United States · best-of list
The 40 Best Restaurants in the United States
We narrowed 466 restaurants from our curated routes in the United States down to 40, spread across 35 destinations. 15 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
40 restaurants in the United States, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Bryce Canyon 3 picks
Bryce Canyon Pines Restaurant
Bryce Canyon · On our Las Vegas & National Parks route + 1 more
Roadside restaurant known for homemade fruit pies.
Photo: Mariusz · Google
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon Dining Room
Bryce Canyon · On our Las Vegas & National Parks route + 1 more
1920s rim lodge dining room, the only sit-down restaurant inside the park.
Tip: Open roughly Apr–Oct; reservations recommended for dinner.
Photo: The Lodge at Bryce Canyon · Google
Ebenezer's Barn & Grill
Bryce Canyon · On our Utah Mighty Five route
Cowboy dinner and live country-music show across from Ruby's Inn.
Tip: Seasonal (spring–late Oct); book ahead.
Photo: Annie Mathé · Google
Anchorage 2 picks
Snow City Cafe
Anchorage · On our Alaska Glacier Route + 1 more
Downtown breakfast spot known for reindeer sausage and crab cake Benedict.
Tip: Expect a weekend wait; join the online waitlist.
Photo: Snow City Cafe · GoogleGlacier Brewhouse
Anchorage · On our Fairbanks, Talkeetna & Anchorage route
Downtown brewpub with house beers and a wood-fired grill, a fixture on 5th Avenue since the 1990s.
Tip: Reserve ahead for dinner on weekends.
East Nashville 2 picks
Mas Tacos Por Favor
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route + 1 more
Counter-service tacos and soups in a small East Nashville storefront.
Tip: Get the fried avocado and chicken tortilla soup.
Photo: Mas Tacos Por Favor · Google
Lockeland Table
East Nashville · On our Nashville Music Weekend route
Neighborhood restaurant with wood-fired dishes and a happy hour in a 1930s building.
Tip: Book for dinner; happy hour pizzas are a cheaper route in.
Photo: Lockeland Table · Google
Seattle 2 picks
Pike Place Market
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route + 2 more
Century-old public market with fishmongers, produce stalls and the original market arcades over Elliott Bay.
Tip: Go before 10am to beat cruise crowds; lower levels are quieter.
Photo: Daniel Schwen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Elliott's Oyster House
Seattle · On our Pacific Northwest route
Waterfront seafood institution on Pier 56 with a long raw-oyster list.
Tip: Oyster happy hour runs weekday afternoons.
Photo: REbranding 360 · Google
Asheville 1 pick
Curaté
Asheville · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
Chef Katie Button's Spanish tapas bar downtown.
Tip: Book well ahead; bar seats open some walk-ins.
Photo: Cúrate Bar de Tapas · Google
Aspen 1 pick
Ajax Tavern
Aspen · On our Colorado Rockies route
Slopeside patio at the base of the gondola, known for its truffle fries and burger.
Tip: Patio seats go fast at après hour.
Photo: Ajax Tavern · Google
Austin 1 pick
Franklin Barbecue
Austin · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
Austin's most famous brisket, worth the morning line.
Tip: Line forms by 8am for 11am opening; preorders by the pound skip the line.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 1 pick
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Beale Street & Downtown Memphis · On our Memphis New Year's Eve route
Basement rib house down an alley off Union Avenue, serving charcoal-cooked dry-rub ribs since 1948.
Tip: Go on Dec 30; it is closed Sundays and Mondays and fills early on holidays.
Big Island 1 pick
Café 100
Big Island · On our Hawaii Paradise route
Hilo diner that has served loco moco since 1946.
Tip: Try the original loco moco; order at the window.
Photo: たっさばみ · Google
Center City & Penn's Landing 1 pick
Parc
Center City & Penn's Landing · On our Philadelphia New Year's Eve route
Stephen Starr's Paris-style brasserie on Rittenhouse Square, busy from breakfast to late dinner.
