9164 Best Restaurants in USA

Opened in 1956, the family-owned and -operated restaurant has retained a Happy Days feel. Place your order and the cashier yells it out amid the din. Burgers topped with Schaller's secret hot sauce are the most popular choice, followed by a Rochester specialty, white hot dogs, also known as "white hots" (sausage-size, natural-casing dogs made with pork, beef, and veal). The restaurant, west of Ontario Beach Park in the town of Greece, is particularly popular with the beach crowd. Take out on a sunny day or eat in the bright dining room.

The area's German roots may have you hankering for schnitzel, knockwurst, or a cold Oktoberfest beer. If so, head to Schmarkerl Stube. Waitresses dressed in traditional dirndls (recall those St. Pauli Girl beer commercials?) carry heaping plates of homemade sausages, veal and noodles, and sweet and sour beef with dumplings. The house favorite Knusperige Schweinshaxe (marinated pork shank with sauerkraut, apple-flavored red cabbage, and homemade Bavarian bread dumplings) must be ordered 24 hours in advance so that the pork has ample time to marinate. Intricate wood carvings and red-and-white checked tablecloths complete the theme.

Accordion players serenade and servers are decked out in Bavarian costumes at this popular two-level, beer hall–style restaurant in an 1880 brick building in German Village. Specialties include German pasta and their signature Bahama Mama—a giant bratwurst served with your choice of toppings, such as sauerkraut and mustard. Save room for large, overstuffed cream puffs.

A Wine Country–style establishment that sources ingredients from the on-site gardens and surrounding farms and orchards, this popular restaurant occupies a redbrick 1921 schoolhouse in the town of Sanger. Chef Ryan Jackson, who grew up on local fruit farms, creates seasonal menus from the bounty of familiar backyards, mostly filled with classic American dishes with a contemporary twist.

The food at this beachfront spot is far from fancy, but it’s good and fresh, the beer is cold, and sunsets are celebrated with a cannon blast. It's a good family place for lunch or an early dinner; kids can have burgers and play on the beach while Mom and Dad enjoy grown-up drinks and gumbo, steak, burgers, crab-stuffed shrimp, or fresh grouper.

If you don't mind zombies leering at you while you eat, then head to this enclosed faux drive-in, where you can sit in a booth that looks like a candy-color, 1950s convertible while watching clips from classics like Attack of the Fifty-Foot Woman and Teenagers from Outer Space. The menu includes a variety of burgers, from barbecue to classic, as well as pan-seared chicken pasta and chicken-salad sandwiches. End with a hot-fudge sundae or plant-based cookie shake.

Get your Italian cookie or cannoli fix at this landmark bakery, which has been in business since 1916. The place almost closed for good, but young new owners have puffed new energy into the place.

Homemade crepes and fresh-brewed coffee come second to the artisanal ice cream made with just a handful of ingredients. Even vegans can get their scoop on, with flavors like strawberry shortcake, cookie dough, and chocolate made with cashew milk, cocoa butter, organic carob beans, and other natural goodness.

Good drink specials, hot chicken, and chill karaoke characterize this sports bar and restaurant. There’s a rustic/modern dissonance here, with old-timey features like log-cabin-style booths and a cigarette vending machine (although smoking indoors is now banned) right next to more updated fixtures like pool tables, televisions, and a virtual golfing game. This is a great pick for sports fans especially, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a menu full of game-day essentials like burgers, wings, and nachos.

Since the late 1960s this has been a Wichita fine-dining institution, serving hearty comfort food in an elegant setting highlighted by red carpets and brass candelabras. Starters like escargot, oysters Rockefeller, and fried lobster strips set the tone for entrées that are more than run-of-the-mill steak-house fare: cuts of meat are sourced from within Wichita for dishes such as the highly acclaimed 14-ounce prime rib or lamb chops with mint jelly. The surf-and-turf special offers a choice of beef tenderloin or prime rib, with lobster tail or Alaskan king crab legs.

Share small plates, have a pub-style sandwich, or enjoy a full entrée at this iconic neighborhood tavern—there's something on the menu that will appeal to everyone; the Friday Night Prime Rib Special is a big draw. There's also a great selection of local craft beer and cider and a full wine list.

This longtime favorite turns out big plates of veal scaloppine, chicken piccata, and garlicky linguine with clams—straightforward Italian American food (and lots of it), served in an intimate dining room warmed by a crackling fire on many nights. There's an outdoor patio that's open in warm weather.

This splendid café offers a good selection of teas and organic coffee, as well as soups, wraps, pastries, and smoothies.

You have to take the road less traveled to find Sea Level, a haven for fresh seafood. The indoor-outdoor restaurant overlooks the ocean from sea level at Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, and its seasonal menu wows with daily specials and cocktails featuring ingredients from the chef's organic garden.

Whatever seafood you chose here, you’ll know exactly where it came from—just look up at the daily chalkboard to find out. Classic Maine coastal dining staples include lobster, crab, and clam rolls; fish and clam chowders; and baskets piled high with fried fish, clams, shrimp, and more. Entrées include a three-cheese lobster mac and cheese and baked stuffed haddock. Don’t worry —there are choices for non-seafoodies, too, including burgers, a fried chicken sandwich, and pan-roasted New York sirloin.

Set back from the street next to the water, this take-out place dishes out delectable made-to-order salads, sandwiches, and roll-ups, plus homemade soups and baked goods, much of it vegetarian or vegan. There are a few tables outside if you don't want to take away.

