Best hidden gem restaurants in America? Beloved spots worth the trip

Crispy corn flakes paneer (center) and other dishes inside Vayal's Indian Kitchen in Phoenix on May 28, 2025.

The Wrap Shack serves chicken shawarma in Bermuda Dunes, Calif., on August 17, 2023.

The $32 sampler platter from Smoke & Fire BBQ in Sarasota features brisket, ribs, pulled pork, one-quarter smoked chicken, collard greens, “bourbon baked beans,” and a cornbread muffin with honey butter. Everything is made from scratch, including the baked beans, which are kissed with Four Roses bourbon. Photographed on June 1, 2025.

Place your order at the counter at Buckingham Farms in Fort Myers.

Alba uses New York strip steak in its beef stroganoff.

Lincoln Winebar's pizza in Mount Vernon was named some of the best in the country by the New York Times.

Turtle Cheesecake at Cottage Cafe in Middletown, KY. Dec. 1, 2017

Rio Forrest, 28, of Detroit (right) has a drink at the bar with Noah Brook, 21, of Bloomfield Hills at La Jalisciense Supermercado & Taqueria in southwest Detroit on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. La Jalisciense hosts their inaugural Dia de los Muertos Tianguis/Festival to celebrate the bond between the living and the dead in their parking lot with food, drinks, art, and a Catrina contest on Nov. 2nd from 3-9 p.m.

Scallops with leek purée and herb salad prepared by Haute Feast, a seasonal restaurant at Barnegat Oyster Collective in Barnegat, New Jersey. Pictured in May 2025.

Various focaccia, pasta dishes and more are served at La Vita Italian Specialties in Sparta, New Jersey.

A smoky dessert at Brothers Fish & Chips in Ossining Dec. 17, 2025. The locally sourced seafood restaurant opened in 2016.

The Blind Pig in Fairport offers one house-made dessert each week.

Brendan Jensen, employee at Nick's Hamburger Shop in Brookings, assembles burgers shortly before closing on Friday, October 25.