Best restaurants

A cheeseburger with chicken patties, pizza, and steak on it
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Which Chains are America’s Favorites?

NRN & Technomic Identify America’s Favorite Chains

by David Klemt

A cheeseburger with chicken patties, pizza, and steak on it

Alright, which one of you maniacs out there is going to make this AI-generated chicken-patty-pizza-steak burger a reality and put it on your menu?

Toward the beginning of 2024, Nation’s Restaurant News collaborated with Technomic to identify America’s favorite restaurant chains.

To my understanding, this is the first such partnership between the independent foodservice publication and the foodservice intelligence platform.

Providing more than just a glimpse into America’s favorite chains, the rankings span several categories. For instance, the partnership between NRN and Technomic reveals the top QSRs, along with the country’s favorite fast-casual, family-style, and miscale restaurants.

However, the top three chains across more granular categories are also identified. Examples include America’s favorite chicken, pizza, burger, and Mexican restaurants.

In fact, I’m going to kick things off with the more specific, specialized categories. Then, I’ll move into the broader segments.

That said, I encourage you to review NRN‘s article revealing America’s favorite midscale, casual, QSR, etc. restaurants for yourself. Written by Joanna Fantozzi, the piece is full of valuable insights beyond simple rankings.

Further, you may find it interesting to compare these rankings to the results of BrandVue’s Most Loved Eating Out Brands 2023 report, which we reviewed here.

Cheers to NRN and Technomic! Here’s to hoping that this becomes an annual release.

Beverage or Snack

  1. Tropical Smoothie Cafe
  2. Smoothie King
  3. Jamba

Burger

  1. Culver’s
  2. In-N-Out
  3. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburger

Chicken

  1. Chick-fil-A
  2. Jollibee
  3. Raising Cane’s

Italian (FSR)

  1. Carrabba’s Italian Grill
  2. Maggiano’s Little Italy
  3. Mellow Mushroom

Mexican

  1. Chuy’s Tex-Mex
  2. Torchy’s Tacos
  3. Moe’s Southwest Grill

Pizza

  1. Papa Murphy’s
  2. Marco’s Pizza
  3. Cici’s Pizza

Sandwich

  1. Jersey Mike’s Subs
  2. Newk’s Eatery
  3. Jason’s Deli

Steak

  1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
  2. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
  3. Longhorn Steakhouse

Varied Menu

  1. Seasons 52
  2. Bahama Breeze Island Grille
  3. Cooper’s Hawk

QSR

  1. Dutch Bros Coffee
  2. Topical Smoothie Cafe
  3. Smoothie King
  4. Cold Stone Creamery
  5. Chik-fil-A

Fast Casual

  1. Jersey Mike’s Subs
  2. Newk’s Eatery
  3. Jason’s Deli
  4. McAlister’s Deli
  5. Sweetgreen

Family Style

  1. First Watch
  2. Cracker Barrel
  3. Golden Corral

Casual

  1. Seasons 52
  2. Bahama Breeze Island Grille
  3. Bonefish Grill
  4. Longhorn Steakhouse
  5. Cooper’s Hawk

Midscale

  1. First Watch
  2. Cracker Barrel
  3. Golden Corral
  4. Shoney’s
  5. Black Bear Diner

Favorite Chains: Overall

  1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House
  2. Season 52
  3. Dutch Bros Coffee
  4. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
  5. Bahama Breeze Island Grille
  6. Longhorn Steakhouse
  7. Cooper’s Hawk
  8. Tropical Smoothie Cafe
  9. The Capital Grille
  10. Smoothie King

When it comes to this list of the top-ten favorite chain restaurants, Technomic data scores a number of crucial insights.

Click here to see how each of these industry leaders ranked in:

  • Service and hospitality
  • Unit appearance and ambience
  • F&B
  • Convenience and takeout
  • Value

Image: Shutterstock. Disclaimer: This image was generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.

KRG Hospitality. Restaurant Business Plan. Feasibility Study. Concept. Branding. Consultant. Start-Up.

The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 Awards group shot
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

’23 World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 51 to 100

2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 51 to 100

by David Klemt

The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 Awards group shot

Last week we checked out the top 50 restaurants around the world, and today we’re taking a look at those ranked 51 to 100.