The initials in this open-air mall bistro's name stand for "Southeast Asian," reflecting the cuisines beyond Thailand's the chef prepares. Glass chandeliers of jellyfish and schools of fish glow softly above patrons who sit at dark-wood tables, the rectangular onyx bar, or on the patio, enjoying comfort food like spring rolls and "street fair" rice noodles with chicken, bacon, and vegetables before moving on to distinctively spiced entrées.

Don't let the strip-mall location put you off; this restaurant's seafood and locally sourced entrées stand out. Blue mood lighting, a glowing aquarium, and abstract art combine to give this restaurant more of a Miami Beach than Myrtle Beach feel. The VIP vibe begs a martini, and the extensive wine list includes flights and wines by the glass. Dine on dishes like shrimp and grits with crispy prosciutto, organic local chicken breast with whipped potatoes and French beans, or chocolate chili-dusted duck breast with roasted pineapple and habanero glaze. The swanky blue-tiled bar hops on Friday nights, and there's a patio for outdoor seating, albeit facing a parking lot.

This unassuming café set in a one-time bungalow is the island's go-to breakfast spot for omelets, biscuits, and piles of pancakes. Lunch and dinner offerings shift to an array of sandwich options, seafood entrées, and fried platters. It's kid-friendly and has a dine-outside deck, but come early if you don't want to wait for a table for brunch.

Here in one of the area's few places for "fine dining," the waiters are tuxedo-clad, the tablecloths crisp linen. The menu's offerings resemble those available on a luxury cruise ship. Rum buns begin the meal, where the highlights include enormous crab cakes and filet mignon topped with crabmeat and rich béarnaise sauce. Order one of the showy flambé desserts, which are prepared table-side. They also have an extensive children's menu.

With espresso drinks, drip coffee, tea, and a variety of baked goods, this minimalist coffee shop is a great place to enjoy breakfast or a light lunch. The back patio offers seating with a spectacular view of the harbor.

Locals think of this casual waterfront seafood market–eatery as a well-kept secret, but more patrons are making their way here for a pre- or postcruise treat. The market is connected to the restaurant, guaranteeing not only freshness but an array of choices. You don't just order a fish sandwich or plate of steamed shrimp; you choose from at least four varieties of fish (try the Golden Tile in season) and several varieties of shrimp (the Royal Reds may be the best you've ever tasted). Seating is alfresco, with views of the Port Canaveral waterway and passing cruise ships. Best for lunch or an early dinner; the restaurant closes at 7.

Most of the tables here are on a large patio within spitting distance of the water, though you can also enjoy quintessential views of working Bass Harbor through large windows in the cheery establishment's dining room and adjoining Tide Room. Lobster—served not only boiled with a choice of sides but in dishes such as baked seafood casserole—is purchased fresh off the boat from the lobsterman next door. Many folks eat at this family-owned and run restaurant before or after watching the sunset at nearby Bass Harbor Head Light in Acadia National Park. The lunch and dinner menus are available all day.

The culinary creations here may be free of animal products, but they're certainly not lacking in flavor, from the addictive lentil burger patty melt to a kimchi tempeh Reuben that hits all the right notes.

Putting sustainability at the fore, Seamore’s brings local, daily-changing fish and shellfish selections to Battery Park City. Expect a full menu of seafood favorites, from fish tacos, poke, and clam chowder to seared sesame tuna, scallop risotto, and “reel deal” grilled fish with a choice of sides and sauce. The bar stays busy with after-work patrons enjoying weekday happy hours on drinks and oysters. The dining room is spacious and channels an upscale fish-shack vibe, while warm weather and weekend brunch visits are prime times to enjoy the big outdoor terrace.

At this vegan and raw eatery just a few blocks north of Central Park, you won't be tempted to ask "Where's the beef?" Mother-and-son team Brenda and Aaron Beener take tasty comfort food staples and "veganize" them. For example, the raw lasagna consists of raw zucchini, spinach, cashew cheese, and marinara sauce; the barbecue riblets are a blend of lotus root and fermented soy; and the po'boy sandwich is made with fried yam or burdock root protein that mimics shrimp or crawfish, respectively.

It's hard to believe that a chain restaurant can offer healthful yet hearty and very flavorful food, but the innovative Seasons 52 does just that, with some of its menu changing weekly as well as seasonally. Nearly everyone orders the flatbread starters, and entrées might include wood-roasted, dry-rubbed pork chop with braised cabbage or caramelized grilled sea scallops with butternut squash and leek risotto, broccolini, and lemon butter. An impressive wine list with dozens of selections by the glass complements the menu. For dessert, indulgent classics like pecan or Key lime pie and carrot cake are served in petite portions. Although the cuisine is haute, the prices are modest—not bad for a snazzy, urbane bistro and wine bar. It has live music nightly to boot.

In addition to all kinds of traditional American fare, this inviting, country-style diner also serves unique dishes, such as medallions of Cervena elk, smothered in port wine, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts. Try the the Baileys Irish Cream cheesecake or the Grand Marnier crème brûlée for dessert.

Upbeat and elegant, Seasons's pleasing arches, soothing palette, and open-kitchen plan draw diners for business lunches and dinner dates; oenophiles revel in its well-chosen cellar. Wood-fueled grills and pastas dominate the seasonally changing roster of dishes with tangy sauces (Atlantic salmon might be complemented with a dill crème fraîche; a creole jus for Cajun chicken; pork tenderloin brightened by a fig-bourbon blend). Starters might include autumn squash griddle cakes with cherry chutney or beet tartare with crostini. The rooftop patio and bar offers specialty cocktails, lighter meals, and occasional live jazz.