Restaurants in this year’s Top 100 Independents ranking brought in about the same in food and beverage revenues as they did the prior two years—$1.8 billion. The number may be the same, but the operating atmosphere definitely was not. Independents faced challenges in labor, real estate and more, all while still competing for consumers’ dollars. Those winning in the tough, competitive market found the key to staying afloat was delivering on the promise of an experience.
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 | Carmine's (Times Square) | $39,080,335 | $40 | New York | N.Y. | 469,803 |
| 2 | The Boathouse Orlando | $35,218,364 | $43 | Orlando | Fla. | 820,819 |
| 3 | Old Ebbitt Grill | $29,104,017 | $33 | Washington | D.C. | 892,830 |
| 4 | LAVO Italian Restaurant & Nightclub | $26,916,180* | $90* | New York | N.Y. | 198,500 |
| 5 | Bryant Park Grill & Cafe | $26,900,000 | $62 | New York | N.Y. | 403,000 |
| 6 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $25,409,952 | $80 | Chicago | Ill. | 348,567 |
| 7 | Top of the World at the STRAT | $25,233,543 | $103 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 246,054 |
| 8 | Maple & Ash | $24,837,595 | $99 | Chicago | Ill. | 210,832 |
| 9 | Balthazar | $24,547,800* | $87* | New York | N.Y. | 519,000 |
| 10 | Smith & Wollensky | $24,501,000 | $107 | New York | N.Y. | 257,364 |
| 11 | Angus Barn | $24,268,160* | $75* | Raleigh | N.C. | 315,000 |
| 12 | Prime 112 | $23,800,000 | $135 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 206,000 |
| 13 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $23,660,000* | $86* | Washington | D.C. | 277,850 |
| 14 | Junior's (Times Square) | $23,640,652 | $23 | New York | N.Y. | 914,500 |
| 15 | The Hamilton | $23,138,062 | $33 | Washington | D.C. | 700,861 |
| 16 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,981,600* | $91* | Chicago | Ill. | 252,500 |
| 17 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,859,400* | $81* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 286,000 |
| 18 | Gibsons Italia | $22,749,232 | $108 | Chicago | Ill. | 252,962 |
| 19 | Komodo | $22,500,000 | $98 | Miami | Fla. | 265,000 |
| 20 | Buddakan | $22,395,577 | $67 | New York | N.Y. | 221,059 |
| 21 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | $22,181,607* | $119* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 190,000 |
| 22 | SW Steakhouse | $21,523,650* | $149* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 145,700 |
| 23 | St. Elmo Steak House | $21,422,141 | $99 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 192,774 |
| 24 | RPM Steak | $20,853,300* | $102* | Chicago | Ill. | 202,900 |
| 25 | Mon Ami Gabi | $20,120,210* | $76* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 319,200 |
| 26 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $19,831,818 | $81 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 276,444 |
| 27 | Paddlefish | $19,829,500* | $48* | Orlando | Fla. | 417,500 |
| 28 | Taste of Texas | $19,530,159 | $55 | Houston | Texas | 375,241 |
| 29 | Parc | $19,379,153 | $35 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 486,219 |
| 30 | Bob Chinn's Crab House | $18,687,601 | $48 | Wheeling | Ill. | 625,907 |
| 31 | Quality Meats | $18,678,000 | $115 | New York | N.Y. | 165,148 |
| 32 | Del Posto | $18,625,033* | $194* | New York | N.Y. | 95,000 |
| 33 | Shooters Waterfront | $18,601,433 | $57 | Ft. Lauderdale | Fla. | 409,752 |
| 34 | Bottega Louie | $18,521,000 | $36 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 322,562 |
| 35 | Le Diplomate | $18,490,719 | $38 | Washington | D.C. | 363,609 |
| 36 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,483,056 | $79 | Rosemont | Ill. | 252,419 |
| 37 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Lounge | $18,386,262* | $97* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 115,500 |
| 38 | Prime Steakhouse | $18,248,030* | $173* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 113,600 |
| 39 | Makoto | $18,216,906 | $54 | Bal Harbour | Fla. | 256,830 |
| 40 | Original Joe's Westlake | $18,159,612 | $35 | Daly City | Calif. | 473,492 |
| 41 | Shaw's Crab House | $17,965,500* | $72* | Chicago | Ill. | 270,000 |
| 42 | Founding Farmers (Washington, D.C.) | $17,910,045 | $33 | Washington | D.C. | 648,096 |
| 43 | Junior's (49th Street) | $17,834,390 | $22 | New York | N.Y. | 798,000 |
| 44 | Chops Lobster Bar | $17,816,450* | $106* | Atlanta | Ga. | 168,000 |
| 45 | Chicago Cut Steakhouse | $17,743,720* | $95* | Chicago | Ill. | 211,000 |
| 46 | Swift & Sons | $17,637,400* | $119* | Chicago | Ill. | 195,343 |
| 47 | Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant | $17,599,468 | $29 | Coalinga | Calif. | 611,928 |
| 48 | Sparks Steak House | $17,519,030* | $100* | New York | N.Y. | 198,200 |
| 49 | Quality Italian | $17,519,000 | $95 | New York | N.Y. | 177,337 |
