Americans really love going out to eat. Reports say that food-industry sales will reach $1 trillion this year—a first for the American dining scene. And lots of hungry customers are seeking out new places: Searches for “best new restaurants near me” increased 43 percent in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to Yelp research.
When Yelp looked at this year’s top new US restaurants, the team found that these restaurants aren’t just serving amazing eats—many are creating immersive experiences that customers remember long afterward. Between museum-worthy art and decor, wait staff who deliver food with flair, and cocktails almost too pretty to drink, Yelp’s top 25 new dining spots offer delicious new dining adventures.
Here are some of the top trends Yelp spotted:
Experiential dining. Entertainment that stimulates all the senses—pushing the limits of what guests expect from eating out—is on tap at many new restaurants. You’ll find tableside pasta tossing at Carbonara in Arlington, Virginia (#21), lobsters presented in pirate-style treasure boxes at Burnin’ Shell in Los Angeles (#5), lupine ice sculptures at Wolf near Lake Tahoe (#23), and a dining room that transforms into a full, DJ-fueled club at Nami in Orlando, Florida (#15).
The #1 spot, Manhattan’s Mēdüzā Mediterrania, combines live music, a DJ, and over-the-top-food presentations.
Japanese cuisine leads the trend. A full 6 entries in Yelp’s top 25 restaurants are Japanese concepts. From the pub food at Denver’s Kawa Ni (#11) to the intimate, seasonal dinners at San Diego’s Kinme Omakase (#4), these restaurants showcase how diverse (and popular!) this cuisine can be. Love, Makoto in Washington, DC (#22), spotlights ramen, omakase, Japanese BBQ, and Tokyo-inspired cocktails. Japanese influence can also be seen at American-style steakhouse Wicked Butcher in Dallas, Texas (#6), where the raw bar menu includes a hamachi crudo with orange ponzu.
Say goodbye to white tablecloths. Gourmet eating is alive and well, but chefs and owners are moving away from fancy table settings, snooty waiters, and inscrutable plates of food. In fact, the teams at Course Restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona (#7), Percy in Boise, Idaho (#24), and The Evie in Chicago (#16) all used the word “approachable” in describing their food and atmosphere. Others also feature relaxed, unstuffy atmospheres, where guests can enjoy fine dining experiences without feeling out of place or uncomfortable, along with friendly wait staff and chefs who go out of their way to explain what’s being served.
If you’re looking to try a great new restaurant in your area (or if you’re planning a trip to a culinary hotspot), download Yelp’s Best New Restaurants of 2024 Collection on your Yelp mobile app.
Did your favorite hot-and-new spot make it into the Best New Restaurants 2024 list?
Methodology: This is a list of the best new restaurants in the U.S. in 2024, according to Yelp, which identified full-service businesses in the restaurant category which opened after January 1, 2023, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews, between January 1, 2023, and September 1, 2024. When available, all businesses on the list have a passing health score as of September 1, 2024. Finally, they consulted with Yelp Trend Expert Tara Lewis to zero in on what spots Yelpers were loving.
1. Mēdüzā Mediterrania, New York City, New York
Celebrity guests like Taylor Swift and Cardi B—and videos all over TikTok—may have elevated this uber-trendy restaurant to a viral sensation. But it’s the boho-chic interior, over-the-top food presentations, and immersive experience that Yelpers prize the most, making Mēdüzā Mediterrania our #1 Best New Restaurant of the year. Three dining rooms, including a VIP mezzanine and a glass-enclosed atrium, are decked out in lush foliage and “flowy” woodwork. Diners come dressed to impress (there’s a strict dress code) for boozy brunches with musicians serenading customers tableside, and see-and-be-seen dinners with a house DJ playing tunes all night.
Cocktails are presented with theatrical flair—the Fig & Honey with baklava-infused whiskey, for one, arrives inside a smoke-filled windowpane box. The food menu, an expansive meditation on Mediterranean cuisine, is no less dramatic. The Torre de Mare, a “stunning” seafood tower from the raw bar, features lobster, oysters, little neck clams, and U-10 (colossal-size) shrimp, while classic pastas like cacio e pepe are upgraded with shaved black truffles. Reservations are “highly encouraged” to get into what one Yelper calls the NYC spot “where you need to be.”
