America’s Top Restaurants Survey Results Released

Zagat Survey today released the results of its 2008 America’s Top Restaurants survey. The guide, covering 1,416 eateries in 42 major markets, is based on 23 million meals experienced by over 132,000 surveyors. The average surveyor ate out 3.3 times per week and spent an average $33.29 for a typical dinner, a 2.3% increase over last year. Other notable dining trends this year can be summarized in three words, “green”, “healthy” and “casual.”

According to Zagat Survey CEO Tim Zagat, “Prices have remained quite reasonable at the nation’s better restaurants, however, diners everywhere are looking for fresh, healthy and sustainably raised options and say that they are willing to pay more for them.”

Eleven restaurants in this year’s survey earned a near perfect 29 out of a possible 30 for food. Countrywide, nearly three out of five diners say they would pay more for sustainably raised food, and 55% say they’d pay more for organic food. As further sign of increasing concern about health, 65% of surveyors favor totally banning trans fats in restaurants and 69% say they consider it important for restaurants to make heart healthy items available on their menus. The verdict on smoking is overwhelming with 77% of diners saying they’d eat out less if smoking were permitted in local restaurants, and only 2% saying they’d dine out more.

For further reading the 2008 America’s Top Restaurants guide is available at bookstores and other retail outlets and contains all the facts and figures from the survey.

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