Top 100 Places to Eat | A resource hub for restaurants
Discover actionable tips from top restaurateurs to help you grow your business on and off Yelp.
Photos of Almeja Preparada (giant East Coast surf clam prepared two ways) from Yelp’s #1 restaurant Holbox and Chef Gilberto Cetina by Liam Brown
Yelp’s annual Top 100 Places to Eat list showcases the nation’s favorite eateries—from family-owned food trucks and hole-in-the-wall gems to Michelin-starred restaurants. Check out the 2025 winners.
To celebrate and support restaurateurs across the country, this hub includes entrepreneurial advice from previous winners, restaurant-specific resources, and more.
Explore the hub:
What is Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat list?
Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat is an annual list of the top 100 food and drink businesses across the country, according to Yelp. Businesses are ranked using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews. Winners are featured on Yelp.com, on Yelp’s social media, and more.
The 2026 list will be curated directly from Yelp this year, meaning you won’t need to nominate their business. Keep an eye out here for winners early next year.
Meet the #1 restaurant from Yelp’s Top 100 in 2025
Chef Gilberto Cetina, owner of Holbox in Los Angeles, grew his business from a mom-and-pop operation to a Michelin-starred restaurant at the top of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2025. Learn the secrets to his success, including:
- Word-of-mouth marketing: Gilberto targeted his product toward a small subset of passionate diners, who helped spread the word on Yelp and beyond.
- Delegating: As the team expanded from four people to 50, the chef brought in administrative staff with more experience in management.
- Reading reviews: “Yelp is a really good tool for us to get honest feedback about what we’re doing, but also what we’re not doing.” —Chef Gilberto
Meet Yelp’s #1 restaurant Holbox
The best advice from Top 100-winning restaurateurs
Discover how chefs from Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants grew loyal followings and built 5-star reputations—with actionable advice you can use to elevate your own business.
1. Share your authentic story
Diners connect with restaurants that showcase their roots—whether that’s local sourcing, sustainable practices, or the chef’s immigrant journey. “What really resonates with diners right now is food that’s telling a story,” said Chef Gilberto Cetina of Holbox.
How the #1 restaurant from Yelp’s Top 100 became a word-of-mouth sensation
2. Rally your team around your mission
Uniting staff with a clear purpose—like Kaya’s daily “Kaya Natin” huddle—fosters a strong sense of community and shared values. “[It’s] a way to remind folks that what we’re doing is so much more than just putting food on a table,” said co-owner Jamilyn “Jami” Salonga Bailey.
The power of ‘we can’: how Kaya built a restaurant that feels like home
3. Brand strategically to reach more guests
Chef Wendy Garcia of Tumerico attracts a wider crowd by spotlighting traditional Mexican cuisine, rather than highlighting the 90% vegan menu. “If somebody walks in [and doesn’t know we’re plant-based], I want them to try the food first,” she said.
How the #1 restaurant from Yelp’s Top 100 2024 speaks volumes through food
4. Let the customer experience drive word of mouth
Create something people want to share, and the reviews will come. Uncle Af’s Ben Shams encouraged organic sharing by adding photo-worthy backgrounds to his space, saying: “I want [the art on the walls] to be able to complement the art on the plate.”
The secret sauce of Uncle Af’s, the #10 restaurant from Yelp’s Top 100
5. Educational marketing reveals your value to customers
Share behind-the-scenes details about ingredients and processes on social media. “Did you know?” posts, like those at Sunbliss Cafe, help customers understand what sets you apart, translating knowledge into perceived quality.
Educational marketing: 3 ways to reveal your value to customers
Inspirational stories from Top 100 winners
From a family-run sandwich shop to Filipino fine-dining, find stories showcasing how Top 100 restaurants across the country grew from humble beginnings to award-winning destinations.
Resources to help you succeed on and off Yelp
No matter where you are in your restaurant journey, Yelp for Business has resources to help you build your brand, streamline operations, and grow through authentic customer connections. Explore curated resources based on your specific goals.
Branding and marketing
Reviews and succeeding on Yelp
Management and operations
Community building and organic growth