9201 Best Restaurants in USA

An outpost of the famed New York Italian spot, this chic café churns out crispy pizzas, delicate pasta dishes, and to-swoon-for desserts with polished service. The vibe is '60s era glam meets dreamy Milanese café, making it a hit with both socialites and shoppers, who stop in for an espresso break in between jaunts to the boutiques at Royal Poinciana Plaza. House pastas include a heavenly cacio e pepe, while salads and simply grilled fish are light and flavorful. The gelato is made fresh daily, so make sure to save room for a scoop.

Owner Quinn Stephenson (who also owns fine dining institution Coyote Cafe) now runs this long-acclaimed member of Santa Fe's culinary vanguard with a lighter menu focused on fresh, fusion cuisine, and it remains one of Santa Fe's must-eat destinations. The minimalist, elegant restaurant is located two blocks north of the Plaza in the historic Padre Gallegos House and offers inventive dishes from chef Dale Kester. The playful bronze animal sculptures found both indoors and out add an earthy-yet-ethereal atmosphere. The inviting shaded patio is pretty, quiet, and the place to see-and-be-seen during warm weather while the private dining room seats about 12 and can be rented out for special occasions.

Stepping into this family-owned East Boston pizza joint is like stepping into the 1980s, even though it first opened way back in 1903. Every table is full on a Saturday night at 7 pm, and don't be surprised to see a line that runs out the cramped front doorway. This local favorite serves well-done and crispy, traditional style pies topped with veggies, ’chovies, garlic, and meat; the only other menu items are lamb, steak and chicken tips, and grilled sausages cooked over open hot coals in the corner.

Picky palates will be satisfied at this funky, dark, and sensuous tapas restaurant, which is well off the main drag and is a secret spot for local foodies in the know. Small plates include yellowfin tuna ceviche with hunks of avocado and mango or filet mignon with creamy Gorgonzola butter. Waiters recommend choosing three small plates per person, then sharing.

The small meze plates at this locally loved Mediterranean joint are so good you might not want to share. Pair dishes like sole katayif (stuffed pancakes) and eggplant schnitzel with their expertly crafted cocktails or wine, and soak up the social atmosphere.

Set in the heart of Pandora, Satu'li walks a line between fast-casual and fine dining with counter service and surprisingly sophisticated, internationally inspired dishes. The menu features grain bowls with fresh-cooked ingredients and kids' meals that are actually nutritious.

At this Italian restaurant you can enjoy an intimate meal or just sip cocktails at the bar and listen to live piano music. The walls are covered with photographs of celebrities who have visited since the place opened in 1908. The menu offers pasta and seafood dishes as well as traditional preparations like manicotti and chicken cacciatore. The fried meatballs (greasy and rich as they are) are a popular appetizer. The cocktails are imaginative and generally well mixed. Try the Savoy Manhattan for a smooth, refreshing twist on an upstate favorite. The bar, separate from the dining room, has intimate seating.

The brightly lit dining room's mural map of the Naples coastline emphasizes the chef's focus on frutti di mare (seafood) at this downtown homage to southern Italian cuisine from the folks behind valley-fave Bistro Don Giovanni. Raw oysters, cooked whole fish, tuna carpaccio, and pork chop Milanese rank among the hits, along with pizzas hot out of a wood-fired oven.

Seafood purists and adventurers alike find bliss in this menu of superb pan-roasted, smoked, and grilled fish; fresh-as-can-be seafood crudos; and fried shellfish. Perched on Maine Wharf directly over the harbor, the contemporary-but-comfortable restaurant was opened by two local culinary heroes, restaurateur Dana Street and chef Sam Hayward, in 2016, and has since become one of Portland’s most beloved. There are New England classics like fried clams and fish-and-chips (perfectly crisp outside, tender and sweet in) alongside creative dishes like Bangs Island mussels in hard cider, cream, dill, and locally made Raye’s mustard. If you’ve got time, come a little early and grab a drink at the expansive room’s buzzing bar.

