The Restaurant Business Top 100 ranking of the largest independent restaurants returns after a one-year, pandemic-related hiatus. Restaurants on this year’s list represent a wide range of menus and price points and come in all shapes and sizes. They served 272 million meals last year and generated $1.8 billion in sales. There were also some notable newcomers. RB looks at how these restaurants adapted and evolved to meet a changing industry.
Meet the LeadersTop 100
Independents
Photograph courtesy of Komodo
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 | $49,413,190 | $120 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 382,000 |
| 2 | MILA | $49,088,032 | $188 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 261,607 |
| 3 | The Boathouse - Orlando | $45,518,663 | $48 | Orlando | Fla. | 992,110 |
| 4 | Old Ebbitt Grill | $40,656,241 | $54 | Washington | D.C. | 1,000,000 |
| 5 | Maple & Ash Chicago | $35,374,343 | $160 | Chicago | Ill. | 191,676 |
| 6 | Komodo Miami | $33,100,102 | $119 | Miami | Fla. | 264,600 |
| 7 | Gibsons Italia | $31,350,839 | $110 | Chicago | Ill. | 297,921 |
| 8 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse - Chicago | $29,836,338 | $99 | Chicago | Ill. | 337,173 |
| 9 | Taste of Texas Restaurant | $29,669,841 | $68 | Houston | Texas | 434,088 |
| 10 | Eleven Madison Park | $29,127,258* | $750* | New York | N.Y. | 39,500 |
| 11 | Makoto | $28,274,001 | $86 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 318,811 |
| 12 | Smith & Wollensky | $28,124,322 | $121 | New York | N.Y. | 257,740 |
| 13 | Le Diplomate | $27,843,297 | $70 | Washington | D.C. | 386,537 |
| 14 | The Hamilton | $27,537,560 | $47 | Washington | D.C. | 582,182 |
| 15 | Castaway | $27,122,662 | $83 | Burbank | Calif. | 233,344 |
| 16 | Top of the World | $25,810,716 | $135 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 190,842 |
| 17 | Nick & Sam's Steakhouse | $25,203,054 | $150 | Dallas | Texas | 174,056 |
| 18 | Pastis NY | $25,067,670 | $76 | New York | N.Y. | 368,275 |
| 19 | Parc | $24,864,818 | $69 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 453,514 |
| 20 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse - Oak Brook | $24,647,526 | $96 | Oak Brook | Ill. | 275,015 |
| 21 | St Elmo Steak House | $24,445,139 | $127 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 187,081 |
| 22 | Rusty Pelican Miami | $24,311,887 | $79 | Miami | Fla. | 219,184 |
| 23 | The Oasis | $23,963,417* | $38* | Austin | Texas | 984,364 |
| 24 | Cafe Americano - Caesars Palace | $23,826,031 | $33 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 708,353 |
| 25 | Maple & Ash Scottsdale | $23,729,634 | $160 | Scottsdale | Ariz. | 144,571 |
| 26 | Original Joe's Westlake | $23,253,763 | $52 | Daly City | Calif. | 440,398 |
| 27 | Papi Steak Miami | $23,200,099 | $229 | Miami Beach | Fla. | 98,100 |
| 28 | Monarch Restaurant | $22,928,561 | $150 | Dallas | Texas | 113,616 |
| 29 | Mayami | $22,856,028 | $115 | Miami | Fla. | 0 |
| 30 | Harris Ranch Resort | $22,854,033 | $34 | Coalinga | Calif. | 658,560 |
| 31 | Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse - Rosemont | $22,795,509 | $96 | Rosemont | Ill. | 264,911 |