2. Noko Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee
After being named Yelp’s best new restaurant in the South for 2024, Noko landed the #2 new spot in the US. Inspired by home cookouts over charcoal and wood fire, founder Jon Murray and his partners—including Executive Chef Dung “Junior” Vo—decided to embark on a deeply personal mission serving grilled comfort foods and putting people first. “We love and take care of our employees, and in turn our employees love and take care of our guests,” Jon says.
The fire-powered menu features East-meets-West fusions like the Wagyu Brisket, which is smoked for 12–14 hours and seasoned with togarashi (a chile-heavy Japanese spice blend), and Caesar Salad with kimchi dressing and panko breadcrumbs. Don’t miss the Blue Fin Tuna Crudo, Jon suggests. It’s wild-caught and flown fresh from Japan. “There’s a lot of pride in that,” he says.
3. Meesh Meesh, Louisville, Kentucky
Mediterranean meets Appalachia at Chef Noam Bilitzer’s buzzy Louisville joint. Already named Yelp’s #2 Best New Restaurant in the South, Noam’s fusion of the two cuisines has quickly made Meesh Meesh one of the hottest (and hardest) tables to nab. With a menu of Middle Eastern dips, schmears, and small plates, the restaurant features meals meant for sharing.
Guests pass around platters of za’atar fries tossed in garlic confit, bowls of crispy cauliflower doused in tangy apricot amba (Noam’s version of the pickled condiment, which is traditionally made with mangos), and entrees that include shawarma-spiced chicken thighs. The most requested dish: Smoked Lamb Hummus, with shredded lamb that’s been smoked for 12 hours, topped with pomegranate molasses, confit pine nuts, chili, and more. “It’s my love letter to Jerusalem and Kentucky,” Noam says.
4. Kinme Omakase, San Diego, California
The art of kaiseki, or seasonal sushi, comes alive at this intimate and elegant San Diego restaurant. With only 10 spots available at a long wooden counter, your 10-course meal is uniquely personal. During each of 2 nightly dinner seatings, Kinme’s 3 chefs interact with guests in the handsome open marble kitchen, explaining the origins of each course as it’s prepared. Seeing them create each item is almost a theatrical experience, according to owner and creative director Shihomi Borillo.
Dishes change almost daily, says Shihomi, and the entire menu is overhauled once a month to accommodate the most seasonal ingredients. Expect a mix of raw and cooked pieces, which might include hay-smoked king salmon sashimi, wagyu tartare puffs, or oysters topped with white sturgeon caviar and blood orange pearls. A sake and wine pairing is available, while a bowl of matcha tea ends every service. Reservations are required and open at the beginning of each month.
5. Burnin’ Shell, Los Angeles, California
Strips of sea eel set ablaze right on your table, a live lobster presented in a treasure chest before steaming, and towers of mussels and clams. These are some of the highlights on tap at this trendy seafood BBQ spot in LA’s Koreatown. The pirate-themed restaurant has set social media ablaze for its theatrical presentations and larger-than-life, prix-fixe food “sets.”
The smallest, called The Crew Set, serves 1–2 guests and includes oysters, clams, shrimp, marinated baby octopus. The Captain Set, the largest, serves up to 5 people and adds such delicacies as abalone, hagfish, steamed lobster, and buttered squid. Each set is cooked tableside and comes with traditional Korean BBQ banchan (little side dishes of Korean ceviche, spicy rice cakes, and more). The restaurant doesn’t have a website, but you can join the waitlist on Yelp.
6. Wicked Butcher, Dallas, Texas
Feast on big beef in a big setting at this palatial Dallas steakhouse, whose 7,000-square-foot dining room features a 4-tiered centerpiece chandelier. A twin sister to the original Wicked Butcher in Fort Worth, this downtown outpost serves elevated American comfort food with an emphasis on beef. Complimentary popovers the size of a baby’s head, paired with rosemary butter, signal the start of a hefty meal. And with 32 ounces of dry-aged beef, the Tomahawk Steak is the menu’s crown jewel.