Escape into chef--owner Lydia Shire's delectable, homey take on Italian-American cuisine where everything is made from scratch, down to her famous naan bread and the crust of her infamous lobster pizza. Entrées are heavy on meat and fish and stretch beyond standard items to lamb T-bone, duck, Kurobuta pork, and Scottish salmon; try house-made spaghetti more than half a dozen ways. The creative menu is complemented by a sleek orange bar, curved white-leather booths, and one of the city's most connected crowds. Gluten-free menus are available.

With a storybook setting in a converted 18th-century mill on the Ammonoosuc River, this craft brewpub offers tasty wood-fired pizzas, bratwurst sandwiches, house-baked soft pretzels, and other fare that pairs well with its distinctive European ales. The pie topped with prosciutto, pears, chèvre, mozzarella, and beer-caramelized onions is a favorite, best enjoyed with a farmhouse-style saison.

This venerable and popular downtown institution has been serving up hearty German soul food for breakfast (served all day), lunch, and dinner since Mama and Papa Schilo established their first location in 1917. The delicatessen moved to its current spot on East Commerce Street in 1942; Schilo's even lays claim to being the oldest operating restaurant in San Antonio and nobody has challenged them for the title. Fuel up with their famous split-pea soup; Reuben, sausage, and deli sandwiches; or weekday lunch specials, such as chicken and dumplings or meat loaf. There are also plenty of German classics like schweineschnitzel (panfried pork loin) or wienerschnitzel (panfried veal). Wash it down with fantastic homemade root beer, and top off your meal with rich, creamy cheesecake. They also offer draft beer and spiked root beer specials. To add to the cool history, the building was originally a bank; the old bank vault is now the restaurant's walk-in cooler. They don't take reservations for groups smaller than 20, so be prepared to wait a bit during peak breakfast and lunch times.

Ask locals where to eat at Fisherman's Wharf and you'll usually get a blank look, but the real answer is this San Francisco classic that is undoubtedly the leader among its peers (or piers?). The Pier 47 spot was a coffee shop when brothers Al and Jay Scoma bought it in 1965 (the homey coffeehouse vibe still lingers around the retro-renovated space with worn walls covered with historic photos of the local sports teams), and the restaurant continues to be a great stop for excellent fresh fish and seafood preparations.

In a petite gray Cape (look for the mini red-and-white-striped lighthouse beside it), the Scone Goddess makes what are almost certainly the best scones you've ever tasted. Tender and a little crumbly—they bear no resemblance to those stone-hard lumps so often passed off as scones—flavors, which change daily, include ginger lemon, wild Maine blueberry lemon, raspberry cream, and bacon cheddar. You can order a latte, Americano, tea, iced tea, or lemonade to go with your treat. You can also buy mixes, in about a dozen flavors, to bake at home or give as a gift.

Surrounded by shops, lodging, and other eateries so very American, sophisticated Scossa almost seems out of place. From its sidewalk patio with wall-mounted fountains to its superb menus, Scossa Café is unmistakably northern Italian. The well-trained co-owners create lunch and dinner dishes with an Italian influence that does not overwhelm the fine ingredients. Samples of daily specials include braised lamp shank with artichokes, short ribs with Borolo wine sauce, roast rabbit campagnola, and soft-shell crabs alla provinciale. Brunch is available on weekends. Jackets are not required, but the cosmopolitan style of Scossa definitely attracts a well-dressed clientele who reserve ahead.

Pink on the outside, with tutti-frutti walls on the inside, Sebastopol’s hands-down favorite for all-natural ice cream and sorbet often appears in feature stories listing the nation's best shops. Mimi's Mud (espresso ice cream, cookies, chocolate chips, and homemade fudge) and strawberry made from local fruit are among the popular ice creams, with lemon, raspberry, and mango among the palate-cleansing sorbets.

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).

Trina Gregory-Propst and her team of bakers and cooks make the biggest and most satisfying breakfasts, lunches, and sweet treats in town. Try a from-scratch chicken potpie, which has the most glorious crust; the mile-high meat loaf sandwich; or the "7th Trimester" of buttermilk garlic biscuit, over-medium egg, and smoked bacon, smothered in five-cheese mac and cheese. Look for the "Let us fill your pie hole" mural.

