73 Best Restaurants in Rhode Island, USA

Lunch or dinner on the deck or patio at this Wickford restaurant is an essential part of a visit to North Kingstown's most scenic village. Watch fish swim and ducks paddle into the cove as you dine on Greek-inspired pizzas and sandwiches, salads and seafood entrees, or shared plates of mussels, calamari served Rhode Island or Asian-style, and stuffed Quahog clams. In a town that's sometimes a little too quiet at night, the tavern's patio bar is one of the better places to grab a drink and some local gossip.

The food—baked Atlantic cod, shrimp and pea pasta, lobster rolls—is consistently great, the price is right, and you won't feel like a tourist at this local favorite. Catch ocean breezes on the patio, or in stormy weather sit at the bar and watch breakers roll in 30 feet away.

At this mainstay on the Newport waterfront, you can choose your dining experience based on the ambience and vibe you're looking for. The posh, plank-floored Commodore's Room (business casual dress required) features country pâté, escargot, rack of lamb, stuffed lobster tails, and other classic offerings, while the Tavern has a more casual experience, with standard American fare like salads, burgers, and grilled meat or fish, old nautical charts on the walls, and a four-season patio.

This Tiverton restaurant masters the art of elegant waterfront dining with views of the Mount Hope Bridge and a menu that covers all of the New England seafood bases, from the raw bar and chowder to calamari and curried mussels. It's the kind of place meant for lingering over a long dinner, but not too pretentious to leave sandwiches off the menu. If you want a burger or a shrimp po'boy, that's no problem, but do wash it down with a dessert cocktail like the Iced Rhody, a mix of espresso, Irish cream, and cinnamon syrup.

Not only are johnnycakes a unique Rhode Island food, but there are also regional variations within this small state on how to make these white corn pancakes. Located right on the Little Compton Commons, of course, the Commons is a leading purveyor of the thin and crispy East Bay variety, along with family-friendly meal-time options, and fried local seafood. 

Folks have been coming here since 1929 for lobster: as a salad roll, on pizza, or whole—but wait, there's also grilled swordfish, pan-seared cod, broiled scallops, bouillabaise, and steak or chicken, too. At lunch or dinner, start with a craft brew or cocktail, then build your own plate from the raw bar: jumbo shrimp, oysters, littleneck and cherrystone clams, or cold lobster cocktail.

Ben Lloyd, the chef-owner of this "agri-driven" American restaurant, is committed to honoring the origins of the food he prepares. He purchases humanely raised and harvested meat, poultry, and fish whole from local vendors, butchers them in-house, and uses every part from nose to tail—combined with eggs at breakfast, cheese and fries at lunch, and fresh vegetables at dinner. The weekend brunch will fill you up with frittatas, home fries, donuts and more for just $15 per person.

The first tavern opened here in 1673—and ever since, the premises have served, in turn, as a tavern, boardinghouse, restaurant, and even a meetinghouse for Colonial Rhode Island's General Assembly. Today, the tavern provides an intimate fine-dining experience, the mood set by the low dark-beam ceilings, uneven plank floors, and four still-working fireplaces; an outside patio is a recent addition.

This superb grocery offers a family-friendly atmosphere in which to peruse the finest of Italian meats and cheeses; imported vinegars and olive oils; and candies and pastries—all at reasonable prices. In addition, Tony's deli stocks freshly prepared foods to eat on the premises or take with you; try the Italian grinder, a Rhode Island lunchtime staple.

Close to Narragansett Town Beach, this welcoming place emphasizes seafood, classic comfort food favorites like shaved steak sandwiches and shepherd's pie, and artisanal pizzas. The festive patio is where you'll want to be on a bright day, sipping summer flavors like watermelon, cucumber, and peach mixed into refreshingly creative cocktails.

All-you-can-eat roast chicken, bread, salad, pasta with red sauce, and fries is a northern Rhode Island tradition that grew out of the need to feed many people efficiently. The 1,000-seat wonder known as Wright's Farm has served pretty much the same family-style menu since the 1950s. With 75 ovens, six dining rooms, and four bars, the mammoth banquet facility dishes up nearly 1 million pounds of chicken a year. Fans of kitschy local lore will enjoy a visit to this certifiable tourist attraction, where the gift shop sells chicken-themed doodads, toys, collectables, and candy by the pound.

Folks come from all over to savor the affordable, fresh, lightly battered, gently fried fish and hand-cut, English-style "chips" at this local institution in Market Square. The family-owned restaurant, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022, serves up a casual and relaxed feast in a wood-paneled dining room.