| 50 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $17,388,751 | $19 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 899,284 |
| 51 | Tavern on the Green | $17,212,800* | $76* | New York | N.Y. | 250,000 |
| 52 | Abe & Louie's | $17,063,477 | $106 | Boston | Mass. | 160,762 |
| 53 | Rusty Pelican | $16,981,741 | $98 | Miami | Fla. | 182,000 |
| 54 | Beauty & Essex (New York City) | $16,364,050* | $90* | New York | N.Y. | 187,970 |
| 55 | Grand Central Oyster Bar | $16,304,883* | $62* | New York | N.Y. | 296,000 |
| 56 | Delmonico Steakhouse | $16,154,000* | $103* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 133,000 |
| 57 | Portland City Grill | $16,111,510 | $83 | Portland | Ore. | 268,062 |
| 58 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $16,063,684 | $17 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 959,026 |
| 59 | The Rustic Inn | $15,700,000 | $43 | Ft. Lauderdale | Fla. | 371,000 |
| 60 | Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse | $15,680,000* | $59* | Chicago | Ill. | 287,900 |
| 61 | Keens Steakhouse | $15,629,700* | $97* | New York | N.Y. | 168,301 |
| 62 | The Lobster House | $15,450,000* | $43* | Cape May | N.J. | 320,000 |
| 63 | China Live | $15,106,280 | $54 | San Francisco | Calif. | 300,000 |
| 64 | Prime & Provisions | $15,100,000 | $130 | Chicago | Ill. | 116,154 |
| 65 | Carmine's (Las Vegas) | $15,067,804 | $45 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 176,221 |
| 66 | Swan | $15,000,000 | $78 | Miami | Fla. | 225,000 |
| 67 | 15th Street Fisheries | $14,978,103 | $69 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 356,000 |
| 68 | Atlanta Fish Market | $14,972,300* | $57* | Atlanta | Ga. | 274,000 |
| 69 | Acme Feed & Seed | $14,897,125 | $22 | Nashville | Tenn. | 527,130 |
| 70 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $14,790,123 | $80 | Chicago | Ill. | 190,616 |
| 71 | Cliff House | $14,465,847 | $40 | San Francisco | Calif. | 199,901 |
| 72 | Castaway Burbank | $14,407,413 | $60 | Burbank | Calif. | 180,320 |
| 73 | Matt's El Rancho | $14,381,904 | $29 | Austin | Texas | 495,927 |
| 74 | Timberline Steaks and Grille | $14,362,103 | $37 | Denver | Colo. | 553,378 |
| 75 | Beauty & Essex (Las Vegas) | $14,130,500* | $99* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 150,000 |
| 76 | Carmine's (Atlantic City) | $13,987,843 | $39 | Atlantic City | N.J. | 129,630 |
| 77 | Junior's (Brooklyn) | $13,908,292 | $23 | New York | N.Y. | 359,000 |
| 78 | Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar | $13,854,856 | $32 | Chicago | Ill. | 394,582 |
| 79 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $13,654,113 | $39 | Malibu | Calif. | 312,050 |
| 80 | BOA Steakhouse | $13,552,485 | $110 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 123,204 |
| 81 | Original Joe's | $13,177,468 | $45 | San Francisco | Calif. | 267,533 |
| 82 | Founding Farmers (McLean, Va.) | $13,102,742 | $38 | McLean | Va. | 390,104 |
| 83 | Siena Tavern | $13,100,000 | $55 | Chicago | Ill. | 238,182 |
| 84 | Girl & the Goat | $12,894,700* | $82* | Chicago | Ill. | 183,000 |
| 85 | Tavern on Rush | $12,884,000 | $72 | Chicago | Ill. | 178,944 |
| 86 | Harry & Izzy's Circle Centre | $12,809,921 | $66 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 174,166 |
| 87 | Scoma's | $12,713,394 | $65* | San Francisco | Calif. | 292,000 |
| 88 | Farmers Fishers Bakers | $12,572,109 | $37 | Washington | D.C. | 371,025 |
| 89 | Southern Steak & Oyster | $12,566,618 | $39 | Nashville | Tenn. | 337,920 |
| 90 | Big Texan Steak Ranch | $12,505,200 | $24 | Amarillo | Texas | 478,000 |
| 91 | Park Avenue Summer (Autumn, Winter, Spring) | $12,498,000 | $84 | New York | N.Y. | 164,531 |
| 92 | Farmers & Distillers | $12,278,839 | $36 | Washington | D.C. | 375,309 |
| 93 | Virgil's Real Barbecue | $12,245,998 | $31 | New York | N.Y. | 251,800 |
| 94 | Carmine's (Washington, D.C.) | $12,228,168 | $39 | Washington | D.C. | 148,135 |
| 95 | Franciscan Crab Restaurant | $12,218,147 | $59* | San Francisco | Calif. | 240,000 |
| 96 | George's at the Cove | $12,194,000* | $80* | La Jolla | Calif. | 250,000 |
| 97 | Le Coucou | $12,187,523 | $95 | New York | N.Y. | 87,070 |
| 98 | Mi Vida | $12,032,014 | $38 | Washington | D.C. | 226,226 |
| 99 | Upland | $11,965,564 | $52 | New York | N.Y. | 171,825 |
| 100 | Virgil's Real Barbecue | $11,391,678 | $27 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 208,276 |
*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 2017 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 managing changeHow they do it
Steakhouse resurgence
Several newer steakhouses made the list for the first time this year, while legacy steak concepts managed to remain on, too. In fact, 31 of this year's Top 100 Independents are steakhouses. They deliver on what modern consumers are looking for: an experience. Here, a look at that experience within the walls of newcomer Swift & Sons in Chicago.
Top steakhouses