184 Best Restaurants in USA

This acclaimed Black-owned restaurant dishes up “Seattle soul" in a vibrant setting. Think exquisitely prepared soul food that pays homage to family traditions, alongside creative fare honoring Seattle's multicultural intersections, like the whole fried catfish topped with a Thai-inspired papaya salad. The cocktail menu is just as creative, featuring Seattle-meets-the-South cocktails concocted with bourbon, pecan liqueur, Jamaican rum, and apple brandy, to name a few. 

The gift shop of the Modernism Museum across the street is attached to this tearoom-turned-restaurant, which helps to explain its striking and sublime decor. The menu changes daily featuring dishes from Florida and elsewhere in the South that are made using local ingredients whenever possible; roasted oysters, slow-cooked octopus with Japanese eggplant, or barbecue lamb shank are just some of the possibilities.

Famous for their southern-style comfort food, Amy Ruth’s is all about “cooking with love” with heaping portions. The original owner (Carl Redding) learned to cook at his grandmother’s side during the summer months in Alabama, and he opened the Harlem restaurant on Mother’s Day in 1999. Chef Jannette Robinson, a South Carolina native but longtime New Yorker, has been serving up their famous chicken and waffles and various other dishes, all of which are named after prominent Black figures.

Downtown Sevierville's transformation feels complete with the opening of this fine-dining twist on traditional mountain cuisine. If you're feeling adventurous, try the seared headcheese or the buffalo frog legs, but there's plenty of comfort dishes like hanger steak with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms to fall back on.

Much of the produce used at this fine-dining outpost at Dancing Bear Lodge is grown from seeds at the on-site garden, resulting in explosive flavors like a summer squash soup with bacon and seared scallops or pan-seared salmon over corn, okra, and sausage succotash. The monthly changing menu is aided by the custom-built smokehouse behind the kitchen, fueled by firewood from the property. In the tastefully rustic dining room or on the spacious covered patio, the sommelier guides you through the 300-bottle wine list. Diners flock here from Knoxville for the mountain air and buzz-worthy cuisine.

At this convivial two-level downtown tavern with exposed brick walls and tall windows, boldly flavored Southern fare—prominently featuring rotisserie or fried (buttermilk or spicy-hot) chicken—rules the day. The chicken dishes come with a variety of sauces and sides and in several different formats, from chicken and waffles to fried chicken thigh sandwiches with Tabasco mayo.

One of the Charleston area's great soul food institutions, Bertha's is owned and run by sisters Julie Grant, Linda Pinckney, and Sharon Grant Coakley, who have been awarded the America's Classic prize from the James Beard Foundation for being an essential component of the community (the restaurant was opened in their mother's honor). There's almost always a line at the counter-service restaurant, but it's worth waiting for exceptional okra soup, fried pork chops, and lima beans.

Tucked away in nearby Salemtown is Big Al's Deli, a neighborhood deli in every sense of the word. Owner Alfonso Hamilton serves home-cooked Southern food out of an otherwise nondescript converted house, making for a dining experience that feels like you're right at home. Seating is limited inside but the food—especially the breakfast—is well worth the wait.

Nathanial Zimet's gutsy, down-home cooking, a unique blend of Louisiana and contemporary southern styles, fits right in at its cozy location in a converted Uptown home. The menu here is updated monthly, but it always kicks off with small plates, including multiple iterations of grits and memorable boudin balls. Large plates pack big flavors—smoked scallops, Wagyu brisket, and multiple duck dishes all deliver. Try the Krispy Kreme bread pudding, even if you haven't saved room for it. Next door is Bourrée, the restaurant's casual sister establishment, specializing in chicken wings, meat-based snacks, and gourmet daiquiris, like the top-shelf Hurricane and frozen gin and tonic.

After a terrific tenure as the chef at San Francisco's True Laurel, Geoff Davis crossed the bay and opened his debut restaurant in the Temescal neighborhood in 2023. The result is clear: Burdell isn't just one of the greatest soul food restaurants in the Bay Area—it's one of the most enjoyable dining experiences in any corner of the region. Everything on the nicely organized menu is excellent, from boiled peanuts and magnificent stone-milled yellow-corn corn bread, to the compelling salads and heartier entrées. The chicken liver mousse with a crispy cornmeal waffle is already one of the East Bay's hall of fame dishes.

