184 Best Restaurants in USA

Business executives and bohemians alike make their way to Mert's, an old-school gem that hides out under one of the city's many nondescript office buildings. Owners James and Reneé Bazzelle serve large portions of soul food and Lowcountry and Gullah staples, like fried chicken with greens, mac and cheese, and red beans and rice. Buckwheat and sweet-potato pancakes draw a weekend brunch crowd.

Pronounced “oh-la-may,” this upscale twist on traditional Southern cuisine has been turning heads and receiving critical acclaim since 2014. Occupying a renovated cottage on downtown's northern edge, Olamaie offers a blend of classic dishes that evoke a sense of tradition—like creamed broccoli greens and skillet cornbread—and innovative options including blue crab topped with corn pudding mousse and popped sorghum grains. Seasonal offerings change frequently, but a beloved mainstay is the house-made biscuits, a signature accoutrement made even sweeter with honey butter and pimento cheese spreads.

Located in a century-old farmhouse with a rusty metal roof, in an old apple orchard, the Orchard's short but sweet menu highlights local produce and trout, plus seafood and steaks. The decor is comfortable rather than fancy, with a few kitschy Southern touches.

Most Nashville hot chicken joints are smaller grab-and-go affairs, but this spacious sports bar provides table service and a full bar. Heat levels on these hot chicken dishes—you can find just about everything from a half bird to tacos to salads—range from mild to the scary spicy "Poultrygeist." All-day happy hour takes place on Tuesday and Sunday.

Local foodies rejoiced when James Beard–nominated chef Brian Whittington brought his eclectic Southern cuisine to a city thin on upscale dining. As you dig into fresh fish with crawfish étouffée or the Cheshire pork chop (many have declared it the best they've ever eaten), delight in the fact that this charmingly "preserved" Victorian home once belonged to Thomas Jefferson's great-granddaughter, Maria Jefferson Shine. Start with the charcuterie board, which is highlighted by homemade pâté served in a Mason jar. Reservations are highly recommended.

Top Chef finalist and James Beard Award nominee Lindsay Autry debuted her own Southern-inspired American cuisine in The Square to the acclaim of local critics. The menu of updated comfort food includes fried green tomatoes, creamy tomato pie, pimento cheese done table-side, and shrimp and grits. The sweeping space with an open kitchen and high ceilings, and separate bar-lounge, still feels comforting with its rustic accents. Craft cocktails follow the menu, with many seasonal offerings. Desserts like the Rocky Road bar and Mom's carrot cake are fitting codas to the Southern feast.

Falling-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth barbecue pork, chicken, and beef draw local and out-of-town attention to this homey café. Munch on peanuts (and toss the shells on the floor) while dining at tables with cowhide-patterned tablecloths set against a backdrop of license plates from across the country.

The line that forms outside this Southern-cooking restaurant during weekend brunch and dinner is as epic as the food itself, but you can more easily score a table if you come for weekday brunch, and it's easier to find seating at the newer Pearl District location. A large, packed dining room with canned pickles and peppers along the walls, this Portland hot spot does justice to authentic Southern cooking, especially when it comes to the crispy buttermilk-battered fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and collard greens cooked in bacon fat. Or choose the Screen Door plate with your choice of four sides (consider the mac and cheese, creamy grits, and most any of the salads on the rotating seasonal menu).

Singletree boldly proclaims their guiding principles, from integrity in sourcing to sustainability, and those values are conveyed in beautifully presented plates and, most importantly, in flavor. Seared duck breast and Parisian gnocchi with collards shine at dinner, but it's sandwiches like the Brasstown Melt—sliced steak on ciabatta with horseradish, provolone, arugula, and caramelized onions—that keep the midday shift bustling.

Affectionately known as S.N.O.B., this former warehouse with atmospheric brick-and-stucco walls introduced the open kitchen concept to Charleston, and the dining room still bustles with energy. Many of the specialties, including wild game, are served as small plates that are perfect for sharing. The $16 daily lunch specials are often memorable, such as mussels with spinach, grape tomatoes, and smoked bacon, or a hearty chicken pot pie.

This bustling, casual spot along Tacoma's colorful 6th Avenue strip serves remarkably authentic and absolutely delicious soul food. In the morning, regulars swing by for heaping plates of chicken-fried steak with grits and eggs, or homemade biscuits and gravy. Later, move on to fried catfish strips with a side of hush puppies, Texas-style hand-trimmed brisket, and hot-links sandwiches. Dinners come with corn cakes and lots of tasty sides. 

