled restaurant at the Flagstone Inn has one of the only all-vegetarian menus in southern Utah, but even avowed carnivores have been known to rave about the green chile–and–Swiss cheese Impossible burgers and the inventive pizzas—including the "hot mess," with vegan Italian sausage, chèvre, shishito and serrano peppers, and a bourbon sauce. There's an impressive selection of craft beers and ciders.

This upmarket neighborhood bistro and wine bar in a vintage former hotel anchors the up-and-coming Railroad District, on the north side of downtown, just a few blocks from Main Street and the Shakespeare theaters. Regulars appreciate the well-crafted cocktails and thoughtful wine list as much as the consistently tasty locally sourced American food, such as fig-and-horseradish salad with apples and blue cheese and grilled lamb T-bone with apricot-glazed carrots and avocado-yogurt sauce.

Prepare for long lines during the summertime at this local favorite. Dig into seafood favorites at one of three dining areas—indoors, outdoors on the covered deck, or at picnic tables downstairs, near the wryly named Under Where Bar, which often has live music. Note: If you do choose to sit downstairs (near the playground, a perk for parents) no grilled dishes are available. Luckily for you, the fried shrimp and fish are some of the best around.

Pegasus is a Bainbridge Island fixture with all the best coffeehouse characteristics: a crackling fire, cozy seating, fresh java, and a clientele of artsy locals. The charming ivy-covered brick building is the original location for longtime roaster Pegasus, which is sold all over the region.

Specialties such as pastitsio (Greek-style lasagna) and avgolemono (chicken-lemon soup) are prepared in a huge open kitchen at this Greek tavern. You'll also find American classics like Caesar salad and sandwiches.

Checkerboard floors and life-size versions of Elvis and Betty Boop greet you at this funky '50s coffee shop and pizza parlor. It's the oldest diner on Highway 15, and the fare is basic American—fries, onion rings, burgers, pork chops—with some fun surprises such as deep-fried dill pickles. If you're heading to nearby Calico Ghost Town, it's worth a stop to grab a milkshake or shop for souvenirs and sweets in the five-and-dime store.

Tucked away in a K-Mart–anchored shopping center, this reasonably priced, large Chinese restaurant with a Mongolian grill is a real treat. The daily buffet offers both stick-to-your-ribs Chinese and Mongolian dishes. At the grill, choose the ingredients you want in your entrée, and watch the cooks prepare it in front of you. If your children don't like Chinese food, there is a children's menu that includes pizza. Peking is a great value for money and a favorite with locals. The Greene shopping center location is just outside the historic district.

Small and colorful, Pele's is a deli and restaurant all in one. For lunch, it serves sandwiches and daily hot specials to satisfy hearty appetites, and at night, it's transformed into a busy bistro, with an intimate back-room bar where entertainers often drop in for impromptu jam sessions.

Sassy New York flourishes permeate the menu of chef Richard Hughes's smartly decorated, eminently comfortable restaurant in the heart of the French Quarter, but there's still evidence of Hughes's Louisiana origins. The Maine lobster with shrimp and diver scallops is decadent, while the rack of lamb with rosemary-pesto crust is almost a spiritual experience. There is even a children's menu for budding gourmets.

Situated between some of the city’s best music venues, this lively joint has reasonably priced Tex-Mex standards you can enjoy on the oak tree-shaded patio. Or just indulge in the drink menu full of house margaritas, specialty cocktails, and premium tequila flights.

The Pembroke at the Dupont Circle Hotel is one of the most beautifully designed D.C. hotel restaurants, and it's not unusual to see an influencer posing in the newly renovated space. A wraparound porch allows for tons of natural light, and a coral leather booth is the perfect place to be seen while eating a colorful salad, hearty steak, or delicate seafood dish from the American-focused menu.

This fine-dining stalwart melds Lowcountry produce and seafood into traditional but inspired dishes, at once eyeing the past and the future. The dining room fixtures (walls covered in olive-green velvet and 18th-century-style portraits, with wrought-iron chandeliers on the ceiling) serve as an excellent backdrop for Angus steaks, jumbo sea scallops, and Berkshire pork chops. A permanent tent allows for courtyard dining, rain or shine. Finish your meal with the decadent coconut cake that helped put Peninsula on the map. The servers are pros; the personable sommelier makes wine selections that truly complement your meal, anything from bubbly to clarets and dessert wines.

This small place packs a powerhouse of a menu with reasonably priced pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. As the restaurant's name suggests, several dishes feature penne, and portions tend to be generous enough so that two people can easily split a salad and entrée and leave completely sated.