A hummus appetizer is beefed up with braised tenderloin and chili oil, while a bevy of butcher cuts, from a Cowboy Ribeye to Japanese A5 Wagyu, round out the meatier selections. Lighter fare includes a jumbo shrimp cocktail and oysters from the raw bar, while Ginger Miso Chilean Sea Bass paired with green apple curry also delights.
7. Course Restaurant, Scottsdale, Arizona
Chef Cory Oppold and his team are elevating comfort foods to new heights at this fine-dining spot tucked into a Scottsdale strip mall. Lobster-stuffed corn dogs and doughnuts served with caviar and créme fraîche are some of the highlights of the changing menu. “We wanted to curate an approachable dining experience that’s both thought-provoking and comfortable,” Cory says. Menus and ingredients are seasonal, or themed for a limited run (like a menu of deconstructed Mexican favorites that ran for 4 days this fall). You can get the full 10-course shebang on Fridays and Saturdays, or a slimmer 5-course prix fixe menu (with 2 options for some courses) Tuesdays through Thursdays. On Sundays, a special rotating menu is offered for brunch. “Each course is curated to take guests on a journey through flavors, textures, and presentations,” Cory says.
8. BoujieMana, San Diego, California
Giving back has never looked, or tasted, as good as it does at this San Diego stunner. With commitments to community (3 percent of profits are dedicated to a different nonprofit local organization each month) and to a joyful culinary experience, BoujieMana is ultimately a place where people can connect, according to owner Samer Khouli. “What sets us apart is how guests feel when they’re here,” he says. The menu includes decadent surprises like homemade hummus that has been fermented for 48 hours, roasted octopus with chili oil and pistachio, and a 15-day dry-aged roasted duck. Details like handsome Italian tiling, high, airy ceilings, and custom finger towels make for a “high-end and classy” atmosphere, fans say. The most buzzed-about detail? Bidets in the bathrooms. “They add that touch of bougie comfort!” says Samer.
9. Paseo, Anaheim, California
Paseo’s Carlos Gaytán has the distinction of being the first Mexican-born chef to receive a Michelin star, and that pedigree can be tasted in every dish at this upscale Mexican spot in the Downtown Disney District (a shopping and dining center just outside Disneyland). “Our vision was to establish Paseo as a place where both locals and visitors could feel at home, savoring dishes that tell a uniquely personal story,” says John Kolaski, president of Patina Restaurant Group, which operates the spot with Chef Carlos. One such story can be tasted in Mama’s Cochinita Pibil, a slow-roasted pork shank served with beans and homemade tortillas.
As the story goes, Chef Carlos’ mother was unsatisfied with his traditional cochinita pibil and made one of her own that incorporated pineapple vinegar and guajillo peppers. “Of course, it was much better,” he says. From the smoky mezcal in the signature Maya-Tai cocktail to the duck leg carnitas on Paseo Waffles for brunch, look for clever Mexican twists on favorites across the expansive menu.
10. Little’s Oyster Bar, Houston, Texas
Locals who remember humble Little Pappas Seafood House can’t believe their eyes (or tastebuds) after seeing it reborn as a chic oyster bar. “Not only did they come back to life, they came back with a vengeance,” says Yelper Olivia K. Customers indulge in lobster drizzled with black pepper creme fraiche, refreshing tuna crudo with pomegranate, or a “grilled-to-perfection” octopus while sipping on a choice of more than 50 champagnes in the sleek, intimate dining room.
Beyond the glamor, sustainability is paramount to the restaurant’s mission, according to Chef Jason Ryczek. Featured fish is sourced straight from the Texas Gulf, while caviar comes from white sturgeons that Chef Jason helps harvest in his native California. As Jason told the press upon the restaurant’s opening, they’re hoping to “leave the ocean a better place.”
11. Kawa Ni, Denver, Colorado
A decade after James Beard-nominated chef Bill Taibe opened the first iteration Kawa Ni in Westport, Connecticut, the new Denver outpost is already Michelin-recommended. Housed in a repurposed red-brick firehouse, the unorthodox Japanese-style pub is made to engage the senses, Bill says. “The food offers a fun, slightly Americanized take on Japanese izakaya cuisine, giving us the freedom to create without boundaries,” he explains. That means you’ll see slightly twisted versions of classics, like “soft and fluffy” bao buns filled with pickled tofu and dan dan noodles with spicy lamb. The “addictive” shaved broccoli salad with ham and burnt honey is the most popular dish on the menu, but Chef Bill says he’s particularly proud of the temaki, seaweed cones filled with scallops, wasabi peas, and more. “We get especially excited about seasonal vegetables, and strive to showcase their beauty in the simplest way possible,” he notes.
