13 Best Restaurants in USA

Defeating the cliché that restaurants in hotels can't be citywide draws, chef Francis Ang's longtime Pinoy Heritage pop-up is thriving at its permanent home within the Kimpton Alton Hotel. Ang's exciting contemporary Filipino cooking has gained rave reviews from national publications and well-deserved awards. The chic space has a slight tropical edge to it and includes a small patio at the front and a bar reserved for those who can't score a reservation.

Crispy rice-based batter keeps the fried chicken at this tiny spot impressively tender. The kitchen experience of the accomplished chefs behind this simple concept shows in the quality and intriguing Filipino flavors of side dishes such as coconut collard greens and garlic rice. Order ahead of time to make sure to get your chicken, as they sell out most days.

Starting out small and growing on word of mouth, Chera Amlag's bakery and bar sprouted from the desserts she made for her husband's Filipino pop-up dinners. A 2022 expansion grew this elegant I.D. space where she serves her dazzling purple ube cheesecake, alongside cafe foods with Filipino touches, like sandwiches on pan de sal bread. Their coffee program can compete with some of Seattle's best, using beans from the Philippines and around Southeast Asia to make pour-over, espresso, and specialty drinks.

Chef–owner Joey Macadangdang, who has been at the helm of fine-dining kitchens for most of his career, brings his good taste to the masses with this unfussy restaurant featuring Filipino, Asian, and American fusion dishes. He's a longtime champion of local producers, so many of his recipes highlight ingredients grown on Maui. Don't be fooled by its under-the-radar location in a strip mall; there's a good chance you'll find yourself returning here several times during your trip.

The secret's way out on this creative Filipino spot from culinary power couple Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores ever since it won a 2022 Michelin star and cameoed on essential foodie binge-watch The Bear. Brave the long (like, down the block and around the corner long) daytime queue to the counter for homey brunch dishes like chicken adobo, not to mention ham and raclette danish, among Kwon's other fantastic pastry offerings; at night, there's a major tone shift to an elegant tasting menu with a $275 price tag. 

This cozy and colorfully decorated corner space has a near-fanatical following for flavorful Filipino-fusion food prepared by the restaurant's renowned classically trained chef-owner. Expect creative, artfully prepared renditions of classics like squid-ink crab-fat noodles with peppers and corn, pork-skin cracklings with spiced coconut vinegar, and tender pork adobo.

SoMa's dining scene took a major hit when Deanna Sison's unique contemporary Filipino concept closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened in its original home. Luckily, Mestiza 2.0 was unveiled in 2024 and is in an even better location, just a block from Oracle Park. Guests fill the delightful patio for "plant-forward dishes" (but not always vegetarian) like mixed vegetable coconut curry bowls and mushroom tofu sisig roti wraps at lunch, and jammy five-spice eggs and braised pork adobo in the evening.

This Filipino spot opened to great fanfare at the end of 2023. That's because it's brought you by the team from impossible-to-get-into Indian eateries Semma and Dhamaka. The top toque, Manila-born Eric Valdez, offers a lavish multicourse tasting menu in the 20-seat dining room in the a back and more affordable à la carte options in the 18-seat front bar room. Some of the dishes can be challenging for nonadventurous eaters—cow testicle or pig brains, anyone?—but there is also excellent fried chicken, bison rib-eye steak, and unctuous pork belly. 

The typical family backyard barbecues scattered throughout Echo Park—which has traditionally overlapped with L.A.’s historic Filipinotown—are transformed into fantastic dining at The Park's Finest. Slow-cooked meats and vinegar-based sauces are topped with longganisa sausage, ube, soy sauce, and banana leaves. The name doesn't lie—this truly is some of Echo Park's finest grub.

Chef-owner Lou Boquila brings his modern interpretations of Philippine cuisine to South Philly with this romantic BYOB. Wednesday to Sunday, Boquila creates the popular kamayan dinner (a Filipino style of communal eating without plates or utensils), which features loads of delicious food presented to the table on banana-leaf placemats. You’re not only allowed, but encouraged, to eat with your hands.

It’s no surprise that Spoon and Pork has found its rightful place in the neighborhood with its comforting Filipino cuisine. With a name that cleverly plays on the traditional Filipino way of eating (using both spoon and fork), this modern spot is the perfect introduction to the cuisine's beloved dishes such as lechon and adobo pork belly.

This casual, convivial Filipino restaurant has been churning out classic island dishes like sisig (grilled mixed pork offal) and lumpia (pork-filled fried spring rolls) for over 15 years. Among a satisfying smattering of skewers and noodle dishes is also the impressive inihaw na panga (grilled tuna jaw) and tuna belly cooked any which way (your choice of either adobo, in coconut milk, or in a soup). Don't skip out on halo halo for dessert, the popular Filipino concoction that translate to "mixed" in Tagalog. 

With window service from its colorful, street-art-adorned kitchen and outdoor seat-yourself tables, this is an ideal spot for a quick bite, but that doesn't mean it's not substantial. The outdoor eatery serves savory and delicious abundant plates of traditional Filipino pork, sausage, and chicken dishes, along with signature snacks like lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and their head-turning purple ube pandesal (bread rolls). Come hungry, and plan on taking some to go.