30 american rooms worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Spoon and Stable ★ 4.9 · Minneapolis
north-loop · 211 N 1st St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Gavin Kaysen's Spoon and Stable on North 1st Street has anchored Minneapolis fine dining since 2014. James Beard Best Chef Midwest 2018 winner.
Tip: Book six weeks out; the chef's counter seats four and goes fast. Bar seats hold space for walk-ins from 17:00.
Indigena by Owamni ★ 4.9 · Minneapolis
mill-district · 818 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Sean Sherman's Indigena by Owamni inside the Guthrie Theater runs the country's most serious Indigenous kitchen in Minneapolis since June 2026.
Tip: Doubled in size from Water Works; 204 indoor seats plus 100 patio. Book three months ahead for weekend dinner; bar seats walk-in at 17:00.
Smyth ★ 4.8 · Chicago
west-loop · 177 N Ada St, Chicago, IL 60607
Smyth in Chicago is John and Karen Shields's two-Michelin-star tasting menu on Ada Street, with produce from their own farm 90 minutes south of the city.
Tip: The companion bar downstairs, The Loyalist, runs an excellent burger if you can't land the upstairs seats.
Oriole ★ 4.8 · Chicago
west-loop · 661 W Walnut St, Chicago, IL 60661
Oriole in Chicago is Noah Sandoval's two-Michelin-star room on Walnut Street in the West Loop, a quiet 28-seat tasting menu with a strong caviar service.
Tip: The wine pairings are unusually well-judged at the German-and-Austrian end. Ask for them by region, not by tier.
Boca ★ 4.8 · Cincinnati
downtown · 114 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Boca on East 6th Street downtown is David Falk's flagship Cincinnati dining room, a modern American destination with luxury proteins and a deep wine cellar.
Lucky's Cafe ★ 4.8 · Cleveland
tremont · 777 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
Lucky's Cafe on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives brunch room often voted Cleveland's best, runs farm-driven breakfast and lunch.
Tip: Reservations only for parties of six or more; arrive by 09:15 on weekends to skip the queue.
The Old Fashioned ★ 4.8 · Madison
capitol-square · 23 N Pinckney St, Madison, WI 53703
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin canon codified into a tavern menu since 2005, runs cheese curds, fish fry and brandy Old Fashioneds.
Tip: Walk-in is reliable any night except Friday; book through OpenTable for Friday fish fry to skip the long wait.
Kai ★ 4.8 · Phoenix
chandler · 5594 W Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler, AZ 85226
Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is Arizona's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, cooking Pima and Maricopa ingredients from the Gila River land.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday evenings only; the drive south to Wild Horse Pass is about 30 minutes from downtown Phoenix.
Ever ★ 4.7 · Chicago
west-loop · 1340 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60607
Ever in Chicago is Curtis Duffy's two-Michelin-star Fulton Market tasting menu, opened 2020 after Duffy left Grace, with rigorous service and quiet plating.
Tip: Sit at the chef's counter if it is on offer at booking. The view of the pass is the room's best seat.
Orchids at Palm Court ★ 4.7 · Cincinnati
downtown · 35 W 5th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Orchids at Palm Court inside the Hilton Netherland Plaza on West 5th Street downtown is Cincinnati's AAA Five Diamond modern American tasting room.
Lucky's Cafe ★ 4.7 · Cleveland
tremont · 777 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
Lucky's Cafe on Starkweather Avenue in Tremont, the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives brunch room often voted Cleveland's best, runs farm-driven breakfast and lunch.
Tip: Reservations only for parties of six or more; smaller groups walk in. Arrive by 09:15 on weekends.
Root Down ★ 4.7 · Denver
highland · 1600 W 33rd Ave, Denver, CO 80211
Root Down in Denver is Justin Cucci's vegetable-forward dining room in a former 1950s service station in Highland since 2008, with a patio that runs.
Tip: Brunch on weekends is the room's busiest service; the patio side runs walk-in until 5 pm.
Stubborn Seed ★ 4.7 · Miami
south-of-fifth · 101 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach is Top Chef winner Jeremy Ford's Michelin-starred South of Fifth dining room on Washington Avenue, holding a star every year.
Tip: Bar seats take a la carte without the prepay; the dining room is set menu Friday and Saturday.
Matt's Bar ★ 4.7 · Minneapolis
longfellow-powderhorn · 3500 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Matt's Bar on Cedar Avenue has poured the Jucy Lucy in South Minneapolis since 1954. The original cheese-stuffed burger; Anthony Bourdain ate here in 2009.
Tip: Cash and cards both accepted. Note the spelling on the sign: Jucy Lucy, no 'i' in Jucy. Be patient with the molten cheese.
Isidore ★ 4.7 · San Antonio
pearl · 221 Newell Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215
Isidore at Pullman Market earned a Michelin star and a Green Star in 2025, a Modern Texas room from the Emmer & Rye group built around local farms.
Tip: Book the dining room rather than the bar for the full menu. Reservations go quickly after the star; plan ahead.
State Bird Provisions ★ 4.7 · San Francisco
lower-pacific-heights · 1529 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
State Bird Provisions in San Francisco runs a small-plate dim-sum-cart format under Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, James Beard winners in 2015.
