Highest-rated restaurants in Auburn 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 said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven’t been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% 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 online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.

Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Auburn, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.

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#30. Bow & Arrow

– Rating: 4.0/5 (194 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1977 East Samford Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Southern, Barbeque
– Read more on Yelp

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#29. Pho Lee

– Rating: 4.0/5 (146 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 756 East Glenn Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Vietnamese
– Read more on Yelp

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#28. Naruto Cafe

– Rating: 4.0/5 (31 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1445 South College St. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Korean, Sushi Bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#27. Amsterdam Cafe

– Rating: 4.0/5 (302 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 410 South Gay St. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: New American
– Read more on Yelp

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#26. Jin Korean Restraunt

– Rating: 4.0/5 (38 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2055 East University Drive Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Korean
– Read more on Yelp

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#25. Johnny Brusco’s New York Style Pizza

– Rating: 4.0/5 (70 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2408 East University Drive Ste 100 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
– Read more on Yelp

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#24. Lucy’s

– Rating: 4.0/5 (135 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2300 Moore’s Mill Road Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Wine Bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#23. Good Karma

– Rating: 4.0/5 (23 reviews)
– Address: 1409 South College St. Ste 118 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Indian, Food Trucks
– Read more on Yelp

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#22. Foosackly’s

– Rating: 4.0/5 (30 reviews)
– Address: 131 North Dean Road Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Chicken Shop
– Read more on Yelp

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#21. La Plaza Taqueria Y Carniceria

– Rating: 4.0/5 (50 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 1629 South College St. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Mexican
– Read more on Yelp

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#20. Insomnia Steak & Grill

– Rating: 4.0/5 (48 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 186 North Donahue Drive Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: New American, Mediterranean, Greek
– Read more on Yelp

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#19. Mellow Mushroom Auburn

– Rating: 4.0/5 (116 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 128 North College St. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Pizza, Bars, Sandwiches
– Read more on Yelp

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#18. Durango Taqueria y Carniceria

– Rating: 4.0/5 (65 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 435 North Dean Road Ste J Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Mexican
– Read more on Yelp

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#17. Johnny Brusco’s New York Style Pizza

– Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 2415 Moores Mill Road Ste 200 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Pizza, Italian, Sandwiches
– Read more on Yelp

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#16. Sushi Bistro

– Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1888 Ogletree Road Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#15. Acre

– Rating: 4.5/5 (465 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 210 East Glenn Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Bars, Southern, New American
– Read more on Yelp

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#14. Savanh Thai Kitchen

– Rating: 4.5/5 (76 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1750 Opelika Road Ste B Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Thai, Noodles, Seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#13. Sushiya Japanese Restaurant

– Rating: 4.5/5 (61 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2319 Bent Creek Road Ste 300 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Poke
– Read more on Yelp

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#12. Byron’s Smokehouse

– Rating: 4.5/5 (112 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 436 Opelika Road Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Barbeque
– Read more on Yelp

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#11. Umami Auburn

– Rating: 4.5/5 (50 reviews)
– Address: 2319 Bent Creek Road Ste 400 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Diners, Seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#10. Tiger VR Cafe

– Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
– Address: 200 West Glenn Ave. Ste 350 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Bubble Tea, Asian Fusion, Chinese
– Read more on Yelp

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#9. Chicken Salad Chick

– Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 1345 Opelika Road Ste A Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Sandwiches, Southern, Chicken Shop
– Read more on Yelp

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#8. The Depot

– Rating: 4.5/5 (239 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 124 Mitcham Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: New American, Seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#7. El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant

– Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)
– Address: 2487 East Glenn Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Mexican, Beer Bar, Vegetarian
– Read more on Yelp

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#6. Toomer’s Drugs

– Rating: 4.5/5 (74 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 100 North College St. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Sandwiches, Juice Bars & Smoothies
– Read more on Yelp

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#5. Sheila C’s Burger Barn

– Rating: 4.5/5 (112 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 622 Shug Jordan Pkwy Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Burgers
– Read more on Yelp

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#4. Pannie-George’s Kitchen

– Rating: 4.5/5 (155 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 2328 South College St. Ste 6 Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Southern, Soul Food
– Read more on Yelp

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#3. The Bean Coffee Shop

– Rating: 4.5/5 (59 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 140 A North Dean Road Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
– Read more on Yelp

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#2. The Hound

– Rating: 4.5/5 (621 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 124 Tichenor Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: New American, Bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#1. The Irritable Bao

– Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
– Address: 127 East Magnolia Ave. Auburn, Alabama
– Categories: Chinese, Gluten-Free, Chicken Shop
– Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 331 metros.