Narrowing down the 50 best restaurants in the world is a harrowing task. So it makes sense that the World’s 50 Best Restaurants expanded the list to the best 100. Even that, however, must be daunting.

France performed particularly well on the 100 to 51 list this year, clinching six spots. Four of those, unsurprisingly, are located in Paris.

The US, Bangkok, and Spain each have four restaurants on the list. For the US, two restaurants make the rankings in both California and New York.

Operators in Japan earn three spots, with two restaurants in Tokyo and one in Osaka. London also achieves three places on this list.

A number of countries, regions, and cities have two restaurants on the 2023 100 to 51 list: Cape Town, Denmark, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Mexico.

Again, like to 50 to 1, Canada and Australia don’t have restaurants ranked anywhere on the 51 through 100 list.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023: 100 to 51

  1. Maito (Panama City, Panama)
  2. Fu He Hui (Shanghai, China)
  3. Saison (San Francisco, California, United States of America)
  4. Labyrinth (Singapore)
  5. Ricard Camarena Restaurant (Valencia, Spain)
  6. Ceto (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France)
  7. La Colombe (Cape Town, South Africa)
  8. Kei (Paris, France)
  9. Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
  10. Kadeau (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  11. Wing (Hong Kong)
  12. Mingles (Seoul, South Korea)
  13. Potong (Bangkok, Thailand)
  14. Ossiano (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
  15. Lyle’s (London, England, United Kingdom)
  16. Enrico Bartolini (Milan, Italy)
  17. Meta (Singapore)
  18. Sazenka (Tokyo, Japan)
  19. Enigma (Barcelona, Spain)
  20. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Bizkaia, Spain)
  21. Flocons de Sel (Megève, France)
  22. Nuema (Quito, Ecuador)
  23. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
  24. Tantris (Munich, Germany)
  25. Oteque (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  26. Fyn (Cape Town, South Africa)
  27. Nusara (Bangkok, Thailand)
  28. Cosme (New York City, New York, United States of America)
  29. Sühring (Bangkok, Thailand)
  30. Core by Clare Smyth (London, England, United Kingdom)
  31. Sud 777 (Mexico City, Mexico)
  32. Zén (Singapore)
  33. SingleThread (Healdsburg, California, United States of America)
  34. Le Clarence (Paris, France)
  35. Turk Fatih Tutak (Istanbul, Türkiye)
  36. Burnt Ends (Singapore)
  37. Aponiente (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Spain)
  38. Neolokal (Istanbul, Türkiye)
  39. Arpège (Paris, France)
  40. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (New York City, New York, United States of America)
  41. La Cime (Osaka, Japan)
  42. Mérito (Lima, Perú)
  43. Lasai (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  44. Jordnær (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  45. Sorn (Bangkok, Thailand)
  46. Ernst (Berlin, Germany)
  47. Alcalde (Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico)
  48. Brat (London, England, United Kingdom)
  49. Hof van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)
  50. Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

Last Year’s 100 to 51 List

A number of restaurants from the 2022 World’s Best Restaurants, 100 to 51 are also on this year’s list.

Flocons de Sel, located in Megève, France, likely made the greatest gains. In 2022, the restaurant was ranked number 99. This year, Flocons de Sel earned the number 80 spot.

A few restaurants made humble but notable steps in the right direction. As an example, New York’s Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare climbed from 63 to 61. And Ernst, located in Berlin, went from number 62 in 2022 to 55 this year.

Unfortunately, Sud 777 in Mexico City tumbled in 2023. Last year, the venue reached the number 52 spot. This year, however, it’s number 70. That said, it’s the number 70 restaurant in the world. Nothing to be ashamed of, and I won’t be surprised to see the Sud 777 team drive the restaurant back toward the 50s or better in 2024.

To review the 100 to 51 list from 2022, please click here.

Cheers to these 50 top-performing restaurants!

Image: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

KRG Hospitality. Restaurant Business Plan. Feasibility Study. Concept. Branding. Consultant. Start-Up.

Central in Lima, Peru, the winner of the 2023 World's 50 Best Restaurants
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants Revealed

2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 1 to 50

by David Klemt

Central in Lima, Peru, the winner of the 2023 World's 50 Best Restaurants

The team behind Central in Lima, Peru, the number one restaurant in the world.

We finally know which venues from around the globe claim one of the top 50 spots on the 2023 World’s Best Restaurants list.

