You booked, you dined, you reviewed! After a year of sublime dining, we are pleased to unveil the 100 Best Restaurants in America 2016. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 10 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 24,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Showcasing long-running and new eateries, the complete list features restaurants in 30 states and the District of Columbia, and includes Oriole (pictured above) in Chicago, Le Coucou in New York, and Zahav in Philadelphia. New York has 13 winning restaurants, followed by California with 12 and Virginia with seven. Florida and Texas each have six winners. New Jersey and North Carolina have five honorees, and Oregon and Pennsylvania boast four apiece. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Washington state, and Washington, D.C., each have three winners. Connecticut Georgia, Minnesota, and Tennessee all have two standout restaurants. Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are also represented.
Similar to last year’s list, established restaurants account for the majority of winners; however, several restaurants that opened in 2016, such as Oriole, earned spots. Fine dining and casual elegant dining establishments make up the majority of the list. Most eateries in the top 100 embrace sustainability, seasonality, and house-made ingredients, including cheese and charcuterie. While American and French cuisines are the most popular, global flavors are present on many of the menus, from regional Italian dishes to Middle Eastern specialties.
The list of the 100 Best Restaurants in America 2016 is generated solely from more than 10 million verified OpenTable diner reviews collected between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016. All restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then sorted according to a score calculated from each restaurant’s average rating in the “overall” category along with that restaurant’s rating relative to others in the same metropolitan area.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the 100 Best Restaurants in America 2016 according to OpenTable diners.
100 Best Restaurants in America 2016
Acquerello – San Francisco, California
Addison Restaurant – San Diego, California
Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen – Memphis, Tennessee
Angelini Osteria – Los Angeles, California
Antebellum – Flowery Branch, Georgia
Arabellas Italian Ristorante – Winter Haven, Florida
Arethusa al Tavolo – Bantam, Connecticut
Ariana – Bend, Oregon
Auberge du Soleil – Rutherford, California
barmini by by José Andrés – Washington, D.C.
Barrio Café Gran Reserva – Phoenix, Arizona
Bavette’s – Chicago, Illinois
Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bida Manda Restaurant and Bar – Raleigh, North Carolina
Bistro L’Hermitage – Woodbridge, Virginia
Bistro San Martin – Arlington, Washington
Bliss Restaurant – San Antonio, Texas
Bolete Restaurant – Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bones – Atlanta, Georgia
Café Juanita – Kirkland, Washington
Café Provence – Prairie Village, Kansas
Camp Verde General Store and Restaurant – Camp Verde, Texas
The Capital Grille – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Carlos’ Bistro – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Castagna Restaurant – Portland, Oregon
The Cellar – Daytona Beach, Florida
Chachama Grill – East Patchogue, New York
Chama Gaucha – San Antonio, Texas
Charleston – Baltimore, Maryland
Chef’s Table at Edgewater – Winter Garden, Florida
Chez Francois – Vermillion, Ohio
Chez Nous French Restaurant – Humble, Texas
Circle Brunch-The Breakers – Palm Beach, Florida
Collage Restaurant – St. Augustine, Florida
Daniel – New York, New York
Fat Canary – Williamsburg, Virginia
Fearrington House Restaurant – Pittsboro, North Carolina
Fleurie – Charlottesville, Virginia
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar – Memphis, Tennessee
Franklinville Inn – Franklinville, New Jersey
The French Room – Dallas Texas
Geronimo – Santa Fe, New Mexico
goosefoot – Chicago, Illinois
The Goodstone Inn & Estate Restaurant – Middleburg, Virginia
Gramercy Tavern – New York, New York
Halls Chophouse – Charleston, South Carolina
Harold Black – Washington, D.C.
Harvest Beat – Seattle, Washington
Heirloom – Midway, Kentucky
Highlands Bar & Grill – Birmingham, Alabama
The Hobbit – Orange, California
The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, Virginia
Ijiji Sushi – San Francisco, California
Joan’s in the Park – Saint Paul, Minnesota
Kai – Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass – Chandler, Arizona
The Kitchen Restaurant – Sacramento, California
Kokkari Estiatoro – San Francisco, California
L’Auberge Chez François – Great Falls, Virginia
L’Opossum – Richmond, Virginia
Le Coucou – New York, New York
The Little Dipper – Wilmington, North Carolina
Maison Blanche – Longboat Key, Florida
Mama’s Fish House – Paia, Hawaii
The Metro Wine Bar & Bistro – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Michael’s-South Point Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mizuna – Denver, Colorado
The Modern-Dining Room – New York, New York
Monarch – Scottsdale, Arizona
o ya – New York, New York
Orchids at Palm Court – Cincinnati, Ohio
Oriole – Chicago, Illinois
The Painted Lady – Newberg, Oregon
Peck’s Arcade – Troy, New York
Per Se – New York, New York
Peter Shields Inn – Cape May, New Jersey
Quince Restaurant – San Francisco, California
The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge – Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Restaurant Lorena’s – Maplewood, New Jersey
Roe – Portland, Oregon
Russell’s Steaks, Chops, and More – Williamsville, New York
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Saddle River Inn – Saddle River, New Jersey
Saint Jacques French Cuisine – Raleigh, North Carolina
Seasons Restaurant-Four Seasons – Washington, D.C.
