9206 Best Restaurants in USA

Day or night, patrons pack this Vietnamese staple of the Chinatown neighborhood known for its steaming bowls of pho. A lengthy menu offers plenty of alternatives, vermicelli dishes, traditional Vietnamese preparations, and about 20 options for vegetarians. Booths and tables fill the dining area, making the most of its space, but despite the tight fit, service is exceptionally quick. Pho Pasteur's location borders the Theater District, so it's often a popular post-show spot for concert and theatergoers.

A little out of the way, this understated eatery serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine at wallet-pleasing prices. Whether you enjoy the eponymous made-from-scratch soups, fried dishes with meat, or plentiful vegetarian options, the menu has you covered.

This hole-in-the-wall storefront was the go-to spot for pho with all the trimmings long before hipsters and foodies found Chinatown. Many Vietnamese restaurants have since opened, and some have surpassed To Chau's quality—it's all in the broth—but eating habits die hard in this city.

An urban bodega merges with a Vietnamese noodle shop at this quirky corner store that’s won accolades for its fragrant chicken, beef, and vegan pho, based on a family recipe. In the grocery section, hard-to-find imported Thai chips and Japanese chocolates mingle with household essentials.

Traditional Middle Eastern cuisine is the specialty of this small restaurant just outside Utica. Stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh, and hummus with pita bread are among the appetizers. Kebabs of marinated and grilled lamb, pork, beef, and chicken are the most popular entrée. Also on the menu are kafta (skewered meatballs of finely ground beef and lamb), kibbi (raw, ground spiced lamb), stuffed cabbage, and several vegetarian dishes. A small patio offers outdoor dining.

This North Central Phoenix neighborhood eatery has amassed a loyal following over more than 25 years. From burgers to pasta, all of the quintessentially American fare served here is infused with a hint of the Southwest. For dinner, the short ribs can't be beat. At brunch, try the stacked green chile enchiladas---the egg on top means it's brunch. 

A speakeasy vibe is intentional at this spacious locals-love-it wine bar on the lower level of an iconic downtown building, with water-view seating tucked outside the back door. Pair wines from around the world with offerings like charcuterie and cheese boards and smoked salmon dip from the appetizer-ish menu featuring Maine-produced foods. The owner travels abroad off-season to select vintages, also sold in the shop upstairs, which has water-view tables for patrons; two vacation rentals are above the store.

The weekend bustle of this dim sum house can feel overwhelming, but Phoenix softens you up with second-floor picture-window views that frame the Loop skyline and an excellent food menu. Dim sum is the draw all day long on weekends, but don’t overlook the regular menu, which features an array of live seafood cooked how you like it.

This much-praised, popular Vietnamese restaurant offers over 200 dishes so that choosing a meal here can be difficult. Waiters steer diners to familiar tasty offerings like traditional pho, kung pao chicken, garlic-butter fried chicken wings, and fresh pork or shrimp spring rolls. For the adventurous, more exotic options abound, like the broken rice dishes, and bo luc lac, sizzling cubes of beef served with a chunk of butter melting on top. Families can build-their-own spring rolls with the oven-roasted whole catfish served with vegetables, dipping sauces, and rice paper. The large, relatively spare dining room gets packed, especially on weekends, but service is usually prompt, if sometimes curt, typical of almost all Convoy Street dining spots.

A Downtown Gulfport gem, this rustic Italian eatery serves up simple yet bold flavors in a setting the feels like a waterfront European getaway. The homey interior has plenty of space for gregarious family dinners, as well as cozy nooks and crannies for more romantic meals. There’s also a gorgeous outdoor terrace and inventive specials that change weekly.

Fresh homemade pasta served as the diner wants it is the mantra at this cozy Italian restaurant. Opt for indoor seating, which offers a charming, old-world feel, with warm lighting, wood beam ceilings, and exposed brick.

A longtime town favorite, Pianeta serves high-style Italian cuisine in a warmly lit, bilevel, redbrick space on Truckee's historic main drag. Start with a beef carpaccio antipasto plate or perhaps house-made spicy-fennel and mild sausages, following up with a pasta course of ravioli Bolognese (both pasta and sauce made in-house), an entrée of ragout with spicy sausage and Mexican prawns—or both.