The windowed porch overlooking the ocean houses the best seats at this nautical-themed restaurant in a 1930s beach cottage (unless it's a perfect spring or fall day to sit outside in the ocean breeze). Menu highlights include sautéed crab cakes and jambalaya; it's the rare Myrtle Beach seafood restaurant that offers vegetarian and gluten-free menus. The fireplace inside the wood-panel dining room is a warm welcome on cool off-season evenings. Breads and desserts are baked on the premises; save room for a slice of cheesecake du jour.

Cambria's best place for seafood fills up soon after it opens at 5:30 (no reservations taken, but you can put your name on a waitlist at 5:30). Those in the know grab seats at the oyster bar and take in spectacular sunsets while watching the chefs broil fresh halibut, steam garlicky clams, and fry crispy calamari steaks; if you arrive to a wait, play cribbage or checkers in the game room.

Try for a table by the windows in the dining room of this little landmark restaurant, perched beside Pemaquid Lighthouse at the very edge of the rocky shore. Blueberry pancakes with Maine maple syrup are the clear breakfast favorites; the lunch and dinner menu features fried fresh seafood, lobster and crab rolls, salads, and mouthwatering entrées like the shipwreck pie (lobster, crab, shrimp, and scallops sautéed in butter and topped with a cracker-crumb crust). Desserts include ice cream and homemade pies or strawberry or blueberry shortcake. Alcoholic beverages aren't served, but you're welcome to bring your own. The gift shop is packed with jewelry, Maine-made jams and condiments, prints of local scenery, and other great souvenirs.

Built in the 1960s at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, before there were laws forbidding construction so close to the beach, this restaurant is literally footsteps from gorgeous Napili Bay. Wear your beach wrap to breakfast and enjoy the signature oven-baked pancakes or the beautifully delicious Molokai sweet potato egg frittata; the menu also offers fish from Hawaiian waters and fresh local produce.

The city's hottest upscale restaurant draws a crowd of connoisseurs to a modern, coral-stone dining room that spills out onto the sidewalk. The menu changes nightly, and the Venetian-born chef puts a New World spin on traditional Italian favorites, which are seasoned with different types of sea salt from around the globe. The finest quality meats and seafood, much of it sourced from local farmers and fisherman, are used in all the dishes.

On a prominent Market Street corner, chef Dean Neff's celebrated seafood-and-cocktail lounge lures diners in with wide windows, sparkling white tile, smooth wood chairs, and gold flourishes. The open kitchen fully delivers, from the selection of local raw oysters to the impossibly buttery swordfish schnitzel, served with lemon jam and a mustard emulsion. A comfortable bar and small dining room's throwback style invites leisurely meals lubricated by addictive concoctions that rotate with the seasons. The bar doubles as one of the city's best coffee shops in the morning and fills in on weekends for a brunch menu highlighted by fish and grits and a smoked cobia Benedict. 

Upstairs in a historical building, this seafood tiki bar has been a hot spot for years, known for a dynamite and well-priced bar menu with tasty pupus, signature seafood dishes such as the coconut shrimp and poke burger, and even a prime rib special on Tuesday. Don't let the kitschy retro appearance fool you; this place is frequented by legacy celebrities whose names you know or whose records you've bought. Service is impeccable. Happy hour runs daily from 3 to 6, and the calamari is a standout. 

Water from the cool and clean Smith River goes into the dozen or so beers poured at this microbrewery with a modern-industrial interior. They pair well with wood-fired thin-crust pizzas that include one with grilled chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, garlic cream sauce, and cheeses from the local Rumiano Cheese Company.

Named a Recommended Restaurant in the Florida 2023 Michelin Guide, Sear + Sea has a wood-fired grill and features an elegant steak and seafood menu, a unique cocktail list, and a 1,200-bottle wine cellar. Dine indoors at a white marble table amid a relaxing natural color scheme, or head outdoors to enjoy your meal while overlooking the  resort’s pool and greenery.

Maui Ocean Center's signature restaurant is a great choice for seafood (aquarium admission is not required to dine here) and offers harbor and ocean views from its open-air perch. Although the restaurant promotes heart-healthy cuisine—with dishes made using sustainable seafood and canoe plants (i.e., those brought to Hawaii by early Polynesian explorers) like taro, bananas, and ulu—you can still enjoy an indulgent dessert or a drink from the well-priced cocktail menu.