Are you craving good food? Fortunately for everyone living or traveling in the United States, America abounds in creative cuisine. No matter what kind of food you’re looking for, you’ll likely find it here.
But when you want to try the absolute best that America’s cooking up, where should you go? Fortunately, our restaurant list will help you find your way. From classic French-style haute cuisine to cutting-edge global fusion fare, these all-American restaurants allow you to taste some of what makes this country great.
1. The French Laundry: Yountville, California
No list of must-try American restaurants feels complete without Chef Thomas Keller’s original Napa Valley culinary masterpiece. Chef Keller’s (meat and vegetarian) tasting menus change daily. Still, you can always expect incredible dishes prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and crafted with the utmost tender loving care. In case that’s not compelling enough, the restaurant’s fairytale-like setting makes the experience all the more magical.
2. Hayato: Los Angeles, California
Nestled in the star-studded Row DTLA full of highly acclaimed restaurants, the Michelin two-star Hayato nonetheless stands out for its “intimate, personal” presentation of Japanese tasting menus. Chefs prepare delicate dishes like smoked bonito with rice bran and miso-glazed black cod, then plate them onto beautiful vintage pottery and porcelain. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience that’s an absolute must-taste when dining in L.A.
3. Le Bernardin: New York City, New York
Since 1986, Chef Eric Ripert has won all the awards (including three Michelin stars and four New York Times stars) for his consistently excellent French fare. Le Bernardin is especially famous for its wealth of mouthwatering seafood, but it also offers vegetarian-tasting menus that are just as pleasing. Once you’re here, you’ll quickly realize why it still wins many awards from critics and patrons alike.
4. The Grey: Savannah, Georgia
At The Grey, Chef Mashama Bailey takes a 1938 art deco Greyhound bus terminal and makes it her own station to transport diners to the next level of Southern fine dining. Whether you prefer half-shell oysters, rabbit mortadella with pickled daikon, sweet potato with coconut collard greens, or salted fish croquettes with lemon aioli, The Grey will satisfy your belly.
5. Joël Robuchon: Las Vegas, Nevada
Seemingly hidden in “The Mansion,” an extra swanky corner of MGM Grand’s cavernous casino floor, Chef Joël Robuchon’s eponymous Vegas restaurant provides the pinnacle of French haute cuisine in the Sin City that always values excess. From the ribbon-wrapped menus and decadent bread and cheese carts to ultra-luxe dishes like caviar gelée with king crab and black truffle tart with onion and bacon jam, too much is never enough here.
6. The Dabney: Washington, D.C.
Since 2015, The Dabney has gone above and beyond to celebrate the plentiful harvest of the mid-Atlantic. Whether you want to go all in on the seasonal tasting menu or prefer a more casual dining experience at the bar, you can’t go wrong with The Dabney’s bounty of farm-to-table options and craft cocktails.
7. Camphor: Los Angeles, California
Is it French, or is it South Asian? This uniquely Californian fusion restaurant in DTLA’s Arts District features an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare your food. Once the food arrives at your table, the remarkable combination of big Asian flavors, refined European techniques, and all-American creativity will likely have you singing their praises in all the languages you speak.
8. Alinea: Chicago, Illinois
Nestled in Chicago’s esteemed Lincoln Park neighborhood, this Michelin three-star legend continues leading the way in wild creativity that makes fine dining fun. With three distinct dining experiences—The Gallery, The Kitchen Table, and The Salon—offered under one roof, you never know what you’ll get when you first enter. Chef Grant Achatz will provide an epic edible show that will undoubtedly impress.
9. Eleven Madison Park: New York City, New York
In case Chef Daniel Humm didn’t already cement his reputation in one of the greatest foodie cities in the world, he leveled up even further when he announced that Eleven Madison Park was going fully plant-based. Even if you’re not a vegan, this NYC original continues to impress with Humm’s innovative meatless creations that please herbivores and omnivores alike.
10. Kann: Portland, Oregon
Kann is the James Beard Award-winning (and Top Chef veteran) Chef Gregory Goudet’s labor of love dedicated to traditional Haitian flavors and Pacific Northwest farm-to-table sustainability. The ever-changing seasonal menu never pulls any flavor punches but wows diners (including vegetarians and vegans) with a wide range of delicious surprises. In addition, the cocktail menu includes plenty of great alcoholic and nonalcoholic drink options.
11. Topolobampo: Chicago, Illinois
For 35 years, Chef Rick Bayless has wowed Chicagoland diners with his fresh and innovative takes on traditional Mexican cooking. As you try dishes like crispy lobster taquitos, creamy tamales with mushrooms and fennel, grilled Wagyu carne asada with Oaxacan black mole, and Baja olive oil cake with house-made ricotta and sorbet, you can taste for yourself how this restaurant earned its Michelin star.
12. Joule: Seattle, Washington
Chef Rachel Yang’s Korean-American fusion joint has become one of the Pacific Northwest’s brightest culinary crown jewels. Feast on fan favorites like smoked tofu with hon shimeji mushroom, dan dan noodles with chanterelles and kale, “that” short rib steak with kimchi, and coulotte (steak) with sunchoke and black bean-hazelnut yogurt.