As you’ll see below, a few countries and cities perform very well on this year’s list.

For example, five of this year’s restaurants are in Italy, one of which is in the top ten. However, restaurants throughout Spain grab six spots on this year’s list. Three of these are among the top ten restaurants.

France claims four spots. Three of those are in Paris, and one is in the top ten.

London takes three spots, as do Mexico City, and Tokyo. One restaurant in the top ten is in Mexico City.

America has just two restaurants on the 2023 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Both are in New York City, one is in the top ten. Bangkok, Bogotá, Dubai, and German also each have two restaurants on the list.

Peru, like France, also boasts four spots on the list. Each of these four are located in Lima, and two restaurants are among the top ten. Most importantly, one of those restaurants is the number-one restaurant in the world.

For our Canadian and Australian readers, I’m sorry to report that there are no restaurants on the list below that are in your respective countries.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023: 50 to 1

  1. The Chairman (Hong Kong)
  2. Rosetta (Mexico City, Mexico)
  3. La Grenouillère (La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, France)
  4. Mayta (Lima, Perú)
  5. Orfali Bros Bistro (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
  6. Nobelhart & Schmutzig (Berlin, Germany)
  7. Le Bernardin (New York City, New York, United States of America)
  8. Leo (Bogotá, Colombia)
  9. Piazza Duomo (Alba, Italy)
  10. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)
  11. Restaurant Tim Raue (Berlin, Germany)
  12. The Jane (Antwerp, Belgium)
  13. The Clove Club (London, England, United Kingdom)
  14. Sezánne (Tokyo, Japan)
  15. Plénitude (Paris, France)
  16. Ikoyi (London, England, United Kingdom)
  17. Uliassi (Senigallia, Ancona, Italy)
  18. El Chato (Bogotá, Colombia)
  19. Hiša Franko (Kobarid, Slovenia)
  20. Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Guipúzcoa, Spain)
  21. Frantzén(Stockholm, Sweden)
  22. Boragó (Santiago, Chile)
  23. Kjolle (Lima, Perú)
  24. Florilège (Tokyo, Japan)
  25. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)
  26. Belcanto (Lisbon, Portugal)
  27. Septime (Paris, France)
  28. Kol (London, England, United Kingdom)
  29. Elkano (Getaria, Gipuzkoa, Spain)
  30. Den (Tokyo, Japan)
  31. Quique Dacosta (Dénia, Alicante, Spain)
  32. Don Julio (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
  33. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)
  34. Gaggan Anand (Bangkok, Thailand)
  35. Reale (Castel di Sangro, L’Aquila, Italy)
  36. Le Du (Bangkok, Thailand)
  37. Odette (Singapore)
  38. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)
  39. A Casa do Porco (São Paulo, Brazil)
  40. Trèsind Studio (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
  41. Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris, France)
  42. Quintonil (Mexico City, Mexico)
  43. Atomix (New York City, New York, United States of America)
  44. Lido 84 (Gardone Riviera, Brescia, Italy)
  45. Maido (Lima, Perú)
  46. Alchemist (Copenhagen, Denmark)
  47. Asador Etxebarri (Axtondo, Bizkaia, Spain)
  48. Diverxo (Madrid, Spain)
  49. Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
  50. Central (Lima, Perú)

Last Year’s List

Some of the restaurants above also earned spots on the 2022 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

For example, Ikoyi in London, England, was number 49 last year. The restaurant climbs to number 35 this year.

Bogotá’s Leo was number 48 in 2022 but rises to 43 in 2023.

Central fought to climb one place. Last year, Central was number two. Now, they’re the best restaurant in the world.

For the full list of the top 50 restaurants last year, please click here.

Cheers to this year’s top 50!

Image: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

KRG Hospitality. Restaurant Business Plan. Feasibility Study. Concept. Branding. Consultant. Start-Up.

Fine dining Ecuadorian dish
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Bon Appétit Reveals Best New Restaurants

Bon Appétit Reveals the Best New Restaurants in 2022

by David Klemt

Fine dining Ecuadorian dish

Condé Nast’s American food and restaurant publication Bon Appétit identifies the 50 restaurants they deem the very best in 2022.

