3070 Best Restaurants in USA

Background Illustration for Restaurants

We've compiled the best of the best in USA - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Four & Twenty Blackbirds

$ Fodor's Choice
Pie, ordered whole or by the slice, is why you come to this rustic flagship of the Elsen sisters' enterprise. The bakers are experts on the topic, having written a definitive book and appeared in basically every food magazine around. The café usually has five or six pies, plus a variety of baked goods.

Fox Meadows Creamery

$ Fodor's Choice

Farmland surrounds this spacious creamery, which serves what many locals consider to be the best ice cream in Lancaster County. Flavors range from classics like cookies 'n cream to creations like honey-lavender; order yours in a waffle cone bowl. A complete coffee selection and a lunch menu of burgers, sandwiches, and salads are also available.

Foxy Loxy Cafe

$ | Thomas Square Fodor's Choice

A full-service coffee shop featuring lovingly-crafted lattes and a Tex-Mex menu, Foxy Loxy is the always-busy hangout for students, artists, and entrepreneurs. Order a horchata and take your laptop out to the courtyard, where a koi pond, acoustic music, and Saturday night s'mores parties at the firepit invite folks to lounge in the open air.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Franklin Barbecue

$ | East Austin Fodor's Choice

If Central Texas is the hub of the state's best barbecue, then Franklin has become its favorite darling. The former food truck–turned–full-fledged, world-renowned restaurant, founded by pitmaster Aaron Franklin, attracts a daily throng of fans who wait in line for upward of three hours in hopes of devouring a tray of brisket, sausage, and pork ribs pulled straight from the smoker, alongside classic potato salad, pinto beans, and coleslaw. The hype is unmatched (President Obama even stopped by during an Austin visit) but so is the quality. People start lining up well before doors open at 11 am, but crowds dissipate when the meat sells out, which can be as early as 2 pm.

900 E. 11th St., Austin, TX, 78702, USA
512-653–1187
Known For
  • Central East 11th Street location
  • Mouthwatering brisket that lives up to the hype (and usually sells out by 2 pm)
  • A daily queue of cheerful barbecue lovers
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Franklin Fountain

$ | Old City Fodor's Choice
You can’t throw a wet walnut in Philly without hitting an artisanal-ice-cream maker these days, but brothers Ryan and Eric Berley and their charming Colonial-inspired scoop shop have newcomers beat by years. On summer nights, long lines ripple out the door into the warm Old City night, but the wait (half an hour isn’t uncommon in summer) is worth it for the house-made seasonal flavors like fresh peach, brooding black raspberry, and honeycomb made with booty from the Fountain’s rooftop hives. Just down the block, the Berleys also operate Shane Confectionery, a candy shop informed by the same bygone era.
116 Market St., Philadelphia, PA, 19106, USA
Known For
  • Old-timey uniforms and decor
  • Handmade ice cream
  • Long lines
Restaurant Details
Reservations not accepted

Something incorrect in this review?

Franny's Cup and Saucer

$ Fodor's Choice

Aided by her mother, Barbara, a former pastry chef at famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Franny, turns out sophisticated and inventive baked goods. Morning favorites include scones and sweet and savory pastries; there are fruit tarts and strawberry-apricot crisps, plus a mouthwatering assortment of cookies, candy, jams, and jellies for indulging anytime.

Freshies Maui

$ Fodor's Choice

While the rest of Makawao Town eases into the day, fuel up with a hearty breakfast at this garden café in the shade of a sprawling Argentinian coral tree. With options like huevos rancheros, French toast, and house-made biscuits and gravy, it feels like Sunday brunch every day.

3620 Baldwin Ave., Makawao, HI, 96768, USA
808-868–2350
Known For
  • Peaceful setting
  • Vegetarian and vegan options
  • Local and organic ingredients
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Frothy Monkey

$ | The Nations Fodor's Choice

Giant warehouse windows hearken back to The Nations’ industrial roots and shed light on the stylish wood-laden interior of this coffee shop and all-day café. The variety of seating options makes Frothy Monkey a favorite for remote workers with laptops, and their health-focused menu features locally roasted coffee, fresh pastries, and farm-sourced ingredients for all meals. There are multiple locations around the city. 

Fulcrum Coffee Café

$ | Belltown Fodor's Choice

One of Seattle’s top coffee roasters also runs this sleek, modern café just a few blocks from the Space Needle. The fifth-generation Costa Rican coffee farmer behind Fulcrum leads its adventurous sourcing, drawing beans not just from the usual regions but also from unexpected places like China, Myanmar, and Laos. Baristas here craft everything from classic espresso drinks to meticulous pourovers using single-origin beans, and the same care extends to the curated list of teas, beers, wines, and ciders. Breakfast and all-day sandwiches come on biscuits and breads from local bakers, alongside pastries and empanadas displayed temptingly in the glass case at the bar.

