Highest-rated Restaurants in Utica by Diners

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Highest-rated restaurants in Utica by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.

New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Utica, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

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#30. Iconic

- Rating: 4.1/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 102 Lafayette St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, New American, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

#29. Pho Mekong House of Noodles

- Rating: 4.1/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 601 John St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Vietnamese, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp

#28. Sunny Restaurant Asian Cuisine

- Rating: 4.1/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 530 Albany St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Thai, Chinese, Cambodian
- Read more on Yelp

#27. Joel's Spanish Food

- Rating: 4.1/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1225 Park Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Spanish
- Read more on Yelp

#26. Mi Casa Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1315 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Dominican, Latin American, French
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. El Barajo Restaurant

- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 672 Bleeker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Dominican, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#24. Utica BBQ

- Rating: 4.2/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 244 Roosevelt Drive Utica, New York
- Categories: Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

#23. Sheri's Eastside Diner

- Rating: 4.3/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 2199 Bleecker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Diners
- Read more on Yelp

#22. The Willows

- Rating: 4.3/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 900 Culver Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Italian, New American
- Read more on Yelp

#21. Ventura's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 787 Lansing St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Rick's Famous

- Rating: 4.5/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 421 Broad St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#19. The Tailor and the Cook

- Rating: 4.5/5 (350 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 311 Main St. Utica, New York
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#18. Willie's Bagel Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (119 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 219 North Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bagels, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#17. One Arabian Night - Marib Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 706 Varick St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Mediterranean, Halal
- Read more on Yelp

#16. Motus

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 234 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Gastropubs, New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Joe's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 927 Jay St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Tramontane Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1105 Lincoln Ave. Utica, New York
- Categories: Cafes, Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Daniele 's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1556 Mohawk St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Italian, American
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Nina's Pizza

- Rating: 4.6/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 100 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Joey's 307

- Rating: 4.6/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 307 Mohawk St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Craylee's

- Rating: 4.6/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 237 Bleecker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Mello's Subs

- Rating: 4.7/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 242 Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: American, Turkish, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Roma Sausage

- Rating: 4.7/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2029 Bleecker St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Meat Shops, Bakeries, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Ambassador Restaurant

- Rating: 4.8/5 (39 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 537 Albany St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Rooster's

- Rating: 4.8/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 51 North Genesee St. Utica, New York
- Categories: New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Zeina's Cafe

- Rating: 4.8/5 (272 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 607 Varick St. Utica, New York
- Categories: Lebanese, Mediterranean, Turkish
- Read more on Yelp