Blocks from the beach in La Jolla Shores, this comfortably modern dining room and shaded patio hits all the right notes—affordable, polished, and family-friendly. From lunch to closing, it bustles with regulars from the neighborhood and visitors from around the world who are guided through the extensive Italian menu by the professional staff, some of whom have worked here for over three decades. Warm bread with spicy dipping sauce is hard to resist, but save room for favorites like grilled romaine hearts wrapped in crisp prosciutto, saffron shrimp pappardelle, and veal scaloppine with mushroom risotto cakes. Kids love their special menu, while parents relish the value-packed wine list with excellent selections by the glass.

Busy D'Angelo's is known for its standout house-made pastas; there are even gluten-free options. Another draw is the scene, especially in the side bar area, which hosts a lively cocktail hour in the contemporary trattoria space. The restaurant encompasses a bright, main room with hardwood floors and white tablecloths and an inviting heated garden patio in the back.

This is a relaxed yet elegant place, with white linen and votive candles on the tables and quaint old scenes of the motherland on the walls. Here you can enjoy delicious homemade ravioli, lasagna, and several veal dishes.

With a name that's short for Pizza and Ice Cream Company, Picco is perfect for both kids and kids at heart. This South End spot combines an upscale, trendy feel with an old-fashioned soda fountain and a changing list of homemade ice cream flavors that might include chocolate malt chip, prickly pear sorbet, and honey. When your appetite calls for more than just chilly sweets, dig into their pasta dishes, pizzas, and salads. Want to imbibe with your meal? There's a long rotating list of craft beers and a hefty wine list.

Intimate surroundings, white tablecloths set against a burgundy backdrop, and waiters clad in tuxedos make this a romantic spot, but it's not just couples who come to dine on the fine northern Italian fare served here. Handmade pastas are a specialty, and Caesar salad for two is made table-side. Linguine is tossed with tuna, capers, olives, and wine sauce; penne in spicy tomato-cream sauce gets a splash of vodka; and shrimp are sautéed with mushrooms and prosciutto in champagne and cream. The menu also includes chicken, steak, and veal preparations. The list of wines is extensive.

A CTA construction project forced the Pick Me Up out of its original Lakeview location, but its new digs preserve its quirky, neighborhood café charm. The thrift-store treasures hanging on the walls are as eclectic as the crowd that comes at all hours of the day to drink bottomless cups of coffee or dine on a largely (but not entirely) vegan menu of sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts. In addition to specialty coffee drinks and fun milkshakes, they also offer wine, beer, and cocktails. 

Most of the seats in this third-floor restaurant at the Adrift Hotel offer panoramic views of the dunes and the ocean beyond, making this a popular—though sometimes a bit crowded—place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in summer and on weekends. It's worth persevering for a reservation, though, as the creative renditions of classic beach fare are consistently excellent, from roasted mushroom-and-chèvre crepes and sticky salted-caramel buns in the morning to roasted half chicken with smoked-honey jus and charred-broccoli pizzas with roasted squash and smoked provolone later in the day.

Regulars come from beyond Schoodic Peninsula to this fun spot to order its namesake, a pickled protein-packed sea snail, though this “Down East delicacy” isn't always available. On the road that exits Acadia National Park’s Schoodic District, visitors stop here (opens at 12:30 pm) for fresh takes on traditional pub fare like burgers, wings, and pizzas (specialty or build your own); the restaurant's spacious, woodsy interior has a handsome bar, and there's an eating area out front.

Dark wood and antique beer steins create an old-time pub atmosphere here. A Duluth landmark since 1914, it was founded in 1888 as a tasting bar within Fitger Brewing Company and in 2010 its new owners completed an extensive renovation. Lunch and dinner menus feature a dozen sandwich choices, plus ethnic twists like jambalaya pasta, and plenty of salmon dishes, such as roasted-pear-and-seared-salmon salad. Nearby waters are highlighted with Lake Superior smoked whitefish piccata and pan-seared Lake Superior trout. Wine lovers will rejoice at 14 by-the-glass choices. Live music fills the pub on Friday and Saturday nights.

