1771 Best Restaurants in USA

Serving consistently well-prepared modern seafood fare, Tidal Raves uses local and sustainable fish and shellfish in preparations inspired by places far and near. A few steaks and vegetarian dishes round out the lengthy menu, which also includes such local classics as Dungeness crab cakes, panko-crusted razor clams, and rockfish and shrimp green curry with steamed peanut rice, and the inviting bi-level dining room has tall windows overlooking the ocean.

Don't let the word "roadhouse" fool you—upscale food is served in a quirky, hip Texas setting at Tillman's. Contemporary music plays (sometimes too loudly) while old black-and-white movies are projected on a wall near the bar. Fussy chandeliers hang over sturdy, wood tables; look closely at the animal trophies—they're actually carved from wood. Meals begin with hot roasted peanuts and popcorn coated in truffle oil and black pepper. Be sure to try the moist cornbread, heavy with cheese, peppers, and corn; the thick, gravity-defying burger; and the chocolate birthday cake (even if it's not your special day).

Just 2 miles east of the U.S. 70 turnoff to Ruidoso is the little town of Tinnie and this real find of a restaurant. With a menu of traditional favorites like chicken-fried steak, rib eye steaks, and salmon meuniere, the food at the Silver Dollar is more than worth the drive, and if you're in need of a place to stay, they have two well-appointed guest suites ($100 per night and up).

This casual Beacon Hill restaurant focuses on two main things: meat and beer. But, what's unique is that its menu ventures beyond steak and chicken to bison, camel, ostrich, emu, kangaroo, snake, yak, elk, or antelope (and there's tofu, too). Tip Tap's vibe is lively, and the bar draws an after-work crowd from Government Center and the State House. The industrial space shows off a wall mural of Boston's past mayors, cedar shingles, and garage doors that open to the street in warmer weather.

The owners of a local-fave tri-tip food trolley opened this comfort-food restaurant in a 90-year-old building originally a gas station and later an inn. In addition to tri-tip, the New Orleans–inspired menu consists of small bites like white-cheddar grits and larger bites that include smoke-braised short ribs, steelhead trout, fried chicken, and a grass-fed burger with cheese and tomato jam.

What's really unique (for Vegas) about this intimate spot a short drive southeast of the airport is that artful, creative contemporary cuisine is served in an easygoing space with an unpretentious vibe. This place, from a former Strip executive chef, used to be something of a sleeper, but it's becoming better known. The dining room has been updated but still is decorated simply, perhaps to show off colorful fare such as goat-cheese wontons with raspberry-basil sauce, and grilled skirt steak with “On Fire” chili cheese fries and chili black bean sauce.

The playful atmosphere at this local favorite belies the food quality, originally created by its late founding chef Hideaki "Santa" Miyoshi. Best to just say "omakase, kudasai" ("chef's choice, please"), as Tokkuri Tea delivers creative options that can intimidate at first glance. Just be aware that some of the more rare seafood dishes can cost up to $45 (each). Although other izakaya joints come and go, this one has stood the test of time—and for good reason.

The bi-level eatery at this bustling Mexican cantina just off Broadway has a festive vibe, with several seating options: bar, balcony, main dining room, and ceviche bar. Foodies flock here for three types of guacamole (traditional, fruited, and spicy), well-executed ceviches, Mexico City–style tacos with Negra Modelo–braised brisket, and quesadillas with black truffle and huitlacoche (“the Mexican truffle”). There's an extensive tequila selection—upward of 100 brands. Another Toloache location is on the Upper East Side. Reservations are recommended, especially around pretheater dinner time.

Upstairs at the Shops at Mauna Lani, this breezy, open-air restaurant offers an excellent roster of appetizers, including seared-scallop sliders and coconut-crusted crab cakes, as well as meat and fish mains and decadent desserts. The chef here has freedom to cook up his own daily specials, and the seared ahi is a standout. There's live music every evening, and happy hour is from 4 to 6. After eating, hit the Tommy Bahama clothing store located directly below the restaurant for some tropical togs. 

