Online restaurant-reservation service company OpenTable surveyed more than 12 million user reviews to determine its 100 Best Restaurants in America for a Big Night Out list and five San Diego eateries made the cut!
"The list features an array of buzzworthy restaurants, from up-and-coming to established, trendy to tried-and-true, across 24 states and Washington D.C." said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. "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."
The five San Diego restaurants that made OpenTable's 100 Best Restaurants list are wood-fire sensation Campfire in Carlsbad, Cohn Restaurant Group's seaside modern Mexican Coasterra on Harbor Island, Chef Brian Malarkey's Herb & Wood in Little Italy, Consortium Holding's Little Italy fishouse Ironside Fish & Oyster and Richard Blais' Juniper & Ivy also in Little Italy. California led the list of 100 restaurants with 18 locations, followed by Florida with 17 restaurants. New York and Las Vegas appear more than any other destination on the list, with Chicago trailing closely behind.
The list of the 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out is generated solely 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 following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the 100 Best Restaurants for a Big Night Out in America for 2018, 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