Tip: Ask for a window table facing the square.
Cherokee 1 pick
Peter's Pancakes & Waffles
Cherokee · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
Cherokee breakfast spot by the river, a local standby.
Tip: Expect a line on weekends.
Photo: num1lsufan · Google
Chicago 1 pick
Au Cheval
Chicago · On our Chicago & Great Lakes route
West Loop diner known for its stacked double cheeseburger.
Tip: Put your name in and wait at a nearby Randolph Street bar.
Photo: Au Cheval · Google
Dallas 1 pick
Cattleack Barbeque
Dallas · On our Texas BBQ Trail route
Farmers Branch pitmaster spot with some of the best brisket in North Texas.
Tip: Open limited days (typically Thu–Fri plus one Saturday a month); check before going.
Photo: Mitch Pritchard · Google
Denver 1 pick
Buckhorn Exchange
Denver · On our Colorado Rockies route
Denver's oldest restaurant (1893), packed with taxidermy and serving steaks and game.
Tip: Try the elk or the Rocky Mountain oysters if you're curious.
Photo: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Detroit 1 pick
American Coney Island
Detroit · On our Frankenmuth & Detroit route
Coney dogs with chili, mustard and onions on Lafayette Boulevard since 1917.
Tip: Order 'one with everything' and a side of chili fries.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Door County 1 pick
Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant
Door County · On our Chicago & Great Lakes route
Swedish pancakes with lingonberries under goats grazing on the sod roof.
Tip: Goats are usually up late spring to fall.
Photo: Kim Scarborough from Chicago, IL · CC BY-SA 2.0
Downtown & Midtown Atlanta 1 pick
Bacchanalia
Downtown & Midtown Atlanta · On our Atlanta New Year's Eve route
Anne Quatrano's Westside tasting-menu restaurant, open since 1993 and long counted among Atlanta's best.
Tip: A long dinner here ends in time for a 15-minute ride back downtown before midnight.
Downtown Indianapolis 1 pick
Harry & Izzy's
Downtown Indianapolis · On our Indianapolis New Year's Eve route
St. Elmo's sister grill on Illinois Street, with the same shrimp cocktail in a livelier, more casual room.
Tip: Easier to book than St. Elmo on NYE and a two-minute walk from the Indiana Roof Ballroom.
Downtown LA 1 pick
Bestia
Downtown LA · On our Los Angeles After Dark route
Arts District Italian with house charcuterie and wood-fired pastas.
Tip: Reservations open weeks ahead; try the bar for walk-ins.
Photo: Bestia · Google
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront 1 pick
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse
Downtown Louisville & Waterfront · On our Louisville New Year's Eve route
Big, clubby steakhouse on Main Street near the Yum! Center, a long-standing choice for a dressed-up dinner.
Tip: Reserve weeks ahead for Dec 31 and ask for an early table before the ball drop.
Downtown Miami & Bayfront 1 pick
Joe's Stone Crab
Downtown Miami & Bayfront · On our Miami New Year's Eve route
South of Fifth institution since 1913, famous for chilled stone-crab claws with mustard sauce and key lime pie.
Tip: Reservations are limited; arrive by 5 p.m. or use Joe's Take Away next door.
Photo: Cullen328 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront 1 pick
Manny's Steakhouse
Downtown Minneapolis & the Riverfront · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Big-portion steakhouse since 1988, now on the ground floor of the 1929 Foshay Tower.
Tip: Go early, then take the elevator to the Foshay's 30th-floor deck if it's open.
Downtown Raleigh 1 pick
Angus Barn
Downtown Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Big red-barn steakhouse by the airport since 1960, with a deep wine cellar and a famously busy New Year's Eve.
Tip: Reserve months ahead and leave by 11 p.m. if you want to be downtown for the drop.
Photo: Johnson524 · CC0
Downtown Tampa & the Riverwalk 1 pick
Armature Works
Downtown Tampa & the Riverwalk · On our Tampa New Year's Eve route
Food hall and event space in a restored 1910 streetcar barn on the river in Tampa Heights.