The neighborhood's not fancy, and neither is this restaurant, but in a town with a lot of gringo-ized south-of-the-border fare, this is the real friendly, real deal. Tacos rancheros—spicy, shredded pork lathered with aromatic adobo paste—are a dream, as are the green-corn tamales and Monterrey tacos filled with imported machacado (air-dried beef). The chiles rellenos may be the best in the state. All are perfect with a margarita from the full bar. Don't leave without trying the sensational mole.

The exterior isn't much, but once inside you're given the chance to sample some serious local heat. This is Hatch, after all, and if you're game, you can tuck into some tasty authentic Mexican and New Mexican fare—enchiladas, rellenos, chilaquiles—here, produced with chiles grown in the area. Not every dish will light your lips on fire—just ask the helpful staff for suggestions tailored to your penchant for heat.

Filling pizzas, pastas, and steak and fish dishes make this clubby-looking restaurant a fine choice after a long day of skiing in winter or hiking in summer. Start with the signature New England clam chowder (bacon bits add a smoky touch), and follow it up with a salad with the zesty house Peppercorn Ranch dressing before moving on to a flat-iron steak. Other top selections include rack of lamb, surf n' turf, and pasta with shrimp and pasta. 

This mainstay of Hartford's restaurant scene (beginning in 1898) presents contemporary "farm-to-chef" Italian cuisine in a lively but cozy setting. Enjoy homemade potato gnocchi, ravioli al'arancia (orange), slow-roasted osso buco, or a simply grilled veal chop—but save room for the warm Valrhona chocolate cake or homemade gelato or sorbet.

This cheerful, white-walled storefront serves traditional dishes from Mexico and Latin America, with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Excellent red and green salsas are made throughout the day, and there's a large selection of beers, along with fresh lime margaritas.

From the idyllic vitello tonnato (slow-roasted veal with tuna sauce) to the pappardelle with short rib ragù, California Street's longtime power dining favorite's menu is a delectable paean to northern Italy. With a long marble bar and open kitchen, the brick-lined, ultra-polished space oozes big-city charm, attracting business types and Italian food aficionados alike to the FiDi well after evening rush hour ends.

Roasted aromas, fresh-baked pastries, and industrial vibes abound for hard-core coffee folk who can watch beans being bagged and sent out to international destinations.

Built on top of an old glacier moraine, the Perch offers dining in a more removed and relaxed setting than elsewhere in the area. Steak and seafood make up the menu—local ingredients are used when possible—although gluten-free and vegetarian options are also available. Home-cooked breads and desserts make this a worthwhile stop as you head to or leave the park. There are also 20 cabins available on the premises starting at $125 per night.

Chef-owner Lou Boquila brings his modern interpretations of Philippine cuisine to South Philly with this romantic BYOB. Wednesday to Sunday, Boquila creates the popular kamayan dinner (a Filipino style of communal eating without plates or utensils), which features loads of delicious food presented to the table on banana-leaf placemats. You’re not only allowed, but encouraged, to eat with your hands.

Seafood, service, and panache are pretty as a pearl at this homage to New England yacht clubs. One of Austin’s original high-end patio destinations still delivers the city’s best fish, punched up with Texas style and zing. Case in point, the Crab Louie served as luscious lumps of crabmeat piled upon crunchy fried green tomatoes and served with lemony aioli. Market fish selections are ordered to preference and served with spicy garlic-herb salsa verde, house tartar, or red chimichurri sauce. Sit at the cold bar and watch the expert oyster shuckers at work. At night and weekend brunch hours, the patio is ideal for South Congress people-watching with a tropical cocktail in hand.

Chef-owner Steve Dowe explains that the name of his restaurant is a play on words and relates to the monumental brasses that hang majestically on the walls of this romantic spot about a block from the Galena River. Making brass rubbings—and teaching others the craft—has been a longtime hobby of the native English man and his wife Renee. Another side love? Making his own organic spice mixes. Dowe has used the blends in his recipes for nearly 45 years and is now bottling six varieties under the name AcroAma Inc. But you'll be happy you left the cooking to chef Dowe when you taste his spot-on petite beef tenderloin, paired with quail; or grilled lamb with homemade lamb sausage; or his sautéed Gulf shrimp with olives in a Provencale sauce. Top it all off with the signature chocolate cup dessert: a bowl of solid Swiss chocolate filled with creamy dark and milk chocolate ganaches.

New Bern's only waterfront restaurant doesn't rely on geography to impress—the craft cocktails, seared scallops, and entrées like salmon and local littleneck clams over angel-hair pasta simply taste even better when you're seated directly over the water.

Mountain-Mexican fusion—fine Mexican cuisine with a Rocky Mountain flair—includes handmade tacos, enchiladas, fresh seafood, and a fresh salsa bar. In the summer, enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine on the patio with stunning mountain views.

This old-fashioned greasy-spoon diner specializes in Greek food, huge pancakes, and spicy huevos rancheros. It's a short drive from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and it's often packed, particularly on Sunday mornings.