- Food writers across the USA TODAY Network selected their favorite spots
- These restaurants are part of the USA TODAY Restaurants of the Year 2025 list
- They range from white tablecloth, James Beard-nominated spots to roadside burger stands
USA TODAY’s Restaurants of the Year celebrates the most exciting dining destinations across the country, including the culinary-rich Northeast.
Chosen by our team of food writers who live and work in the communities they cover, this carefully curated list highlights restaurants that not only serve exceptional food but also shape their neighborhoods, push culinary boundaries, and offer unforgettable experiences.
The standout spots range from an innovative Italian eatery in Delaware to a New Jersey roadside burger joint redefining fast food.
From a tiki bar serving crab rangoon made with house-made crème fraîche to a no-frills steakhouse offering a hand-cut strip bursting with flavor — salt, pepper, butter, and a mouthwatering char — these restaurants showcase the diverse flavors and creativity that make dining in the Northeast so special.
What’s the best restaurant near you?Check out USA TODAY’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year.
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Inside lookat how USA TODAY chose its Restaurants of the Year for 2025
Details: 620 N. Market St.; 302-426-2069, bardeafoodanddrink.com
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Bardea restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends this talk-of-the-town restaurant where you won’t want to miss the burrata “pop tart” with sweet onion fennel jam.
A snazzy, innovative Italian restaurant in downtown Wilmington from owners Scott Stein and Antimo DiMeo, Bardea Food & Drink has easily become the town’s most talked about restaurant since it opened in 2018. The restaurant and executive chef DiMeo have each been nominated for James Beard Awards. Bardea also attracted the attention of the White House, which chose Bardea to cook for President Joe Biden’s 2024 Quad Summit in Delaware. Shared plates are highly suggested. Don’t miss the burrata “pop tart” with sweet onion fennel jam; house-made pastas like the ravioli with duck confit, gorgonzola, and pear-walnut pesto; or share a dry-aged bone-in ribeye and a side of maitake mushrooms with sunchoke garum and caramelized onion crema. — Patricia Talorico, Delaware News Journal
Details: 14 Sea St., 3rd Floor; 508-398-6076, pelhamhouseresort.com
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Rooftop at Pelham House Resort restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends the seasonal menu featuring local ingredients and a worldly influence, served with sweeping views of Nantucket Sound.
Diners in the know will check what time the sun sets before making reservations at The Rooftop at Pelham House Resort. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlook Nantucket Sound, offering a sweeping view as twilight slips in through the often open windows. The menu changes seasonally, with chef Dan Cote featuring local ingredients and a worldly influence, such as the Egyptian spice blend dukkah on the autumn salad. The 10 large plates on the menu cover a lot of appetites, with careful preparations of beef, duck, lamb, Chilean sea bass and spiced cauliflower. Leave room for a seasonal dessert cocktail, such as the Autumn Old Fashion. — Gwenn Friss Roiter, Cape Cod Times
Details: 112 Mt. Auburn St.; 617-528-9125, wusongroad.com.
Wusong TIki Bar restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends settling in among the rainforest greenery, tropical flowers and hutched tiki roofs to enjoy family-friendly fare, especially the crab rangoon.
When you stand outside Wusong Tiki Bar’s historic building, you’d never suspect there’s a whole new world waiting inside. In 2020, chef-owner Jason Doo, 41, set out on a mission to open an affordable, family-friendly restaurant and to create an upscale, “Disneyesque,” immersive tiki bar experience. Everywhere you turn, you see something new: gold monkeys hanging from the ceiling; rainforest greenery; bright, tropical flowers; straw tiki rooftops; a variety of ceramic tiki tumblers; and a gong behind the bar that’s played for birthdays. The menu perfectly complements the atmosphere, with items such as pork and chicken bao decorated with cute pig and chicken faces. Don’t miss the crab rangoon, made with house-made creme fraiche, real crab and lemon zest. — Joanna K. Tzouvelis, Wicked Local
Details: 82 Winter St.; 508-797-1011, bocadotapasbar.com
Bocado Tapas Wine Bar restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends small, sharable plates of slow-roasted rabbit and large bowls of seafood paella, served in a chic setting with brick walls and round leather booths.
