Lem’s Bar-B-Q, Chicago
A cornerstone of Chicago’s culinary community, Lem’s Bar-B-Q has served countless rib tips and hot links during the restaurant’s 70-year-legacy. Started by brothers Myles and Bruce Lemons in 1954 — who were joined by their brother James B. Lemons in the family business in 1968 — James’s youngest daughter, Carmen, has continued the family tradition with the help of longtime friend Lynn and nephews Billy and Kameron. Together, they’ve continued to imbue generous cuts of barbecue with the flavors of hickory wood, charcoal, and fire produced on their eclectic aquarium-style barbecue-pit — certifying their role as a local institution.
The Pioneer Saloon, Ketchum, ID
The spirit of the American West shapes the energetic atmosphere at the Pioneer Saloon, affectionately known as the “Pio.” Originally constructed as a gambling casino in the 1950s, the restaurant saloon leads with “rustic charm,” and is known for hearty plates like the Jim Spud, a baked potato piled high with teriyaki beef, cheese, and various toppings, and smoked Idaho trout. The “Hemingway’s Margarita” is a nod to the restaurant’s decor, which is inclusive of memorabilia from Ernest Hemingway’s time in Idaho’s Sun Valley.
Sullivan’s Castle Island, Boston
For more than 70 years, generations of the Sullivan family have operated Sullivan’s Castle Island in Boston. Opened as a hot dog stand in 1951 by Dan Sullivan, Sr., Sullivan’s has become a cornerstone of the community — offering jobs to teenagers, serving as the setting for sports team or fundraiser meetings, and hosting family dinner nights — which are almost always accompanied with the restaurant’s crinkle cut fries. Known for their double smash burgers, the restaurant is also celebrated for its take on regional favorites like lobster rolls and seafood.
Lucky Wishbone, Anchorage, AK
A family recipe dating back at least 100 years is one of many house favorites at Anchorage’s Lucky Wishbone. Following its opening in 1955 during a postwar boom in the city, Lucky Wishbone became known for serving cheeseburgers, thighs and drumsticks, and corn muffins with honey in white cardboard takeout boxes through its passenger-side drive-thru window. The restaurant also pays homage to the city’s role in aviation. Home to a U.S. Air Force base, the restaurant nods to its “pilot town” history through its interior decor.
Dooky Chase, New Orleans, LA
For more than eight decades, New Orleans’s Dooky Chase has been a cornerstone of Creole cuisine and Black American culture. The restaurant sits in the neighborhood of Tremé, one of the oldest Black communities in the United States.
Opened in 1939 as a convenience store and sandwich shop by Dooky Chase Sr. and his wife, Emily, in 1941, Dooky Chase was transformed into a restaurant under Edgar “Dooky” Chase Jr. and his wife Leah Chase. Known as the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” Leah Chase, who died in 2019, was one of the most significant chefs in American history, popularizing Creole fare, serving Civil Rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jesse Jackson, and authoring a cookbook, The Dooky Chase Cookbook. Chase was part of the inspiration for the character Tiana in Disney’s Princess in the Frog, and today, the Chase family still serves some of the matriarch’s most celebrated dishes, including shrimp Creole, gumbo, and red beans and rice.
Gaido’s, Galveston, TX
Gaido’s has been a fixture of Galveston’s seafood community for 114 years. An Italian immigrant named San Giacinto Gaido opened the restaurant in 1911, and it’s now helmed by fourth-generation Nick Gaido and his wife, Kateryna. Gulf coast seafood takes center stage, and for decades, patrons have come to love regular offerings like redfish, catfish, scallops, and shrimp served in numerous ways, including grilled, fried, in creamy pastas, and on crostini. The restaurant’s storied history lives on in photos and artifacts hanging up throughout its space, and the owners regularly take part in community causes, including over $50,000 for Ukraine, where Kateryna is from, at the start of the war.
Finalists in the Restaurant and Chef Awards categories, as well as the James Beard Media Awards, will be announced on April 2. Winners will be awarded at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
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