9201 Best Restaurants in USA

If you've never heard of chifa cuisine (yeah, it's a real thing), you'll wonder why you haven't after having a meal at this South American--style place, where the kitchen creates dishes from Cantonese-Peruvian and Japanese culinary traditions. Dig into makimono (sushi rolls), wok-prepared dishes, and cold and hot plates. Presentation is a big part of both the decor and Ruka's creative cocktails, sake, and tea service. 

Families love the gussied-up old railcar that serves as Ruth's dining room and the best creek-side patio in the city—you just have to navigate your way up gorgeous Emigration Canyon to find it. Breakfast (served until 4 pm) has been the diner's trademark since 1930, and it starts with 3-inch-high biscuits followed by massive omelets like the King of Hearts (artichokes, garlic, mushrooms, and two cheeses). In summer the barbecue fires up every Thursday night for ribs, fish, chicken, or whatever the chef concocts, with live music on the patio. Watch the road for deer, moose, and some of the top cyclists in America, who train here much of the year.

In a handsomely restored little house in the tree-lined, historic village of Santa Clara—about 15 minutes west of downtown St. George—this sweet, cozy neighborhood restaurant with seating in a colorful front garden serves extraordinarily tasty, locally sourced contemporary American–Mediterranean fare. It's worth the trip to this slightly off-the-beaten-path locale to savor coconut labneh with spicy harissa, charred heirloom tomatoes, and hazelnut dukkah and seared skirt steak with jalapeño-parsley chermoula. The desserts change nightly and are also tantalizing.

This classic luncheonette, formerly known as Eisenberg's, has been slinging eggs, frothing egg creams, and slicing white bread across from the Flatiron Building since 1928. Its latest incarnation, from Court Street Grocers, opened as S&P Lunch in 2022, with its retro atmosphere and menu intact. Seats at the long deli counter up front move quickly at breakfast and lunch; there's a smattering of tables at the back.

Local seafood—including prawns, scallops, crab, clams, and mussels—features prominently in the brightly flavored and fragrantly seasoned food at this relaxing Thai bistro on the quiet west side of town. Other delicious house specialties are spicy eggplant with red curry, and crispy half duck with bok choy and a smoky soy glaze.

Just across Port Washington Narrows (via the Manette Bridge) from downtown, this unassuming, almost industrial-looking space is helmed by James Beard Foundation award semi-finalist Matt Tinder, who draws folks from throughout the Puget Sound region with his artisan baked goods. Breads, sandwiches, and sweets are all exquisite, including harissa-tofu sandwiches, Swiss herb quiche, and coconut tropezienne (a flaky brioche with coconut custard filling).  Because Saboteur produces different breads and sweets depending on the day, it's best to phone ahead if you're craving a particular item.

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.

Named after the patron saint of hangovers, this new dining concept brings authentic flavors from coastal Italy to Savannah. Executive Chef Derek Simcik draws upon his worldly experience to deliver elevated dishes that are as innovative as they are inviting---try the impeccable Florentine steak served with Calabrian green salsa. Expect elegant seasonal offerings artfully made with locally sourced, high-integrity ingredients.

The stained glass saint over the door, holding wheat in one hand and a Japanese melonpan (bun) in the other, exemplifies this eccentric but excellent bakery perched above Portage Bay, just south of the UW campus. Scandinavian-style cardamom knots, classic French croissants, and fried egg sandwiches with Thai-style turkey sausage are great to start the day, and an intriguing array of grab-and-go salads and sandwiches are popular at lunch. The counter and kitchen take up the small indoor space, but a covered patio on the side keeps diners warm and dry.

A remote town with only 50 year-round residents seems an unlikely place to find a five-star meal, but that's exactly what the chefs here deliver, creatively assembling dishes using ingredients grown, caught, and raised in the region. The changing menu might include local yak, red angus, Kenny Lake pork, or Copper River salmon—all paired with fantastic wines. Unless you were a guest at Ma Johnson's hotel, it used to be impossible dine here without making a reservation weeks in advance, but it's a little easier now: the addition of outdoor seating has increased the table count from 10 to 20.

With a sweeping wooden deck to watch the magnificent sunsets over Nehalem Bay and Manzanita's sand dunes, this lively farm-to-table restaurant in tiny, historic Wheeler could probably get away with serving merely ordinary food. But the owners offer a first-rate beverage program and exceptional, locavore-focused handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and creative seafood fare, including pappardelle with Willapa Bay clams and agnolotti filled with wild mushrooms, nettles, and Taleggio cheese.

