Top 100
Independents

A tight labor market, mandated wage hikes and markets flooded with new competitors have wreaked havoc on many restaurants' bottom lines. Despite all that, operators ranked in this year's Top 100 Independents still managed to bring in a combined $1.8 billion in 2018 while generally figuring out how to beat last year's numbers, fill staffing gaps and even branch out and grow.

Meet the Leaders

Top 100 Independents: The Ranking

Click each concept to see more data.

RankRestaurantSalesAverage CheckCityStateMeals Served
1Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant$45,298,122$120Miami BeachFla.284,799
2The Boathouse$43,863,194$45OrlandoFla.1,001,254
3Komodo Miami$37,209,977$126Miami BeachFla.295,055
4Maple & Ash Chicago$32,011,192$225ChicagoIll.253,793
5Mila $31,246,339$147Miami BeachFla.202,715
6Sierra Mar$28,978,562*$200*Big SurCalif.174,000
7Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Chicago)$28,837,192$97ChicagoIll.322,352
8Gibsons Italia$28,806,727$115ChicagoIll.290,631
9Alexxa's$28,800,000$80Las VegasNev.600,435
10Alinea$28,359,015*$650*ChicagoIll.45,689
11Castaway Burbank$27,812,116$85BurbankCalif.230,834
12Tavern on the Green$26,994,126*$63*New YorkN.Y.649,871
13Paddlefish$26,745,321*$56*OrlandoFla.525,000
14Le Diplomate D.C. $26,733,921$84WashingtonD.C.378,483
15Taste of Texas Restaurant$26,697,846$66HoustonTexas401,035
16Cafe Americano - Caesars Palace$26,100,838$32Las VegasNev.767,853
17Top of the World at The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower$26,059,250$125Las VegasNev.200,000
18Smith & Wollensky$25,954,130$119New YorkN.Y.232,756
19Rusty Pelican Miami$25,792,587$87MiamiFla.208,380
20Makoto MIAMI$25,239,426$85MiamiFla.293,220
21Arnaud's$25,196,347*$85*New OrleansLa.319,852
22Maple & Ash Scottsdale$24,265,878$126ScottsdaleAriz.193,339
23Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Oak Brook)$24,195,029$95Oak BrookIll.275,569
24Prime 112$24,150,000$160Miami BeachFla.200,000
25Shooters Waterfront Restaurant$24,107,545$67Ft. LauderdaleFla.421,491
26Pastis NY$23,458,943$63New YorkN.Y.358,352
27Papi Steak$23,082,857$230Miami BeachFla.99,966
28Parc $23,029,465$68PhiladelphiaPa.369,043
29Harris Ranch Resort$22,903,357$43CoalingaCalif.669,818
30St. Elmo Steak House$22,693,928$124IndianapolisInd.178,144
31Bazaar Meat by José Andrés$22,671,698*$156*Las VegasNev.210,000
32The Oasis$22,497,269*$32*AustinTexas700,000
33Mayami $22,453,652$115MiamiFla.250,000
34Buddakan NY$21,945,431$98New YorkN.Y.217,870
35Perch LA$21,541,335*$105*Los AngelesCalif.227,369
36Juniors Restaurant (Times Square/ 45th St)$21,472,825$25New YorkN.Y.517,894
37Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Rosemont)$21,430,443$96RosemontIll.253,955
38Original Joe's Westlake$21,018,080$53Daly CityCalif.387,220
39Abe & Louie's$20,794,901$112BostonMass.161,774
40The Hampton Social - Nashville $20,213,519$45NashvilleTenn.449,189
41Quality Meats$20,121,443$127New YorkN.Y.156,351
42American Social Bar & Kitchen (Tampa)$19,551,930$50TampaFla.389,005
43Matt's El Rancho$19,544,426$31AustinTexas630,465
44Quality Italian$19,537,690$101New YorkN.Y.197,831
45Swan$19,470,967$113MiamiFla.171,428
46Merriman's (Waimea)$19,369,147*$105*Waimea, Big IslandHawaii219,587
47Zehnder's Restaurant$19,258,113$19FrankenmuthMich.970,156
48Chicago Cut Steakhouse$18,999,632*$120*ChicagoIll.224,128
49Cafe Americano - Paris Las Vegas$18,946,124$28Las VegasNev.661,611
50Bryant Park Grill & Cafe$18,750,236*$62*New YorkN.Y.300,000
51Quality Bistro$18,449,068$108New YorkN.Y.188,577
52Haywire$18,242,998$47PlanoTexas386,122
53Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn$18,234,733$23FrankenmuthMich.790,392
54Barry's Downtown Prime$18,000,000$140Las VegasNev.240,900
55Anaheim White House$17,998,742*$136*AnaheimCalif.199,657