Tip: Reservations open exactly 60 days out at 7:30am Pacific; set an alarm or join the standing-room line at 5pm.
Rose's Luxury ★ 4.7 · Washington DC
capitol-hill · 717 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Rose's Luxury in Washington DC is Aaron Silverman's Michelin-star Capitol Hill rowhouse on 8th Street, the line-out-the-door Barracks Row room that flipped.
Tip: Reservations open 4 weeks out via Tock at 10:00 sharp; the walk-up roof bar Bar Pilar takes overflow on warm nights.
Staplehouse ★ 4.6 · Atlanta
old-fourth-ward · 541 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
Staplehouse in Old Fourth Ward, Atlanta opened 2015 inside a converted carriage house and runs a chef's tasting under the nonprofit Giving Kitchen umbrella.
Tip: Profits fund The Giving Kitchen, supporting Atlanta hospitality workers in crisis. Reservations on Tock 30 days out.
Dai Due ★ 4.6 · Austin
manor-road · 2406 Manor Rd, Austin, TX 78722
Dai Due in Austin is Jesse Griffiths's butcher-shop-and-supper-club on Manor Road, a Bib Gourmand kitchen built on Texas farms and wild game.
Tip: The supper-club nights book separately and run the most interesting menus; the regular dinner card is the daytime grill.
Cutty's ★ 4.6 · Boston
brookline · 284 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445
Cutty's on Washington Street in Brookline has run the area's best sandwich counter in Boston since 2010. Priced at $$. Kitchen leans american.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Saturday morning sandwich list pulls the longest line; arrive by 11:00.
Annette Scratch to Table ★ 4.6 · Denver
stanley-marketplace · 2501 Dallas St, Aurora, CO 80010
Annette Scratch to Table in Stanley Marketplace is Caroline Glover's James Beard-winning wood-fired neighbourhood kitchen, a small dining room and patio.
Tip: Stanley Marketplace is a 12-minute drive from RiNo. Brunch on Sunday is the busiest service; the patio runs through October.
Borage ★ 4.6 · Indianapolis
speedway · 1609 N Lynhurst Dr, Indianapolis, IN 46224
Borage in Speedway, Indianapolis is a cafe-bakery-market with weekend dinner service and a Progressive American menu. A reliable Indianapolis pick.
Tip: Dinner Thursday through Saturday only. Reservations on the website.
Bresca ★ 4.6 · Washington DC
logan-circle · 1906 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Bresca in Washington DC is Ryan Ratino's Michelin-star 14th Street dining room above the boutique scene, a 60-seat space with a beekeeping rooftop.
Tip: The downstairs Bresca takes a la carte; the upstairs Jont (separate venue) is the tasting-menu sister.
Ben's Chili Bowl ★ 4.6 · Washington DC
u-street · 1213 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington DC is the 1958 U Street counter from Ben and Virginia Ali, the city's defining half-smoke, served at 1213 U Street NW.
Tip: Cash and card both accepted; line moves fastest at the take-away counter on the right.
Boka ★ 4.5 · Chicago
lincoln-park · 1729 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614
Boka in Chicago is Lee Wolen's Michelin-starred dining room beside Alinea on Halsted, with a quiet garden courtyard and a roast-chicken-for-two worth.
Tip: Book the garden room in summer. It is one of the prettiest outdoor dining rooms in the city.
Gene & Jude's ★ 4.5 · Chicago
river-grove · 2720 N River Rd, River Grove, IL 60171
Gene & Jude's in River Grove is the 1946 hot-dog stand on River Road, west of Chicago: no ketchup, no tomato, no cheese, no chairs, just dogs.
Tip: Fries are tucked into the same paper as the dog. Eat them off the dog as you go, that is the point of the design.
Lindey's ★ 4.5 · Columbus
german-village · 169 E Beck St, Columbus, OH 43206
Lindey's on East Beck Street has been German Village's brick-paved district anchor American room since 1981, with a covered patio in Columbus.
Tip: Valet parking is complimentary; patio is first-come first-served weather permitting.
GB&D (Golden Brown and Delicious) ★ 4.5 · Greenville
downtown · 147 Welborn Street, Greenville, SC 29601
GB&D runs burgers, fried chicken and a tight Asian-inflected menu in the Commons. Casual, no fuss, all-day Sunday brunch. Recently moved from the Village.
Rye Plaza ★ 4.5 · Kansas City
plaza · 4646 Mill Creek Pkwy, Kansas City, MO 64112
Colby and Megan Garrelts opened Rye Plaza in 2017 as the Country Club Plaza outpost of their Midwestern cooking; fried chicken and biscuits headline.
Tip: The Plaza room takes Tock reservations and runs a busy weekend brunch. Sister room in Leawood is the original.
Fork ★ 4.5 · Philadelphia
old-city · 306 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Fork in Philadelphia is Ellen Yin's 1997 Old City flagship on Market Street, a James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur 2022 anchor of the Philadelphia dining.
Tip: The bar runs a separate menu and a half-price oyster happy hour weekday afternoons. Walk in for it.