While this year’s Top 100 Independent Restaurants’ aggregate food and beverage revenues of $1.8 billion in 2016 were not significantly changed from 2015, the list does include five that are less than 18 months old, and one that wasn’t open the full year and still did enough volume to qualify. In a year when independents were closing, these money makers fought against challenges and changes to stay alive.
Meet the LeadersTop 100
Independents
Top 100 Independents: The Ranking
Click each concept to see more data.
| Rank | Restaurant | Sales | Average Check | City | State | Meals Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Komodo | $41,000,000 | $115 | Miami | Fla. | 285,000 |
| 2 | The Boathouse Orlando | $39,863,628 | $44 | Orlando | Fla. | 921,785 |
| 3 | Swan | $31,000,000 | $85 | Miami | Fla. | 185,000 |
| 4 | Maple & Ash (Chicago) | $30,285,684 | $106 | Chicago | Ill. | 285,714 |
| 5 | Mila | $27,350,000 | $134 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 203,990 |
| 6 | Alinea | $27,072,500* | $650* | Chicago | Ill. | 41,650 |
| 7 | Top of the World | $25,672,308 | $133 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 218,586 |
| 8 | Shooters Waterfront | $25,025,370 | $68 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 419,972 |
| 9 | Prime 112 | $24,750,000 | $155 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 210,000 |
| 10 | Paddlefish | $23,795,000* | $52* | Orlando | Fla. | 485,000 |
| 11 | Capa | $23,547,000* | $121* | Orlando | Fla. | 197,000 |
| 12 | Maple & Ash (Scottsdale) | $23,487,122 | $95 | Scottsdale | Ariz. | 247,232 |
| 13 | Commander's Palace | $23,184,000* | $89* | New Orleans | La. | 264,000 |
| 14 | Taste of Texas | $23,180,522 | $64 | Houston | Texas | 356,894 |
| 15 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Washington, D.C.) | $22,477,000* | $94* | Washington | N/A | 255,000 |
| 16 | Gibsons Italia | $22,342,704 | $116 | Chicago | Ill. | 209,788 |
| 17 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Chicago) | $22,292,000* | $99* | Chicago | Ill. | 210,000 |
| 18 | Papi Steak | $22,000,000 | $240 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 91,667 |
| 19 | Marion | $21,989,000* | $85* | Miami | Fla. | 255,000 |
| 20 | Buddakan (NYC) | $21,800,593 | $91 | New York | N.Y. | 177,000 |
| 21 | LAVO Italian Restaurant & Nightclub | $21,532,000* | $95* | New York | N.Y. | 175,000 |
| 22 | Parc | $21,528,659 | $74 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 383,392 |
| 23 | Le Diplomate | $21,477,955 | $75 | Washington | D.C. | 347,263 |
| 24 | Gibsons Bar Steakhouse (Oak Brook) | $20,774,202 | $89 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 252,326 |
| 25 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Las Vegas) | $20,573,000* | $99* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 242,632 |
| 26 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Chicago) | $20,493,301 | $77 | Chicago | Ill. | 269,777 |
| 27 | RPM Steak | $20,227,000* | $105* | Chicago | Ill. | 193,000 |
| 28 | Rusty Pelican Miami | $20,130,324 | $84 | Miami | Fla. | 185,222 |
| 29 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | $19,963,000* | $139* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 160,528 |
| 30 | Pastis | $19,735,732 | $75 | New York | N.Y. | 268,216 |
| 31 | Balthazar | $19,638,000* | $98* | New York | N.Y. | 389,250 |
| 32 | SW Steakhouse | $19,371,000* | $163* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 110,000 |
| 33 | Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant | $18,848,657 | $29 | Coalinga | Calif. | 641,337 |
| 34 | Makoto | $18,572,987 | $78 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 233,039 |
| 35 | Castaway Burbank | $18,387,832 | $135 | Burbank | Calif. | 174,183 |
| 36 | Morimoto Asia | $18,159,000* | $76* | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 520,000 |
| 37 | Sharky's on the Pier | $18,159,000* | $45* | Venice | Fla. | 450,000 |
| 38 | Original Joe's Westlake | $18,123,824 | $48 | San Francisco | Calif. | 334,604 |
| 39 | Rustic Inn | $17,900,000 | $58 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 315,000 |
| 40 | BOA Steakhouse | $17,670,519 | $135 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 142,000 |
| 41 | Abe & Louie's | $17,549,249 | $83 | Boston | Mass. | 210,000 |
| 42 | Shaw's Crab House | $17,426,000* | $82* | Chicago | Ill. | 221,520 |
| 43 | St. Elmo Steak House | $17,335,304 | $109 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 154,575 |
| 44 | Chicago Cut Steakhouse | $17,211,000* | $102* | Chicago | Ill. | 198,564 |
| 45 | Swift & Sons | $17,108,000* | $123* | Chicago | Ill. | 184,000 |
| 46 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $17,027,211 | $19 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 908,951 |
| 47 | Hell's Kitchen (Las Vegas) | $16,899,000* | $135* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 120,000 |
