Whether you're looking for your next great meal or planning a trip around where to eat, consider your dining bucket list officially longer. Eater has just announced its 2026 Eater Awards, celebrating some of the best new restaurants and culinary talent shaking up the dining scene across the country. This year's honorees include 15 restaurants, five chefs of the year, and a new category for individual dishes that deserve a little extra attention.
Which restaurants made the Eater Awards list?
Among the 15 restaurants recognized is Maroon, chef Kwame Onwuachi's Las Vegas restaurant, where African and Caribbean flavors take center stage. In San Francisco, Apple TV’s Knife Edge stars Restaurant Naides earned a spot for its inventive approach to Filipino fine dining.
Other standouts include Ramen
Del Barrio in Austin, Texas, where Japanese and Mexican flavors come together in dishes like carnitas tonkotsu, and Rye Bunny in Washington, D.C., a more casual spot from the team behind the former Michelin-starred Tail Up Goat.
Also on the list are Somssi in New York City, Creepies in Chicago, and OK Chicken & Khao Soiin Portland, Oregon.
The chefs, bakeries and standout dishes honored in Eater Awards
Restaurants weren't the only ones getting some love. Eater also named five chefs of the year: Laura Ozyilmaz of Maria Isabel in San Francisco, Carlos Delgado of Maru San in Washington, D.C., Amir Hajimaleki of Roya in Austin, Phila Lorn of Sao in Philadelphia and Aaron Lopez of Ursa in Tucson, Arizona.
For anyone with a sweet tooth, the awards also recognized five bakeries, including Bad Butter in Chicago, Brooklyn's Diljān and San Francisco's Parachute Bakery. The Pastry Project also earned a nod for its pastries and its mission to provide free culinary training and employment opportunities in Seattle.
And because sometimes one dish deserves an award all its own, Eater introduced a national Dishes of the Year category.
Among the winners are the island curry crab and callaloo dip at Dougla Kitchen in Oklahoma City, roast chicken with Caesar panzanella at Henrietta in Los Angeles and pickled walleye cheeks at Rosy in Cleveland.
And for those who prefer an award-winning cocktail, Eater's sister publication Punch has a list of its best new bars of the year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eater names best new restaurants of 2026. Did yours make the list?