590 Bell St., Seattle, 98121, USA
206-995–8779
Known For
  • Coffee from lesser-known regions
  • Single-origin, locally roasted beans
  • Responsible sourcing

Something incorrect in this review?

Full Belly Deli

$ Fodor's Choice

Truckee residents and visitors jam this strip-mall restaurant for diverse breakfast fare like the biscuits-and-gravy burrito and hot lunch sandwiches that include Cubans, cheesesteaks, the Southwest chicken pepper jack on focaccia, and the formidable Dirka Dirka (corned beef, pastrami, Swiss cheese, jalapeño cole slaw). Salads, subs, and wraps are also on the menu, and there's a good beverage selection, from aloe water to Red Bull.

10825 Pioneer Trail, Truckee, CA, 96161, USA
530-550–9516
Known For
  • Outdoor dining in good weather
  • Pasta, macaroni, and potato salad sides
  • Order online to save time
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Gabby's Burgers & Fries

$ | Wedgewood-Houston Fodor's Choice

Gabby’s is where locals go for really good burgers (grass-fed beef or vegan) and addictive sweet potato fries. The ever-present line moves quickly; eat at the tables or small counter overlooking the grill, or grab and go; just remember the portions are HUGE!

493 Humphreys St., Nashville, TN, 37203, USA
615-733–3119
Known For
  • Huge portions
  • Shakes made with house-made syrups
  • Sweet potato fries
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub

$ Fodor's Choice

Step inside this Irish pub, and you'll be welcomed like a member of the family. As would be expected, the corned beef and cabbage and other traditional Irish menu items (along with classic Annapolis bar food like crab and oysters) are fantastic. The bread pudding served with vanilla custard is a great way to end your meal. On Sunday, brunch is served from 10 to 1:30—the homemade corned-beef hash is simply divine—and live Irish music is performed 4–8.

63 Maryland Ave., Annapolis, MD, 21401, USA
301-263–8333
Known For
  • Traditional Irish grub and hospitality
  • Authentic homemade corned-beef hash
  • Sunday brunch with live music

Something incorrect in this review?

Ganotisi's Pacific Rim Cuisine

$ Fodor's Choice

At one of Lanai’s newest restaurants, casual fare is made with tons of love, and although dishes lean heavily toward the salty, sweet, and sour tastes represented by Filipino fare, specials highlight a dynamic range of Pacific flavors and cuisines. The menu includes plate lunches, salads, burgers, and an outstanding chicken sandwich. You can dine inside or on a large patio facing Dole Park or take food to go for a day of exploring.

Gelato Fiasco

$ | Old Port and Waterfront Fodor's Choice

Proper Italian gelato and sorbetto here come in traditional flavors as well as more offbeat varieties like torched marshmallow s'more, mascarpone pistachio caramel, and mint brownie cookie. It's all made of milk from family farms, and there are new flavors every day, along with espresso and other hot drinks. If you are overwhelmed by all the choices, get the "mystery pint" and have the selection made for you.

425 Fore St., Portland, ME, 04101, USA
207-699–4314
Known For
  • You can try every single flavor before deciding on what you'll get
  • Long lines out the door in the summer
  • Multigenerational bonding spot

Something incorrect in this review?

Glenda's Creole Kitchen

$ Fodor's Choice

The modest building that makes up Glenda's is just down the driveway from the actual kitchen in the owner-chef Glenda Broussard's house. Glenda has been making the down-home dishes on her menu like stuffed fried chicken, smothered ribs, and red beans and sausage for decades, and they taste like it, too.

3232 Main Hwy. #31, Breaux Bridge, LA, 70517, USA
337-332–0294
Known For
  • Plate lunches with huge portions of Creole favorites
  • Smothered "seven steak" served on Thursday
  • A great place to meet friendly locals from a small town
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

The Goat & Vine

$ Fodor's Choice

Every morning at 3 am, chefs are hard at work in this scratch, stone-hearth kitchen where nearly everything is produced in-house, including the sauces, dressings, and breads baked with a sourdough starter dating back 120 years. Handcrafted sandwiches range from steak-mushroom melts with smoked blue cheese to turkey with aged Brie and balsamic compote, and the pizzas are large enough to share, though most people find themselves walking out with a to-go box—especially if they start with “Mother’s Meatballs,” made with Kobe beef, bubbling in a cast-iron skillet. If you didn’t save room for dessert, take a leisurely stroll around Old Town and come back for the bread pudding, a treat that lures people time and again.

Good Coffee

$ Fodor's Choice

The Woodlark Hotel's plant-filled lobby is home to this comfy outpost from Portland roaster Good Coffee. The marble bar complements the sprawling seating area—a living room for an army of freelancers, who set up shop at the communal table, on the blue banquet seats lining the street-facing windows, and the plush couches and armchairs.

813 S.W. Alder St., OR, 97205, USA
503-548–2559
Known For
  • One of Portland’s best cappuccinos
  • Intriguing seasonal drink menu
  • Tea lattes and matcha

Something incorrect in this review?

Good Stuff Eatery

$ | Capitol Hill Fodor's Choice

Fans of Bravo's Top Chef will first visit this brightly colored burgers-and-shakes joint hoping to spy charismatic celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn, but they will return for the comfort-food favorites (and learn it's a family effort). The lines can be long, as it's a favorite lunch spot of congressional aides, but the Mendelsohns’ inventive burgers are worth the wait (there also are creative salads and Southern-fried chicken sandwiches). After placing your order cafeteria-style, grab several of the fresh dipping sauces for the tasty thyme-and-rosemary-seasoned hand-cut skinny fries or Vidalia onion petals. Just as important, leave room for a toasted marshmallow or Milky Way malted shake that's as thick as the ones you remember from childhood.

303 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC, 20003, USA
202-791--0168
Known For
  • Fun burgers like the "Prez" (with bacon, onion marmalade, and Roquefort cheese)
  • Thick malted milkshakes
  • Variety of dipping sauces for hand-cut skinny fries

Something incorrect in this review?

Gorilla Coffee

$ | Park Slope Fodor's Choice
This popular Brooklyn-based brand has fueled Park Slope since 2002 with its specially blended roasts and beans from direct-trade and family farms. There's a pour-over menu with the concise descriptions you'd expect on a fine-wine menu. Business is just as brisk as at the now closed original location, but the sleek interior is a 180-degree upgrade. Muffins from nearby Blue Sky Bakery and baked goods from Colson's Patisserie are in good supply. The window seats are prime spots to watch the steady stream of foot traffic. There's free Wi-Fi, but no outlet use.
472 Bergen St., Brooklyn, NY, 11217, USA
347-987--3766
Known For
  • Espresso-a-go-go blend
  • Signature Sunrise drink of cold brew, plus OJ and dash of vanilla syrup
  • Great location outside the Bergen Street subway station

Something incorrect in this review?

Gracenote Coffee

$ | Leather District Fodor's Choice

Gracenote roasts top-shelf coffee beans using its own unique process here in Massachusetts, and then serves it in a teeny Leather District storefront just across the border from Chinatown. The flavor is well worth the slightly out-of-the-way jaunt to this hipster haven for pour-overs and espresso drinks that are the focus of the menu.

Grandview Public Market

$ Fodor's Choice

This laid-back food hall and community-centric market complete with colorful murals is a crowd pleaser. There's plenty to taste, with 12 vendors selling everything from tacos to fried chicken to rolled ice cream. There's also a unique event space and weekly curated programming for all ages. Check out the small farmers' market on the weekend and live jazz that accompanies brunch, along with community yoga and kids activities. Standouts include shrimp po' boys from Roux Cajun Cuisine, bowls of ramen from Ramen Lab Eatery, and cold brew from Pumphouse Coffee. A full bar serving wine, beer, and cocktails is also available.

Grange Garden

$ Fodor's Choice

Get ready for a true French garden experience, where you can sip espresso, pluck flowers from galvanized buckets, and even hold a bunny. This flower shop-meets-café experience has lite bites and pastries that will have you sinking your teeth into a flaky croissant and saying “merci!”

240 S Cedros Ave., Solana Beach, CA, USA
858-353--6163
Known For
  • Flower shop-meets-café
  • French pastries with bunny experience for kids
  • Events and workshops
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Grato

$ Fodor's Choice

A sprawling cavern of wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and cocktails, this sibling to popular bûccan is a hit. Soaring ceilings, concrete floors, dark wood, and an open kitchen provide a buzzy backdrop to dishes of nicely charred pies (made with organic flour) and homemade pastas. Like chef-owner Clay Conley's other spots, the food here is hearty, unfussy yet sophisticated, and wonderfully balanced, from the curry cauliflower hummus to the hand-rolled macaroni with Florida rock shrimp and fennel. The popular weekend brunch (with a show-stopping breakfast pizza) fills up during the season, so make a reservation.

