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: The Ranking
Click each concept to see more data.
| Rank | Restaurant | Sales | Average Check | City | State | Meals Served |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe's Stone Crab | $38,400,000 | $87 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 325,530 |
| 2 | Carmine's (Times Square) | $36,889,370 | $37 | New York | N.Y. | 437,566 |
| 3 | The Boathouse | $35,499,910 | $43 | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 831,375 |
| 4 | Old Ebbitt Grill | $33,291,280 | $40 | Washington | D.C. | 1,013,433 |
| 5 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub | $27,521,650* | $90* | New York | N.Y. | 203,000 |
| 6 | Smith & Wollensky | $25,474,000 | $104 | New York | N.Y. | 268,583 |
| 7 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $25,167,986 | $78 | Chicago | Ill. | 350,495 |
| 8 | Balthazar | $25,100,000* | $87* | New York | N.Y. | 530,280 |
| 9 | Bryant Park Grill & Cafe | $24,700,000 | $75 | New York | N.Y. | 403,429 |
| 10 | Junior's | $23,661,885 | $22 | New York | N.Y. | 914,513 |
| 11 | Prime 112 | $23,600,000 | $130 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 204,100 |
| 12 | Maple & Ash | $23,597,660 | $85 | Chicago | Ill. | 241,756 |
| 13 | Vandal | $23,537,850* | $84* | New York | N.Y. | 209,480 |
| 14 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,860,000* | $83* | Washington | D.C. | 286,440 |
| 15 | Angus Barn | $22,787,000* | $72* | Raleigh | N.C. | 313,910 |
| 16 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,642,000* | $89* | Chicago | Ill. | 253,760 |
| 17 | Komodo | $22,500,000 | $97 | Miami | Fla. | 245,000 |
| 18 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,264,200* | $77* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 260,000 |
| 19 | The Hamilton | $21,898,952 | $38 | Washington | D.C. | 639,759 |
| 20 | Buddakan | $21,240,726 | $98 | New York | N.Y. | 223,497 |
| 21 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | $20,827,800* | $114* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 189,500 |
| 22 | RPM Steak | $20,655,000* | $100* | Chicago | Ill. | 204,000 |
| 23 | SW Steakhouse | $20,622,500* | $142* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 148,350 |
| 24 | Gibsons Italia | $20,407,587 | $94 | Chicago | Ill. | 229,887 |
| 25 | Paddlefish | $19,988,000* | $46* | Orlando | Fla. | 420,025 |
| 26 | St. Elmo Steak House | $19,969,050 | $93 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 220,000 |
| 27 | Bottega Louie | $19,316,031 | $37 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 384,843 |
| 28 | Quality Meats | $19,247,000 | $110 | New York | N.Y. | 168,730 |
| 29 | Del Posto | $18,775,235 | $194 | New York | N.Y. | 97,000 |
| 30 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,712,935 | $78 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 269,345 |
| 31 | Taste of Texas | $18,678,593 | $52 | Houston | Texas | 369,819 |
| 32 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,656,075 | $77 | Rosemont | Ill. | 258,323 |
| 33 | Bob Chinn's Crab House | $18,495,904 | $45 | Wheeling | Ill. | 587,078 |
| 34 | Parc | $18,440,615 | $59 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 446,080 |
| 35 | Abe & Louie's | $18,312,207 | $118 | Boston | Mass. | 174,130 |
| 36 | Sparks Steak House | $18,230,000* | $100* | New York | N.Y. | 206,220 |
| 37 | Founding Farmers | $18,218,145 | $36 | Washington | D.C. | 596,348 |
| 38 | Mon Ami Gabi | $18,110,000* | $72* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 307,440 |
| 39 | Shooters Waterfront | $17,950,286 | $56 | Ft. Lauderdale | Fla. | 407,925 |
| 40 | Quality Italian | $17,754,366 | $97 | New York | N.Y. | 172,366 |
| 41 | Chicago Cut Steakhouse | $17,750,000* | $92* | Chicago | Ill. | 206,000 |
| 42 | Shaw's Crab House | $17,700,000* | $70* | Chicago | Ill. | 266,700 |
| 43 | Tavern on the Green | $17,600,000* | $76* | New York | N.Y. | 255,700 |
| 44 | Le Diplomate | $17,397,600 | $51 | Washington | D.C. | 339,601 |
| 45 | Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant | $17,349,238 | $28 | Coalinga | Calif. | 530,000 |
| 46 | Chops Lobster Bar | $17,264,000 | $104 | Atlanta | Ga. | 166,000 |
| 47 | Prime Steakhouse | $17,134,300* | $168* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 110,300 |
| 48 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $16,979,767 | $18 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 919,390 |
| 49 | Rusty Pelican | $16,918,800 | $64 | Miami | Fla. | 152,351 |