| 32 | Abe & Louie's | $22,428,662 | $197 | Boston | Mass. | 170,814 |
| 33 | Buddakan NYC | $21,792,658 | $103 | New York | N.Y. | 204,957 |
| 34 | The Hampton Social Nashville | $21,675,292 | $44 | Nashville | Tenn. | 465,216 |
| 35 | Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn | $20,751,961 | $23 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 894,495 |
| 36 | Matt's El Rancho | $20,585,884 | $31 | Austin | Texas | 664,060 |
| 37 | Quality Italian | $20,293,464 | $99 | New York | N.Y. | 196,519 |
| 38 | Junior's Restaurant - 49th St | $20,281,198 | $24 | New York | N.Y. | 845,049 |
| 39 | American Social Bar & Kitchen (Tampa) | $20,081,145 | $54 | Tampa | Fla. | 370,863 |
| 40 | Zehnder's of Frankenmuth | $20,051,279 | $20 | Frankenmuth | Mich. | 996,305 |
| 41 | Cafe Americano - Paris Las Vegas | $19,819,246 | $29 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 675,579 |
| 42 | Barry's Downtown Prime | $19,500,000 | $145 | Las Vegas | Nev. | 134,500 |
| 43 | Quality Meats | $19,474,450 | $127 | New York | N.Y. | 159,605 |
| 44 | Bad Roman | $18,411,485 | $88 | New York | N.Y. | 205,841 |
| 45 | Zou Zou's | $18,304,523 | $82 | New York | N.Y. | 150,408 |
| 46 | Old Mill Restaurant | $18,288,641 | $20 | Pigeon Forge | Tenn. | 894,198 |
| 47 | Bob Chinn's Crabhouse | $17,988,455 | $65 | Wheeling | Ill. | 389,422 |
| 48 | Haywire | $17,805,478 | $49 | Plano | Texas | 360,369 |
| 49 | Quality Bistro | $17,324,459 | $110 | New York | N.Y. | 163,456 |
| 50 | Baltaire Restaurant | $17,215,366 | $150 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 130,000 |
| 51 | Cira | $16,365,645 | $67 | Chicago | Ill. | 204,805 |
| 52 | The Choptank Annapolis | $15,980,000 | $65 | Annapolis | Md. | 143,317 |
| 53 | Swift & Sons | $15,958,971 | $129 | Chicago | Ill. | 105,200 |
| 54 | China Live | $15,906,753 | $52 | San Francisco | Calif. | 306,000 |
| 55 | BOA Steakhouse | $15,843,000 | $125 | West Hollywood | Calif. | 126,700 |
| 56 | Prime & Provisions | $15,675,586 | $112 | Chicago | Ill. | 56,171 |
| 57 | Root Down DIA | $15,671,120 | $34 | Denver | Colo. | 300,315 |
| 58 | Original Joe's San Francisco | $15,344,759 | $52 | San Francisco | Calif. | 273,658 |
| 59 | Beauty & Essex Las Vegas | $14,987,127* | $169* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 184,114 |
| 60 | Orange Hill | $14,872,421 | $86 | Orange | Calif. | 130,753 |
| 61 | Quartino Ristorante | $14,724,238 | $34 | Chicago | Ill. | 413,570 |
| 62 | Guard and Grace | $14,500,000 | $150 | Denver | Colo. | 97,000 |
| 63 | Las Brisas Laguna Beach | $14,370,000 | $156 | Laguna Beach | Calif. | 85,500 |
| 64 | Harry & Izzy's Circle Centre | $14,150,617 | $71 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 190,471 |
| 65 | The Ranch at Las Colinas | $14,099,709 | $48 | Irving | Texas | 292,045 |
| 66 | Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House | $14,064,091 | $85 | Chicago | Ill. | 152,590 |
| 67 | Paradise Cove Beach Cafe | $14,041,893 | $55 | Malibu | Calif. | 255,229 |
| 68 | Electric Lemon | $13,978,665 | $74 | New York | N.Y. | 188,642 |
