2 Michigan Restaurants Are Named Among The Best in America
We all get stuck in restaurant ruts. Well, if you're looking to try something new, why not dine at some of the best eateries in the entire country?
Michigan is home to so many spectacular dining destinations - and two have made USA Today's exclusive list of the best restaurants of 2025.
👇BELOW: DISCOVER MORE TOP RESTAURANTS IN MICHIGAN👇
USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year
After releasing its inaugural list of the best restaurants in the nation last year, USA Today is back at it once again. (Just ONE Michigan restaurant made the cut last year.)
READ MORE: This Restaurant Crowned Michigan's Top Italian Eatery
The publication's food writers selected their favorite eateries that "surprise and delight them, ones that they return to again and again, ones they like to recommend to out-of-towners."
USA Today says the list
...Isn't just another list of hot spots with monthslong waits for reservations in major metros like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. It’s a celebration of local flavors and stories, curated by reporters from across the country who know that a meal of Italian cuisine in Mamaroneck can be just as rewarding as one in Manhattan.
The restaurants range from brand new, to staples that have been around for decades, from James-Beard Award winning eateries to roadside burger stands.
The two Michigan eateries to make USA Today's 2025 Restaurants of the Year?
USA Today Names Michigan's Two Best Restaurants of 2025
One of the restaurants honored by USA Today among the best of 2025 is Tomato Brothers in Howell, Mich.
For over 60 years, this family owned joint has been serving up superb Italian, Greek, and America cuisine.
On the massive menu you'll find Stromboli, Pasta Dishes, Pizza, Ribs, Greek Salad, Chicken Kabob, New York Strip, Sandwiches, Planked White Fish, and more.
In particular, USA Today's Cassandra Lybrink praises Tomato Brothers' breadsticks:
The color scheme at Tomato Brothers has changed since the 1980s, but everything else — from the classic soft lighting to the plush seats in the waiting area to the design of the children's menu — has been the same since today's adult diners were children. You can count on the restaurant to have a wait on the regular. People come for the classic Italian and Greek menu: the tasty pizza and meatballs and the pasta portions as big as your head. But really, truly, they come for the breadsticks — an unintended family addition that's known across the country, and even by celebrity actor Dax Shepard.
The other Michigan restaurant to make the cut is Mabel Gray in Hazel Park.
James Beard award semi-finalist and Top Chef competitor James Rigato opened Mabel Gray in 2015 in a cinder block building that had previously been home to many other restaurants.
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Rigato works with farms, butchers, and foragers to create fresh, handmade, ethical dishes. The menu is constantly changing, as it's focused on local, seasonal items. Some special dishes have included Crispy Colorado Lamb Ribs with Fish Sauce Caramel and Fresh Goat Cheese Ricotta, Crispy Skin Branzino, Fried Brussels Sprouts with Pepperoni Vinaigrette, and a North Dakota Bison & Millbrook Venison Burger.
USA Today food writer, Lyndsay C. Green, says of Mabel Gray:
Few Detroit-area restaurants offer the level of continuous excellence that Mabel Gray exudes. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall, the New American restaurant has maintained its staying power by striking a delicate balance of consistency and imagination. There are tried-and-true classics, like steak frites, a 60-day dry-aged, bone-in American wagyu strip steak served with a hearty bowl of house-made fries decorated with pecorino and herbaceous clippings of fresh rosemary. And there are seasonal appearances, like a fall sweet corn tossed in umami miso butter, citrusy preserved lemon and salty, crunchy bits of chicharrónes. A decade in, James Beard Award-nominated chef James Rigato keeps the magic alive at Mabel Gray with innovative projects, like the restaurant’s new vampiric wine cave and private dining room, where sommelier Paulina Schemanski flaunts her skills in Champagne and vino.
Mabel Gray was also named by the best restaurant in Michigan by Lovefood.com.
Best Bites: The Ultimate Guide to Michigan's Top Restaurants
Gallery Credit: Janna
