9221 Best Restaurants in USA

Spouses Andzia and Jenay Hofftin opened this organic restaurant, wineshop, retail space, and community hangout inside Occidental's oldest building (1876), originally a hotel. The "farm-fresh comfort food" menu encompasses egg burritos, avocado “smash” toast, and pork-sausage sandwiches for breakfast and vegetarian bowls, pork melts, and the popular Hawaiian-inspired beef hot dog with grilled pineapple relish for lunch and (three days a week) early dinner until 7.

This biergarten on Main Street is always buzzing, and for good reason. Choose from a wide array of craft German beer while enjoying the live music that happens nearly nightly. The hearty fare is also delicious, whether you opt for a classic schnitzel or a juicy Reuben sandwich on toasty pumpernickel.

A hand-carved cedar angel statue watches over diners at this lively spot, where chef-owner Nathan Lockwood lends a Northwest focus to seasonal Italian cuisine. The set tasting menu weaves rare, intriguing, and fascinating local and global ingredients into classic Italian techniques. Finger limes dot starters, Hokkaido scallops come lightly seared, and huckleberries pop up in pappardelle. The five to seven courses come interspersed with little bites and extra treats. Those wishing for a beverage pairing can choose between the classic wine pairing and a mixed option of cocktails, beers, and juices. Service is hyper-solicitous but the atmosphere is louder and more lively than you might expect given the price tag. For a more casual meal, head across the street to Lockwood's sibling spot Carrello.

Dinner at Alys' is a simple treat, where the "international eclectic" prix-fixe options feature lamb, steak, chicken, or seafood; fresh vegetables; potato, rice, or pasta; soup or salad; and soft drinks, tea, or coffee (vegetarian dinners are always available too). Wine is extra, and you'll appreciate the attentive care taken with the thoughtful wine list—you might even have the opportunity to ask chef Alys Romer what she recommends.

Named for the Japanese women free divers who collected seafood for their villages, AMA (tucked in a courtyard at the Rosewood Miramar Resort) offers two fine-dining experiences—omakase at the 13-seat sushi bar (a two-hour feast—you must arrive promptly or risk missing a course or two) or prix-fixe (three or four courses total). You can combine meals with sake pairings for an additional fee; alternatively, the Japanese-inspired cocktails are especially popular.

At Amada, the first of chef-restaurateur Jose Garces’s restaurants, the Ecuadorian-American chef reinterprets regional cuisine with choice ingredients and a modern touch that feature in more than 50 tapas, from the crab-stuffed peppers with toasted almonds to the flatbread topped with artichoke, black truffle, and manchego. Many ingredients—including even more glorious cheeses—are sourced from northern Spain, the main inspiration for the menu. The large, festive front room can skew loud; for a quieter meal, ask for a table in the second dining room, beyond the open kitchen.

The organically grown flour and vegetables—and the wood-fired clay ovens that unite them—take the pizza here to another level. In summer, you can dine outside around firepits on the beautiful valley floor. Have a moment to take in the surroundings; this spot is located at the heart of Lareau Farm, one of the Mad River Valley's first when it was founded in 1794.

Stop at this artisanal grocer for cured meats and cheeses, croissants and scones, pasta salad sides, packaged crackers and jams, even a bottle of wine. You can also order gourmet sandwiches—there are a few eggy options during the breakfast hours, before the menu moves on to absolutely stunning meaty delights.

Famous for their southern-style comfort food, Amy Ruth’s is all about “cooking with love” with heaping portions. The original owner (Carl Redding) learned to cook at his grandmother’s side during the summer months in Alabama, and he opened the Harlem restaurant on Mother’s Day in 1999. Chef Jannette Robinson, a South Carolina native but longtime New Yorker, has been serving up their famous chicken and waffles and various other dishes, all of which are named after prominent Black figures.

In L.A.'s very crowded field of acclaimed Thai restaurants, Anajak has gotten a lion's share of the attention since former Disney art director Justin Pichetrungsi took over his family's decades-old establishment. The now James Beard Award winner kept the funky interior and menu signatures like fried chicken, various curries, and his mom's mango coconut rice dessert while also increasing ingredient quality, pushing the boundaries of Southeast Asian flavors, and improving the wine list with natural wines. His pandemic fix for closed dining rooms, cooking and plating gourmet fusion tacos in the alley, was such a hit that Thai Taco Tuesdays has stuck around years later and still has a line down the block.