Red Sox fans, foodies, and Fenway residents flock to this meat-lover's mecca, where Texas-style barbecue is the name of the game. Hefty slabs of dry-rubbed heritage pork, great northern beef brisket, and plump chickens cook low and slow in a jumbo black smoker, then come to the table heaped on a tray lined with butcher paper, along with homemade sweet pickles, shaved onion, and your choice of "hot scoops" (collard greens, mac and cheese) or "cold scoops" (coleslaw, potato salad). Owner Tiffany Faison tromped all over the Texas barbecue belt to get her recipes finger-licking right, including the baseball-size biscuits served with honey butter. Sweet tea and cocktails arrive in mason jars, while house-made barbecue sauces (ranging from mild to skull-splittingly hot) sit on the table, along with a tin can of flatware and napkins. (You'll need lots of the latter; with food this good, it's going to get messy.)

This supercasual café with a smattering of sidewalk tables serves up heavenly biscuits in an assortment of ways, from blueberry-biscuit pudding French toast to fried chicken biscuit sandwiches with spicy pickles and mustard. Head to the refreshment stand at one end of the dining room to order a refreshing raspberry, habanero, or mint limeade. There are additional locations in Draper and American Fork.

Nashville is known for its meat-and-three-style restaurants, and Swett's is one of its most famous; past patrons run the gamut from presidents to pop stars and everyone in between. If you’re looking for Southern staples like collard greens, baked mac and cheese, and entrées that range from fried catfish to barbecued ribs, this family-owned restaurant is the place to be.

Southern comfort dishes with a sophisticated twist are lovingly crafted at this warm and inviting restaurant started by veteran Park City chef Matt Harris, formerly at J&G Grill and the St. Regis Bar. Favorite dishes include out-of-this-world flaky buttermilk biscuits with honey butter and their take on beef & barley: Niman Ranch beef with barley risotto. But you may also find deviled eggs, buttered heirloom carrots, or fritters on the menu. The global wine list is full of possibilities. Locals love the weekend brunch, especially the chicken and biscuit with black pepper gravy and an egg sunny side up.

Hyde Park has never been much of a destination dining neighborhood, but when fine-dining vet Erick Williams launched Virtue in 2018, food critics across the country took notice of his elegant and soulful exploration of Southern cuisine as shaped by the Great Migration. Come for dishes like gizzards with dirty rice and walleye with pickled okra and country ham crumbs in a space that feels stylish but welcoming. James Beard awards soon followed for both Williams and chef de cuisine Damarr Brown (who also competed on Top Chef). Reservations go fast, so don't wait to book your table.  

Named after a freshwater sunfish and set in a former auto repair garage, this casual-cool joint serves up whole-hog barbecue from its wood-fired outdoor pit as well as hearty Southern specialties like chicken bog, quail legs, and catfish stew. Have a nightcap of craft cocktails at the popular bar.

Dining extends seamlessly from indoors to the game-filled outside at this laid-back pub known for fresh takes on Southern fare, from chicken pie to shrimp with sweet potato grits. The lawn includes a bocce court and cornhole boards.

Classic and hearty New Orleans-fare dominates at this casual eatery, where chef-owner Manny January---formerly the sous chef at Galatoire's---cooks up a storm with fresh ingredients and abundance of flavor. Grilled lamb chops, marinated and cooked with just a hint of char, became a crowd favorite, something not seen at most restaurants along this gritty stretch of Claiborne Avenue.

This landmark mainstay continues to thrive as an atmospheric, fine-dining establishment. As always, the food has strong Southern leanings, with seafood highlights, including Charleston bouillabaisse; don't miss the creamy grits (perfection) or authentic fried green tomatoes. Indoor and garden dining make this a great place to linger, perhaps under a gazebo or in an elegant, art-rich (and air-conditioned) room inside the historic residence. Also notable is the genuinely caring service and extensive wine list featuring new varietal blends (no house wine here), which has earned it high and consistent praise.

This was the site of Abita's original brewery until 1994, when the company found a much needed larger space up the road. Today, the Abita Brew Pub is a lovely setting for indoor and outdoor meals chosen from a surprisingly lengthy menu of traditional comfort food and regional favorites including pasta, salads, burgers, and entrées like jambalaya, boudin-stuffed quail, and the "bucket of seafood." These dishes all go well with the beer—a full selection of Abita is on tap, including seasonal brews and a few guest additions.

The cuisine at this fine-dining mainstay is rooted in traditional Lowcountry, including shrimp and grits and roasted oysters. Horse-drawn carriages pass outside the wide windows, and the softly lit, gilt-trimmed dining room is ideal for romantic occasions, though some locals prefer the more casual scene downstairs.

Even if it plays up the "good 'ol days" kitsch, the Applewood is a welcome respite from the other places on the parkway. The two restaurants at either end of the complex have nearly identical menus that feature family recipes developed over time, perfected with effort, and prepared with fresh ingredients. You'll feel welcome from the minute you sit down. Wait times can sometimes extend to an hour during busy seasons, but there are shops and a winery on-site to fill the time.