America's Best New Restaurant Is In Tempe, According To Yelp Users

The best food city in America is constantly up for debate, though the contenders tend to be the country's biggest cities: New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco… This year, an Arizona city with a population of less than 200,000 has come on top on a ranked restaurant list.

Yelp's annual rankings of the best new restaurants in America is out, and the top spot goes to Filthy Animal in Tempe. Named for a reference from the 1990 film Home Alone, Chef Rene Vargas's new restaurant centers around open-fire cooking to create globally influenced dishes.

Diners rave about starters like Vargas' " pillowy soft " milk bread with miso tomato butter, tuna pineapple ceviche with plantain chips, and beef tartarevwith grill-smoked ingredients. For entrees, Yelpers recommend a " genius " lemongrass half chicken with jalapeño jam and eternal dream-worthy lobster mac and cheese with thick noodles. Roasted oysters topped with gochujang butter and Chihuahua queso have also been dubbed " divine ."

"What's exciting about this year's list is that it validates what we've been seeing in Yelp data all year. Indian cuisine is gaining broader recognition and enthusiasm across the U.S., just as we predicted," say Tara Lewis, Yelp's Trend Expert. "Restaurants like Ambassadors Clubhouse and Eylan showcase how diners are embracing bold, globally rooted flavors in new ways. From culturally reimagined steakhouses to brunch evolving into a true destination experience, this year's class reflects a dining scene that's more adventurous, more personal, and more community-driven than ever."

Second on the list, a high-profile spot in a bigger city: Firstborn in Los Angeles. Already rated by the Michelin Guide, Firstborn is owned by Chef Anthony Wang, a first-generation American who serves a $68 contemporary Chinese prix-fixe menu, with optional add-ons.

Next on the list is Los Angeles' direct competitor: New York. Limusina, the extravagant and fun Mexican-inspired restaurant by Quality Branded ranks third for Yelp users favorite new restaurants. Built in a former parking garage, Limusina is known for its fun, shareable dishes like queso fundido flambee lit on fire tableside, long-bone short rib quesabirria drizzled with cheese at the table, and a piñata salad that requires plenty of fun fork action.

California restaurants cinched the fourth and fifth places in Yelp's rankings. Eylan in Menlo Park in California's Bay Area is run by 2026 James Beard award finalists Chef Srijith Gopinathan and restaurateur Ayesha Thapar. The restaurant offers an Indian tasting menu with vegan and vegetarian options, and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

The fine dining restaurant Lilo in Carlsbad, California, earned a Michelin star just two months after opening, and is next on the list. Sixth place goes to 1587 Prime in Kansas City, Missouri, a steakhouse known for its celebrity co-ownership (NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce). Seventh is Bar Boheme, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, followed by Mezcla in Columbus, Ohio. Number nine is Dorothy's Downtown in Jacksonville, Florida and the tenth best restaurant is the high-end Indian restaurant Ambassadors Clubhouse in New York City, an extension of the original London restaurant.

Yelp's full 2026 Best New Restaurants list, below:

16. Ah Ma's Kitchen , San Francisco, California

17. Lobby Bar , Washington, District of Columbia

20. The Crunkleton , Raleigh, North Carolina

21. The Farmhouse Tuscan , Alexandria, Virginia

23. Gianni & Mac's Ristorante , Marietta, Georgia

24. Palm Palm , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania