9164 Best Restaurants in USA

This cozy German restaurant at the edge of Northport village is known for its sauerbraten and seafood. Candles and fresh flowers adorn the dining room, and there's often live music on the weekends.

Billed as the southernmost bakery in the United States, this is a good spot to grab a snack or lunch. Hawaiian sweetbread is the specialty here. Local-style plate lunches and sandwiches on the bakeshop's sweetbread buns go well with Kau coffee, which has earned a reputation for excellence that rivals Kona coffee.

As the first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant and wine bar in the whole country, chef Tara Punzone makes you believe her Caprese has real mozzarella, her meatballs come from cows, and her cacio e pepe is filled with dairy. The food is exceptional, the atmosphere screams New York, and the best part is that no animals were harmed for any of it.

Plenty of purple-hue touches—velvet upholstered booths, hand-painted scrims, and Western murals—brighten the 1898 brick building that was once the local telegraph office. "Fancy cowboy" cuisine includes such dishes as grilled veal meat loaf with poblano peppers and pine nuts or the lime-grilled black tiger shrimp. In summer, eat on the back deck under the charming bistro lights.

The wood-fired pizza oven blazing away on the sidewalk turns out this café's handmade pies, but the lunch and dinner fare extends beyond them to pan-seared fish, a tri-tip sandwich, and fresh salads with ingredients from a local farm. The brick-walled dining room has been a farmers' hangout for breakfast (you name it) for decades.

Owned by a team of young Venezuelans, the vibrant Puyero offers a fun fast-casual take on their country’s cuisine. The main focus is crispy cornmeal arepas filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, and veggies; they also offer patacones (fried plantain sandwiches), cachacas (thinner cornmeal pancakes), and rotating specials.

Just as sneakerheads line up for hot releases, doughnutheads stake their places on the sidewalk outside this one-of-a-kind shop to try limited-edition flavors like S’mores or Chocolate Churro. There are filled and old-fashioned-style donuts to sample, but the stars of the monthly changing lineup are the light and fluffy, oversized brioche dough orbs. Go early because sellouts are a regularity.

The perfect setting for a relaxed dinner or an intimate special occasion, this tastefully refined, light-filled East Village restaurant emphasizes rustic cooking from all over Greece. There are delicious versions of hearty comfort-food dishes like pastitsio and moussaka on the menu, but the lighter dishes—especially the fish options—let the flavors shine through. The extensive selection of interesting hot and cold mezes is a great place to start exploring. Accompany your meal with some vino from the all-Greek list; the light white Atlantis wine from the island of Santorini is enjoyable and affordable.

This coffee shop doubles as a retail shop, with espresso drinks, smoothies, shakes, and fresh baked goods, along with crafts and souvenirs.

For a more upscale Chinatown experience, look no farther than this outpost with a full cocktail menu, extensive sushi bar, and addictive Mongolian-style hot pot menu. Rich, robust broths served with a fleet of herbs, chilis, and ginger for further seasoning to taste can be ordered with vegetables, seafood, meats, and/or noodles that you cook at the table. In addition to sushi, the menu features classic Chinese dishes.

Tourists and local loyalists mingle at this restaurant whose perpetually in-motion chefs fry, barbecue, and smoke their way through a Southern-tinged menu that also includes Italian chicken soup and vinegar chicken. The baby back ribs, fried-chicken sandwich, cheddar-cheese burger, wedge salad, deviled eggs, and fried pickles score high with patrons, who somehow make room for the Q lime pie, brown-butter chocolate brownie, and other desserts.

Handmade dumplings are the specialty at this sleek, modern restaurant. Order them fried or steamed, packed with fillings like lamb and coriander, lobster, pork and cabbage, and many more.

Handsome and hearty, this steak house was inspired by classic New York City butcher shops in its use of stainless steel, white marble, and prime cuts. Start at the bar for a Negroni, classic martini, or other splendid cocktail, then retire to the dining room for excellent seafood and sophisticated riffs on classics like filet mignon and prime rib. The grilled bacon, peanut butter, and jalapeño starter is a must for any first-timer. The wine list emphasizes the big, bold reds that perfectly accompany succulent steaks, and the bar also pours a few tasty "mocktails."

Serving the landlocked city's freshest seafood (fresh off the plane, if not the boat), this combination seafood market and casual eatery traces its history back to 1938 and has been at its Airport Boulevard address—on one of Austin’s major commercial arteries—since 1970. Prices are low, preparation is straightforward, and blackboard specials include regional and Cajun favorites like gumbo and bacon-wrapped scallops. The oyster bar serves up po'boys, steamed mussels, seafood tacos, and platters with catfish, cod, salmon, shrimp, or rainbow trout. A full lunch menu is offered, along with beer and wines by the glass.

Though the Four Seasons Hotel is sort of fussy and dated, its in-house restaurant is a sleek, lively set of smartly designed dining rooms with inspiring food. Quattro—its name representing the four "faces" of the restaurant—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the antipasto bar—focuses on popular American-Italian dining that's fresh, simple and seasonal. The wine list includes 25 wines by the glass, 250 bottle selections, and a private cellar selection of reserve and boutique wines. It's frequented by lots of political types, pampered travelers, birthday boys and girls, and theater-goers. From maitre d' to server, attention to your enjoyment is given unobtrusively and plentifully.

When the pizzaiolo (certified pizza maker noted by the Napoli Pizza Council) is from Naples and he works on a hand-built brick Marra Forni pizza oven, chances are he's churning out some authentic Neapolitan pizza. Toppings stay simple, with four cheese, margarita, or prosciutto, while creative combos also keep the customers coming back. Not a fan of the red sauce? Try any of their five white pizzas, including sausage and broccoli rabe and figs, arugula and goat cheese. While it's known for its piping hot pies, this lively also serves Italian classics such as chicken parm, cacciatore, and caprese ravioli, along with unique dishes like shrimp limoncello and Italian squash blossoms.

The elevated Mexican cuisine, margaritas, mariachi, and Talavera pottery may transport you to central Mexico before you dip that first chip into homemade guacamole. Pull up a colorful barstool and watch Julian go by from a wraparound porch where street tacos, enchiladas, and organic carne served in a stone molcajete come out sizzling hot. The spiked horchata with rum is like a milkshake for grown-ups. Note that this small restaurant closes by 8 pm. 

Quick and sleek, this bubble tea and banh mi shop makes it easy to pop in for a customized beverage or flavorful sandwich. The screen menu shows the extensive tea and coffee options, including pink salt cheese crema. The food menu also includes vermicelli bowls, pho, and a few small bites if you're sticking around at the indoor tables or the parking lot patio.

Don't pass up the sweet and savory crepes, named for Charleston's islands and neighborhoods, at this venerable neighborhood institution that also serves pressed breakfast and lunch sandwiches, smoothies, cold brew, and craft beer. The art-filled space doubles as a wine shop—pick up a bottle on the way to a picnic at nearby Colonial Lake.

Moab's bright-yellow gourmet food truck is permanently parked in the heart of town, where it offers a shaded spot under water-misters to dig into its extremely thick and tasty meat and veggie quesadillas. Not strictly Mexican or Southwestern, the food here is more of an inventive fusion with nontraditional ingredients, and the menu even includes a vegan option or two. The line can be long, and once you take your first bite, you'll know why. Truck closes at 5 pm, so it's perfect for lunch, a heavy snack, or early dinner. 

This bodega, breakfast taco counter, deli grab-and-go, and local beer bar is an essential east-side destination for locals and tourists alike. It’s a trusty spot (open early till midnight) that’s perfect for a quick-pick, whether it’s a loaded breakfast bagel sandwich or a six-pack of Austin-brewed beer. Indoor and outdoor patio seating available.

The menu here aspires to show Latin American food is more than just tacos. In fact, there’s not a taco in sight; instead, choose from over a dozen empanadas, a handful of tamales, and entrées such as Peruvian-style sirloin stir-fry, or sandwiches that reflect the range of available flavors, including Cuban, Argentinian, and Mexican. The vibe is casual, with an exposed-brick dining room and counter service.

This isn't your average taco shop. The Oaxacan-inspired menu by chef José Cepeda uses traditional ingredients and spins them on their heads to create dishes like the popular crab corn doughnut and crispy duck carnitas served with his famous black mole. The atmosphere is moody, the drinks are strong, and the guacamole is worth every penny.

Salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab is a delicious draw at this bright, three-level Cantonese eatery that always has a packed crowd for its crustacean specialties—crab portions can easily be split for three—and dim sum. A menu with photographs will help you sort through other Hong Kong specialties, including Peking duck and shrimp-stuffed bean curd. Much of the seafood is fresh from the tank.