| 69 | 15th St. Fisheries | $13,863,254 | $54 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 314,110 |
| 70 | Bayshore Club | $13,821,005 | $52 | Miami | Fla. | 261,579 |
| 71 | Whiskey Joe's Bar & Grill Tampa | $13,563,366 | $27 | Tampa | Fla. | 282,819 |
| 72 | Clyde's Gallery Place | $13,511,823 | $46 | Washington | D.C. | 317,201 |
| 73 | The Spot | $13,500,000 | $20 | Galveston | Texas | 675,000 |
| 74 | Girl & the Goat | $13,472,690 | $72 | Chicago | Ill. | 157,221 |
| 75 | Momotaro | $13,378,732 | $111 | Chicago | Ill. | 101,267 |
| 76 | Bistro 31 | $13,282,000 | $85 | Dallas | Texas | 155,680 |
| 77 | Tony's Pizza Napoletana | $13,246,590 | $31 | San Francisco | Calif. | 422,611 |
| 78 | Joe's on Newbury | $13,002,176 | $69 | Boston | Mass. | 276,022 |
| 79 | Anthony's Runway 84 | $13,000,000 | $120 | Fort Lauderdale | Fla. | 108,000 |
| 80 | Cabo Wabo Cantina | $12,976,111* | $59* | Las Vegas | Nev. | 450,000 |
| 81 | Junior's Restaurant - Brooklyn | $12,834,816 | $24 | Brooklyn | N.Y. | 534,784 |
| 82 | Barclay Prime | $12,733,676 | $119 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 62,008 |
| 83 | Le Coucou | $12,546,981 | $194 | New York | N.Y. | 58,545 |
| 84 | Timberline Steaks and Grille | $12,545,688 | $38 | Denver | Colo. | 254,754 |
| 85 | The Fish Hopper | $12,491,631 | $73 | Monterey | Calif. | 192,898 |
| 86 | Alla Vita | $12,421,617 | $61 | Chicago | Ill. | 172,529 |
| 87 | Mercato della Pescheria - Las Vegas | $12,320,402 | $55 | Las Veags | Nev. | 221,286 |
| 88 | Tower Oaks Lodge | $12,284,775 | $44 | Rockville | Md. | 249,566 |
| 89 | Mother Wolf LA | $12,137,862* | $150 | Los Angeles | Calif. | 78,000 |
| 90 | Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar | $11,969,928 | $43 | Charleston | S.C. | 321,636 |
| 91 | Del Mar | $11,953,576 | $119 | Naples | Fla. | 99,938 |
| 92 | Atlantic Fish Co. | $11,946,069 | $118 | Boston | Mass. | 162,314 |
| 93 | El Vez PA | $11,810,769 | $57 | Philadelphia | Pa. | 267,301 |
| 94 | Harpoon Hanna's Restaurant and Tiki Bar | $11,791,734 | $34 | Fenwick Island | Del. | 343,982 |
| 95 | Rick's Boatyard | $11,633,820 | $42 | Indianapolis | Ind. | 275,525 |
| 96 | Scoma's Restaurant | $11,609,589 | $62 | San Francisco | Calif. | 185,044 |
| 97 | Blackbird Modern Asian | $11,578,940 | $58 | Jupiter | Fla. | 193,582 |
| 98 | Mi Vida | $11,573,789 | $57 | Washington | D.C. | 192,000 |
| 99 | Kyle G's Prime Seafood and Steaks | $11,500,000 | $65 | Jensen Beach | Fla. | 350,000 |
| 100 | Old Fisherman's Grotto | $11,203,719 | $52 | Monterey | Calif. | 226,162 |
*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. Rankings are based on gross 2021 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.
Want your restaurant to be considered for next year’s Top 100 Independents list? Contact us at jmaze@winsightmedia.com.
“Over the past year we’ve added a ‘text for reservation’ option that not only cut down our call volume but gave our guests another way to interact with us directly. Adding this technology has made our team much more efficient and enables us to capture more reservations in real time.”MOLLY CURREY, CMO, WHAT IF...SYNDICATE (NOS. 4, 12)