Sitting in a rehabbed factory building on a quiet corner in Worcester’s popular Canal District, Bocado Tapas Wine Bar seems nondescript from the outside, but the neighborhood has always had its secrets. For instance, few locals know this was once the location of anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman’s ice cream shop. But behind the modest orange door and tightly drawn curtains, the restaurant pulses with life. Bocado’s deft marriage of casual vibes and gourmet food, where friends congregate at the bar and young couples sit at more secluded tables, have been the key to its success. From small, sharable plates of slow-roasted rabbit to large bowls of seafood paella, everything conveys a sense of sharing. — Victor D. Infante, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Details: 30 E. Main St.; 732-333-0933, aarzu.com
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Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends elevated takes on Indian classics and street food where presentation is key.
Downtown Freehold Borough is a treasure trove of restaurants, and its crown jewel may be Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro. An open, airy dining room lined with floor-to-ceiling windows looks out over Main Street, inviting diners to people-watch as they wait for their meal. Partners Archana Sharma, Sammeer Raajpal, Sidharth Sharma and Shravan Shetty (who is also the chef) seek to give Indian food the superstar status it deserves. They have shaped their menu around traditional preparations of dishes like butter chicken and biryani alongside elevated takes on the classics and Indian street food. No matter the dish, presentation is key, from the nest that cradles smoked quail eggs to the vibrant tangle of carrot and beet spirals atop tandoori salmon. — Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
Details: 506 Route 46; 973-772-1770, instagram.com/stevesburgers
Steve’s Burgers restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends this roadside stand with killer bugers topped with beer-battered onion rings, over-easy eggs and other Instagrammable accoutrements to create the perfect balance between nostalgia and innovation.
New school burgers meet old school digs in Steve’s Burgers, Jersey’s youngest landmark fast food joint. Competing against 100-year-old grease grub giants in a state where hot dogs are gods and patty melts their friars, the teenage spot has all but convinced a demographic of “I only eat at one place” loyalists that its stools are more worthy of their butts than whatever hometown sweetheart has gotten them for the past five decades. At the heart of the operation is Steve Chrisomalis, a classically trained chef who, in his 20s, chose to swap prime filet mignons for 80/20 beef patties. Today, at 37, the restaurateur is topping those chuck blends with beer-battered onion rings, over-easy eggs and other Instagrammable accoutrements to create the perfect balance between nostalgia and innovation. — Kara VanDooijeweert, NorthJersey.com
Details: 2 Bridge St.; 908-995-7200, canalhousestation.com
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Canal House Station restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends the American favorites untethered to trends at the five-course Sunday dinner, prepared by pedigreed, innovative chefs.
Canal House Station is in the quiet Delaware River town of Milford, but its food – and pedigree – is fierce. Founders Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer are some of the biggest names in the culinary world as operators of Canal House publishing studio, James Beard Award semifinalists and former editors of Saveur magazine. But diners won’t find pretentious fare at Canal House Station. They’ll enjoy American favorites untethered to trends during the five-course Sunday dinner, including carrot, turmeric and ginger soup; almond prune and plum tart; goulash with egg noodles. Inside the cafe area, farmhouse tables are flanked by an open kitchen dotted with cookbooks and produce. The fine dining area evokes the history of the former Milford Railroad Station, where dark woods meet tall windows. — Jenna Intersimone, MyCentralJersey.com
Details: 213 Halstead Ave.; 914-315-6541, augustinesny.com
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Augustine’s Salumeria restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends cozying up with the pasta, made in-house from flour that’s grown and milled in Pennsylvania from a pre-Revolutionary War grist mill. The duck ragu is a must.