Sette – Bernardsville, New Jersey
Ski Tip Lodge – Keystone, Colorado
Sotto – Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards – Santa Rosa, California
State & Lemp – Boise, Idaho
Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch – Santa Barbara, California
Sushi Nakazawa-Sushi Bar – New York, New York
The Table at Season To Taste – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Terra Restaurant – St. Helena, California
Thomas Henkelmann-Homestead Inn – Greenwich, Connecticut
The Trattoria – Saint James, New York
Trattoria L’incontro – Astoria, New York
Truluck’s Seafood, Steak and Crab House – Austin, Texas
Vetri – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Yono’s Restaurant – Albany, New York
Zahav – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
In partnership with All-Clad, we will celebrate all winning restaurants with a commemorative pan.
How many of the 100 Best Restaurants in America 2016 have you dined at? Let us know here or over on Facebook, G+, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter using the hashtag #OpenTable100.
Photo credits: Timothy Flores (Oriole); Gordon Beall (Inn at Little Washington); B. Milne (Daniel); Daniel Krieger (Sushi Nakazawa).
The cellar in DAYTONA??? Really???
This list is garbage!
The capital grille is a chain restaurant. These selections are lame and outdated……
Of all the restaurants in New Orleans, Ruth’s Chris, in Baton Rouge , is the sole Louisiana representative????
Ruth’s Chris, antwhere. Please.
This is the most ridiculous retaurant list I’ve ever seen … proves the limitations of crowdsourcing.
I would say this list, if voted on by Open Table users, truly represents how average and uninformed the American pallet is. Not a single New Orleans restaurant on the list? Yet Ruth Chris, a chain, won a place for Baton Rouge? Wow.
Bones in Atlanta,yes. Don’t forget Hal’s steak house in Buckhead.
Bones? Wait, Bones? For real, though.
this list is for rich people that want to spend 100 per person to eat I know a lot of other resturants that are better and cheaper nice try thow
Ruth Chris is ok but threr are much better places in New Orleans
Really? I’m not super familiar with most of these cities but the presence of Capital Grill, Halls, and Ruths Chris on this list anywhere is all the evidence I need to know that its about as useful as Yelp when Wendy’s is the fifth highest ranked restaurant in a big city.
Awesome. For Heirloom in Kentucky – well deserved !!
This is not a list that truly represents the best restaurants. The highest rated for Open Table, sure, but you have to consider a lot of factors into why these are the highest rated.
Also, Harold Black in DC is a speakeqsy with minimal food. It is not one of the best restaurants in DC and shouldn’t be on this list.
Heirloom in Midway, KY is beyond amazing! I dream about their food!
Expense account restaurants. Also companies that advertise with them. Ridiculous list. Although Heirloom in Midway Ky is very good.
Arabella’s in Winter Haven, FL
An absurd and ridiculous list! Charleston SC has some of the most creative and innovative and delicious restaurants in the US.
Chain restaurants, really?
No restaurants from New Orleans? That is nuts!! Open table must not have any NOLA restaurants on their account.
Sette in Bernardsville, NJ
Well deserved
Seriously? Obviously the best restaurants aren’t on Open Table. Commander’s Palace in New Orleans is one of the best anywhere. Ruth Chris? pleaseeeeee
Not a great list by any stretch. And i have way way more dining points than your expert Potter.
This list isn’t even close to being useful. In the Albany Troy NY area there are so many better restaurants than the ones listed. try 677, Black and Blue, Creo, etc.
Christophers and Crush Lounge in N.Phoenix..more than deserves to be on this list
I guess we have no good restaurants in Milwaukee?????
I completely agree about chain restaurants, but I will have to say that Kai and Monarch in Arizona are truly outstanding. Nonetheless, it’s an odd list and I’m curious about it’s criteria?
I agree with the many comments about the lack so many other good restaurants in New Orleans.
Ruth Chris anywhere is a big joke. This is based on what?????
Tsk tsk .. is this list based on the number of reservations at these restaurants? You omit The Grey in Savannah? No mention of anything but Halls in Charleston? And New Orleans? Would love to know your criteria for this assemblage.
Ludicrous in every way, shspe, and form. Compromised by attempting to achieve a geographical balance. Ruth Chris? LOL. A bona fide list woukd have about 55 slots open after listing the deserving New York and New Orleans restaurants. This is a total joke.
Not a single one in my home state, yet I could rave about so many. I guess that makes Wisconsin restaurants a well kept secret and I’m fine with that. I have dined at a couple chains on this list, but wouldn’t vote for them as my favorite.
I can tell you Kai is one of the best restaurants I’ve ever eaten. Auberge du Soleil and Monarch is excellent too.
Ruth’s and Capital Grille? These are good restaurants for consistency and quality but not in the same league as the above.
I completely agree with Ann Smith !