13. Lotus of Siam: Las Vegas, Nevada
Why should you try Thai food in Las Vegas? When you make it to Lotus of Siam, you will discover a menu of unique Northern Thai dishes—including khao soi, garlic prawns, crispy duck, and thum ka noon (with jackfruit)—that taste so great they’re life-changing. In addition to their delectable food menu, they also whip up some refreshing Thai-inspired cocktails.
14. Peking Gourmet Inn: Falls Church, Virginia
Not only is Peking Gourmet Inn one of the first Chinese restaurants to open in Northern Virginia (in 1978), but it’s since become one of the nation’s most beloved Chinese restaurants thanks to its signature Peking duck, as well as its take on other classics like steamed veggie dumplings, Szechuan beef, walnut chicken, and sea scallop with roasted garlic.
15. Demi: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Tucked in Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood, Demi probably has one of the city’s priciest tasting menus. With that said, the tasting menu is always worth the splurge: It’s constantly changing, yet it consistently delivers bold and exciting flavors that remind everyone that when it comes to great food, the Twin Cities are anything but “Flyover Country.”
16. théa: Phoenix, Arizona
Though the Global Ambassador Hotel is brand new, Chef Sam Fox is no stranger to spicing up Phoenix’s culinary scene. At théa, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant sporting incredible Camelback Mountain views, you can enjoy family-style helpings of simple yet remarkably seasoned plant- and meat-based dishes. Come for the honey-whipped ricotta and Moroccan roasted carrots, stay for spaghetti alla nerano with zucchini and parmesan, and save room for the baklava.
17. Flour + Water: San Francisco, California
Since 2009, Flour + Water has been spicing up San Francisco’s hallowed Mission District restaurant scene with their California-Italian fusion menu that changes daily. Their pasta dishes are divine, but they excel in creating pizzas that somehow stand out in a city packed with amazing pizzas.
18. Dakar NOLA: New Orleans, Louisiana
In a city famous for its signature Southern culinary traditions, Dakar NOLA serves some of the most delectable Senegalese fare you’ll find anywhere in North America. During every evening of dinner service, Chef Serigne Mbaye shares his compelling backstory that brings to life his tasty dishes like shrimp and okra gumbo and shrimp with millet and red pepper jus. In another fun twist, all dishes are family-style to build community throughout the dining room.
19. Kusa Nori: Las Vegas, Nevada
This Japanese fine dining establishment at Resorts World is a true showstopper. The dining room features a beautiful design with all sorts of playful touches, and the extensive menu includes:
- Traditional meat and seafood teppanyaki.
- A variety of creative sushi rolls.
- Extra dishes that must be tasted to be believed.
20. The Inn at Little Washington: Washington, Virginia
As the first and only Michelin three-star restaurant in the DMV region, this restaurant feels quite special from the second you arrive. They source much of their produce and herbs from their on-campus farm and continually find ways to combine time-honored French and American culinary traditions with global flavors in their seasonal menus.
21. Terra: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tucked in the Four Seasons Rancho Encantado resort, Terra serves up the kind of edible luxury that you expect at a Four Seasons, yet they also manage to pay plenty of loving homage to the culinary traditions of the Land of Enchantment. They’re also very accommodating of diners with special dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
22. Zahav: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
If you’ve always wanted to try some new-wave Israeli cuisine but don’t have the time to fly to the Holy Land, head to Philly for some great grub at Zahav. You can pair Levantine dishes like pomegranate lamb shoulder and dorade (fish) in grape leaves with authentic Israeli and Palestinian wines.
23. FIG: Charleston, South Carolina
Nestled in the historic heart of Charleston, FIG—an acronym for Food Is Good—serves up a new twist on old-school cuisine. From bouillabaisse to (Wagyu) bavette, FIG takes the freshest locally sourced ingredients and adds some unique Southern touches to give all sorts of classic dishes fresh flavor and pizazz.
24. Le Suprême: Detroit, Michigan
A Parisian-style brasserie—in Detroit?! Yes, this Motor City restaurant is revving up foodies’ engines with an all-day menu full of delectable treats like fruits de mer (seafood) towers, charcuterie boards with artisanal cheeses, trout amandine featuring Michigan rainbow trout, and braised lamb shank provençal.
25. Frasca Food and Wine: Boulder, Colorado
This Michelin-starred restaurant, nestled in perhaps America’s most beautiful college town, brings the traditional food and wine of Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The Quattro Piatti menu lets you sample some of their amazing Italian dishes, and their wine collection is widely regarded as one of America’s best.
Feeling Hungry? Now, You Know Where to Satisfy Your Appetite for Great Food
America may have many of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Still, it has plenty of restaurants serving many of the world’s most delectable dishes. Thanks to this nation’s diversity, you can find everything from sushi to burritos (including sushi burritos!), and you can discover restaurants doing everything from classic farm-to-table cuisine to futuristic molecular gastronomy.
Whatever cuisine you want, you can try here in America. Hopefully, you now have a better sense of which restaurants you’ll add to the itinerary for your upcoming trips.