People have been known to check their bags at the airport and then go back through security and change terminals just to eat at C&L. The draws at this locally owned restaurant are the gastropub-inspired menu and the microbrews. Locally sourced ingredients highlight the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, with items like sandwiches, pulled pork and ribs, and specialty burnt-end meat loaf.

James Beard–winning chef Tandy Wilson has built a Nashville institution with City House, one of the first restaurants to take hold in Germantown. The menu changes seasonally but always features thoughtful salads, unusually delicious pizzas, and creative protein options, most of which lean heavily on pork. Visitors on Sunday are treated to the special Sunday Supper menu, which changes each week.

Around the corner from its big brother Cochon, Butcher packs its own Cajun punch with an upscale sandwich menu that dials up the flavor on local classics. With house-cured meats and olive salad, the muffuletta reveals exactly how delicious Italian-Creole can be, though the pork-belly sandwich, with refreshing mint and cucumber, also brings customers back. In addition to sandwiches, there are meaty small plates and a rotating selection of wines, beers, and well-made cocktails. There are a few tall tables for dining in, or you can get your sandwich to go. Before leaving, stock up on boudin, bacon pralines, and other to-go Cajun delicacies—all much better souvenirs than anything for sale on Bourbon Street.

Edley’s offers a taste of Southern cooking, and their sides are just as delicious as their melt-in-your-mouth meats. Make sure to try their brisket before it sells out for the day in either taco, sandwich, or platter form, and enjoy a craft beer or a signature spiked milkshake called a Bushwacker for refreshment. There are also locations in East Nashville and 12South.

It's not just what's in the pint glasses at this upscale brewpub that has locals raving. The kitchen's mac-and-peas and crunchy salad with shrimp, featuring the region's hallmark ingredients, are almost universally adored. The atmosphere is chic yet comfortable with large booths, canvas chairs, and a huge bar, while an outdoor patio invites you to sip in the sunshine. This is the original location—the restaurant shares its name with a more casual restaurant north of downtown.

"Real food, done real good" is the motto at Elizabeth's, where the vinyl-print tablecloths look just like grandma's and breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. The menu offers everything from po'boys to a stellar seared duck, but the highlight is the lively weekend brunch served from 8 am to 2:30 pm that includes "lost bread" (also known as French toast), "redneck eggs" (fried green tomatoes with poached eggs and hollandaise), and a traditional country breakfast with a smoked pork chop (there's also bottomless mimosas, if you want to start the party early). The fried-oyster po'boy is huge and irresistible. The staff is spunky, and so is the Bywater neighborhood clientele. The praline bacon is a must. Breakfast is served every weekday as well, also from 8 to 2:30, and has almost the same options.

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.

If you're looking for an opportunity to converse with a top New Orleans chef, then Gris-Gris is your best bet. The first level of this Magazine Street restaurant is a wraparound chef's table where you can watch all the action in the kitchen while enjoying homey and refined classics like shrimp and gris-gris grits and chicken gizzards served with grit cakes, carmelized peppers and onions, and gravy. On the second floor, you can sit at a lively indoor bar or on the balcony. Reservations are recommended.

Look no further than Hattie B's Lower Broadway location to get your Nashville hot chicken fix. Customers pick their level of heat (from no-heat "Southern" to "Shut the Cluck Up!!!"), chicken (bones or no bones, dark meat, white meat, or wings), and sides (pimento mac and cheese to black-eyed pea salad), and delicious platters are delivered to your table. Leave room for dessert. 

One of four Nashville Hattie B’s locations, the Melrose Hattie B’s provides the hot chicken hookup, often with less of a line than at the other outposts. Enjoy hot chicken of varying heat levels, wash it down with a sweet tea or craft brew, and finish off your meal with a delicious Southern-inspired side or two like Southern greens, bacon-cheddar grits, or pimento mac and cheese.