With its checkered tablecloths and farmhouse decor, you’ll feel as if you've stepped back in time at this adorable café and bakery on Dahlonega’s charming town square. The pastry case is filled with cakes, cookies, muffins, and other sweet treats. There’s always soup on, and the sandwich platters offer Southern classics like egg salad, pimento cheese, and peach chicken salad. Breakfast is quite popular here, too. 

Since 1963, this small and charming diner has done two things really well—pies and burgers. Most seats are counter-style, with a griddle searing up patties. Along with limited outdoor seating, there's also a smattering of tables for larger groups, where you can spy on the oversize cake and pie slices in the back. Burgers are on the simple side, but the pies range from banana and lemon meringue to apple and blackberry. It's the perfect way to end your day after a long trudge in the Huntington Gardens.

Crowds line up for tasty treats at this beloved year-round bakery, in business since 1982, which serves up a lot more than pie, though that is not to be missed. Sticky buns and scones fly out of the kitchen at breakfast, while daily soup specials, wraps, and salads are popular at lunch.

This breezy, red-toned pizzeria, located a quick jaunt from the main square, is the premier spot for an artisanal-style pie in San Marcos. They use all fresh ingredients and have a solid menu of specialty pies, plus salads, calzones, and meatball subs. They also feature unique vegetarian options, like the Tempeh of Doom (Italian-marinated tempeh, spinach, roasted red peppers, red onion, and black olives), and they can make any pie vegan-friendly.

The antithesis of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, Piece’s thin-crust pies mimic those made famous in New Haven, Connecticut. They’re somewhat free-form in shape and come in plain (tomato sauce, Parmesan, and garlic), white (olive oil, garlic, and mozzarella), or traditional red, with lots of topping options. Salads balance out the menu, while the award-winning house-brewed beers pair perfectly with the food.

Piedigrotta Bakery is ground zero for tiramisu. Owner/pastry chef Carminantonio Iannaccone is credited with inventing the dessert in Italy, and he brought it with him to Baltimore, making residents forever grateful. You will be, too, after one bite of his spongy confection, made with ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, espresso, and Marsala. Piedigrotta also serves sandwiches, pizza, and fresh loaves of Italian breads—all baked in-house.

With two tiers of outdoor dining decks, Pier 16 makes the most of Tybee's island sunshine. Cuisine is slightly elevated above standard beachside fare, but still includes staples like fish or shrimp tacos, crab-stuffed mushrooms, and various oyster preparations. If you're feeling ambitious, the fried and steamed seafood tower includes the best of shrimp, scallops, oyster, calamari, and other menu items and feeds three to four people.

Cold beer, Fernet on tap, semi-frequent live music and a prime waterfront setting keep this venerable Embarcadero standby humming on weekdays and weekends. Although you'd expect to sit elbow to elbow with fishermen, you're more likely to share the space with tourists and nearby office workers drawn by the no-frills cocktails, shrimp melts and cheeseburgers from the kitchen (skip the fried food here), and of course the prime vantage point for gazing across the bay.

For a meal on the waterfront, try Pier 6 in the Charlestown Navy Yard just steps from the USS Constitution, where you'll be treated to New England seafood coupled with outstanding harbor views. Plates are piled high with fried calamari, seared octopus, and lobster rolls, and the giant shellfish platter of local oysters, clams, shrimp, and lobster will draw all eyes to your table. Whether you're upstairs on the roof deck, outside on the large patio and bar, or in the dining room with floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, there isn't a bad seat in the place. Three seasons of the year, the mahogany bar on outdoor patio is packed during the evenings for cocktails (perhaps a Pier 6 Painkiller or a Knotty Nauti) with the after-work and singles crowd. Through the night, small pleasure crafts slowly approach the moorings as their captains hop out for a cocktail and a quick bite. Spring and summer brings a weekend boat shuttle (for $4) from various spots in East Boston including Tall Ship and Reelhouse.