| 50 | Swift & Sons | $16,756,886 | $115 | Chicago | Ill. | 189,654 |
| 51 | Beauty & Essex | $16,732,162* | $90* | New York | N.Y. | 192,200 |
| 52 | Grand Central Oyster Bar | $16,671,660* | $62* | New York | N.Y. | 302,500 |
| 53 | Junior's | $16,634,171 | $22 | New York | N.Y. | 745,041 |
| 54 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Lounge | $16,594,100* | $92* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 135,664 |
| 55 | Original Joe's Westlake | $16,568,217 | $37 | Daly City | Calif. | 457,341 |
| 56 | Portland City Grill | $16,505,175 | $79* | Portland | Ore. | 373,327 |
| 57 | Morimoto Asia | $16,451,250* | $68* | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 511,475 |
| 58 | Delmonico Steakhouse | $16,400,000* | $100* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 144,448 |
| 59 | Keens Steakhouse | $16,264,000* | $96* | New York | N.Y. | 175,680 |
| 60 | Acme Feed & Seed | $16,112,545 | $18 | Nashville | Tenn. | 678,664 |
| 61 | Makoto | $16,066,385 | $65 | Bal Harbour | Fla. | 247,450 |
| 62 | The Rustic Inn | $16,008,134 | $70 | Ft. Lauderdale | Fla. | 370,000 |
| 63 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $15,797,151 | $16 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 940,513 |
| 64 | Prime & Provisions | $15,300,000 | $110 | Chicago | Ill. | 140,000 |
| 65 | The Lobster House | $15,300,000* | $42* | Cape May | N.J. | 320,000 |
| 66 | Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse | $15,200,000* | $57* | Chicago | Ill. | 287,900 |
| 67 | Jean-Georges Steakhouse | $15,000,000* | $118* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 124,000 |
| 68 | 15th Street Fisheries | $14,976,000* | $67* | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 341,500 |
| 69 | Timberline Steaks and Grille | $14,678,671 | $22* | Denver | Colo. | 642,836 |
| 70 | The Bazaar by Jose Andres | $14,558,000* | $100* | Beverly Hills | Calif. | 145,312 |
| 71 | Atlanta Fish Market | $14,508,000 | $55 | Atlanta | Ga. | 273,000 |
| 72 | Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar | $14,473,893 | $31 | Chicago | Ill. | 426,274 |
| 73 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $14,437,627 | $72 | Chicago | Ill. | 189,491 |
| 74 | Carmine's | $14,354,617 | $36 | Atlantic City | N.J. | 137,331 |
| 75 | Cliff House | $14,321,561 | $63 | San Francisco | Calif. | 274,809 |
| 76 | Junior's | $14,178,055 | $22 | New York | N.Y. | 365,990 |
| 77 | Virgil's Real Barbecue | $13,878,512 | $31 | New York | N.Y. | 210,113 |
| 78 | Tavern on Rush | $13,847,233 | $75* | Chicago | Ill. | 364,000 |
| 79 | Franciscan Crab Restaurant | $13,737,593 | $59 | San Francisco | Calif. | 260,000 |
| 80 | Castaway Burbank | $13,707,300 | $50 | Burbank | Calif. | 175,170 |
| 81 | Rock Center Cafe | $13,554,000* | $61* | New York City | N.Y. | 314,000 |
| 82 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $13,541,974 | $37 | Malibu | Calif. | 357,122 |
| 83 | Founding Farmers | $13,338,268 | $38 | McLean | Va. | 392,353 |
| 84 | BOA Steakhouse | $13,228,646 | $105 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 159,544 |
| 85 | Matt's El Rancho | $13,114,712 | $25 | Austin | Texas | 524,588 |
| 86 | George's at the Cove | $13,000,000* | $87* | La Jolla | Calif. | 258,000 |
| 87 | Farmers Fishers Bakers | $12,881,800 | $37 | Washington | D.C. | 378,342 |
| 88 | The Southern Steak & Oyster | $12,832,681 | $42 | Nashville | Tenn. | 361,756 |
| 89 | Beauty & Essex | $12,753,180* | $92* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 139,100 |
| 90 | Le Coucou | $12,732,236 | $126 | New York | N.Y. | 96,606 |
| 91 | Girl & the Goat | $12,704,138 | $80 | Chicago | Ill. | 182,500 |
| 92 | Carmine's | $12,676,686 | $41 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 128,385 |
| 93 | Scoma's | $12,523,000* | $60* | San Francisco | Calif. | 292,000 |
| 94 | Carmine's | $12,187,102 | $36 | Washington | D.C. | 147,748 |
| 95 | Farmers & Distillers | $11,890,409 | $38 | Washington | D.C. | 359,605 |
| 96 | Harry & Izzy's Circle Centre | $11,844,109 | $65 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 110,000 |
| 97 | Original Joe's | $11,841,187 | $47 | San Francisco | Calif. | 252,180 |
| 98 | Whiskey Joe's Tampa | $11,770,200 | $40 | Tampa | Fla. | 270,766 |
| 99 | Founding Farmers | $11,636,784 | $35 | King of Prussia | Pa. | 394,297 |
| 100 | Urban Farmer | $11,600,000 | $79 | Portland | Ore. | 146,282 |
*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