As we bid adieu to the polar vortex, we look forward to warm spring weather and a hot dining scene. OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, has announced the 2014 Diners’ Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America. These awards reflect the combined opinions of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for approximately 19,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Showcasing restaurants with sophisticated chefs and a fashionable clientele, the complete list features award winners in 21 states and includes ABC Cocina in New York, ink. in Los Angeles, and RPM Italian in Chicago. California boasts the greatest number of winning restaurants with 21, followed by New York with 16, and Florida with 14. Illinois and Texas have eight and six, respectively. Georgia and Nevada both have five winning restaurants. Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania claim three winners apiece, while Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee have two. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, and South Carolina are represented as well. International cuisines reign supreme at these hot spots, with winning restaurants serving Asian, Caribbean, Latin, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Peruvian fare, among others. Pizza, sushi, and tapas are also popular.
“Atmospheres of energy and delight greet diners the moment they step inside any of this year’s award-winning restaurants,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable Chief Dining Officer. “Specializing in engaging hospitality, mouthwatering dishes in which every bite excites, and drinks to captivate cocktail enthusiasts, each honoree is a destination for outstanding dining adventures.”
The Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America are generated from more than 5 million restaurant reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2013, and February 28, 2014. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then sorted according to a score calculated from each restaurant’s average rating in the “hot spot” category along with a minimum “overall” rating.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/m/hottest-restaurants-in-america/.
2014 Diners’ Choice Award Winners for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America
5Church – Charlotte, North Carolina
ABC Cocina – New York, New York
Acabar – Hollywood, California
Acorn – Denver, Colorado
Andrea’s – Las Vegas, Nevada
Aventura – Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.B. King’s Blues Club – Memphis, Tennessee
Baku – Charlotte, North Carolina
Baoli Miami – Miami Beach, Florida
The Bazaar by Jose Andres – Los Angeles, California
The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS Hotel South Beach – Miami Beach, Florida
Beauty and Essex – New York, New York
Bestia – Los Angeles, California
BOA Steakhouse – West Hollywood, California
Buccan – Palm Beach, Florida
Buddakan – New York, New York
Butcher and The Rye – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cafe Fresco-Center City – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Cafe Martorano – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Campo – Reno, Nevada
Catch – New York, New York
Charlie Bird – New York, New York
Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Church Key – West Hollywood, California
Cleo-SBE – Los Angeles, California
Cucina Enoteca – Del Mar, California
Del Frisco’s Grille – Fort Worth, Texas
Del Frisco’s Grille – Houston, Texas
Departure Restaurant and Lounge – Portland, Oregon
do Restaurant at the View – Atlanta, Georgia
Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa – Dallas, Texas
El Vez – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Empire – Boston, Massachusetts
FT33 – Dallas, Texas
Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill – Dallas, Texas
Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois
Gjelina – Venice, California
Hakkasan – Beverly Hills, California
Hakkasan – Las Vegas, Nevada
Hobnob Kitchen and Bar – Naples, Florida
ink. – Los Angeles, California
The Inn at Pound Ridge by Jean-Georges – Pound Ridge, New York
Juvia – Miami, Florida
Katana – West Hollywood, California
Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE – Los Angeles, California
Katsuya at SLS Hotel South Beach – Miami Beach, Florida
KaZe – Cincinnati, Ohio
KD’s Southern Cuisine – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
La Esquina – New York, New York
The Lark – Santa Barbara, California
Laurel Hardware – Los Angeles, California
Lavo – New York, New York
Linger – Denver, Colorado
Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar – Boston, Massachusetts
Manhattan Beach Post – Manhattan Beach, California
Manon – New York, New York
Mill House Brewing Company – Poughkeepsie, New York
Miss Lily’s – New York, New York
MUA – Oakland, California
Nico Osteria – Chicago, Illinois
O-Ku – Charleston, South Carolina
The Pearl – Columbus, Ohio
Pitch Coal-Fire Pizzeria – Omaha, Nebraska
Prato – Winter Park, Florida
Red Ginger – Traverse City, Michigan
Red Lantern – Boston, Massachusetts
Republique – Los Angeles, California
Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar – Orlando, Florida
RPM Italian – Chicago, Illinois
S3 Restaurant – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Savor – Dallas, Texas
Searsucker – San Diego, California
Seasalt and Pepper – Miami, Florida
Shakou Sushi – Libertyville, Illinois
Siena Tavern – Chicago, Illinois
Soco – Brooklyn, New York
Sotto – Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Cecilia – Atlanta, Georgia
The Stanton Social – New York, New York
STK-Atlanta – Atlanta, Georgia
STK-Los Angeles – West Hollywood, California
STK-NYC-Meatpacking – New York, New York
STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sub Zero Vodka Bar – St. Louis, Missouri
Sunda – Chicago, Illinois
Sur Restaurant – West Hollywood, California
Swine Southern Table & Bar – Coral Gables, Florida
Tanta – Chicago, Illinois
Tao Downtown – New York, New York
Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada
Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York
The Tropicale – Palm Springs, California
Tsunami – Lafayette, Louisiana
Tsunami Shaw Center – Baton Rouge, Louisiana
TWO urban licks – Atlanta, Georgia
UMI – Atlanta, Georgia
Untitled – Chicago, Illinois
Virago – Nashville, Tennessee
YOLO – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Diners can also read more about the Diners’ Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in America by visiting the OpenTable “Dining Check” blog.