The intriguing list highlights the consumer desire to try a wide range of global cuisines. Indeed, were one to eat their through Bon Appétit‘s 2022 list, they’d enjoy both traditional and modern:

  • African (notably, Nigerian)
  • Cantonese
  • Caribbean
  • Eastern European (Hungarian, in particular)
  • Filipino
  • French
  • Indian (including Goan and Kashmiri)
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Jewish
  • Korean
  • Laotian
  • Mexican
  • Palestinian
  • Portuguese
  • Vietnamese

Of course, one will also find American cuisine. Of note, Texas barbecue, elements of Memphis barbecue, Low Country, Cajun cooking, and Midwest comfort food. There are also restaurants offering creative takes on traditional steakhouse fare. One restaurant’s focus, The Nicolett in Lubbock, Texas, is High Plains cuisine. (For those wondering, Bon Appétit describes this as “West Texas terroir.”)

This is a compelling list, showing that consumers crave a balance between comfort food and stepping outside of their comfort zones to discover cuisines that are new to them. I encourage everyone to look into these restaurants for inspiration and motivation.

Regional Performance

For simplicity, Bon Appétit arranges their list by dividing the US into four large regions: Midwest, Northeast & Mid-Atlantic, South, and West.

Interestingly, the South claims the most restaurants on this list of the 50 best, earning 17 spots. Northeast & Mid-Atlantic restaurants grab 15 spots, the West takes 12, and the Midwest claims just six.

When it comes to the South, Texas performs the best in terms of number of restaurants on the list. There are two in Austin, and one each in Fort Worth, Garland, Houston, Lubbock, and San Antonio.

However, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana also do well for the South, earning three spots each in the following cities:

  • Miami (2) and North Miami (1)
  • Atlanta (2) and Savannah (1)
  • New Orleans (3)

Unsurprisingly, New York leads the way for the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic region. Drilling down, Brooklyn boasts four of Bon Appétit‘s 50 Best New Restaurants 2022; New York City is the home of three; and one is in Hudson.

Pennsylvania, however, claims three spots, all in Philadelphia.

Equally as foreseeable, California boasts the most restaurants among this list of fifty. Predictably, most are in Los Angeles, which claims three in total. Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco round out California’s spots with one each. Coming in second in terms of Western states with multiple restaurants on the list is Oregon, with two in Portland.

Unfortunately, the Midwest simply doesn’t perform nearly as well on this year’s list as its counterparts. In fact, it has just half the number of restaurants as the third-place region with six. Cincinnati, Ohio, takes a third of those spots. Surprisingly, Chicago is home to just one restaurant on this list.

The 50 Best New Restaurants

Below you’ll find Bon Appétit‘s list in alphabetical order.

  • Agi’s Counter (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Baba’s Pantry (Kansas City, MO)
  • Bacanora (Phoenix, AZ)
  • Bata (Tucson, AZ)
  • Birdie’s (Austin, TX)
  • Bocadillo Market (Chicago, IL)
  • Bonnie’s (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Cafe Mochiko (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Cafe Mutton (Hudson, NY)
  • Canje (Austin, TX)
  • Common Thread (Savannah, GA)
  • Daru (Washington, DC)
  • Daytrip (Oakland, CA)
  • Dear Annie (Cambridge, MA)
  • Dept. of Culture (Brooklyn, NY)
  • El Rincon del Maiz (Garland, TX)
  • Gage & Tollner (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Good Good Culture Club (San Francisco, CA)
  • Her Place (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Irwin’s (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Juniper Cafe (Atlanta, GA)
  • Kingfisher (San Diego, CA)
  • Korshak Bagels (Philadelphia, PA)
  • La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal (Denver, CO)
  • La Onda (Forth Worth, TX)
  • Lasita (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Lengua Madre (New Orleans, LA)
  • Los Félix (Miami, FL)
  • Lucian Books and Wine (Atlanta, GA)
  • Ma Der Lao Kitchen (Oklahoma City, OK)
  • March (Houston, TX)
  • Mid-City Restaurant (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Mister Mao (New Orleans, LA)
  • Morchella (Portland, OR)
  • The Nicolett (Lubbock, TX)
  • One White Street (New York, NY)
  • Paradis Books & Bread (North Miami, FL)
  • Phởcific Standard Time (Seattle, WA)
  • Quarter Sheets (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Reese Bros Barbecue (San Antonio, TX)
  • Regards (Portland, ME)
  • República (Portland, OR)
  • Seafood Sally’s (New Orleans, LA)
  • Semma (New York, NY)
  • Sozai (Clawson, MI)
  • Sunny’s Steakhouse (Miami, FL)
  • Supperland (Charlotte, NC)
  • Uncle Lou, New York, NY)
  • Yangban Society (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Z&Z Manoushe Bakery (Rockville, MD)

