Pastas at Ci Siamo in New York City
Giada Paoloni/Ci Siamo
Some people gatekeep their favorite restaurant. Others rave about it to everyone they know, heavily compliment the staff every time they come in, and of course, post incessantly online about their favorite spot. Yelp users, aka Yelpers, are some of those people, and in 2025, they left hundreds of millions of reviews to recommend (and perhaps warn about) restaurants all over the world.
This January, for the 13th year in a row, Yelp has used this user-sourced date to curate a list of the top restaurants in the United States. Unlike other awards (Michelin) or accolades (Le Liste), this list comes purely from everyday people who choose where they spend their time, money and appetite.
Yelp analyzes user reviews for all restaurants within the country by looking at the total volume and ratings of reviews, and ensures that every restaurant on the top 100 list has a passing health score as of November 6, 2025.
From the data, yelp was also able to identify predominant food trends including sandwiches for dinner, sushi, and “grandma-core” dining.
Slices of pizza at L’Industrie in Brooklyn
L’Industrie
“The trends for these restaurants are always really fascinating and reflect the user searches we see on Yelp. This year’s trends like ‘nonna-stalgia’ and all-day breakfast spots point to a calling for comfort food that really warms the soul,” said Tara Lewis, Yelp’s VP of Consumer Expansion and Trend Expert. “We all know food can be transformative, so seeing a big calling for that escape into warm, cozy dishes speaks volumes to what consumers are seeking out. This year’s list spotlights everything from affordable comfort food to memorable culinary experiences you can’t find anywhere else.”
At the top of 2026’s Best Places to Dine: Ci Siamo, an upscale Italian restaurant in New York City led by chef Hillary Sterling known for comforting, elevated dishes like rigatoni alla gricia with crispy guanciale and Florentine steaks with flaky rosemary salt. It’s very on trend and still original. For those who want to recreate the restaurant at home, Sterling’s first cookbook, AMMAZZA! Culinary Adventures from New York to Italy and Back Again, debuts this May.
Yelp’s full list, below:
Yelp’s 2026 Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.
- Ci Siamo, New York, NY
- Taste of Texas, Houston, TX
- NAM Kitchen, Gardena, CA
- Waffle and Berry, Honolulu, HI
- Comfort Cafe, San Antonio, TX
- Adela’s Country Eatery, Kaneohe, HI
- Broken Mouth, Los Angeles, CA
- GW Fins, New Orleans, LA
- Slackwater, Salt Lake City, UT
- Pepp & Dolores, Cincinnati, OH
- Butcher’s Union, Grand Rapids, MI
- Porzana, Minneapolis, MN
- Leven Deli, Denver, CO
- RJ Skillets, Portland, OR
- Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City, KS
- Greek Bistro, Glendale, California
- Tsukiyo Sushi, Los Angeles, California
- Papi’s Ohana, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii
- Fat Of The Land, Santa Ana, California
- COTE Miami, Miami, Florida
- Thanh Tinh Chay, San Diego, California
- Zen Curry and Grill, Temecula, California
- Rock N’ Potato, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Noko Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee
- Ludi’s Restaurant & Lounge, Seattle, Washington
- Lucky Noodle, Las Vegas, Nevada
- L’industrie Pizzeria, Brooklyn, New York
- Degthai, Nashville, Tennessee
- Meesh Meesh, Louisville, Kentucky
- Ekiben, Baltimore, Maryland
- Ton Shou, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Tumerico, Tucson, Arizona
- De Babel, Scottsdale, Arizona
- Rutba Indian Kitchen, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Charoen Krung Thai, New York, New York
- Hatsuyuki Handroll Bar, Fort Worth, Texas
- Gold Spoon, Carrollton, Texas
- Gurumé, New York, New York
- Von’s 1000 Spirits, Woodinville, Washington
- Alma Fonda Fina, Denver, Colorado
- Corazon De Agave, Phoenix, Arizona
- Larb Thai-Isan, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Xiaolong Dumpling, Houston, Texas
- Aroy Mak Thai Food, Seattle, Washington
- Da Andrea — Chelsea, New York, New York
- Mawn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Taqueria De Diez, Austin, Texas
- Lewis Barbecue, Charleston, South Carolina
- Hutchins BBQ, Frisco, Texas
- Aga’s Restaurant & Catering, Houston, Texas
- Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy, San Antonio, Texas
- Taco Viva, Phoenix, Arizona
- 167 Raw Oyster Bar, Charleston, South Carolina
- Lapisara Eatery, San Francisco, California
- Mikiya Wagyu Shabu House, Houston, Texas
- Georgetown Seafood, Washington, District of Columbia
- Sushi Yume, Round Rock, Texas
- Yuubi Sushi, Beaverton, Oregon
- Edmond’s Burgers & More, Plano, Texas
- Flavor Rich Restaurant, Atlanta, Georgia
- Jayd Bun, South Kingstown, Rhode Island
- Whip My Soul, Austin, Texas
- The Ginger Mule, Houston, Texas
- Revelry, Pompano Beach, Florida
- Ciccio Mio, Chicago, Illinois
- Bird Bird Biscuit, Austin, Texas
- Cafe Bonjour, Boston, Massachusetts
- Chay Restaurant, Falls Church, Virginia
- Shabu En, Houston, Texas
- Crackings, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
- Songbird, St. Louis, Missouri
- Rosalia’s Kitchen, Miramar, Florida
- The Chef’s Table, Houston, Texas
- Umai Nori, Washington, District of Columbia
- Stasio’s, Orlando, Florida
- Cafe Kacao, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Telva at The Ridge, Webster Groves, Missouri
- Fountain Grill, Ashburn, Virginia
- Memoir, Omaha, Nebraska
- Yunta Nikkei, Charlotte, North Carolina
- The BEP Corner, Duluth, Georgia
- Blues City Deli, St. Louis, Missouri
- Birdies by Chef Kevin Lee, Edmond, Oklahoma
- Monell’s Dining & Catering, Nashville, Tennessee
- Khao Moo Dang, Portland, Oregon
- Fúdo, Chamblee, Georgia
- Zeneli Pizzeria, New Haven, Connecticut
- Room Service, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Board and Drink, San Francisco, California
- Two Chicks Café — CBD, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Carmelina’s, Boston, Massachusetts
- Kitchen Social, Columbus, Ohio
- The Butter Milk Ranch, Nashville, Tennessee
- Zesty Creole, New Orleans, Louisiana
- 618, Freehold Borough, New Jersey
- Un Amor, Chicago, Illinois
- Polite Society, St. Louis, Missouri
- Trivoli Tavern, Chicago, Illinois
- Golden Banh Mi, Aurora, Colorado
- Matt and Tony’s All Day Kitchen Bar, Alexandria, Virginia
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissakravitz/2026/01/21/manhattan-italian-restaurant-ranks-as-best-place-to-eat-in-the-us/
