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 | Tao Las Vegas | $43,447,100* | $93* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 230,668 |
| 2 | Joe's Stone Crab | $35,860,000 | $70 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 306,000 |
| 3 | Carmine's (Times Square) | $35,155,786 | $34 | New York | N.Y. | 430,773 |
| 4 | Tao Downtown | $34,337,000* | $98 | New York | N.Y. | 320,600 |
| 5 | Old Ebbitt Grill | $33,749,638 | $72 | Washington | D.C. | 1,462,781 |
| 6 | The Boathouse Orlando | $33,030,849 | $43 | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 790,174 |
| 7 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub | $27,412,000* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 206,000 |
| 8 | Bryant Park Grill & Cafe | $25,900,000* | $53* | New York | N.Y. | 422,000 |
| 9 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $25,414,213 | $78 | Chicago | Ill. | 357,897 |
| 10 | Smith & Wollensky | $25,407,000 | $103 | New York | N.Y. | 285,542 |
| 11 | Balthazar | $25,000,000* | $80* | New York | N.Y. | 1,000,000 |
| 12 | Tao Uptown | $23,782,000* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 292,342 |
| 13 | Junior's (Times Square) | $23,478,798 | $20 | New York | N.Y. | 1,202,191 |
| 14 | Vandal | $23,444,108* | $83* | New York | N.Y. | 213,320 |
| 15 | Prime 112 | $23,400,000 | $125 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 202,000 |
| 16 | The Hamilton | $23,048,871 | $61 | Washington | D.C. | 782,486 |
| 17 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $22,800,000* | $85* | Washington | D.C. | 280,000 |
| 18 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $21,700,000* | $87 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 260,000 |
| 19 | Angus Barn | $21,659,790 | $69 | Raleigh | N.C. | 313,910 |
| 20 | Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab | $21,300,000* | $82* | Chicago | Ill. | 265,000 |
| 21 | Buddakan | $21,156,072 | $85* | New York | N.Y. | 260,000 |
| 22 | Bottega Louie | $20,729,140 | $46 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 408,663 |
| 23 | Carnevino Italian Steakhouse | $20,600,000* | $182* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 110,000 |
| 24 | Maple & Ash | $20,342,976 | $85 | Chicago | Ill. | 210,223 |
| 25 | Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres | $20,300,000* | $108* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 194,000 |
| 26 | RPM Steak | $20,250,000* | $98* | Chicago | Ill. | 206,900 |
| 27 | SW Steakhouse | $20,100,000* | $133* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 152,000 |
| 28 | Paddlefish | $19,500,000* | $45* | Disney Springs | Fla. | 410,000 |
| 29 | Komodo | $19,500,000 | $93 | Miami | Fla. | 220,000 |
| 30 | St. Elmo Steak House | $19,472,840 | $92 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 239,725 |
| 31 | The Smith (Lincoln Square) | $19,250,000 | $45 | New York | N.Y. | 554,929 |
| 32 | Parc | $19,110,230 | $58* | Philadelphia | Pa. | 440,000 |
| 33 | Quality Meats | $18,739,000 | $106 | New York | N.Y. | 175,378 |
| 34 | The Smith (NoMad) | $18,600,000 | $46 | New York | N.Y. | 460,357 |
| 35 | Abe & Louie's | $18,398,313 | $88* | Boston | Mass. | 223,000 |
| 36 | Le Diplomate | $18,370,665 | $60* | Washington | D.C. | 309,000 |
| 37 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,279,234 | $77 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 267,387 |
| 38 | Sparks Steak House | $18,200,000* | $93 | New York | N.Y. | 210,000 |
| 39 | The Smith (Midtown) | $18,150,000 | $47 | New York | N.Y. | 440,301 |
| 40 | Bob Chinn's Crab House | $18,133,238 | $42 | Wheeling | Ill. | 575,567 |
| 41 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse | $18,070,922 | $75 | Rosemont | Ill. | 257,847 |
| 42 | Del Posto | $17,900,000* | $163* | New York | N.Y. | 111,000 |
| 43 | Founding Farmers (D.C.) | $17,888,388 | $37 | Washington | D.C. | 560,662 |
| 44 | Mon Ami Gabi | $17,650,000* | $69* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 315,000 |
| 45 | Acme Feed & Seed | $17,604,313 | $19 | Nashville | Tenn. | 951,584 |
| 46 | ‘21’ Club | $17,550,313 | $195 | New York | N.Y. | 114,570 |
| 47 | Tavern on the Green | $17,500,000* | $74* | New York | N.Y. | 262,000 |
| 48 | Chicago Cut Steakhouse | $17,400,000* | $88* | Chicago | Ill. | 211,000 |
| 49 | Shaw's Crab House | $17,350,000* | $68* | Chicago | Ill. | 270,000 |
| 50 | Quality Italian | $16,805,000 | $93 | New York | N.Y. | 175,301 |