56BOA Steakhouse$17,809,000$125West HollywoodCalif.143,000
57Delmonico Steakhouse (Las Vegas)$17,121,354*$137*Las VegasNev.135,231
58Junior's Restaurant (Times Square/49th St.)$16,969,913$26New YorkN.Y.425,227
59Old Mill Restaurant$16,900,000$18Pigeon ForgeTenn.915,039
60China Live$16,833,917$54San FranciscoCalif.350,700
61Bob Chinn's Crab House$16,754,823*$59*WheelingIll.352,000
62Harry Caray's$16,541,287*$69*ChicagoIll.289,231
63Las Brisas$16,288,737$161Laguna BeachCalif.321,253
64Orange Hill $15,810,523$62OrangeCalif.179,108
65Original Joe's North Beach$14,975,136$51San FranciscoCalif.262,907
66Quartino Ristorante$14,941,625$34ChicagoIll.417,888
67Prime & Provisions$14,900,000$125ChicagoIll.119,200
68LYRA$14,750,000$95ChicagoIll.155,263
69Beauty & Essex (Las Vegas)$14,692,417*$154*Las VegasNev.163,628
70Le Coucou NY$14,428,386$207New YorkN.Y.59,051
71Paradise Cove Beach Cafe$14,258,926$59MalibuCalif.241,677
72Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill Tampa$13,818,858$40TampaFla.224,564
73Zou Zou's$13,761,794$77New York N.Y.122,054
74Bestia$13,752,421*$95*Los AngelesCalif.145,169
75Atlanta Fish Market$13,603,566$59AtlantaGa.195,333
76Girl & the Goat$13,599,487*$97*ChicagoIll.176,000
7715th Street Fisheries$13,459,696$53Fort LauderdaleFla.305,225
78Harry & Izzy's$13,353,893$80IndianapolisInd.160,821
79CHICA Las Vegas$13,147,642$104Las VegasNev.74,730
80Bistro 31$12,986,512*$89*DallasTexas144,890
81Cabo Wabo Cantina$12,858,269*$55*Las VegasNev.230,000
82Tony's Pizza Napoletana$12,713,556$32San FranciscoCalif.397,299
83Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House$12,695,383$64ChicagoIll.153,586
84Carte Blanche$12,655,451*$325*DallasTexas32,786
85The Spot$12,350,000$18GalvestonTexas686,000
86Atlantic Fish Company$12,277,555$71BostonMass.145,023
87Junior's Restaurant (Brooklyn)$12,268,300$25BrooklynN.Y.159,903
88Ida Claire$12,242,375$38San AntonioTexas322,167
89Francie$12,138,974*$195*BrooklynN.Y.49,987
90Brindille Chicago$11,998,753*$200*ChicagoIll.48,651
91Siena Tavern$11,900,000$57ChicagoIll.206,957
92Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar$11,784,512$44CharlestonS.C.312,019
93Electric Lemon NY$11,747,367$90New YorkN.Y.143,955
94Bar Siena $11,500,000$39ChicagoIll.294,872
95El Vez $11,434,983$55PhiladelphiaPa.255,826
96Mi Vida$11,337,995$51WashingtonD.C.226,981
97Scoma's Restaurant$11,300,000$67San FranciscoCalif.167,577
98Mexican Sugar$11,262,743$33Las ColinasTexas318,579
99The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint$11,235,658*$35*Ocean SpringsMiss.321,000
100Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant and Bar$11,155,420$91MiamiFla.122,587
*RB estimate

Methodology

RB’s Top 100 Independents ranking is a measure of the highest-grossing independent restaurants. Only restaurant concepts with no more than five locations are considered “independents” for the purpose of this list (although it’s possible a restaurant that shares a name with a chain but is owned and operated separately would qualify, such as Smith & Wollensky in New York City). Rankings are based on gross 2018 food and beverage sales. Information was gathered through surveys. When data wasn’t provided, sales were estimated based on public information, similar concepts and other factors.

Did we miss your restaurant? If your operation had food and beverage sales above $10 million, we want to know about it. Please contact Sara Rush Wirth at swirth@winsightmedia.com to be included in the next Top 100 Independents survey.

Staying at the TopHow they do it

Hot Menu Trends From the Top 100

A look at the menus of these top-earning independents sheds light onto some bigger trends that have the potential to hit the rest of the industry.

See the Trends

More from the top 100


Leaders by major market


Rankings by city/state


Top 100 Specialists