The latest spot from creative chef couple Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark probes the latter's Ukrainian heritage. The approach isn't academic, but rather inventive and full of fun. The highlight of a meal here is flagging down the Zakusky Tower, a kooky-looking cart that plys the dining room, for delicious little bites like fried olives stuffed with lamb sausage and delicate cream cheese tartlets topped with trout roe. The cocktail presentations add to the festive air; a brandy, chamomile, and washed kefir concoction, for instance, arrives in a vintage teacup.

This Mexican restaurant reflects the culture of many of the people living in the neighborhood, and its eponymous cook re-creates dishes from her native Puebla. Locals love it for its authenticity and extensive selection of small plates (mmm, queso fundido) and hearty main courses (chilaquiles, mole poblano). It's definitely worth the trip from downtown, or if you're staying by Logan Airport.

A vaulted wood-beamed ceiling and paper-topped tables set the scene for romance at this softly lit French bistro inside an 1890s boathouse. Look for clever variations on classic dishes such as croque monsieur (grilled Parisian ham and Gruyère) and salade niçoise for lunch, with veal sweetbreads, cassoulet, beef bourguignon, and, in season, mussels steamed in aromatic fennel, white wine, garlic, and thyme for dinner.

Here it's all about enjoying one of the most indulgent, pampered meals you'll ever eat—and it's best not to show up in flip-flops, jeans, or shorts (you probably won't be turned away for dressing casually, but you will feel uncomfortable). Formally trained waitstaff attend to your every need in this temple of traditional Italian cuisine. A dramatic wine tower hovers over the main room; the plush private booths surrounding it are the best tables (call early to snag one). The taste circus begins with an amuse-bouche. Pick between antipasti, crispy flatbreads, and wholesome soups before moving on to homemade pastas and grilled meats. Absolutely try the butternut squash ravioli, an inventive version with citrus-tomato butter and truffled almonds. The evening ends with a complimentary nightcap. There is also a great prix-fixe menu.

As one of L.A.'s most celebrated Italian restaurants, chef-owner Gino Angelini's consistently prepares impressive classic dishes, like whole branzino, tagliolini al limone, veal chop alla Milanese, as well as lasagna oozing with besciamella (Italian béchamel sauce). Be sure to select one of the Italian wines to complement your meal.

If you're a fan of vibrant coastal decor and fresh local seafood, you'll gush over this restaurant and bar overlooking the water and Hawks Cay Marina. The menu is varied with options that include burgers as well as grilled fish, the cocktails are creative, and there are more than a dozen beers on tap. Live music and comedy nights bring in the locals. The restaurant also offers a "Hook and Cook" option whereby your catch is prepared and served family style with sides.

The large, plush booths and elegant decor at Animae suggest an air of sophistication, while the soundtrack of '90s-era hip-hop adds a flash of casual cool to keep it from ever being too stuffy. Not that such a thing is at risk at this dazzling Embarcadero bistro, which pairs indulgent, tender Wagyu beef steak cuts with a variety of dishes inspired by Filipino and Pan-Asian cuisine from James Beard Award Finalist chef Tara Monsod. In fact, with dishes like the Hunan lamb chops, hamachi, and duck kimchi fried rice, it's just as tempting to forgo a single cut of meat in favor of sampling so many of their other culinary creations.

Even before charting on Esquire's list of 2022's best new restaurants, the intimate, bungalowlike establishment of New York City transplant Joshua Smookler (formerly chef at his own Mu Ramen and Thomas Keller's Per Se) was already drawing a crowd for its mash-up of Basque, Jewish, and Korean cuisines. Smookler, whose wife, Heidy He, runs the front of the house, consistently delights with idiosyncratic flavor combinations in dishes like feather-cut ibérico pork, lobster in XO sauce, grilled whole turbot, and dry-aged rib eye.

Located on the edge of a pear orchard in Cashmere, this family-owned bakeshop has an unusual and appealing industrial–vintage-farmhouse feel. It offers up some of the region's best breads and pastries, from bread pudding to almond meringue cookies to lemon cheesecake. Enjoy an espresso or European-style sandwich (baguette, butter, cured meats, cheeses) at a picnic table indoors or on the sunny patio anchored by a modern, concrete water feature and lots of lavender.

