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 | 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 |
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.