A big part of traveling is the pleasure of dining out and trying new cuisines and experiences. We all want to find a great new restaurant that just solidifies a fantastic vacation. To help us out, Tripadvisor just announced its Travelers’ Choice Awards ‘Best of the Best’ restaurants for 2022, compiled by combing through the reviews of people who actually dined at these places within the last year: in other words, real people just like us who want delicious and surprising food
Because sometimes you want a masterpiece of a meal and other times you want something to grab very quickly as you continue sauntering about exploring town, the awards are broken up into helpful categories: Fine Dining, Everyday Eats, Quick Bites, Date Night Restaurants, and Hidden Gems – this last category is intended to spotlight restaurants that may not be ridiculously popular but that locals truly love. Here without further ado are the top US restaurants in each category. Time to make a reservation!
The winner for fine dining is Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. This restaurant also won as No. 19 in the world listing also created by Tripadvisor. It’s an American steak and seafood house with a boutique hotel upstairs. We want the ‘Road to Hana, Maui’ dessert, which is layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse and macadamia nut caramel covered in chocolate ganache, $21.
For Everyday Eats, the winner is Timber Kitchen and Bar in Bangor, Maine, serving American and international food in the Residence Inn. We crave the “Up to Camp Mac and Cheese,” with aged smoked cheddar, gruyere cheese, crispy garlic, black truffle and pecorino breadcrumbs and elbow pasta with chili flakes, $12, and the grand opportunity to add Maine lobster to it at market price.
For Quick Bites, the gold goes to Bleecker Street Pizza in New York City, serving slices on paper plates. We love the Nonna Maria pizza, thin crust with fresh mozzarella, homemade marinara with Parmesan and fresh basil, $27 for a full round.
The best Date Night Restaurant is The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This also won as No. 11 in the world, and No. 2 for fine dining in the US. It serves vegetarian-friendly American food with vegan options, set in the Gideon Ridge Inn. We’re looking longingly at their poached pear salad with honey goat cheese, arugula, candied pecans, proscuitto and pickled onions, $15.
For Hidden Gems, the winner is Joe's At The Jepson in Savannah, Georgia, an American cafe serving healthy options. We’ve got our eye on the Oglethorpe, a black bean burger with avocado, tomato, artisan lettuce on toasted thin bread with a fresh organic side salad, $15.75.
Of course, you want to see all the other winners. So, here you go!
Top 10 Fine Dining Restaurants
2. The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge - Blowing Rock, North Carolina
3. The Lincoln Inn & Restaurant At The Covered Bridge - Woodstock, Vermont
4. Cafe Monarch- Scottsdale, Arizona
5. Halls Chophouse - Charleston, South Carolina
6. Six Tables a Restaurant - Boca Raton, Florida
7. Inn at Little Washington - Washington, Virginia
8. Sazón - Santa Fe, New Mexico
9. Collage Restaurant- St. Augustine, Florida
10. Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, a Nashville Steakhouse - Nashville, Tennessee
Top 10 Everyday Eats
2. Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille Ft. Myers Beach - Fort Myers Beach, Florida
3. Ristorante Pesto - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4. il Pastaiolo - Miami Beach, Florida
5. Local Goat - New American Restaurant Pigeon Forge - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
6. Corinne Restaurant - Denver, Colorado
7. Moose-AKa's - Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
8. The Salty Crab Bar & Grill North Beach - Clearwater, Florida
9. Queology - Charleston, South Carolina
10. The Republic Grille - The Woodlands - The Woodlands, Texas
Top 10 Quick Bites
2. BirdHouse - Page, Arizona
3. Steak Shack - Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Martha's Dandee Creme - Queensbury, New York
5. Milt's Stop & Eat - Moab, Utah
6. NY Pizza Suprema - New York City, New York
7. Seven Brothers - Kahuku, Hawaii
8. Muldoon's - Munising, Michigan
9. Portillo's Hot Dogs - Chicago, Illinois
10. Earl of Sandwich - Las Vegas, Nevada
Top 10 Date Night Restaurants
2. The Silver Fork - Manchester, Vermont (also No. 16 in the world)
3. The Lincoln Inn & Restaurant At The Covered Bridge - Woodstock, Vermont
4. Glen-Ella Springs Inn & Restaurant - Clarkesville, Georgia
5. Goldmoor Dining - Galena, Illinois
6. Circa 1886 Restaurant - Charleston, South Carolina
7. Bistro St. Michaels - St. Michaels, Maryland
8. Desert Bistro - Moab, Utah
9. Collage Restaurant - St. Augustine, Florida
10. Flying Fish Grill - Carmel, California
Top 10 Hidden Gems
2. Mersea Restaurant & Bar - San Francisco, California
3. Seaside Cafe at the Mansion - Key West, Florida
4. Chubby's Deli - Sevierville, Tennessee
5. Roadhouse Diner - Great Falls, Montana
6. Finelli's Italian Villa - Altoona, Pennsylvania
7. Pickin Porch Grill - Branson, Missouri
8. Rocco's NY Style Pizza by Mama D's House - Branson, Missouri
9. Buxton Munch Company - Buxton, North Carolina
10. Bakery Restaurant and Lounge - Niagara Falls, New York
To see all the winners, including the best in the world, click here.