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OpenTable Names 100 Top Restaurants in U.S.

SAN FRANCISCO – Restaurant reservation service OpenTable has named its first ever list of the Top 100 Restaurants in America list for 2023. Featuring an updated methodology using OpenTable diner reviews and new metrics, the list uncovers some of the most in-demand restaurants by OpenTable diners this year.1

The list only includes restaurants that use OpenTable for reservation bookings.

Additionally, OpenTable insights from the year (January 1 – September 30) compared to 2022 reveal shifts in diner behaviors and cravings. Highlights include:

  • Dining held steady, with vigor for special occasions: While year-round dining remained flat YoY (-1%), diners showed renewed interest in dining on special occasions – Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day respectively grew 9% and 6% YoY, and diner spend for these holidays was up 15% vs. non-holidays this year – a positive signal of what to expect for the busy holiday season.
  • Solo dining is on the rise: With an increase of 4% YoY, it was the largest increase of any party size. Thursday and Friday were the most popular days.
  • This year, West African, African and Lebanese were among the top trending cuisines: Each saw double digit dining increases, respectively up 72%, 23% and 18% YoY.
  • Menu items with East Asian ties were increasingly talked about by diners: Diner reviews saw increased mentions of crispy rice (27%), omakase (17%), yuzu (17%), lychee (9%), miso (4%), ramen (4%) and kimchi (2%).
  • Cocktails were on diners’ minds, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic: Diner reviews also revealed increased mentions of mocktail (48%) and non-alcoholic (8%), likely due to a rise of sober and sober-curious lifestyles. In addition, speakeasy saw gains (25%), as well as cocktails made popular on social media: espresso martini (39%), Aperol spritz (27%) and negroni (4%).

“Diners showed up in full force for occasions like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day this year – we expect this trend will continue through to a strong holiday season for restaurants,” said Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable.”

Diners Have Spoken: OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants for 2023
Three of the top five biggest dining days for groups (6+) last year happened in mid-December, specifically December 10, 16 and 17.6 For year-end celebrations, team dinners, family and friends gatherings big and small, look no further than OpenTable’s list of Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2023. Culled from over 12 million diner reviews and dining metrics including diner ratings, percentage of reservations made in advance, and five-star reviews, the list highlights some of the top spots favored by diners this year.

Trends across this year’s list include:

“This year’s Top 100 list features neighborhood gems, hotspots like Bad Roman, MICHELIN-starred venues like Jeune et Jolie, and restaurants new to the list from coast-to-coast,” said Soo. “We also see representation across the culinary spectrum – with cuisines like Mediterranean, French and Japanese included.”

The Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2023 are (in alphabetical order by state/territory):

Alaska

Arizona

California

Connecticut

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Maine

North Carolina

New Jersey

New Mexico

Nevada

New York

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington

Top 100 Restaurants for 2023 Methodology
OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2023 list is generated from over 12 million verified OpenTable diner reviews and dining metrics from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance and direct searches. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score, used to rank the list. The resulting list appears A-Z, not in ranked order.