Tip: Its New Year's Eve party is ticketed; the food hall is open earlier in the day.
Key West 1 pick
Blue Heaven
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Bahama Village garden restaurant with roosters underfoot; famous for breakfast and tall key lime pie.
Tip: Closes every year from the day after Labor Day to mid-October.
Photo: Gary J. “Livin the Dream!” Turek · Google
Mackinac Island 1 pick
The Pink Pony
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
Waterfront restaurant and bar at the Chippewa Hotel, famous for whitefish.
Tip: Ask for a harbor-view table.
Photo: Pink Pony · Google
Manhattan 1 pick
Chelsea Market
Manhattan · On our NYC Cultural Weekend route
Former Nabisco factory with food stalls, bakeries and shops at the south end of the High Line.
Tip: Los Tacos No. 1 inside has the line worth joining.
Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0
Milwaukee 1 pick
Milwaukee Public Market
Milwaukee · On our Chicago & Great Lakes route + 1 more
Third Ward market hall with seafood, cheese, Wisconsin specialties and an upstairs seating area.
Tip: St. Paul Fish Company's lobster roll is a popular order.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Napa 1 pick
Bouchon Bakery
Napa · On our California Wine Country route
Thomas Keller's Yountville bakery for croissants and coffee.
Tip: Arrive at opening; favorites sell out by noon.
Photo: Yoon Lee · Google
Oahu 1 pick
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
Oahu · On our Hawaii Paradise route
Graffiti-covered Kahuku truck serving garlic shrimp plates with rice.
Tip: Get the scampi plate; it's buttery and garlicky.
Photo: 前島実 · Google
Philadelphia 1 pick
Reading Terminal Market
Philadelphia · On our Capital Cities Corridor route + 1 more
1893 market hall with Amish bakeries and Philly sandwich counters.
Tip: DiNic's roast pork with provolone and greens is the order.
Photo: ajay_suresh · CC BY 2.0
San Antonio 1 pick
Mi Tierra Café y Panadería
San Antonio · On our Texas BBQ Trail route + 1 more
24-hour Tex-Mex restaurant and bakery in Market Square since 1941.
Photo: Dustin D · Google
Santa Barbara 1 pick
La Super-Rica Taqueria
Santa Barbara · On our Pacific Coast Highway route + 1 more
Tiny taqueria praised by Julia Child for its handmade tortillas.
Tip: Order the #16 Super-Rica Especial; expect a line.
Photo: Joseph Dandona Jr. · Google
Santa Fe 1 pick
The Shed
Santa Fe · On our Northern New Mexico High Desert route + 1 more
New Mexican restaurant since 1953 in a 1692 adobe off the Plaza.
Tip: Order 'Christmas' (red and green chile); garlic bread is a must-order.
Photo: Flickr user: Jeremy Noble https://www.flickr.com/photos/uberculture/ · CC BY 2.0
South Beach 1 pick
Puerto Sagua
South Beach · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Old-school Cuban diner on Collins Ave serving ropa vieja, Cuban sandwiches and cafecito since 1962.
Tip: Grab a counter seat for a quick Cuban breakfast.
Photo: John Roy · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. Our routes include 466 restaurants here; to keep the list readable we show 40, keeping those featured on the most routes and those with an insider tip, and spreading the rest across destinations. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in the United States?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. Our routes through the United States include 466 restaurants; we show the 40 featured on the most routes, spread across destinations. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of the United States has the most restaurants on this list?
Bryce Canyon has the most (3 of 40), followed by Anchorage (2) and East Nashville (2).
More lists for United States
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Bryce Canyon 3 on this list
- Anchorage 2 on this list
- East Nashville 2 on this list
- Seattle 2 on this list
- Asheville 1 on this list
- Aspen 1 on this list
- Austin 1 on this list
- Beale Street & Downtown Memphis 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.