This RivCo Eatery Named Among 'Restaurants Of The Year'

PALM SPRINGS, CA—Food and dining writers from across the USA Today network rated one California restaurant as one of the best to try in 2025.

To create USA Today’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year, food writers were tasked with choosing establishments that stood out as surprising and delightful, and ones they’d return to and recommend to out-of-town visitors. It's the second year for the list; USA Today debuted the list in 2024.

The publication said the final selections aren’t just an inventory of local hot spots with months-long waits in major metropolitan areas but rather “a celebration of local flavors and stories, curated by reporters from across the country who know that a meal of Italian cuisine in Mamaroneck (New York) can be just as rewarding as one in Manhattan.”

The 45 restaurants on the list are found in 27 states. Only one in California was beloved by food critics: The Rooster and the Pig, of Palm Springs.

Located at 356 S. Indian Canyon Drive, The Rooster and the Pig Our was recommended by a local food writer for its unique setting, for “dining on shaking beef and a stuffed curry ball,” according to the review.

The Rooster and the Pig serves “clever spins on traditional Vietnamese cuisine with a modern atmosphere befitting of a Palm Springs eatery. Chef Tai Spendley is inspired by his mother’s Vietnamese dishes and cooking, according to Paul Albani-Burgio of the Palm Springs Desert Sun. The space has a “funky vibe,” with old newspapers, coffee cans, and bright red booths as a backdrop for some spectacular U.S. and Vietnamese fusion cuisine.

If you’re planning to travel, here’s the full list (read more about each on USA Today):

Alabama

• Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot, Selma

Arizona

• Ta’Carbon, Glendale
• Course, Scottsdale

California

• Rooster and the Pig, Palm Springs

Colorado

• The Taco Stop, Fort Collins

Delaware

• Bardea Food & Drink, Wilmington

Florida

• Bicyclette Cookshop, Naples
• Pearl & Horn, Pensacola
• Swordfish Grill, Cortez

Georgia

• Wexford, Savannah

Iowa

• Oak Park, Des Moines

Indiana

• Bodhi, Indianapolis
• Roots Eatery and Pub, Wolcott

Kentucky

• Decade, Louisville

Louisiana

• Quebedeaux's Cajun Cafe, Pineville

Massachusetts

• The Rooftop at Pelham House Resort, Dennis Port
• Wusong Tiki Bar, Cambridge
• Bocado Tapas Wine Bar, Worcester

Michigan

• Mabel Gray, Hazel Park
• Tomato Brothers Howell

Nevada

• Middlegate Station, Fallon

New Jersey

• Aarzu Modern Indian Bistro, Freehold Borough
• Steve’s Burgers, Garfield
• Canal House Station, Milford

New York

• Augustine’s Salumeria, Mamaroneck
• Rocky’s Restaurant, Rochester

North Carolina

• Olivera, Wilmington
• Restaurants of Western North Carolina

Oklahoma

• The Crown, Oklahoma City

Ohio

• The Aperture, Cincinnati
• Agni, Columbus
• Social at the Stone House, Massillon

Oregon

• Hayward, McMinnville
• Akadi, Portland

Pennsylvania

• Poison Heart, Philadelphia
• Dharma Bums, Point Pleasant

Rhode Island

• Matunuck Oyster Bar, South Kingstown

South Carolina

• Comal 864, Greenville

South Dakota

• Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean, Sioux Falls

Tennessee

• A Dopo, Knoxville
• Bad Idea, Nashville

Texas

• Dai Due, Austin
• Jimenez y Friends Barbecue y Taqueria, Lubbock

Wisconsin

• Three Brothers, Milwaukee
• BroKogi Korean Fusion Restaurant, Stevens Point