2095 Best Restaurants in USA

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We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

22 Bowen's Wine Bar & Grille

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

Excellent service, perfectly cooked steaks, and an extensive, award-winning wine list make dinner here a memorable experience. Although the restaurant is known for its steaks—and it's impossible to go wrong ordering one—you'll find plenty of choices if you're in the mood for something from the sea.

22 Bowen's Wharf, Newport, RI, 02840, USA
401-841–8884
Known For
  • Steaks, chops, and fresh local seafood
  • Choose one of eight sauces/butters to accompany your steak
  • Abundant gluten-free options

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2941 Restaurant

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

Soaring ceilings, a woodsy lakeside location, and a koi pond make this one of the most striking dining rooms in the area. Executive chef Bertrand Chemel's introduction to cooking began with an apprenticeship at a French bakery, and his flair for rising dough shows. The playful cuisine continually surprises with a five-course tasting menu that changes monthly. Diners can also order à la carte. 

2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church, VA, 22042, USA
703-270–1500
Known For
  • Romantic date-night dining
  • Gorgeous views
  • Elegant decor
Restaurant Details
No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon.

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2nd Ave Deli

$$$ | Upper East Side Fodor's Choice

The second generation operating this legendary, traditional kosher Jewish deli moved its enormous corned beef and pastrami sandwiches and buckets of pickles uptown from the original longtime location on 2nd Avenue in the East Village, keeping the name and the menu. That also includes "Jewish penicillin" (aka matzo ball soup), knishes, pastrami, blintzes, potato pancakes and more. Upstairs, 2nd Floor Bar & Essen is an upscale cocktail lounge that opens at 5 pm and has a limited bar menu that features unconditional bites, like pastrami deviled eggs. A deli-only location is in Midtown East.

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3030 Ocean

$$$$ | Beachfront Fodor's Choice

3030 Ocean's unpredictable menus are guided by award-winning chef Adrienne Grenier's perfectionist flair. Her interpretation of modern American seafood focuses on balancing complex flavors to enhance her fresh ingredients—without subtracting from their integrity. Although that may sound standard these days, she executes without fail. 3030 makes a colossal effort to source everything from Florida, and even South Florida, while it's in season. The menu is never static, but you can expect outstanding dishes like charred octopus, grilled black grouper, and sautéed Florida flounder in a stylish setting.

3030 Holiday Dr., Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33316, USA
954-765–3030
Known For
  • Ever-changing menu
  • Locally sourced seafood
  • Consistently good food
Restaurant Details
Reservations essential

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4 Rivers Smokehouse

$$ Fodor's Choice

What started as a tiny business in a former tire-repair shop has turned into a 15-location dynasty, with an urban farm and educational center. The popular 4 Rivers turns out slow-cooked barbecue standards like pulled pork and Texas-style brisket, as well as more unusual items such as bacon-wrapped smoked jalapeños, the Six Shooter with cheese grits, and a sausage-filled pastry called kolache. Old-time soft drinks such as Frostie Root Beer and Cheerwine are for sale, along with desserts like the Chocolate Awesomeness—an indulgent layering of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, Heath Bar, whipped cream, and chocolate and caramel sauces. Some branches have Sweet Shops that sell whole oversize cakes.

42nd Street Cafe and Bistro

$$ Fodor's Choice

Since the early '90s, this cheerful art-filled spot has been a go-to on the peninsula for celebrating special occasions and simply enjoying stellar comfort food with locally sourced ingredients. Consider kicking off your meal with goat cheese fondue or a half pound of Willapa Bay clams steamed in white wine, before graduating to flash-fried razor clams with seasonal vegetables, or ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms and topped with tomato sauce. Rich chocolate rum truffle cheesecake is a popular dessert.

4201 Pacific Hwy., Seaview, 98644, USA
360-642–2323
Known For
  • New Orleans–style beignets at breakfast
  • Exceptional Pacific Northwest wine list
  • House-made ice-cream flavors change monthly
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues.

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44 North Coffee

$$ Fodor's Choice

This place offers excellent (and equitably sourced) coffee and invites you to take a minute to have a conversation while you wait for your slow-pour brew to flow through a colorful, custom-built wooden drip bar. Grab a pastry supplied by a variety of local bakers—if there are any left when you arrive.

