While the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the restaurant world, especially for independents, 2019 was a good year for many, and still worth recognizing. Restaurants in the Top 100 grossed nearly $1.8 billion in a tight labor market amid increased competition, outearning the prior year’s total. But 2020 has presented even greater challenges, and RB takes a look at how indies are weathering those as well.
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 |
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 2019 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.
Plants With Meat Cred
Incogmeato is the new plant-based protein that looks, cooks and tastes like meat. How much like meat? So much that even the most die-hard meat-loving chefs, like Mason Hereford, have gone from “no way” to “holy cow.” Watch the video and visit our website to see how Incogmeato plant-based dishes are every bit as craveable, flavorful, and juicy as meat.