OpenTable Diner Reviews Reveal the Top 100 U.S. Dining Hot Spots

OpenTable, a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, is pleased to announce the 2012 Diners' Choice Award winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. 

These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly five million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Winning restaurants are scattered throughout 18 states and Washington, D.C. California is king of the hot spot restaurants, taking 25 places on the list of winners.  

New York comes in second, with 20 winning restaurants. The sunny state of Florida is chock full of trendy restaurants, handily placing third with 15 winners. Illinois accounts for 11 honorees, followed by Nevada with seven standouts and Texas with six. Georgia restaurants earned three places while Tennessee boasts two.

Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington D.C. are also represented.

"Going to any of these dining hot spots feels like you're at the hippest party in town, only you don't need an invitation–just a reservation," says Caroline Potter, OpenTable's chief dining officer.  

"Beyond the buzz of innovative food and cocktails, each restaurant has electricity in the air that creates communal excitement. Diners feel like they're part of an exclusive experience."

The Diners' Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants is generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2011, and February 29, 2012.  

All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which hot spot was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/hotspots.

2012 Diners' Choice Award Winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S.

• 25 Lusk – San Francisco, California
• Abe & Arthur's – New York, New York
• Asellina Ristorante – New York, New York
• B.B. King's Blues Club – Memphis, Tennessee
• The Bazaar by Jose Andres – Los Angeles, California
• Beaumarchais – New York, New York
• Beauty and Essex – New York, New York
• BOA Steakhouse – West Hollywood, California
• Bond Street Social – Baltimore, Maryland
• Broadway by Amar Santana – Laguna Beach, California
• Buccan – Palm Beach, Florida
• Buddakan – New York, New York
• Burlap – San Diego, California
• Campo – Reno, Nevada
• Catch – New York, New York
• Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Cleo-SBE – Los Angeles, California
• CO-OP Food & Drink – New York, New York
• The Darby – New York, New York
• Del Frisco's Grille – Dallas, Texas
• Departure Restaurant and Lounge – Portland, Oregon
• do Restaurant at the View – Atlanta, Georgia
• Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa – Dallas, Texas
• Drunken Fish – Kansas City, Missouri
• Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar – Charlotte, North Carolina
• Fig & Olive – West Hollywood, California
• Geisha House – Hollywood, California
• Gilt Bar – Chicago, Illinois
• Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois
• GT Fish and Oyster – Chicago, Illinois
• HUB 51 – Chicago, Illinois
• The Hurricane Club – New York, New York
• Imperial No. Nine – New York, New York
• ink. – Los Angeles, California
• Jaleo-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Katana – West Hollywood, California
• Katsuya-Brentwood-SBE – Brentwood, California
• Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE – Los Angeles, California
• Katsuya-LA LIVE – Los Angeles, California
• Katsuya-Laguna Beach-SBE – Laguna Beach, California
• Koi – West Hollywood, California
• Lavo – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Lavo NYC – New York, New York
• Linger – Denver, Colorado
• The Lion – New York, New York
• Lost Society – Washington, D.C.
• Lulu California Bistro – Palm Springs, California
• Manhattan Beach Post – Manhattan Beach, California
• Marble Lane – New York, New York
• Maudes liquor bar – Chicago, Illinois
• Meat Market – Miami Beach, Florida
• Mercadito – Chicago, Illinois
• Mercato di Vetro – West Hollywood, California
• Mr. Chow-Beverly Hills – Beverly Hills, California
• Mr. Chow-Miami – Miami, Florida
• N9NE Steakhouse – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Nada – Cincinnati, Ohio
• Nikko Japanese Restaurant – Charlotte, North Carolina
• Nisen – Woodbury, New York
• Nobu Miami – Miami Beach, Florida
• The Office – Delray Beach, Florida
• Paris Club – Chicago, Illinois
• Picca – Los Angeles, California
• Prato – Winter Park, Florida
• Prime Italian – Miami Beach, Florida
• Private Social – Dallas, Texas
• The Pump Room – Chicago, Illinois
• Red Ginger – Traverse City, Michigan
• Red Lantern – Boston, Massachusetts
• Red Rooster Harlem – New York, New York
• Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar – Boca Raton, Florida
• Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• ROKA AKOR – Chicago, Illinois
• Searsucker – San Diego, California
• Sino Restaurant & Lounge – San Jose, California
• The Standard Grill – New York, New York
• The Stanton Social – New York, New York
• STK-Los Angeles – West Hollywood, California
• STK-Miami – Miami, Florida
• STK-NYC-Meatpacking – New York, New York
• STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
• SUGARCANE raw bar grill – Miami, Florida
• Sunda – Chicago, Illinois
• SUSHISAMBA dromo – Miami Beach, Florida
• SUSHISAMBA strip – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Tao – New York, New York
• Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada
• Tavernita – Chicago, Illinois
• Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York
• Triniti – Houston, Texas
• Trio Restaurant – Palm Springs, California
• Twist – Atlanta, Georgia
• TWO urban licks – Atlanta, Georgia
• Uchi – Houston, Texas
• Uchiko – Austin, Texas
• Virago – Nashville, Tennessee
• Wang's in the Desert – Palm Springs, California
• Yardbird Southern Table & Bar – Miami Beach, Florida
• YOLO – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Zuma Japanese Restaurant – Miami, Florida

Diners can also read more about the Diners' Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. by visiting OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter's "Dining Check" blog.

Originally launched in November 2008, the OpenTable Reviews program helps diners find restaurants that best fit their dining occasions.

OpenTable is a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants.