201 Best Restaurants in USA

Arguably the best-known among all of Maine's many outstanding breweries, Allagash was one of the state's pioneers, first opening in the '90s with its signature Belgian-style wheat beer, Allagash White. There are plenty of other styles to discover at the brewery, including wilds, sours, barrel-aged brews, and special seasonal concoctions on tap, and when hunger strikes, there's a Bite Into Maine’s food truck on-site, where you'll find burgers and excellent Maine staples like lobster rolls and whoopie pies. It's a bit out of the way from central Portland, but the above, plus a fun and friendly tasting room, make the brewery well worth the small trek.

Local critics consistently rank this West Sixth Street hot spot as one of the area's best restaurants, and the sprawling patio is almost always packed. It's a lovely downtown-adjacent atmosphere to enjoy upscale, indulgent takes on juicy burgers and pastrami (as a sandwich or a queso topping), and with great coffee and cocktails served all day to boot. There are even more burgers at the Quonset hut next door, where Hold Out Brewing slings food and beer all day. Both eateries have a hot weekend brunch ticket and host live music, outdoor vintage markets, and other special events periodically.

Hands down Maine's best lobster roll is found at this food truck that overlooks the idyllic Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth. Traditional rolls smothered in ungodly amounts of drawn butter are delicious, but you've also got the option to get out of the lobster comfort zone with rolls featuring flavors like wasabi, curry, and chipotle. There are vegetarian and nonseafood options on offer, too.

What started as a streamlined coffee and craft beer purveyor with sparse hours has evolved into an all-day mainstay of east Austin. The industrial garage vibe blends in well with its I–35-adjacent neighbors and attracts a hip clientele from morning to night, who flock here for cold brews and stacked breakfast sandwiches and then like to stick around for their local lineup of draft brews, full bar, and light café fare including late-night guilty-pleasure snacks.

If you're looking for a fun, casual, kid-friendly seafood restaurant, this vibrant joint offers creamy crab bisque, oysters on the half shell, and a sampler platter that includes crab legs, shrimp, and oysters. Open daily for lunch and dinner, plus a Sunday brunch, Captain Woody's has indoor and outdoor seating, as well as live music weekly. A second location in Bluffton features a rooftop deck.

The predominantly outdoor layout of Texas ranch–inspired Contigo consistently draws a steady evening crowd—even when summer temps are well over 100 degrees. With a chef-driven stable of cocktails and a creative Southern-comfort-meets-contemporary-American menu, it's easy to understand why: ox tongue sliders, house-made pigs in a blanket, a gooey cheddar-filled grilled cheese sandwich on brioche, and the cast-iron sautéed okra with jalapeño and walnuts are among the top menu picks. The varied list of weekend brunch offerings includes buttermilk biscuits and gravy, beef tongue hash, and pecan coffee cake.

Next to its sister concept and successful fine-dining restaurant, Juniper and Ivy, The Crack Shack's flagship location is a casual eatery complete with a walk-up counter, picnic-style tables, a bocce court, and a giant rooster—a nod to the egg- and chicken-themed menu. Ingredients are sourced from high-quality vendors and used for sandwiches, of which the fried-chicken varieties shine, as well as salads and sides like fluffy mini-biscuits with a miso-maple butter and a Mexican spin on poutine. The all-outdoor space feels like a cool playground for foodies, and there's even a slick bar that doles out craft cocktails. Parking can be a challenge in the busy neighborhood, but if you're just picking up to-go, be sure to snag one of the curbside pickup spots right out front.

Located at Linekin Bay Resort, this casual, mostly outdoor restaurant offers a serene waterside setting coupled with fresh lobster rolls, haddock BLTs, mussels, crab cakes, crudo yellowfin tuna, fish tacos, and clams linguine. There are plenty of meat, gluten-free, and vegan options, too. The resort and the restaurant are only a few minutes' drive east of downtown Boothbay Harbor, but the chill atmosphere seems a million miles away. There's often live music on weekends.

Easily the most unique of eateries in Joseph, when you dine at the Dog Spot you'll either be inside by the open kitchen and adjacent dog supply shop, or outside where dogs are welcome to sit below the table while you enjoy delectable food prepared by internationally experienced chef/owner, Arion Canniff. Arion's wife and hostess/waitress of the establishment, Amy, is known to bring water bowls out for visiting dogs, and her deep knowledge of the current short but enticing menu is helpful when choosing what to order. Entrées have an international flair and some of the regular options, like shrimp street tacos, are tweaked with different sauces each week, such as lemon-garlic, mango, and even "German-inspired" during the Oktoberfest season. Regular items on the menu include an Argentinian steak salad with chimichurri, house mac and cheese with seven kinds of cheese, and Vietnamese bahn mi sandwich (available with pulled chicken, pork shoulder, or jackfruit or tofu for vegetarians). 

The newest location of this beloved German-style bakery and beer garden features 15,000 square feet of outdoor space, plus a spacious interior, for beer and sausage lovers. The sprawling outdoor patio attracts lively lunch, happy hour, and late-night crowds with a full menu of artisan sandwiches, house-made sausages, and “big as your face” pretzels, as well as one of the best beer selections in the city. The wholesale bakeshop, which provides several local restaurants with specialty breads and pastries, opens bright and early every morning; don't miss the $6 “Easy Morning” deal (weekdays, 7–10 am) that includes a small coffee and any pastry.

The best seats at this charming café are outside on the patio, surrounded by gardens and wind sculptures with sweeping views of the mountains and Taos Pueblo's beautiful buffalo pasture. The flavorful breakfasts and lunches use ingredients sourced from local farms and ranches, and the bakery turns out decadent made-from-scratch carrot cakes, scones, cinnamon rolls, and other treats, many of them gluten-free. The Zia breakfast of farm fresh eggs, grilled avocado, asparagus, tomato, and portabello mushroom with sautéed greens is a favorite, as is the red chile bison stew made with Chimayo's famed chile.

This popular creamery, located on a massive family-owned and -operated dairy farm since 1864, creates its own made-on-the-farm frozen desserts (that's ice cream!) daily. Choose from more than 30 "regular" flavors, like coffee almond fudge and maple walnut, and as many "special" flavors, like Caramalt and Sunset on the Peach (with a raspberry swirl).  This is not a nut-free facility.

Although everything served at this seafood shack and market beside Fish Beach is delicious and simply prepared, the crab roll—a large, split-top roll buttered and griddled and stuffed with fresh, sweet, mayo-tossed crabmeat—may just be the best on the Maine coast. Order at the window, carry your tray to a picnic table inches from the water, and lap up the view of lobster boats in the harbor. You can also have your order packed to go. 

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.

An Old North Durham mainstay for more than a dozen years alongside Fullsteam, Motorco, Cocoa Cinnamon, and King’s Sandwiches, this neighborhood gastropub is becoming more dwarfed by big buildings by the day as construction of mixed-use apartment buildings transforms the city. Always reliable, friendly, and unpretentious, diners can enjoy a variety of burgers and sandwiches, salads, and simple Southern-style plates at communal picnic tables on the covered patio or inside in a converted garage with exposed brick walls and bold local artwork (some of it by the artistic staff). Chef-owner Andy Magowan regularly pays homage to classic Chinese dishes and Mexican cuisine with menu specials and theme weeks. Sunday brunch is less inspired but still popular.

This classic spot has been a go-to in Biddeford's seaside hamlet of Biddeford Pool for more than 100 years. Now part general store, part takeout spot, it's a one-stop shop for sunscreen, wine and beer, and locally made pies; the kitchen offers a bevy of Maine classics (including lobster dinners and fresh lobster rolls), sometimes with a twist (like haddock tacos with ginger-cucumber salsa or a blueberry cream cheese tart for dessert). Enjoy your meal at the picnic tables out back for unparalleled views of the sea and islands; just note that alcohol can't be consumed on the premises.

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.

A departure from the old-school greasy-spoon diners that proliferate in New England, this contemporary space with a white-tile and light-wood interior and a big, inviting outdoor seating area serves delicious, eclectic comfort fare that relies heavily on seasonal, local ingredients, including pasture-raised meats. Think Korean barbecue tacos with house-made kimchi and pickled carrots, or the buttermilk-fried chicken sandwich with a tangy secret sauce and dill pickles.

The owners run 105-acre Inn at Valley Farms, 5 miles away, which also offers elegant B&B accommodations.

You're going to think you're lost, but resist the urge to turn around because the tiny speck of sand that is Flamingo Heights really is that far out there, and this gastronomical goldmine—a roadside diner elevated by a lesbian couple who came to the desert for their honeymoon and never left—will likely be the best meal you'll eat this side of the Little San Bernardinos. Expect seasonally inspired brunch and lunch plates served without pretense and made using farm-to-fork ingredients and bits of culinary wisdom cribbed from the South (fried chicken), France (buckwheat ham galette), the Middle East (citrus and beets, a labneh-doused burger), and Philly's top kitchens (where the chef once toiled).

A coffee shop, restaurant and market all in one, Le Bon Nosh is all elegance and French flair. As soon as you step into the stunning, open space, you’re immediately transported. The aesthetics wow, but the service, food and drinks are memorable as well. Everything is simple yet dynamic, made with the freshest local ingredients. Pastries are made in-house, ranging from savory to sweet, and the espresso bar is a must.

With three locations around Atlanta, Little Tart’s flagship store in Grant Park is beloved for many reasons. The first being the multitude of pastries and drinks offered, and the second being its prime location convenient to everything from Zoo Atlanta to Oakland Cemetery. With a humble start at local farmer’s markets, Little Tart now offers everything from classic croissants to galettes and scones. And, of course, tarts, their namesake. Pair a pastry with one of the many coffee and tea options offered, including the summer favorite iced strawberry matcha drink.

Sustainability is the name of the game at this lively breakfast and lunch café in downtown Grants Pass, with a cozy dining room of colorfully painted tables and mismatched chairs, and a large adjacent patio with picnic tables and lush landscaping. The kitchen sources from local farms and purveyors to create beer-battered fried chicken and waffles, kale Caesar salads, and line-caught-fish tacos with seasonal slaw and homemade salsa.

An anchor in the downtown district, this French-inspired bistro, bar, and gourmet market takes up part of Tucson's historic train depot. Clever thematic touches—a dining room fashioned long and narrow like a train car, with wheel-like divider walls and lamps made from rail spikes—and the attentive yet relaxed service evoke the romance of a largely bygone era. Choose a table by the window and watch the trains go by. Or, if you prefer, sit outside on the vast patio overlooking the tracks. Menu choices range from starters like fresh oysters and steak tartare to bouillabaisse, coq au vin, and burgers served with pommes frites. The more casual Maynard's Market, open from 9 am to 7 pm daily, sells pastries, sandwiches, and wholly satisfying lighter fare to take out or dine in, as well as regional wines, tamales, and ice cream.

For quite possibly the best coffee in Austin, visit this little bungalow on West Lynn that draws quite a crowd for the laid-back, cozy vibes that are great for casual patio hangouts or quick business meetings. Here, baristas pull exquisite shots for espresso drinks and leave creative designs in latte and cappuccino foam. It's a great neighborhood feel, tucked just above the bustle of downtown, with friendly staff and regulars. There are other Medici locations in town, but this is the original.

This spacious restaurant with soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows serves dishes featuring the authentic flavors of the French/Italian Riviera, from Nice to Genoa. The menu changes often, depending on ingredients acquired from local purveyors, but, in addition to house-made pizzas and traditional pastas, it might offer black-truffle cappellini in an Armagnac and truffle butter sauce, Dungeness crab gnocchi, or pork belly with squash and fennel in a scallop sauce. 

This quirky converted firehouse, with its rawhide walls and iron indoor trellises, has a wonderfully sophisticated menu. Organic produce and meats and sustainably sourced seafood are used in imaginative dishes that reflect the area's agriculture—crispy artichoke hearts with Mediterranean baba ghanoush, for instance, and hamachi crudo with passion-fruit vinaigrette.

Set in tiny Mosier, between The Dalles and Hood River, this contemporary roadhouse with vaulted ceilings, big windows, and a sprawling patio is an ideal go-to after hiking at Rowena Crest or wine touring at one of several nearby vineyards. Count on well-crafted tavern fare using top-quality local ingredients, including prodigious burgers and fried-chicken sandwiches, pizzas, and poutine slathered in mushroom gravy and melted cheese curds.

On any given sunny day, Austinites flock to Mozart's spacious lakeside patio to enjoy great coffee and indulgent baked goods. The expansive, multitiered deck overlooking Lake Austin can get crowded with weekend patrons, and weekdays are equally popular times for locals to post up and work remotely. There's an extensive bakery selection, plus an assortment of smoothies, sandwiches, signature sweet treats, and light breakfast fare. Live music on weekends is an added bonus, and their annual Christmas lights display is a seasonal sight to behold.