Image: Kiyoshi on Unsplash

High-end plate of food
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

2022 World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 51-100

’22 World’s 50 Best Restaurants: 51-100

by David Klemt

High-end plate of food

Just a week away from their big 2022 reveal, numbers 51 through 100 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants is now available.

As one expects, these restaurants represent the pinnacle of dining. The 2022 list also represents a number of changes in comparison to 2021.

For example, a number of restaurants in the Middle East are among this year’s 51 to 100 rankings. Notably, these restaurants were not included on last year’s list. In fact, nearly half of the restaurants are new entries on the 51 to 100 list.

Additionally, the 2022 list represents six continents. This year, four “new” countries and a sovereign island city-state make the 51 to 100 rankings:

  • Argentina
  • China
  • Germany
  • Singapore
  • UAE

The regional breakdown is as follows:

  • Asia: 14 restaurants
  • Europe: 13 venues
  • North America: 11 concepts
  • Middle East: 2 restaurants
  • Africa: 2 concepts
  • Oceania: 1 venue
  • South America: 7 restaurants

Just six American restaurants are on the list. Three are in New York, two in San Francisco, and one is in Chicago. Disappointingly, zero Canadian restaurants are among the 51 to 100 rankings.

Restaurants one through 50 will be revealed on Monday, July 18. Numbers 51 to 100 of the World’s 50 Best Bars will be revealed Tuesday, September 27.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022: 51 to 100

  1. Alcalde (Guadalajara, Jalisco, México)
  2. Sud 777 (Ciudad de México, México)
  3. D.O.M. (São Paulo, SP, Brazil)
  4. Lyle’s (London, England)
  5. Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Biscay, Spain)
  6. La Colombe (Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa)
  7. Trèsind Studio (Dubai, UAE)
  8. Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen (Paris, France)
  9. Sazenka (Tokyo, Japan)
  10. Rosetta (Ciudad de México, México)
  11. La Grenouillère (La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil, France)
  12. Ernst (Berlin, Germany)
  13. Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare (New York, NY, USA)
  14. Fu He Hui (Shanghai, People’s Republic of China)
  15. Le Du (Bangkok, Thailand)
  16. Sühring (Bangkok, Thailand)
  17. Evvai (São Paulo, SP, Brazil)
  18. Kjolle (Barranco, Lima, Perú)
  19. Cosme (New York, NY, USA)
  20. Zén (Singapore)
  21. Mingles (Seoul, South Korea)
  22. Atelier Crenn (San Francisco, CA, USA)
  23. Kol (London, England)
  24. Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantico Hills, Mount Pleasant, NY, USA)
  25. Samrub Samrub (Bangkok, Thailand)
  26. Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
  27. Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris, France)
  28. Lasai (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil)
  29. Estela (New York, NY, USA)
  30. AM par Alexandre Mazzia (Marseille, France)
  31. Brat (London, England)
  32. Sézanne (Tokyo, Japan)
  33. El Chato (Bogotá, DC, Colombia)
  34. Gimlet at Cavendish House (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
  35. Raan Jay Fai (Bangkok, Thailand)
  36. Mikla (Beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey)
  37. Orfali Bros Bistro (Dubai, UAE)
  38. Mishiguene (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
  39. Máximo Bistrot (Ciudad de México, México)
  40. Wolfgat (Paternoster, Western Cape, South Africa)
  41. Oriole (Chicago, IL, USA)
  42. Indian Accent (New Delhi, Delhi, India)
  43. Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary (Antwerp, Belgium)
  44. Burnt Ends (Singapore)
  45. Meta (Singapore)
  46. Maní (São Paulo, SP, Brazil)
  47. Benu, San Francisco, CA, USA)
  48. Tantris (München, Germany)
  49. Flocons de Sel (Megève, France)
  50. Wing (Hong Kong)

*Bold denotes new entry

Image: Delightin Dee on Unsplash

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