It's a strange fact of Houston life that many of the city's finest restaurants are found in strip shopping centers, albeit the more glamorous ones. Tony Mandola's, in the art deco–themed River Oaks Shopping Center, is an upscale restaurant that proves, with loads of tastebud-pleasing menu choices, that the concept of a Texas-, Italian-, and (some) Mexican-influenced seafood restaurant is here to stay. Off-the-menu items, such as Calamari a la Mama, lightly battered with lemon-butter sauce, may make you see stars. You'll see everyone you know at this neighborhood joint, if everyone you know is rich, famous, and well connected. There's open-air dining and a kids' menu.

This adult playground is the place where deals get done, life celebrations are marked, and people keep an eagle eye out for the next boldfaced type (as in boldface type in the social columns) to walk through the water-wall-surrounded front doors. Oh right, the Euro-Italian food is excellent, too, and the über-elegant surroundings, complete with contemporary artworks by Jesus Moroles, Robert Rauschenberg, and Donald Sultan, are sensory overload. Tony Vallone and his trained staff take excellent care of each and every customer. Watch for him and wife Donna moving around the room at lunch and dinner, personally greeting diners. Call ahead to order the towering molten white-chocolate soufflé, a local favorite. The cellar holds more than 1,000 labels, and is particularly strong in wines of France, Italy, and California. Lunch is a prix-fixe steal.

Repeatedly crowned the World Champion Pizza Maker at the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Tony Gemignani is a carb-friendly legend in the city for his flavorful dough and myriad versions. The multiple gas, electric, and wood-burning ovens in his casual, modern pizzeria turn out many different styles of pies—the famed Neapolitan-style Margherita, but also Sicilian, Roman, and Detroit styles—with salads, antipasti, homemade pastas, and calzone rounding out the menu. They don't take reservations, and wait times are notoriously long, so add your name to the online wait list (very) early.

Inspired by the animated classic Lady and the Tramp, Tony's offers everything from spaghetti with meatballs (meat and plant-based) to shrimp scampi with linguine. Wine and beer are available, including Italian lagers and an extensive selection of Italian wines. The most tempting dessert is the espresso-soaked tiramisu. If you can't get a table right away, you can watch Lady and the Tramp in the waiting area.

A steampunk decor of gizmos, gears, pulleys, belts, and smokestacks is the backdrop for this very popular restaurant, where chocolate and sweets rule. Desserts—ranging from artisanal milk shakes and sumptuous sundaes to chocolate brownie bark, bacon brittle, and salted caramel flan—are naturally big draws. But one cannot live on sweets alone, which explains the salads, soups, flatbreads, sandwiches, hamburgers, and pastas, as well as more extravagant entrées such as grilled teriyaki salmon, braised short ribs, filet mignon, and cocoa pork tenderloin.

True, the tuna sashimi appetizer is $23, but what else could you expect for romantic high-end dining in paradise—and with live music and a drag-queen bartender, this swanky place is anything but boring. It's one of the more upscale places on Fire Island, with a history dating back to its inception in the 1970s as the Island Queen. Dishes might include seared scallops with raisin gartique, Lobster pot pie, or the bistro burger. You can dine inside or out at this harborside eatery.

This elevated sit-down restaurant with a full bar offers a variety of flavorful American, Spanish, and Italian fusion dishes. They're complemented with craft cocktails, wines from around the world, and a variety of beers. With the success of their smaller restaurant NDMK Fish House at 109 Claressa, the owners took over the second floor space and outdoor terrace overlooking the Green Pleasure Pier, Harbor, and Casino.

The leather booths and chairs are in high demand at this dark and clubby boho classic from 1919, where well-heeled locals and visitors delight in food that skews to the Cal-Italian genre, meaning local catches and seasonal produce as well as Italian flair in dishes such as halibut crudo and meatballs swimming in red sauce. This is also a great place to park on a stool at the bar, linger over a craft cocktail, and soak up the old–San Francisco vibe.

This rustic trattoria along San Vicente has been a favorite celebrity haunt for decades. Expect elevated sensory offerings, from its cozy atmosphere to its mouthwatering Tuscan and Italian fare (including carpaccio and gnocchi scampi) and excellent wine list.

Fans of this restaurant say that it really is a little piece of Italy, from its casual rustic-style interior to its Venetian-inspired dishes and specials like the pasta with octopus ink sauce, tagliatelle with seafood and preserved lemons, and Tuscan-style New York Strip with olive oil, lemon, oregano, and broccoli rabe. If you're inspired by the local wine culture, you'll be pleased with the extensive wine selection, stored in its temperature-controlled, glass enclosed wine room.

