From fire-kissed seafood in Brooklyn to Afro-Caribbean cuisine in DC, Yelp’s Best New Restaurants of 2025 — which includes two new restaurants in Arizona — spotlights the most exciting culinary talent and dining experiences across the country. Chosen with the help of Yelp’s passionate community of reviewers, these exceptional newcomers aren’t just showcasing bold flavors and creative menus — they’re telling stories, pushing boundaries, and turning meals into memorable moments.
On this year’s Yelp “best new” list, you’ll find everything from New York City’s The Corner Store (#16), where creative twists on comfort dishes are luring A-listers like Taylor Swift, to Los Angeles’ Holy Basil (#13), a tiny spot where locals crowd in for a taste of Bangkok-style street food. And new takes on French fare are having a moment, as four award-winning chefs redefine popular dishes with local and global accents.
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Menus get personal. This year’s top chefs are celebrating and elevating the food of “home.” At San Francisco’s Hed 11 (#7), an 11-course tasting menu introduces diners to lesser-known regional Thai cuisines, while Dōgon (#1) honors Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s Afro-Caribbean heritage. At Minneapolis’ Bûcheron (#6), Chef Adam Ritter fuses haute French techniques with flavors from his home state of Minnesota. And at Caramá (#18) in Las Vegas, celeb chef Wolfgang Puck debuts a pizza-focused homage to his mom’s Austrian-Italian cooking.
Arizona restaurants among Yelp’s Best New Restaurants of 2025
9. The Italiano, Scottsdale, Arizona
This authentically Italian spot is Chef Joey Maggiore’s culinary tribute to his father — legendary Scottsdale restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore — and the recipes he grew up with. “I want to bring memories to the table and make the food so authentic that, if you shut your eyes, you think you’re in Italy,” Joey says. Mission accomplished. Yelpers profess amore for the “fabulous” handmade pastas and other Italian classics at this newcomer from the Maggiore Group of restaurants (which includes Chef Joey’s The Mexicano in Phoenix).
Seating includes a bar area with a white grand piano under a ceiling painted to resemble clouds, and a main dining room lined with murals of Renaissance paintings. Yelpers recommend the “incredible” Zucchini Blossoms stuffed with burrata, ricotta, and mint; “must-try” Short Rib Lasagna, or “to die for” Lobster Ravioli.
Yelpers say: “Unbelievable. The servers are awesome. The Chicken Parmigiana is huge and delicious. The Chicken and Sausage Scarpariello is phenomenal and flavorful, served with potatoes and asparagus. The Linguini and Clams is spectacular. Chef Joey, you are a culinary genius! Do not miss the Sicilian Cannoli Cigars, which are set afire and sit on a bed of chocolate chips. What a fabulous evening!” —Nancy C.
19. Badger’s Den, Prescott, Arizona
What began as a food truck has evolved into this rustic, family-run restaurant with a fieldstone fireplace and an extensive menu of barbecue, smokehouse sandwiches, steaks, and seafood. Prescott native Chef Ryan Foster and his wife, Kat, have exported the winning formula for their Hungry Badger food truck to Badger’s Den with an elevated and expanded menu. Yelpers rave about everything from the barbecue (Smokehouse entrees) — a “perfect mix of sweet, smoky, and cheesy flavors” — to the ambiance, which “feels like a badger’s den, with rich leather and dark browns and greens, and a roaring fire.”
Standout dishes include a smoked Brisket sandwich with Swiss cheese, onion straws, and pickles, which “just melts in your mouth.” There’s also a “very delish” housemade Boston Clam Chowder “loaded with flavor and goodies” (available in a bread bowl) and “juicy, full of flavor” Pork Chop with Apricot Glaze. Takeaway fans can find the latest iteration of the food truck, now a cart, parked next to the restaurant on summer weekends.
Yelpers say: “We are serious foodies [and we] usually travel to Phoenix to eat, [but] this restaurant was exceptional. The North Atlantic Lobster Tails melted in [my] mouth, and the owners [went] over and above to please their customers. We sat in the bar area, by the fireplace, which was so cozy and warm. We will definitely be regulars and are so happy we finally have a great restaurant in Prescott.” —Poppy F.
