The restaurant industry is notoriously cut-throat: According to the National Restaurant Association, 30% of restaurants fail in the first year they open, and of those that survive, another 30% close in the next two.
To stand out in an increasingly bloated market, restaurants need to wow diners with incredible meals, outstanding service, and great ambiance — especially if they're charging upwards of $100 a person for the experience.
With dozens of best-restaurant lists and user-generated reviews crowding the internet, the definitive winner can get lost in the shuffle. We looked at five notable restaurant rankings compiled by food critics, diners, and experts, and combined these rankings to come up with the ultimate list of the Best Restaurants in America.
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The rankings we used were The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants in America; OpenTable's 2013 Diners' Choice Top 100 Best Restaurants in America; The World's 100 Best Restaurants; the James Beard Foundation's 2014 Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists; and Zagat's 20 Top-Rated Restaurants Across America.
We gave each restaurant a numerical rating based on how many lists the restaurant appeared on and how high it appeared on lists that were ranked. Restaurants that appeared on multiple lists ranked higher on our list, while restaurants that ranked on only one of these lists ended up closer to the bottom. You can read our complete methodology and see numerical scores here.
45. Zuni Café
Location: San Francisco, California
Chef: Judy Rodgers
Co-owner and chef Judy Rodgers has been at the helm of Zuni's kitchen since 1987, making this Bay-area restaurant a standout on multiple "best" lists, including spot No. 23 on The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants.
Zuni's menu draws on classic Venetian comfort food with a modern twist, using local and organic ingredients wherever possible.
44. Cochon
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Chef: Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski
The brainchild of chef Donald Link and chef-owner Stephen Stryjewski, Cochon makes traditional Cajun comfort food cutting-edge.
Cochon appeared on last year's list at No. 33 and makes a return at No. 44. This Big Easy restaurant ranked 22nd on The Daily Meal's list.
43. The Publican
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Chef: Paul Kahan
A newcomer to our list, The Publican is "an homage to beer, pork, and oysters." Executive chef Paul Kahan and chef de cuisine Brian Huston serve their farmhouse fare, which takes on both French and Belgian influences, to eager meat-loving guests along communal beer-hall-style tables.
Publican ranked No. 21 on The Daily Meal's list but didn't rank anywhere else.
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