A Costa Mesa sushi counter and an Anaheim tiki bar have earned spots on OpenTable’s annual list of the 100 best restaurants in America.
Naisho Omakase in Costa Mesa and Strong Water in Anaheim earned spots on the reservation platform’s 2026 list, which was released Nov. 4. The two eateries are among 19 California establishments recognized this year, more than any other state.
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For Naisho Omakase, which opened earlier this year, the recognition comes quickly. The intimate, 14-seat restaurant, led by chef Shimpei Shinohara, offers a chef’s-choice experience with 12- and 16-course menus. The latter is priced at $100 while the shorter option runs $75. It also features a Japanese-style bar in the front.
Strong Water, meanwhile, is no stranger when it comes to national recognition, having already received James Beard Award nominations. The Anaheim tiki bar, which also landed on OpenTable’s 2025 list, has built a following for its tropical cocktails, Polynesian-inspired fare and dream-like interiors. Its nautically themed decor, replete with the trappings of a shipwreck, makes this place a standout compared to your average neighborhood watering hole.
The two Orange County establishments join a handful of other California restaurants making the cut. Other Golden State names on the list include Bar Cecil in Palm Springs, Musso & Frank Grill in Los Angeles and Callie and Cesarina in San Diego. Further north, San Francisco was represented by such restaurants as House of Prime Rib, Kokkari Estiatorio and Saison.
So how does a restaurant make the cut? Unlike lists by food critics or anonymous food inspectors, OpenTable’s Top 100 is determined by a combination of diner reviews and reservation activity. For its 2026 selection, the company analyzed more than 11 million reviews from verified diners along with other data collected between September 2025 and August 2026.
Restaurants had to meet a minimum number of reviews and remain in good standing with the platform to qualify. OpenTable then weighted several factors, including overall diners ratings, the percentage of five-star reviews, how often customers searched for the restaurant, the number of alerts set for available tables, how far in advance reservations were made and the percentage of seating capacity booked.
These figures were combined into an overall score to determine the final 100. Keep in mind, restaurants are not ranked, despite the numerical distinction.
The entire 2026 list is as follows, grouped alphabetically by state:
Arizona
Cafe Monarch — Scottsdale, AZChristopher’s at Wrigley Mansion — Phoenix, AZOcean 44 — Scottsdale, AZSteak 44 — Phoenix, AZUppercut — Phoenix, AZ
California
Bar Cecil — Palm Springs, CABoulevard — San Francisco, CACalifornios — San Francisco, CACallie Restaurant — San Diego, CACesarina — San Diego, CAChicano Nuevo — San Francisco, CACowboy Star — San Diego, CADunsmoor — Los Angeles, CAHouse of Prime Rib — San Francisco, CAKokkari Estiatorio — San Francisco, CALEILA — San Diego, CALilo — Carlsbad, CANaisho Omakase — Costa Mesa, CAProvidence — Los Angeles, CARich Table — San Francisco, CASaison — San Francisco, CAStrong Water — Anaheim, CAThe Musso & Frank Grill — Los Angeles, CAThe Progress — San Francisco, CA
Colorado
Alma Fonda Fina — Denver, COAlteño — Denver, COFlorence Supper Club — Denver, COGuard & Grace — Denver, COMezcaleria Alma — Denver, COMilpero — Denver, COThe Wolf’s Tailor — Denver, CO
District of Columbia
Jônt — Washington, DCMoon Rabbit by Kevin Tien — Washington, DC
Florida
Bern’s Steak House — Tampa, FLBuccan — Palm Beach, FL
Georgia
Bones — Atlanta, GALa Grotta — Atlanta, GAUMI — Atlanta, GA
Hawaii
Merriman’s Kapalua — Lahaina, HI
Illinois
Daisies — Chicago, ILEver — Chicago, ILGibsons Italia — Chicago, ILJoe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab — Chicago, ILKasama — Chicago, ILLe Colonial — Chicago, ILLula Cafe — Chicago, ILMon Ami Gabi — Chicago, ILNorth Pond — Chicago, ILPIZZ’AMICI — Chicago, ILRL — Chicago, ILZarella Pizzeria & Taverna — Chicago, IL
Kentucky
MeeshMeesh Mediterranean — Louisville, KYTara Restaurant — Louisville, KY
Louisiana
Dakar NOLA — New Orleans, LAGW Fins — New Orleans, LA
Maine
Massachusetts
LUNE — Dennis Port, MAPammy’s — Cambridge, MA
New Jersey
The Saddle River Inn — Saddle River, NJ
New Mexico
New York
Chambers — New York, NYDel Vino Vineyards — Northport, NYDon Angie — New York, NYFairfax — New York, NYGallaghers Steakhouse — New York, NYGraciela — New York, NYJeffrey’s Grocery — New York, NYJoseph Leonard — New York, NYKabawa — New York, NYPalma — New York, NYRed Hook Tavern — Brooklyn, NYSailor — Brooklyn, NYThe Odeon — New York, NYThe Tavern at Gramercy Tavern — New York, NYUna Pizza Napoletana — New York, NY
Ohio
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse — Cincinnati, OHPepp & Dolores — Cincinnati, OHSotto — Cincinnati, OH
Pennsylvania
Fiorella — Philadelphia, PAFriday Saturday Sunday — Philadelphia, PAHer Place Supper Club — Philadelphia, PAMawn — Philadelphia, PAProvenance — Philadelphia, PASaloon Restaurant — Philadelphia, PASao — Philadelphia, PAVetri Cucina — Philadelphia, PA
Tennessee
Bastion — Nashville, TNKase x Noko — Nashville, TNLocust — Nashville, TNNoko — Nashville, TN
Texas
Aba — Austin, TXBCN Taste & Tradition — Houston, TXJ Carver’s — Austin, TXMamani — Dallas, TXMister Charles — Dallas, TXMot Hai Ba – Lakewood — Dallas, TXRed Ash Italia — Austin, TX
Virginia
L’Auberge Chez Francois — Great Falls, VA
