No criteria, controversial categories, Mexico not included – here's the lowdown on this regional ranking.
1. A casual, family-run taco joint is just as eligible as a white-tablecloth temple to gastronomy
North America's 50 Best Restaurants is not designed to be a fine-dining list (whatever that even means), but a ranking of brilliant restaurants – of any sort, shape and size. There are no prerequisites for eligibility, other than geography and a permanent location. So, in theory, a roadside diner can sit alongside a gilt-lined dining room in a fabled five-star hotel; a raucous Caribbean beach café can be recognised in the same manner as a minimalist sushi counter. Each simply needs to receive sufficient votes, which means it has to be great in its own sweet way.
2. The 'North America' region includes Canada and (most of) the Caribbean... but not Mexico
Mexico is part of the North American continent, yes. But it's also a core part of Latin America, the culturally connected collection of countries spanning South, Central and parts of North America and the Caribbean. For the last 13 years and counting, the best places to eat in Mexico have been celebrated as part of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants – and to split Mexico out from Latin America would be unfair.
So, for the purposes of this restaurant guide, North America constitutes Canada and the US, as well as parts of the Caribbean. Similarly to Mexico, Cuba and Dominican Republic remain in the Latin American group, while establishments in the remainder of the Caribbean islands can feature as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants.
3. Restaurants don't pay to play, and don't know their ranking in advance
No one can choose to enter this ranking, apply for consideration or nominate themselves. And no money changes hands between the restaurants and the organiser (William Reed, the international media company that owns the 50 Best business). The restaurants involved are informed, confidentially, that they have been voted onto this prestigious list, and invited to the awards ceremony and surrounding events taking place in New Orleans. The individual rankings are then revealed to the chefs and restaurateurs (at the same time as to invited guests, sponsors and anyone watching the livestream) on stage during the live-countdown awards ceremony on 28 May.
4. No voting criteria, no conferring...
The 300 experts who make up the voting Academy, as it is termed, are given no criteria whatsoever, they are simply asked to name their eight best restaurant experiences in the region, over the voting period. Because food, taste and dining are part of such a subjective arena, voters are given freedom to base their selections on whatever 'best' means to them. It's an open, democratic process, but executed securely and confidentially by independent culinary experts based across North America.
5. ...but there are strict rules
The freedom from strict criteria doesn't mean there are not tightly enforced rules: voters can not reveal their status to anyone, and as such, they are not allowed to confer or discuss their selection. Even the Academy Chairs – the figures appointed by 50 Best to recruit well-qualified voters in each of the eight sub-regions – do not see who has voted for what, or who the voters are in other areas of North America. Voters must choose a minimum number of restaurants (three or more of the eight) located outside the state or province (or country, in the case of the Caribbean) where they are based. As you'd expect, no one can vote for an establishment in which they have any financial or familial involvement, and any sponsors or members of the 50 Best team cannot participate.
6. Three special awards are announced ahead of the awards ceremony
Alongside the live countdown on 28 May, an array of special awards are revealed. However, three such awards are announced in the weeks leading up to the gala ceremony in New Orleans, shining a separate spotlight on each of the winners.
Wildweed in Cincinnati has been named the winner of the One To Watch Award, as part of North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026
The first of these special accolades is the Champions of Change Award, which honours an unsung hero of the North American hospitality world who is creating blueprints for a more inclusive society. Other pre-announced honours include the Art of Hospitality Award, celebrating truly outstanding service experiences, and the One To Watch Award, identifying a next-gen rising star restaurant in the region.
7. There's a Best Female Chef Award, but not a Best Male Chef category
That's right. The organisation focuses specifically on female talent on the basis that women continue to be massively under-represented in the culinary world, and especially in the upper echelons of the gastronomic sector. The Best Female Chef Award series, which has been operating across the world for 15 years, has provided a platform for an array of brilliantly talented chefs – including Pia León, Ana Ros, Dominique Crenn, Margarita Forés and Elena Reygadas – to tell their stories and drive meaningful change. At the same time, to say that men remain very well-represented in the sector and through winning awards is a major understatement.
8. The list is not just relevant in North America – or for North Americans
One of the superpowers of the 50 Best rankings is their international appeal. This list provides a guide to the most memorable places to eat across the North American region – and that guidance is relevant to anyone interested in food and travel, wherever they may be based. 50 Best's global reach means restaurants featured on the list are likely to receive a substantial boost in reservations from gourmet travellers. Furthermore, different cities, states, provinces and islands will be viewed in a fresh culinary light at home and abroad.
9. Yes, it is possible a restaurant may be higher on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, than North America's 50 Best Restaurants list
North America's 50 Best Restaurants and The World's 50 Best Restaurants are the results of two separate voting Academies, taking place at different times, and assessing different geographical regions. Therefore, the results will not be the same from one vote to the next.
10. The results will attract criticism
This is a given. North America's 50 Best Restaurants list is an annual snapshot of informed opinion designed to excite and inspire. It is fundamentally subjective, while simultaneously being the results of collective views, and no two individuals' idea of which establishments are truly the best will be the same. It is therefore inevitable the ranking creates debate and sometimes disagreement, but that does not diminish its value in providing three vital services.
First and most importantly, it delivers a credible independent consumer guide to brilliant restaurant experiences. Second, the list and awards create the opportunity for talented teams and individuals in the culinary sector to be recognised and rewarded. Third, North America's 50 Best Restaurants acts as a platform to promote the rich diversity of the region's culinary scene and drive curious diners into outstanding restaurants. Bring it on.
North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 will be revealed live from New Orleans on Thursday 28 May.