12. Gannons Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee
When you see the copious oysters and champagne, flashy gold-and-black art deco interior, and live nightly jazz bands, you might be tempted to call this downtown Nashville destination “Gatsby’s.” Executive Chef Gannon Leary draws on his previous experience at Skull’s Rainbow Room, a local speakeasy-style jazz and burlesque club, and brings a similar cool and chic flair to this new spot located, perhaps unexpectedly, inside a Marriott hotel. The menu is stacked with classic American comfort foods, along with some Italian and French influences. To start, there are fresh oysters shucked to order, a wild mushroom risotto, and a duck confit empanada. Serious entrees include a New Zealand rack of lamb with pomegranate and a pork chop with peach bacon glaze, offered alongside an impressive wine list.
13. Rustica Earth Sea and Fire, St. Augustine, Florida
With influences from France, Hawaii, China, India, and more, Rustica Earth Sea and Fire could be seen as a kind of culinary United Nations. Appetizers include Indonesian-style pork gyoza, crab beignets with yuzu, , and scallop ravioli drenched in truffle butter. The seafood bar menu is just as eclectic, ranging from Japanese sushi options to a shrimp cocktail with crispy oysters in a spicy homemade sauce. Options like seared striped bass in a red wine sauce, an oven-roasted Vietnamese monkfish, and a seared hanger steak with duck-fat potatoes round out the entrees. French chef Jean Marie Josselin, who made his name as a pioneer of regional Hawaiian cooking, says the new place is all about standing out from the crowd. Fans seem to agree: “Rustica is a must-try for a unique blend of flavors you won’t find anywhere else, says Yelp Elite Safura O.
14. El Cielo, Honolulu, Hawaii
Pinchos (snacks), paellas, and tapas come together at Chef Masa Arnaldo Gushiken’s toast to Spain and his own heritage near the beach in Waikīkī. Born in Argentina to Japanese immigrants, Chef Masa cemented his love affair with Spanish cuisine while working at a Spanish restaurant in Japan. In Spain itself, he learned how to make his famous Octopus ala Gallega, grilled and dusted with smoked paprika, and served with potatoes and his mother’s special chimichurri. Empanadas stuffed with ground beef, onion, and raisins are also his mother’s recipe. Guests also share Croquetas de Jamón (ham croquettes made from acorn-fed free-range pigs) and sop up chicken liver paté or tripe tomato stew with housemade baguettes, before diving into heavy duty plates of paella overflowing with seafood, chicken, and more. “Masa-san wants to make Spanish cuisine more popular in Hawaii,” says manager Bong Ching. “He loves to cook Spanish dishes.”
15. Nami, Orlando, Florida
Is it a fine dining restaurant? An art house? A club? Yes to all of these. Nami, which means “wave” in Japanese, is as fluid and flexible as its name implies. Tucked into the Lake Nona Wave Hotel, this hard-to-pin-down restaurant and nightlife hotspot, which was #3 on Yelp’s 2024 list of Best New Restaurants in the South, blends traditional Japanese cuisine with modern cooking techniques in a sleek, moody space with undulating wood ceilings and murals—and transforms into a party setting with an in-house DJ as evening turns to night.
Guests can reserve an upscale seat at the 10-seat omakase counter for a 20-bite tasting menu, or choose a la carte offerings such as green miso lamb chops and BBQ Unagi. There are also playful spins on classics, like the popular Tuna Pizza (fresh tuna dotted with edible flowers and aioli over a crispy base) and Nami Nuggets, an upscale spin on chicken tenders with a side of Japanese BBQ sauce.