Next door to the James Madison Inn, this upscale bistro offers lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Owner and executive chef Fransisco De La Torre is passionate about fresh, quality ingredients. The menu features soups, salads, steaks, and entrées like duck à l'orange, rack of lamb, and seared jumbo scallops. The bright and airy dining room features warm wood finishes and soaring ceilings. In the spring and fall, grab an outdoor table and a selection from Town 220's extensive wine and cocktail list.

This restaurant melds old and new, with the cozy decor of a traditional Italian home and a menu of Italian-American dishes refreshed for today's tastes. Share a pizza topped with prosciutto, sausage, and capicola, or indulge in wood-fired swordfish salmoriglio. Other entrées include veal osso buco, chicken parmigiana, and truffle gnocchi. All the wines are from Italy, and you can finish your meal with a tiramisu.

Overlooking a tranquil harbor, this is a family-friendly option with a dash of Italiano. The breakfast buffet features both omelets and other hot dishes as well as baked goods and fruit; dinner starters like shrimp polenta and caprese flatbread segue to entrées such as chicken Marsala, grilled beef tenderloin, and shrimp Alfredo.

California native Blythe Wilson and Sardinian-born chef Pietro Cinus met while Wilson was exploring the Tuscan countryside and together they brought all things Italian to Temecula. Grab a seat and try gnocchi, ravioli, and soft breads all made by hand; the bustling scratch kitchen integrates spicy sausage and aged pecorino imported from Italy. The carpaccio di polpo (octopus) is bathed in olive oil, and the risotto is mixed with a medley of fresh seafood.

The luxurious Langham Hotel doesn’t disappoint with this elegant American restaurant located on the second floor, where cushy, white-leather seats pamper guests gaping at the glittering city lights through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu offers an array of shareable snacks along with entrées and salads; the dishes have global touches that keep them interesting while still remaining approachable.

The term "light rustic" applies equally well to this comely café's decor—plank flooring, wood-top tables, gas fireplace with a brick hearth—and its cuisine, which emphasizes local produce and seafood. The menu changes seasonally, with the grilled flatbread, albacore appetizer, Point Reyes blue cheese salad, and grilled organic pork chop among the year-round crowd-pleasers.

You won't find too much in the way of nouvelle flourishes or ultramod decor at this San Francisco–style restaurant, and that's just how both visitors and locals prefer it—the elegant dining room is a favorite haunt for power-lunching and hobnobbing. Triple George is known for its commendably prepared traditional American fare such as oysters on the half shell, classic "wedge" salad, oh-so-tender pot roast, and truly stellar sourdough. Seafood and chops dominate the fancier parts of the menu, from seafood cioppino and traditional fish-and-chips to a bone-in prime New York strip and a hefty pan-seared porcini-crusted rib eye.  The "glegan" (gluten-free and vegan) menu is among the best in town.

This popular watering hole and fine-dining eatery is part mid-century supper club (some nights feature live jazz), part Miami kitsch (pops of pink neon, marlin wall art, and apps served in glass seashells), and all good time. Sip from the extensive martini and mojito list; bask in the gorgeous glow of a flambéed baked Alaska from one of the main dining room's tall leather booths; or nosh on protein-packed salads, pork chops, pizzas, or Sunday sushi amid tropical plants and water features in the outdoor area.

As the region's best fine-dining destination, located in the Des Moines suburb of Johnston, this restaurant's reputation hasn't wavered since opening in the late 1980s. The menu mixes elegant and basic fare with entrées including Iowa pork, beef, lamb, or elk; plus Iowa striped bass. Frosted glass and mahogany woods accent the three dining rooms. Wine lovers flock here for a wine list organized by categories like "lively whites" or "interesting blends."

The wood-fired grill of this second-floor downtown restaurant turns out steaks, chicken, chops, and fish dishes that might include halibut with coal-roasted tomato and braised fennel. As with the food, the decor is New West contemporary—bricks line the wall behind the bar, where mixologists craft drinks like the Magnolia (tequila, macadamia nut, lemon, pineapple, and bitters) and, in tribute to Truckee's bootlegging past, pour artisanal small-batch gin and whiskey.