| 48 | Old Mill Restaurant | $16,702,024 | $17 | Pigeon Forge | Tenn. | 966,849 |
| 49 | LAVO Italian Restaurant & Lounge | $16,547,000* | $111* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 110,231 |
| 50 | Prime Steakhouse | $16,423,000* | $195* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 101,145 |
| 51 | Mike's "American" | $16,380,000* | $42* | Springfield | Va. | 390,000 |
| 52 | Mon Ami Gabi | $16,297,000* | $96* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 296,324 |
| 53 | Big Texan Steak Ranch | $16,256,000* | $32* | Amarillo | Texas | 451,265 |
| 54 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse (Rosemont) | $16,089,179 | $89 | Rosemont | Ill. | 196,231 |
| 55 | Matt's El Rancho | $15,835,297 | $29 | Austin | Texas | 546,044 |
| 56 | 15th Street Fisheries | $15,826,203 | $72 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 385,000 |
| 57 | Knife & Fork Inn | $15,800,000* | $75* | Atlantic City | N.J. | 225,000 |
| 58 | Bottega Louie | $15,742,000* | $43* | Los Angeles | Calif. | 302,574 |
| 59 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $15,738,122 | $25 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 636,526 |
| 60 | Franklin Barbecue | $15,599,000* | $54* | Austin | Texas. | 300,000 |
| 61 | Tavern on Rush | $15,432,000 | $77 | Chicago | Ill. | 240,000 |
| 62 | The Precinct by Jeff Ruby | $15,341,000* | $92* | Cincinnati | Ohio | 189,000 |
| 63 | Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse | $15,209,000* | $64* | Chicago | Ill. | 279,000 |
| 64 | Lambert's Cafe (Sikeston) | $14,941,000* | $18* | Sikeston | Mo. | 832,000 |
| 65 | Bob Chinn's Crab House | $14,869,222 | $56 | Wheeling | Ill. | 265,522 |
| 66 | Chops Lobster Bar | $14,715,614 | $120 | Atlanta | Ga. | 109,866 |
| 67 | The Lobster House | $14,677,000* | $55* | Cape May | N.J. | 298,000 |
| 68 | Bryant Park Grill & Cafe | $14,600,000 | $60 | New York | N.Y. | 250,000 |
| 69 | Delmonico Steakhouse | $14,538,000* | $126* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 112,453 |
| 70 | Sparks Steak House | $14,015,000* | $105* | New York | N.Y. | 176,327 |
| 71 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $13,987,695 | $54 | Malibu | Calif. | 259,031 |
| 72 | Prime & Provisions | $13,900,000 | $125 | Chicago | Ill. | 111,200 |
| 73 | Tavern on the Green | $13,770,000* | $87* | New York | N.Y. | 236,124 |
| 74 | Bar Siena | $13,750,000 | $68 | Chicago | Ill. | 202,200 |
| 75 | The Hampton Social (Nashville) | $13,430,746 | $42 | Nashville | Tenn. | 319,779 |
| 76 | Whiskey Joe's Tampa | $13,143,520 | $34 | Tampa | Fla. | 267,988 |
| 77 | Beauty & Essex (New York City) | $13,091,000* | $97* | New York | N.Y. | 175,648 |
| 78 | Grand Central Oyster Bar | $13,043,000* | $71* | New York | N.Y. | 264,328 |
| 79 | Casa Tua Miami | $13,009,000* | $55* | Miami Beach | Fla. | 235,000 |
| 80 | Beauty & Essex (Las Vegas) | $12,717,000* | $124* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 124,321 |
| 81 | Girl & the Goat | $12,507,000* | $95* | Chicago | Ill. | 175,623 |
| 82 | China Live | $12,504,518 | $54 | San Francisco | Calif. | 87,882 |
| 83 | Keens Steakhouse | $12,503,000* | $105* | New York | N.Y. | 143,698 |
| 84 | On Swann | $12,483,000* | $76* | Tampa | Fla. | 164,250 |
| 85 | Pancake Pantry | $12,350,000* | $16* | Gatlinburg | Tenn. | 745,000 |
| 86 | Bistro 31 | $12,315,724 | $85 | Dallas | Texas | 123,854 |
| 87 | Atlanta Fish Market | $12,193,856 | $56 | Atlanta | Ga. | 193,439 |
| 88 | Original Joe's North Beach | $11,976,922 | $53 | San Francisco | Calif. | 215,492 |
| 89 | Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse | $11,894,000* | $104* | Oklahoma City | Okla. | 110,000 |
| 90 | Gladstones | $11,784,000* | $50* | Pacific Palisades | Calif. | 240,000 |
| 91 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $11,704,132 | $79 | Chicago | Ill. | 146,319 |
| 92 | The Spot | $11,695,800 | $20 | Galveston | Texas | 585,000 |
| 93 | Steak 954 | $11,545,321 | $108 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 134,741 |
| 94 | Siena Tavern | $11,500,000 | $65 | Chicago | Ill. | 176,900 |
| 95 | El Vez Philadelphia | $11,472,765 | $49 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 257,639 |
| 96 | George's at the Cove | $11,218,000* | $93* | La Jolla | Calif. | 221,671 |
| 97 | Stubborn Seed | $11,158,000* | $124* | Miami Beach | Fla. | 89,986 |
| 98 | Toulouse Cafe & Bar Houston | $11,074,759 | $78 | Houston | Texas | 113,609 |
| 99 | L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami | $11,063,000* | $195* | Miami | Fla. | 54,215 |
| 100 | Mélisse | $11,050,000* | $425* | Santa Monica | Calif. | 26,000 |
*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, as with Smith & Wollensky in New York City). Rankings are based on gross 2016 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.
Independents staying on topFighting the Tide
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