Inventive cuisine and seasonal ingredients are the hallmarks of the Ritz-Carlton's oceanfront restaurant, where the signature beef tenderloin is served on a block of Himalayan salt. The wine list has more than 300 bottles (many by the glass), service is nothing short of impeccable, and there's that view of the Atlantic from every table. For a unique dining experience, reserve a seat in the private dining room within the kitchen to Dine With the Chefs, watching them at work while you enjoy a personalized five-course meal. To learn the secrets of Salt's cuisine, consider taking one of its cooking school sessions. They've proven so popular, that the Ritz-Carlton now offers several of them a year. Long pants and collared shirts are recommended (for dining, we mean; cooking students get their own Ritz-Carlton aprons).

This now nationally known artisanal ice-cream shop began here with this still always-packed café in the Alberta Arts District and continues to wow the public with its wildly inventive classics as well as seasonal flavors (freckled-chocolate zucchini bread and green fennel and maple are a couple of recent examples). Locally produced Woodblock chocolate bars and homemade salted-caramel sauce are among the toppings. Expect a long line, but take heart in knowing that the patient staff works fast and cheerfully encourages patrons to sample the different flavors.

A couple of blocks from Arcata's festive plaza, this hip seafood restaurant inside a beautifully converted old machine shop offers seating in an airy dining room and on a large side patio. Specialties include classic panko-crusted cod and chips and seared-rare steelhead, but you could also make a meal of small plates from the raw bar—shrimp cocktail, ceviche tostadas, and raw or grilled Pacific oysters among them.

Located on the first floor of Populus Hotel, Salt Harvest echoes the hotel's commitment to sustainability and the local ecosystem; its menu is an ode to the flavors of Washington's land and seas. Dine on green marble tables enveloped by draping plants and bold paintings, tasting your way through seasonal plates sourced from local farms. Meats, fish, and some vegetable dishes are wood-fired, subtly infusing the food with hints of smoke from local woods. The cocktail menu is equally as enticing, drawing on seasonally-sourced herbs and fruits to inspire its libations. While dinner steals the show, breakfast and lunch aren't to be overlooked, with dishes like breakfast fried rice, Turkish eggs, and a crispy fish sandwich. 

When Texans argue about the relative merits of barbecue joints, the Salt Lick usually winds up at or near the top of the heap. Getting here entails a 30-minute drive southwest of Austin, but diners who make the trek are rewarded with finger-licking-good ribs, beef, chicken, turkey, and sausage slow-cooked over an open pit and accompanied by a tangy sauce (unusual for central Texas) and the usual sides. If you can manage it, top your meal off with blackberry cobbler or pecan pie. The area is dry, alcohol-wise, but the BYOB policy keeps crowds happy. It's cash-only, but there's an on-site ATM.

If you see smoke rising while driving along FM 1826, don't be alarmed. It's just a barbecue beacon calling you to the perpetually smoking pits, long picnic tables, and dance hall–style compound of The Salt Lick. On weekends, and particularly when the University of Texas Longhorns have a home game, this family-friendly hot spot on the edge of south Austin is tough to get into, but always worth the wait. You'll be joined by locals and travelers from miles around waiting to feast on perfectly smoked brisket, baby back ribs, vinegary German potato salad and cole slaw, and enough soft white bread to sop up a gallon of the secret sauce. Oh, and did we mention the sausage? Get some of that, too. You can order the all-you-can-eat, family-style option and share with friends. Though it may seem impossible to save room for homemade blackberry cobbler with Blue Bell homemade vanilla ice cream on top, we promise it is worth every calorie. If you're driving from the Hill Country back to the Austin airport, this makes a great lunch stop on the way.

Drawing Texans and visitors alike to the Hill Country since 1967, Salt Lick offers barbecue plates à la carte, but most folks opt for the family-style option, which comes with unlimited brisket, sausage, pork ribs, potato salad, coleslaw, and beans. You can BYOB or head to the adjacent Salt Lick Cellars to purchase beer and wine made from the estate’s own fruit (including a BBQ Red designed to accompany the food). It's located about 8 miles southeast of Dripping Springs.

Step into this Back Bay raw bar specializing in snappy cocktails and luscious preparations of all things seafood and you'll fall hook, line, and sinker for everything on the menu, including platters of fresh-shucked oysters on crushed ice, torched salmon belly with charred avocado, smoked fish that would make a New York deli owner proud, seafood-topped toasts, and a butter-drenched warm lobster roll overflowing with fresh meat. Rounding out the menu are tins of domestic and imported gourmet shellfish and fish (including a full caviar menu) served in all their oily goodness with bread, butter, smoked salt, lemon, and sweet pepper jam. The patio is amazing when in season.

