Picture this: It’s Saturday night, dinner for two. You made reservations, got dolled up and are heading out to meet that new flame at a Mexican place your coworkers can’t stop raving about. But when you show up, it’s a glorified frat party. Crowded and loud with sticky floors and (somewhat understandably) short-tempered waiters. Certainly not the romantic, candlelit dinner you had imagined.
Whether you’re hitting the town for a first date or to celebrate a big anniversary, ambiance is everything. And with OpenTable’s new list of restaurants that put the rrrrr in romance, you never have to leave it to chance again. After analyzing more than 12.4 million U.S. diner reviews, the folks at OpenTable narrowed it down to the 100 most romantic spots in America. To no one’s surprise, steakhouses were at the top of the list, accounting for 37 percent of the top picks, followed by two other palate favorites, Italian and seafood.
So go on, make that res, slip into something sexy and scootch on over to your forever boo (or new boo). Love is certainly in the air…or is that cumin?
Lon’s at The Hermosa – Paradise Valley, AZ
Steak 44 – Phoenix, AZ
Cafe Monarch – Scottsdale, AZ
Dominick’s Steakhouse – Scottsdale, AZ
The Americano – Scottsdale, AZ
Vivace Restaurant – Tucson, AZ
Cafe Bizou – Agoura Hills, CA
Pacific Coast Grill – Cardiff By The Sea, CA
Jeune et Jolie – Carlsbad, CA
Summit House – Fullerton, CA
Musso & Frank Grill – Los Angeles, CA
Ca Del Sole – North Hollywood, CA
FARM – Palm Springs, CA
Le Vallauris – Palm Springs, CA
Dal Rae – Pico Rivera, CA
C-Level – San Diego, CA
Mister A’s – San Diego, CA
Hearthstone Restaurant – Breckenridge, CO
Ocean Prime – Denver, CO
Guard & Grace – Denver, CO
Shanahan’s Steakhouse – Denver, CO
Gilbert’s – Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood – Glastonbury, CT
Heirloom – Lewes, DE
Latitudes Key West – Key West, FL
Bijoux – Miramar Beach, FL
Christini’s Ristorante Italiano – Orlando, FL
Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster – Orlando, FL
KRES CHOPHOUSE – Orlando, FL
Mystic Fish – Palm Harbor, FL
Bones – Atlanta, GA
Canoe – Atlanta, GA
Marcel – Atlanta, GA
Poor Calvin’s – Atlanta, GA
Frankie’s The Steakhouse – Duluth, GA
Alligator Soul – Savannah, GA
Elizabeth on 37th – Savannah, GA
Hy’s Steak House – Honolulu, HI
Michel’s at the Colony Surf – Honolulu, HI
CanoeHouse – Kamuela, HI
Chandlers Steakhouse – Boise, ID
Meson Sabika – Naperville, IL
The Italian House on Park – Westfield, IN
Cafe Provence – Prairie Village, KS
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Louisville, KY
Volare Italian Restaurant – Louisville, KY
GW Fins – New Orleans, LA
Irene’s – New Orleans, LA
Mamma Maria – Boston, MA
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant – Clinton Township, MI
Leo’s – Grand Rapids, MI
Porterhouse Steak and Seafood – Lakeville, MN
Italian Eatery – Minneapolis, MN
Manny’s Steakhouse – Minneapolis, MN
Baldamar – Roseville, MN
Brasserie by Niche – St. Louis, MO
Delmonico Steakhouse – Las Vegas, NV
Ferraro’s Restaurant & Wine Bar – Las Vegas, NV
Golden Steer Steakhouse – Las Vegas, NV
Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse – Las Vegas, NV
Vintner Grill – Las Vegas, NV
618 – Freehold, NJ
Washington Inn – Cape May, NJ
Geronimo – Santa Fe, NM
Giancarlo’s – Williamsville, NY
Lucia’s on the Lake – Hamburg, NY
Steak 48 – Charlotte, NC
Ryan’s Restaurant – Winston-Salem, NC
BOCA – Cincinnati, OH
Carlo & Johnny – Cincinnati, OH
Sotto – Cincinnati, OH
The Precinct – Cincinnati, OH
Pier W – Cleveland, OH
Mitchell’s Ocean Club – Columbus, OH
Jag’s Steak & Seafood – West Chester, OH
Rosmarino Osteria Italiana – Newburg, OR
RingSide Steakhouse – Portland, OR
JG SkyHigh – Philadelphia, PA
Altius – Pittsburgh, PA
Casbah – Pittsburgh, PA
Fig & Ash – Pittsburgh, PA
Monterey Bay Fish Grotto – Pittsburgh, PA
Off The Hook – Warrendale, PA
Los Andes Restaurant – Providence, RI
Hemenway’s – Providence, RI
Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte – Hilton Head, SC
Coastal Fish Company – Memphis, TN
Flight Restaurant & Wine Bar – Memphis, TN
Skull’s Rainbow Room – Nashville, TN
Southern Social – Germantown, TN
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – Dallas, TX
Bohanan’s Prime Steaks and Seafood – San Antonio, TX
J-Prime Steakhouse – San Antonio, TX
Truluck’s – Ocean’s Finest Seafood & Crab – The Woodlands, TX
Simon Pearce Restaurant – Quechee, VT
Bookbinder’s Seafood and Steakhouse – Richmond, VA
Fahrenheit 132 – Fredericksburg, VA
L’Auberge Chez Francois – Great Falls, VA
Le Yaca – Virginia Beach, VA
Il Terrazzo Carmine – Seattle, WA
The Pink Door – Seattle, WA