Chef Donald Link (whose restaurant group includes Cochon, Gianna, Pêche, and La Boulangerie) turns out a menu that sparkles with robust flavors and top-grade ingredients at this casually upscale restaurant. Comforting small plates like the daily gumbo, fried oysters, and homemade pastas are mainstays. Don't overlook the rich and flavorful Louisiana shrimp and fish ceviche. Also irresistible is the Muscovy duck leg confit with dirty rice and citrus gastrique. For dessert, banana brown-butter tart will ensure return trips. The plates provide most of the color in the lighthearted, often noisy, rooms. The wine list is expertly compiled and reasonably priced.

With tufted green leather settees and a wood-burning brick fireplace, the Homeport Tavern, part of the Homeport Inn, exudes an English-accented coziness. While bangers and mash and fish-and-chips give a nod to the old country and New England seafood is well represented, many dishes on the lunch and dinner menus have a distinctly Southern drawl. Items such as a shrimp po'boy, filé gumbo, smoked pork belly, and bread pudding with bourbon praline sauce hint at the chef's Louisiana roots. There's a good selection of Maine craft beers on tap.

Local chef and native east Austinite Hoover Alexander has created one of the city’s best comfort-food oases, blending Mama's home cooking, diner short-order specials, Tex-Mex favorites, and Cajun influences in one Southern comfort mecca. The self-styled "Smoke, Fire & Ice House" is known for its large portions and flavorful recipes, like a Jamaican jerk chicken and a chicken-fried steak that puts most others to shame. "Side mates” like mac 'n' cheese, fried okra, and creamed jalapeño spinach round out any home-style cravings. A full bar serves popular staples like beet margaritas. It’s hard to save room for dessert, but the homemade pies are excellent—and their New Orleans–influenced breakfasts are worth a try.

Southern charm abounds in both the decor and flavors at Husk, located in a converted historic home. With seasonal ingredients sourced from in and around Tennessee, the menu at this must-try restaurant staple (with other locations in Charleston and Savannah) is elevated and dynamic.

The seasonal flavors of eastern Tennessee's farms come to life over the wood-fired grill at this chef-owned ode to Southern cuisine, where the menu changes weekly. One decadent constant is a sous-vide farm egg appetizer with gnocchi and chicken confit. Pair it with a house-made pasta or a hearty protein (pork loin with okra, corn, and tomatoes is a winner). Bar seats let you watch the focused action in the open kitchen, where dedication to the craft is obvious. 

This outstanding boucaniere (Cajun French for smokehouse) is run by the next generation of the family that once operated the iconic Johnson's Grocery in Eunice, Louisiana. Customers sit on the covered porch and dig into boudin sausages, sandwiches, and the heartily recommended barbecue—smoked in-house and rubbed with Cajun-style seasonings. The boudin-stuffed grilled cheese is also a crowd-pleaser. This is a laid-back, friendly place with a refreshing blend of tradition and modern style. Music from young local bands plays over the sound system and is available for purchase.

Winston's hippest coffee joint is known for its biscuits and burgers (the chef behind Heff's Burger Club started out at Krankies) as much as its espresso. A warehouselike interior offers plenty of room to spread out, and ample outdoor tables fill with locals relaxing or working on sunny days.

Flower shops sometimes bloom into intimate fine-dining establishments in New Orleans, and this one, with just-bright-enough lighting and a sturdy mahogany bar, has caught on in a big way with the locals. In the kitchen, chef-owner Justin Devillier draws on contemporary American tastes, using Louisiana raw materials whenever he can. He's been quietly developing a reputation across the country, winning a coveted James Beard Award in the process. Standout items include the blue-crab beignets, the Gulf shrimp and grits with smoked bacon, and the creative (and extraordinary) alligator Bolognese, though many locals return to the red-leather banquettes for the signature burger and a round of cocktails.

Casual, quirky, and a tad Wes Anderson-y, this oysters-and-fried-chicken joint sports a kitschy ambience and blues-heavy soundtrack. Fried catfish, oyster, and chicken sandwiches come towering, dressed in fresh slaw or "comeback sauce" and nestled on perfectly prepared rolls. The oysters are from near or far, depending on the season. Don't forget to ask for a soft-serve ice cream before you go; you can grab it at the window outside the former auto repair shop.