Gray's Coors Tavern

$ Fodor's Choice

Locals constantly debate where to find the city's best "slopper"—an open-face burger smothered in cheese, red or green chile, and onions—but there is no question you will find an authentic Pueblo experience at this dive bar, where the dish was first served. Bikers and families converge on the large outdoor patio during the summer to devour the messy burger. Add a pile of fries to the top for the true slopper taste, and make sure to pair it all with an ice-cold Coors in honor of the building that was once a distribution center for the state’s largest brewery.

515 W. 4th St., Pueblo, CO, 81003, USA
719-544--0455
Known For
  • Excellent slopper (open-face burger smothered in red or green chile)
  • Ice-cold Coors served in large schooner glasses
  • Old-school Pueblo atmosphere

Something incorrect in this review?

Gray's Ice Cream

$ Fodor's Choice

A summertime pilgrimage for people from every corner of the state, Gray's has been around since 1923 and sells more than 30 flavors of ice cream, all made on the premises. Coffee is the go-to flavor for many Rhode Islanders, but specialties such as Indian pudding and apple caramel spice have their adherents.

16 East Rd., Tiverton, RI, 02878, USA
401-624–4500
Known For
  • Cones, cups, cabinets (milk shakes without ice cream), and frappes (milk shakes with ice cream), frozen yogurt, sherbet, and sugar-free flavors, too
  • Open 365 days year-round

Something incorrect in this review?

Green Mountain Sugar House

$ Fodor's Choice

This red-roofed sugarhouse on the edge of Lake Rescue has one of the best maple creemees in the state of Vermont. Locals Ann and Doug Rose have owned the sugaring house since 1985, and almost four decades later continue to uphold their destination-worthy reputation for award-winning maple syrup. Grab a jug of rich amber syrup to bring home, or try it spun into on-site treats like fudge and soft-serve ice cream.

The Grove Café & Market

$ Fodor's Choice

This airy, modern EDo neighborhood favorite features locally grown, seasonal specials at reasonable prices. Enjoy such fresh, quality treats as Grove Pancakes with fresh fruit, crème fraîche, local honey, and real maple syrup; a Farmers Salad with roasted golden beets, Marcona almonds, goat cheese, and lemon-basil vinaigrette; or an aged Genoa salami sandwich with olive tapenade, arugula, and provolone on artisanal sourdough bread. Order at the counter, and your meal will be whisked out to you in the light-filled main room or the arbored patio. The market sells a tempting mix of chocolates, specialty salts and mustards, a featured cookbook or two, and other culinary treats.

Guisados

$ | Echo Park Fodor's Choice

Family-owned Guisados has achieved cult status in L.A. with locations throughout the city (Downtown, Boyle Heights, West Hollywood) to accommodate its popularity. This Echo Park spot is worshipped and well supported locally for Nana’s slow-cooked stew recipes, cooked to perfection for five to six hours and slapped on house-grilled tortillas. Since this is L.A., there are vegan and vegetarian options as well, but the bestsellers include the steak picado, chicken tinga, and chorizo quesadilla. All tacos are delicious, so you may want to get a sampler to try a variety. Chase your picks with made-daily agua frescas like the summer-perfect Armando Palmero. 

Gutiz

$ | El Prado Fodor's Choice

This ambitious and consistently terrific spot for lunch and breakfast (served all day) blends French and Spanish culinary influences. Favorite breakfast dishes include eggs Benedict and their signature French toast made from freshly baked bread while lunch specialties feature a green chile sausage bowl, pollo borracho, and sandwiches served on homemade French bread.

812B Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos, NM, 87571, USA
575-758–1226
Known For
  • Friendly staff
  • Handcrafted chocolate truffles
  • Cheerful atmosphere with local art on display
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

Ha & VL

$ Fodor's Choice

This humble, no-frills banh mi shop amid the many cheap and authentic Asian restaurants on S.E. 82nd stands out not just for its filling sandwiches (these crispy-bread creations come with fillings like spicy Chinese sausage, pork meat loaf, or sardines) but also for the daily featured soup, such as peppery pork-ball noodle soup on Wednesday and Vietnamese turmeric soup, with shrimp cake and sliced pork, on Sunday. There's also a diverse selection of thick milk shakes—top flavors include avocado, mango, and durian. The owners also operate Rose VL Deli nearby, which offers a more extensive soup menu.

2738 S.E. 82nd Ave., OR, 97266, USA
503-772–0103
Known For
  • Barbecue pork loin banh mi sandwiches
  • Fun, welcoming atmosphere and fast service
  • Selling out of soups so be there early
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?