Anna's owner moved to Boston from San Fran's Mission District in the mid-1990s and opened shop. This West Coast--style Mexican takeout restaurant has been a hit ever since, especially with Boston residents, current and former. Diners can select from 10 meat and veggie fillings for burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and bowls.

Many of the menu choices here come from the eponymous wood-burning brick oven, which turns out surprisingly delicate thin-crust pizzas simply topped with tomato and buffalo mozzarella or complicated combos like pistachio pesto, fresh mozzarella, and sausage. While the name, which translates to "old oven," gives the pizzas top billing, Antico excels at a variety of Italian country dishes that harken back to the Old Country, like veal parmigiana, osso buco with pork shank, chicken saltimbocca, and handmade pastas; the specialty, gnocchi, is rich and creamy but light. The joint is cramped and noisy, but also homey and comfortable—which means that your meal will resemble a raucous dinner with an adopted Italian family. Its rustic decor of large tiles, huge rectangular bar, and imposing brick archway add even more authenticity as you fill your belly.

Antico offers a big slice of cheesy, saucy, chewy, Naples-style heaven. The communal tables, as well as the Italian opera on the stereo, give the place a convivial vibe. The best seats are inside the kitchen, where you can watch the wood-burning ovens. Try the enormous Pomodorini pie, with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, and basil. This place is popular, so be prepared for long lines.

Downtown Sevierville's transformation feels complete with the opening of this fine-dining twist on traditional mountain cuisine. If you're feeling adventurous, try the seared headcheese or the buffalo frog legs, but there's plenty of comfort dishes like hanger steak with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms to fall back on.

Much of the produce used at this fine-dining outpost at Dancing Bear Lodge is grown from seeds at the on-site garden, resulting in explosive flavors like a summer squash soup with bacon and seared scallops or pan-seared salmon over corn, okra, and sausage succotash. The monthly changing menu is aided by the custom-built smokehouse behind the kitchen, fueled by firewood from the property. In the tastefully rustic dining room or on the spacious covered patio, the sommelier guides you through the 300-bottle wine list. Diners flock here from Knoxville for the mountain air and buzz-worthy cuisine.

Executive chef and proprietor Devin Finigan has created memorable magic in this location with endless views of East Penobscot Bay and food that speaks to the prowess of this region’s fishermen and farmers. Whether you're experiencing the chef’s tasting menu—think scallops with sorrel and whey, Wagyu with ramps and new potato, and rhubarb with lemon and shortbread—or you're sitting on the stunning deck on Sunday for an à la carte brunch (which is seasonal) or you're here to dive into the convivial summer happy hour (where even the casual bites are exemplary), you’re in for a superb meal. If you want a truly over-the-top fine dining moment, book far ahead to eat in one of the private greenhouse dining spaces, each of which has jaw-dropping views of Goose Cove.

With glowing gas fireplaces, period antiques, exposed beams, and hardwood floors covered with splendid Asian rugs, the setting of this 1823 farmhouse is both elegant and homey. The menu features adventurous dishes like sweetbreads with oysters and buttermilk potato puree, as well as crispy roast duckling with apple and ginger chutney . . . and everything is remarkable.

Standing on the edge of the harbor, with dining decks on three sides, Archer's is the prime spot in Rockland for dining with a view—even when the weather keeps you indoors, there are plenty of windows. The large menu is heavy on traditional preparations of fresh, local seafood—including old-fashioned baked stuffed haddock—but also includes plenty of contemporary dishes. Chef-owner Lynn Archer emerged victorious on the show Throwdown with Bobby Flay. The dish? A triple-decker club sandwich with lobster. Happily, it's on the menu. There are many non-seafood choices, too. Everything on the wine list is available by the glass, and there are lots of creative cocktails.

From the custom wine cellar that forms the back wall of the dining room to the rows of bottles in the front window, the emphasis on viticulture is clear the minute you walk into this intimate bistro known for its seasonally sourced Pacific Northwest cuisine. The menu—available à la carte or as a four-course prix fixe—changes daily according to availability but might feature local king salmon or a duck plate for two.