| 51 | Aria Cafe | $16,700,000* | $27* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 690,000 |
| 52 | Prime Steakhouse | $16,700,000* | $160* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 113,000 |
| 53 | Beauty & Essex (New York City) | $16,665,500* | $88* | New York | N.Y. | 195,717 |
| 54 | Grand Central Oyster Bar | $16,650,000* | $60* | New York | N.Y. | 308,000 |
| 55 | Lavo Italian Restaurant & Lounge | $16,512,000* | $88* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 139,000 |
| 56 | Harris Ranch Inn & Restaurant | $16,502,654 | $28 | Coalinga | Calif. | 593,803 |
| 57 | Chops Lobster Bar | $16,300,000* | $104* | Atlanta | Ga. | 196,000 |
| 58 | Taste of Texas | $16,222,119 | $55 | Houston | Texas | 363,650 |
| 59 | Keens Steakhouse | $16,200,000* | $93* | New York | N.Y. | 180,000 |
| 60 | Top of the World | $16,150,000* | $99* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 175,000 |
| 61 | La Sirena | $16,100,000* | $83* | New York | N.Y. | 225,000 |
| 62 | Morimoto Asia | $16,050,000* | $68* | Orlando (Disney Springs) | Fla. | 499,000 |
| 63 | Delmonico Steakhouse | $16,000,000* | $95* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 148,000 |
| 64 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $15,902,244 | $17 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 965,039 |
| 65 | Junior's Restaurant (49th Street) | $15,498,945 | $19 | New York | N.Y. | 797,270 |
| 66 | Swift & Sons | $15,125,746 | $98* | Chicago | Ill. | 153,693 |
| 67 | The Lobster House | $15,000,000* | $41* | Cape May | N.J. | 320,000 |
| 68 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $14,982,768 | $77 | Chicago | Ill. | 187,768 |
| 69 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $14,979,373 | $18 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 848,141 |
| 70 | Makoto | $14,969,539 | $63* | Bal Harbour | Fla. | 228,000 |
| 71 | Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse | $14,900,000* | $55* | Chicago | Ill. | 295,000 |
| 72 | Franciscan Crab Restaurant | $14,875,522 | $59 | San Francisco | Calif. | 280,000 |
| 73 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $14,767,831 | $43 | Malibu | Calif. | 410,000 |
| 74 | Portland City Grill | $14,640,607 | $75 | Portland | Ore. | 304,884 |
| 75 | Jean-Georges Steakhouse | $14,600,000* | $112* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 127,000 |
| 76 | The Southern Steak & Oyster | $14,576,128 | $75 | Nashville | Tenn. | 352,813 |
| 77 | Prime & Provisions | $14,540,000* | $95* | Chicago | Ill. | 147,000 |
| 78 | The Bazaar by Jose Andres | $14,500,000* | $96* | Beverly Hills | Calif. | 152,000 |
| 79 | 15th Street Fisheries | $14,400,000* | $63* | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 352,000 |
| 80 | Scoma's | $14,316,074 | $60* | San Francisco | Calif. | 335,000 |
| 81 | Junior's (Brooklyn) | $14,240,043 | $23 | New York | N.Y. | 615,386 |
| 82 | Coffee Shop | $14,200,000* | $45* | New York | N.Y. | 312,000 |
| 83 | Cliff House | $14,130,000* | $48* | San Francisco | Calif. | 286,000 |
| 84 | The Rustic Inn | $14,113,000* | $29* | Dania Beach | Fla. | 510,000 |
| 85 | Atlanta Fish Market | $14,100,000* | $51* | Atlanta | Ga. | 27,300 |
| 86 | Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar | $14,081,385 | $31 | Chicago | Ill. | 423,892 |
| 87 | Carmine's (Atlantic City) | $13,871,386 | $33 | Atlantic City | N.J. | 131,416 |
| 88 | Virgil's Real Barbecue | $13,815,036 | $30 | New York | N.Y. | 209,650 |
| 89 | Tavern on Rush | $13,721,225 | $75 | Chicago | Ill. | 350,000 |
| 90 | Rock Center Cafe | $13,500,000* | $60* | New York City | N.Y. | 320,000 |
| 91 | Timberline Steaks and Grille | $13,415,751 | $19 | Denver | Colo. | 994,442 |
| 92 | Founding Farmers (McLean, Va.) | $13,244,450 | $38 | McLean | Va. | 404,015 |
| 93 | Mike's "American" | $13,100,000* | $33* | Springfield | Va. | 470,000 |
| 94 | Le Coucou | $12,959,000 | $125* | New York | N.Y. | 154,000 |
| 95 | George's at the Cove | $12,900,000* | $85* | La Jolla | Calif. | 265,000 |
| 96 | BOA Steakhouse | $12,718,968 | $106 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 102,122 |
| 97 | Cafe Fiorello | $12,700,000* | $59* | New York | N.Y. | 238,000 |
| 98 | Boulevard | $12,500,000* | $100* | San Francisco | Calif. | 122,000 |
| 99 | Beauty & Essex (Las Vegas) | $12,430,000* | $88* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 142,500 |
| 100 | Farmers, Fishers, Bakers | $12,420,373 | $36 | Washington | D.C. | 383,238 |
*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