16. The Evie, Chicago, Illinois
At this showcase for Chicago cuisine overlooking the iconic Magnificent Mile, you can enjoy what may be the fanciest-ever Chicago-style hot dog—a 100-percent wagyu beef dog made by local purveyor Makowski’s plus the usual fixin’s, nestled in a homemade poppy-seed brioche bun. In fact, all the bread used in the restaurant is house-made in their on-site bakery. For executive chef Phil Rubino, the recipe for capturing the diversity of the city’s food and his global guests is simple: make good food and make it fun.That means options like smoked carrots covered in an agave brown sugar glaze, a bounty of sushi, sashimi and nigiri, and their Signature Prime Rib Dip, slow-roasted prime rib piled on a house-made baguette with mayo and au jus.
17. Katami, Houston, Texas
It takes less than 30 hours for fresh seafood to travel from the fishmongers at the legendary Toyosu Market in Tokyo to your plate at this Houston fine-dining hot spot. Katami, which means “gift” in Japanese, is 4-time James Beard award-nominated chef Manabu Horiuchi’s present to his adopted home in Texas. Snag a spot at the 12-seat sushi bar for a chef’s choice sashimi experience or peruse the vast menu where classic sushi and nigiri pieces mingle with Texas twists like the Texas Hamachi Roll, featuring a trio of fish flavored with yuzu juice and jalapeno. Wagyu steaks (also imported from Japan), fresh oysters, and even veggie options like the corn mushroom okonomiyaki (a popular kind of Japanese grilled pancake with cabbage, carrot flakes, and onion) round out the a la carte dinner offerings. For dessert there’s kakigori, a towering mound of shaved ice (with water imported from Japan for a fluffier texture) featuring flavors and toppings such as matcha, red-bean-paste ice cream, and strawberry nutella. As one Yelper says, “it knocked our socks off.”
18. Kappo DC, Washington, District of Columbia
At this intimate 21-seat restaurant, plates, bowls, chopsticks, and even vegetables are imported from Japan—as is the Wagyu. In fact, Kappo is a showcase for high-end A5 Miyazakigyu beef from Miyazaki Prefecture, known for its“melt-in-your-mouth” texture. Almost every dish on the 8-course omakase menu features Wagyu, from the “extremely fresh” summer salad that starts the experience to the climax of the sukiyaki (hot pot) broth for dipping. Kappo’s name refers to a more laid-back and casual type of Japanese restaurant, a sort of dinner party, where guests get up close and personal with chefs at the counter who chat while preparing each course for service. You’ll need a reservation to grab a spot for their limited seatings (2 per night Tuesday through Thursday and 3 on Friday through Sunday).
19. Sartiano’s, New York City, New York
Looking for caviar-stuffed cannoli, a dirty martini with housemade olive brine, and 3-time James Beard award-winning chef Alfred Portale at the helm? Welcome to Manhattan. Nestled inside the swanky, historic Mercer Hotel in downtown SoHo, Sartiano’s is a modern Italian restaurant with the pedigree (and prices!) that indicate a premium fine-dining experience—there’s even an enforced dress code of “elegant upscale attire.” Fresh, high-quality ingredients, and flavors that are innovative while evoking nostalgia, are the backbone of the restaurant’s dishes, according to Alfred. Updated classics like house-made focaccia with whipped ricotta, a tahini-tinged caesar salad, and mushroom and black truffle lasagna have made this one of the hottest, and hardest-to-nab, tables in town.
20. Casa Pollastro, Dallas, Texas
This all-you-can-eat Brazilian-Italian joint features delicious food at a surprising bang for your buck: You can sample most of the dinner menu, and get more of your favorite items, for just north of $35. This prix-fixe fantasy includes homemade bread, salad, 3 styles of “super well-seasoned and tender” galetos (rotisserie chickens that have been marinated for 12 hours), myriad pastas, and 4 different desserts. You can pay extra for items such as a 16-ounce lamb chop or picanha if you possibly have room. Owner Gabriel de Sá says all of the food is homemade, making for a quality experience at an affordable price. “Almost every single customer says it’s insane how much value they get,” he tells Yelp. The price dips to $20 for the lunch menu (same concept with just one dessert), and they even offer a la carte options (that are also all-you-can-eat!) for guests who aren’t quite hungry enough to tackle the entire menu.