7 Main St., Deer Isle, ME, 04627, USA
207-348–5208
Known For
  • Great coffee
  • Pastries from Brooksville's Tinder Hearth Bakery
  • No Wi-Fi
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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49th State Brewing Company

$$$ Fodor's Choice

Top-notch craft beer and plenty of food options make the 49th State Brewing Company a must when passing through Healy. Committed to using local ingredients whenever possible, the kitchen turns out plenty of Alaska-grown dishes, the keystones being the Alaskan-raised yak burger and pork ribs. More than ten in-house beers are on tap to go along with the outdoor beer garden. Gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options are also available.

Parks Hwy., Healy, AK, 99743, USA
907-683–2739
Known For
  • Yak burger raised on a farm in southeast Alaska
  • Live music throughout the summer
  • Outdoor beer garden with beers brewed on-site
Restaurant Details
Closed mid-Sept.–late Apr.

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501 Prime

$$$$ Fodor's Choice
Serving USDA Prime steaks cooked to perfection and delectable seafood entrées, this stylish restaurant is warm and romantic, with reclaimed wood throughout and private little dining nooks. Reservations are highly recommended.
215 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs, AR, 71901, USA
501-623–0202
Known For
  • Impeccable service
  • Attractive oyster bar
  • Casual upstairs Bourbon Bar with a huge whiskey selection
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.

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5th Street Steakhouse

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

Hand-cut steak is the star in this refurbished early 1900s building, the place to come when you're craving red meat, a huge baked potato, or some fresh seafood. Exposed redbrick walls warm the dining rooms, and a long mahogany bar catches the overflow crowds that jam the restaurant on weekends.

345 W. 5th St., Chico, CA, 95926, USA
530-891–6328
Known For
  • Alfresco dining on outdoor patio
  • Classic and specialty cocktails
  • Prime cuts of beef with white-tablecloth service
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No lunch Sat.–Thurs.

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808 on Main

$ Fodor's Choice

Delicious artisan sandwiches, classic burgers, and signature items make 808 on Main a local favorite. The pupus, cocktails, and draft beers will make you wish the place was open later (10–3 pm). Check out its counterpart, 808 Deli in Kihei, for breakfast, paninis, and gourmet hot dogs.

2051 Main St., Wailuku, HI, 96793, USA
808-242–1111
Known For
  • Refreshing house-made strawberry lemonade
  • Fun and friendly atmosphere
  • Tasty fish sandwiches
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. No dinner

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8th & Roast

$ | Waverly Fodor's Choice
The original location of this growing local coffee roaster serves ethically sourced coffee roasted in-house, plus seasonal treats, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch items. Lined with exposed brick, the bright space is industrial yet cozy, featuring seating for both individuals and larger groups.
2108 8th Ave. S, Nashville, TN, 37204, USA
615-730–8074
Known For
  • In-house coffee bean roasting
  • Slow-style pour-over coffee
  • Quick service

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A-Bay's Island Grill

$$ Fodor's Choice

Beachy yet upscale, this restaurant has an in-house beer sommelier who advises on the perfect pairing with your food choice, which can range from fresh catch, steak, burgers, and sandwiches to crab cakes and escargots. Many dishes incorporate Hawaiian touches. The sports bar offers a 24-tap digital beer tower and 10 TV screens. An innovative frost rail on the cocktail bar keeps your drinks cool. Patio seating outside offers additional dining options.

a.kitchen

$$$ | Rittenhouse Square Fodor's Choice

Smoke, coal, fire, and ash create a through line for the menu at a.kitchen, on the ground floor of the AKA Hotel. Attired in blond wood and Carrara marble, it looks like a spa in the Italian Alps, and its Rittenhouse address guarantees a scene, but chef Eli Collins has transformed it into a serious restaurant with an ace sommelier and a steak tartare that cannot be missed. The cocktail bar next door is also among the best in the city.

A.L.C. Italian Grocery

$ Fodor's Choice
Modeled after an old-school salumeria, and run by the grandson of Bensonhurst’s beloved Italian food importing and distribution business, D. Coluccio & Sons, this specialty grocery stocks everything from cheese, chocolate, salami, imported pasta, sauces, bread, and pizza dough to prepared foods and salads. The memorable Italian heroes and sandwiches include the Pork Ridge (with homemade porchetta, Italian Crucolo cheese, and the spicy, spreadable salami called 'nduja) and the vegetable and ricotta sandwich. There are a few tables up front, but the prime picnic territory of Shore Park is just a short walk away.

A.O.C.

$$$$ | West Hollywood Fodor's Choice

James Beard Award winner Suzanne Goin prepares innovative Mediterranean-inspired starters, shared plates, and entrées that pair nicely with her partner (and fellow James Beard Award winner) Caroline Styne's perfectly curated wine pairings. Try the Spanish fried chicken; wood-oven brioche with prosciutto, Gruyère cheese, and an egg; or arroz negro (black rice) with squid.

