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OpenTable Reveals the 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out

Cindy Augustine

March 21, 2018 • 5 min read

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Whether you're spring-breaking or hit with spring fever, there's a feeling of weariness and readiness in the air. For those of us sick of this long winter, OpenTable has released their list of the 100 Best Restaurants in America for a Big Night Out, right in time for al fresco dining weather.

“The list features an array of buzz-worthy restaurants, from up-and-coming to established, trendy to tried-and-true, across 24 states and Washington, DC,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable's chief dining officer. “Whatever your notion of a big night out entails, whether it’s a bustling bar scene or a spot to see-and-be-seen, fun is on the menu at any of these honorees.”

With 18 restaurants on the list, California boasts the highest number of restaurants for a night on the town, with Florida slightly behind with 17 locales. In total, 50 cities are on the list; New York and Las Vegas appear more than any other destination, with Chicago trailing closely behind with seven restaurants.

The list of the 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out is generated from more than 12 million verified OpenTable diner reviews collected between February 1, 2017 and January 31, 2018. All restaurants with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration; qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted, according to the percentage of reviews for which “hot spot” was selected as a special feature. Based on this methodology, the restaurants below, listed in alphabetical order, make up OpenTable's Hot 100 for 2018.

The 100 best restaurants (domestically) for a big night out, according to OpenTable diners:

Al Biernat’s - Oak Lawn - Dallas, Texas
Andina - Portland, Oregon
Battalion - San Antonio, Texas
Beauty & Essex - Multiple Locations
Bestia - Los Angeles, California
Blend on the Water - Long Island City, New York
The Boathouse - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Brewery Bhavana - Raleigh, North Carolina
Buddakan - Multiple Locations
Campfire - Carlsbad, California
Campiello - Naples, Florida
Carmine’s - 44th Street - New York, New York
Carnivale - Chicago, Illinois
Carson’s Food & Drink - Lexington, Kentucky
Catch - Multiple Locations
Charlie’s of Bay Head - Bay Head, New Jersey
Coasterra - San Diego, California
Compère Lapin - New Orleans, Louisiana
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant - Multiple Locations
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Departure Restaurant and Lounge - Portland, Oregon
Double Knot - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Duck Duck Goat - Chicago, Illinois
El Five - Denver, Colorado
El Vez - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar - Memphis, Tennessee
Gato - New York, New York
Giada - The Cromwell - Las Vegas, Nevada
Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse - Chicago, Illinois
Girl & the Goat - Chicago, Illinois
Gordon Ramsay Steak - Paris Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Gracias Madre - West Hollywood, California
GW Fins - New Orleans, Louisiana
Halls Chophouse - Charleston, South Carolina
Harp & Crown - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hell's Kitchen Minneapolis - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Herb & Wood - San Diego, California
Husk - Charleston - Charleston, South Carolina
Ironside Fish & Oyster - San Diego, California
Ivan Ramen - New York, New York
Ivy - West Hollywood, California
Juniper & Ivy - San Diego, California
Juvia - Miami, Florida
Kaluz Restaurant - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Komodo - Miami, Florida
KYU - Miami, Florida
The Lark - Santa Barbara, California
Le Diplomate - Washington, DC
Linger - Denver, Colorado
Louie Bossi's Ristorante Bar Pizzeria - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
LUCA - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Maple & Ash - Chicago, Illinois
Mariposa - Sedona, Arizona
Mastro's Ocean Club - Newport Beach, California
Meril - New Orleans, Louisiana
Moku Kitchen - Honolulu, Hawaii
Momofuku Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Mora Italian - Phoenix, Arizona
Morimoto Asia - Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Myers + Chang - Boston, Massachusetts
Nobu - Caesars Palace Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
North Italia – BLVD - Houston, Texas
Ocean Prime - Naples, Florida
Old Ebbitt Grill - Washington, DC
The Optimist - Atlanta, Georgia
Otium - Los Angeles, California
Oxford Exchange - Tampa, Florida
Parc - Detroit, Michigan
The Pearl - Columbus, Ohio
Perch LA - Los Angeles, California
Pump - West Hollywood, California
Red Ash Italia - Austin, Texas
Red Rooster Harlem - New York, New York
Republique - Los Angeles, California
RPM Italian & Steak - Multiple Locations
Sacred Pepper - Tampa, Florida
Sampan - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sixty Vines - Plano, Texas
Sotto - Cincinnati, Ohio
Southern Social - Germantown, Tennessee
St. Elmo Steak House - Indianapolis, Indiana
Steak 44 - Phoenix, Arizona
Steak 48 - Houston, Texas
Steve & Cookie’s By the Bay - Margate, New Jersey
STK- Multiple locations
SumoMaya Mexican - Asian Kitchen - Scottsdale, Arizona
Tao - Multiple locations
The Tropicale - Palm Springs, California
Town - San Carlos, California
TWO urban licks - Atlanta, Georgia
Uchi - Austin, Texas
Ulele - Tampa, Florida
Uncle Julio’s - Brentwood - Brentwood, Tennessee
Urban Grub - Nashville, Tennessee
Vandal - New York, New York
Water Grill - South Coast Plaza - Costa Mesa, California
Woodberry Kitchen - Baltimore, Maryland
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar - Miami Beach, Florida
Yvonne’s - Boston, Massachusetts
Zahav - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Pros

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Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

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Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
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Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

The 100 best restaurants (domestically) for a big night out, according to OpenTable diners:

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TPG featured card

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

Comments

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons

More details

Pros

Cons

American Express® Gold Card

Rewards rate

Intro offer

Annual fee

Regular APR

Recommended credit

Pros + cons

Pros

Cons