At the top of the dock overlooking Halibut Cove, this is one of Southcentral's most beautiful places to sit and soak up the pleasures of a summer afternoon. Locally caught seafood, the restaurant's specialty, is prepared with finesse, and there's always a mouthwatering vegetarian option. Before or after dinner you can stroll Halibut Cove's boardwalks and visit the Experience Gallery, which features works by 18 local artists, or just relax on the dock. Reservations are essential for the ferry, which requires that you return the same way in which you came unless you've secured lodging on the Cove.

Oversize baked doughnuts piled high with creative toppings plus fun coffee offerings like Cinnamon Toast Crunch lattes are the reasons for the sometimes long lines at this doughnut shop. Even if the national doughnut craze has subsided elsewhere, The Salty continues to live up to the hype with a rotating menu of popular pick-me-ups like the white chocolate tres leches and guava + cream cheese, made with 24-hour brioche.

This hip, counter-service seafood bar with a mod-industrial vibe serves Puget Sound oysters and clams on the half shell—either raw or baked with seasonal compound butters—and several beers and ciders on tap to wash them down. Oyster shooters are another favorite, and there's a short menu of other fish-centric dishes, from steamed Dungeness crab with clarified butter to chowder made with local clams, but nothing fried.

The lines are long for hearty, unforgettable sandwiches filled with superior house-cured meats and more at this shop, originally founded by famed New York chef Mario Batali's father Armandino. The oxtail sandwich special is unbeatable, but if it's unavailable or sold out (as specials often are by the lunchtime peak) order a salami, porchetta, or meatball sandwich with onions, peppers, cheese, and olive oil. Vegetarians can't go wrong with the eggplant parm sandwich. You can order whole or half sandwiches. Most people opt for takeout, or grab one of the tables in the packed dining room.

The fare's as delectable as the setting is incongruous at the casual spot that Hawaii's "godfather of poke" opened inside a neon-lit 21st-century bowling alley replete with video poker; an arcade; pool tables; three bars; and a patio with firepits, cornhole, and bocce. The kinetic venue's a hoot, but the poke tacos and nachos and Sam Choy's signature Spam musabi—not to mention the burgers, salads, bowls, wraps, pizzas, and sandwiches—are seriously good.

Open for lunch and dinner, Sam Sato's is a local favorite for noodles, manju (Japanese pastry filled with sweet bean paste), and plate lunches. The menu includes favorites like "dry noodles," beef tomato, omelets, and fried rice, and the dry mein, saimin, and chow fun come in different-size portions with add-ins to satisfy every noodle craving; try a teriyaki beef stick or two while you wait for your bowl. When it's busy—which is almost always—you will likely have to wait for a table or a stool at the counter; write your name on the little yellow pad at the takeout window.

Open since 1920, this beloved dockside restaurant is the town's most famous eatery and it still feels relevant and hardly stale, now including more modern touches like floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass doors and an 80-foot heated bench for deck views on cool days. Remnants of Sam's history are evident in some vintage decor, but there's no doubt it's much more polished than it likely was a century ago. Most people flock to the dog-friendly deck for beers, views, sunsets, and usually quite delicious seafood. Ask about the old trapdoor used to haul in whiskey during Prohibition.  No deck reservations means you can expect a wait for outside tables.

Of the "big three" historic San Francisco restaurant classics (along with John's Grill and Tadich Grill) that date back to the 1800s, it's the intrepid Sam's Grill that serves the most consistently enjoyable food of the trio. The menu might not be exciting in a modern way—and it shouldn't be—but what arrives at the table is fresh and always enjoyable, focusing on superb mesquite-grilled fish and top-tier produce that probably weren't emphasized as much when it opened in 1867. The timeless atmosphere with a section of private booths with curtains and plenty of ice cold martinis being consumed is a trip to the past. At lunch time, Sam's often feels like the power center of San Francisco (the former mayor Willie Brown eats at a particular table here at least once a week).

Sansei takes sushi, sashimi, and contemporary Japanese food to a new level. If you're a fish or shellfish lover, this is the place for you. There are great deals on sushi and small plates for early birds on Sunday and Monday. Reservations can be hard to come by, making takeout for a beach picnic a nice option.