Abacá

$$$ | Fisherman's Wharf Fodor's Choice

Defeating the cliché that restaurants in hotels can't be citywide draws, chef Francis Ang's longtime Pinoy Heritage pop-up is thriving at its permanent home within the Kimpton Alton Hotel. Ang's exciting contemporary Filipino cooking has gained rave reviews from national publications and well-deserved awards. The chic space has a slight tropical edge to it and includes a small patio at the front and a bar reserved for those who can't score a reservation.

2700 Jones St., San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
415-486–0788
Known For
  • Lola's pork lumpia
  • Innovative desserts and terrific morning pastries
  • Cocktails that are as exciting as the food
Restaurant Details
No lunch weekdays

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Abbott's Lobster in the Rough

$$ Fodor's Choice

If you want some of the freshest lobster, crab, mussels, or clams on the half shell (there are also nonseafood options), head down to this unassuming seaside lobster shack in sleepy Noank, a few miles southwest of Mystic. Most seating is outdoors or on the dock, where the views of Noank Harbor are magnificent.

117 Pearl St., Mystic, CT, 06340, USA
860-536–7719
Known For
  • Fresh seafood by the seaside in the fresh air
  • Lobster dinner, lobster roll, lobster bisque---all delish
  • Perfect coastal atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Closed Columbus Day–Apr. and Mon.–Thurs. early May and Sept.

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ABC Kitchen

$$$ | Union Square Fodor's Choice

Much more than a shopping break, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurant is a love letter to greenmarket cuisine. Underneath the exposed concrete beams, a chic crowd devours fresh, flavorful appetizers like the roast carrot and avocado salad or pretzel-dusted calamari, and winning entrées that include pizzas, pastas, and hearty mains. The restaurant is committed to all the right causes—environmentalism, sustainability, supporting local farmers—all of which are announced in a near manifesto-length list on the back of the menu; thankfully, ABC Kitchen pulls it off without seeming patronizing or preachy.

Aberdeen Barn

$$$ Fodor's Choice

Saws, pitchforks, ox yokes, and the like hang on the barn walls, but the wood tables are lacquered, and the napkins are linen. Specialties include slow-roasted prime rib; baby-back Danish pork ribs barbecued with a sauce of peach preserves and Southern Comfort; and shrimp Dijon. An ample wine list offers a wide variety of domestic and imported choices. After dinner try one their specialty coffees including Tennessee Mud with Jack Daniels or Franciscan Coffee. A children's menu is available.

Acadia

$$$$ | South Loop Fodor's Choice
The Northeast coast makes a splash in the South Loop with this elegant enclave, where dishes are fresh, inventive, and often have a rather modernist touch. The seven-course tasting menu showcases the chef's culinary talents, and Acadia is unique in that its bar menu also has its own set of upscale bites, like Maine lobster rolls and a popular cheeseburger.
1639 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL, 60616, USA
312-360--9500
Known For
  • <PRO>bar tasting menu</PRO>
  • <PRO>great wine list</PRO>
  • <PRO>standout art in dining room</PRO>
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch

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Acquerello

$$$$ | Polk Gulch Fodor's Choice

Chef and co-owner Suzette Gresham has elicited swoons for more than 30 years with high-end but soulful Italian cooking that is worth every penny. Her cuttlefish "tagliatelle" is a star of the menu, which features both classic and cutting-edge dishes. Dinners are prix fixe, with three, four, or five courses and several choices within each course. Co-owner Giancarlo Paterlini oversees the service, and his son Gianpaolo presides over the roughly 2,000-bottle list of Italian wines. The room, in a former chapel, with a vaulted ceiling and terra-cotta and pale-ocher palette, is refined but never stuffy.

1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA, 94109, USA
415-567–5432
Known For
  • Sensational prix-fixe dining
  • City's premier Italian cheese selection
  • Extensive Italian wine list
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
Reservations essential

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ACRU

$$$$ | Greenwich Village Fodor's Choice

After a few years in the kitchen at highly acclaimed Korean restaurant Atomix, chef Daniel Garwood fuses culinary nostalgia from his native Australia with inspiration and ingredients from Korea and Scandinavia at this narrow, charming, 47-seat restaurant. Garwood cooks up an à la carte menu and a reasonably priced tasting menu that is both elevated and accessible at the same time. Ambrose Chiang, another Aussie and formerly at Momofuku Ko, has curated a short, but excellent wine list from small winemakers around the globe.