21. Carbonara, Arlington, Virginia
Dinner is theater at this Italian hotspot from Chef Mike Cordero. The Famous Chicken Parmigiana Alla Vodka is finished right at your table with servers who slide the special blend of cheese and sauce from a cast-iron skillet right onto your plate. Even the cocktail menu has fun flourishes, like the Espresso Martini Flight, where you can choose 3 of the 6 flavors of espresso martini, including pistachio, tiramisu, and even Ferrero Rocher. The star of the evening, however, has to be the eponymous Bucatini Carbonara Table Side, where homemade noodles are tossed on top of an 80-pound Italian parmesan wheel that has been flambeéd, coating them with extra cheese before being transferred to your plate. “It’s like dinner and a show,” says one Yelper.
22. Love, Makoto, Washington, District of Columbia
Choose your own culinary adventure at this multiconcept collection of Japanese eateries. The first 2 are Dear Sushi and Beloved BBQ, Michelin-recommended, full-service restaurants that offer both omakase and a la carte experiences. At Dear Sushi, you’ll pop a few sea-salted edamame before trying the “new school” and “old school” parade of nigiri, in which each fish is prepared both traditionally and with a modern twist. At Beloved BBQ, milk buns with miso honey butter whet the appetite before diners grill their own premium cuts of beef. The spirit of Tokyo nightlife comes alive at Hiya Izakaya!, where friends sip on Japanese cocktails and share snacks like Wasabi Guacamole. Finally, Love on the Run, a fast-casual cafe, offers homemade ramen, made-to-order mochi donuts, boba, and more. The concepts are meant to bridge Japanese and American cultures, according to Chef Makoto Okuwa. “The menus are simultaneously an homage to my home country and a tribute to my adopted country, where I settled down to build my restaurants and build a life,” he says.
23. Wolf by Vanderpump at Harveys Lake Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada
Home to chandeliers made out of antlers dripping in sparkling jewels, meticulously carved ice sculptures, and the longest bar in Tahoe (47 feet), this glamorous spot at the Harveys Lake Tahoe hotel and casino is exactly what you’d expect from reality-TV star and prolific restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump. Creative cocktails like the Sheep’s Clothing, a strawberry jalapeno martini covered in strawberry cotton candy and gold leaf flakes, and the Huff and Puff, a smoky blood orange old fashioned served tableside out of a statue of a wolf, are just as bold as the decor. Classic American fare has been upgraded, too. Boring bread for the table has been given the boot in favor of pull-apart herb and gruyere bread with whipped lava salt and hot honey butter, while hush puppies come with lump crab and lemon créme fraîche. The crowd-favorite Wolf Signature Double Smash Burger, served with 2 4-ounce wagyu patties, havarti and muenster cheese, and crispy fried onions, was “one of the best burgers I have eaten,” according to Yelp Elite Mike S.
24. Percy, Boise, Idaho
Short for “perseverance,” Percy is “focused on execution and polish while remaining exceedingly approachable,” according to David and Lizzy Rex, who have opened five of the buzziest restaurants in Boise in six quick years. With 17-foot ceilings, leather booths, and a grand marble bar, the ambiance is decidedly luxurious. Several items on the menu, including the “pillowy soft” Sourdough Focaccia, Sourdough Pappardelle with short rib ragu, and the Warm Cobbler topped with a sourdough biscuit, are made with the duo’s famous 57-year-old sourdough starter, which they also use at The Wylder, their hit pizza joint down the street.
Sandwiches like the Percy Burger, made from local wagyu beef and topped with Idaho cheddar, are served up on homemade rolls, while Ken’s Biscuits are made fresh daily and feature seasonal ingredients in both the biscuit and accompanying butter.
25. Catalina Kitchen + Bar, Charlotte, North Carolina
Fancy but familiar, the newest outpost of NFL legend Mike Ditka’s restaurant group is this trendy scratch kitchen, which Yelpers call “perfect for a date or gals night.” High-end dining fare like handmade tagliatelle with scallops, lump crab, and shrimp come together with more casual options like poke-topped harvest bowls. The giant wrap-around bar in the center of the restaurant features Italian wines, a rotation selection of draft beer from local breweries, and even artisanal zero-proof mocktails. Look for Happy Hour deals like $2.50 oysters from the raw bar, as well as weekday drink specials such as Martini Mondays and Craft Cocktail Tuesdays.
Yelp’s Best New Restaurants of 2024 was written and reported by Luis Rendon.