Farm-driven food and an emphasis on authentic Italian cooking are the focus at Augustine’s, where husband-and-wife owners Brianne Myers and chef Marc Taxiera pour their heart and soul into everything they do. Both bring into their casual neighborhood spot a storied pedigree from some of Manhattan’s top restaurants: The Russian Tea Room for him and BLT Steak for her. Taxiera — a frequent visitor to San Leucio, Italy, where his family is from — has a modern take on dishes inspired by his mother and grandmother. The family theme is big here: The restaurant is named after Taxiera’s grandfather, who used a prized fork for optimal “pasta-to-mouth-delivery” as part of the restaurant’s logo. The 2-year-old restaurant has also received kudos from Michelin and Wine Spectator. A must-try: the pappardelle with duck ragu, red wine, herbs and spices. The pasta is made in-house from flour that’s grown and milled in Pennsylvania from a pre-Revolutionary War grist mill. — Jeanne Muchnick, Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Details: 170 Jay St.; 585-232-9717, rockysonjaystreet.com
Rocky’s Restaurant restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends the delicious, piping hot, no-frills fare at reasonable prices. It’s known for its tripe, and Thursday is its biggest day of the week, when it serves its homemade ravioli.
Rocky’s Restaurant is the last remaining Italian-American restaurant in a neighborhood that was once the epicenter of the city’s sizable Italian population. This unpretentious spot has been in the same place and run by the same family since 1949 – and not much of the decor and menu has changed since. It serves delicious, piping hot, no-frills fare at reasonable prices. It’s known for its tripe, and Thursday is its biggest day of the week, when it serves its homemade ravioli. The service is above and beyond. Expect your house salad to be served in a wooden bowl and your soda in a plastic cup from the 2013 PGA Championship at the nearby Oak Hill Country Club. Simply put, Rocky’s is a Rochester institution. — Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Details: 931 Spring Garden St.; poisonheartbar.com
Poison Heart restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends listening to Kate Bush and sipping your freezer martini while enjoying staples like oysters and waffle fries “wit wiz.”
What makes you visit a restaurant again and again? A menu packed with favorites? Regular surprise menus? An exciting vibe that hits when you enter? Poison Heart checks all the boxes, a combination that melds a punky, people-watching hot spot with an innovative test kitchen. Poison Heart’s setting is a black box topped with a big neon cherry, ’90s rock nostalgia with a playlist to match. While listening to Kate Bush and sipping your freezer martini, enjoy staples like oysters and waffle fries “wit wiz.” Lest those favorites make you too comfortable, savor a revolving lineup of chef residencies, like Old Liz’s Oklahoma-inspired burger and caviar donuts from Elma. Whether the patrons or plates, there’s always something interesting at Poison Heart. — Annemarie Dooling, USA TODAY
Details: 4935 River Road; 215-663-2867, dbums.com
Dharma Bums restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends the inventive menu that’s so surprisingly delicious, you’ll forget it’s vegetarian.
Dharma Bums offers an inventive menu so surprisingly delicious, you’ll forget it’s vegetarian. Mixing comfort food favorites with Asian flair, find small bites and mains like hand-cut Thai street fries, kimchi mac ‘n’ cheese balls, hot honey cauliflower, and waffles topped with gochujang and black miso garlic butter. But this peaceful retreat on a quiet edge of Bucks County is more than its menu. With plenty of indoor and outdoor spaces to host community-centered events – including acoustic jam circles, weekly hootenannies, craft workshops, yoga classes, clothing swaps and pop-up markets – Dharma Bums embodies a spirit much like the book it was named after, creating a place for expression, reflection and connection. — Michele Haddon, Bucks County Courier Times/The Intelligencer
Details: 629 Succotash Road; 401-783-4202, rhodyoysters.com
Matunuck Oyster Bar restaurant review: Our local food writer recommends doing destination dining on Potter Pond, where its signature oysters are grown and harvested.
Matunuck Oyster Bar offers destination dining on Potter Pond, where its signature oysters are grown and harvested. Nestled on a beach road in South Kingstown, 35 miles south of Providence, the restaurant offers a taste of Rhode Island. Lobster rolls, classic stuffies (local stuffed quahogs) and clams casino are on the menu, as is clear-broth Rhode Island chowder. Sushi, ceviche, tuna tartare tacos and scallops crudo offer modern takes on local seafood. A winning wine list pairs with the menu. As for mood: Watch the harvested oysters cleaned on the deck or shucked at the raw bar, or sit on the roof deck. Can’t miss? Order the special, a bottle of Tattinger Champagne with a dozen oysters. — Gail Ciampa, Providence Journal
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