79 MacDougtal St., New York, NY, 10012, USA
646-861–3154
Known For
  • Affordable tasting menu
  • Cheeky dishes
  • Excellent cocktails
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues. No lunch

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Adda

$$ | Long Island City Fodor's Choice

With Indian dance music on the speakers and tabloid pages papering the walls, Adda broadcasts a hip, fun vibe, though the trendy decor almost steals the show from what comes to the table: authentic Bombay-style dishes packed with freshly ground spices that draw inspiration from Grandma's cookbook and Mumbai street-style fare. The Chacha’s lamb chops, marinated with garam masala spices and grilled to perfection in the clay oven are a must-try, as well as the flavorful halka phulka (snacks) like dahi batata puri, a delicately fried puff pastry meant to be eaten in one bite and filled with yogurt, chutneys, and baby potatoes. The garlic naan and black dal are noteworthy as sides, but for something totally different, try the bheja fry (goat brains in a thick, vibrant chili sauce with ginger and red onion).

31--31 Thomson Ave., Queens, NY, 11101, USA
718-433–3888
Known For
  • Exquisitely spiced food
  • Authentic dishes
  • Shareable plates
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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Addie Camp

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

With an unusual setting inside a 1913 railroad car, this superb farm-to-table eatery is the hippest place to eat in the area. It's part of Whistle Hill, a respected local company that also has a railcar coffeehouse, a gift shop, an art gallery, a hydroponic farm, and a Tesla car charging station. The kitchen uses a lot of locally sourced produces and meats in dishes goat cheese balls with blueberry-apricot chutney and hot honey–glazed salmon with rice noodles, veggies, and a sesame-ginger sauce.

Addison

$$$$ Fodor's Choice

Nothing comes remotely close to the poetic culinary experience of this AAA 5-Diamond, three-star Michelin restaurant by acclaimed chef William Bradley, who serves haute French flavors in his 10-course prix-fixe dinners. Like a ballet, servers present elegant dishes showcasing a mélange of textures and flavors that celebrate California and French gastronomy. Although the menu changes seasonally, count on impressive presentation and a first-class dining experience that may integrate black truffles, Kampachi sashimi, Cantonese quail, or Regiis Ova caviar with smoked sabayon. Beyond the swanky bar and wine cave is a sophisticated dining room with white linens and arched windows, yet the environment is relaxed, approachable, and far from pretentious. Addison delights wine lovers with more than 3,500 varietals from around the world.

5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Del Mar, CA, 92130, USA
858-314–1900
Known For
  • Decadent tasting menus
  • Impeccable service
  • Southern California’s first and only three-star Michelin restaurant
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
Reservations essential

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Adele's

$$$ | The Gulch Fodor's Choice
Fresh, open, airy, and never too buttoned-up, Adele's is a favorite for business lunches and date-night dinners alike. This high-end Southern eatery was an early part of the neighborhood's revitalization, and James Beard–winning chef Jonathan Waxman continues to dazzle with his accessible but polished cuisine.

Afuri Ramen

$$ Fodor's Choice

Acclaimed Japanese ramen chain Afuri decided to open an outpost in the United States in 2016, choosing this modern, high-ceilinged dining room in food-obsessed Portland in part because the exacting culinary team appreciated the city's pristine, glacially fed water supply, which plays a significant part in the steaming, savory portions of yuzu shio (with chicken broth, yuzu citrus, shimeji mushrooms, seasoned egg, chashu, endive, and nori), one of a half dozen deeply satisfying ramen bowls. The kitchen also turns out flavorful skewers of shishito peppers and chicken thighs, pork dumplings, sushi, and other izakaya-style fare, all of it consistently exceptional.

923 S.E. 7th Ave., OR, 97214, USA
503-468–5001
Known For
  • Authentic Japanese ramen
  • Meat and veggie skewers
  • Flights of premium sake

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Aggie Ice Cream

$ Fodor's Choice

The pride and joy of Utah State University dairy students, this historic ice-cream shop on campus has been making ice cream "from cow to cone" for 100 years. The luscious creations use milk from cows that live on USU's farm and a recipe and production process that's been perfected over the last century. Savor a scoop or two of lemon custard, blue mint, praline pecan, or huckleberry to fully grasp what all the fuss is about.

Agnes' Portuguese Bake Shop

$ Fodor's Choice

This food truck in the Manuhealii parking lot serves delicious, made-to-order malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) that are crispy and dark brown on the outside and soft, chewy, and sweet on the inside. They're also denser than those found at some other bakeries on the island. This means that they're probably more authentic to the original Portuguese recipe.