When Twitter first hit the web, people were a bit confused. Was Twitter a place for marketers? Another way to waste time? Within a few months, restaurants realized that it could be an amazing tool. From well known chains, to food trucks, wine shops, specialty stores and even mom and pops; restaurants have found a great place to connect with current and future clients. Food trucks tweet their location on a daily basis. Restaurants respond to positive (and sometimes negative) reviews, mom and pops tweet special events like wine dinners. But what makes a restaurant truly successful on twitter? It’s engagement. Savvy restaurateurs have come to realize that twitter is no bully pulpit where screaming out your daily specials will put you on top. It is a place to make clients feel special and loved; a place to connect with foodies, bloggers and ultimately that person who never knew they would end up eating at their place. We’ve compiled a list of the top 100 restaurants (and a few other establishments) on Twitter who utilize the service to its full potential. We looked at metrics like number of followers and tweets, but most importantly we looked at their engagement. Were they really talking with their followers or merely utilizing twitter as a message board. Congratulations to the listed restaurants on their amazing work this year.
Lago Santa Monica opened its doors in April 1991. It is an Italian restaurant that focuses on the cuisine of Bellagio on Lake Como in Northern Italy. It’s on the verge of celebrating its 20th anniversary and it maintains its unique identity and attracts a crowd of foodies, celebrities, locals and travelers alike.

HarryCole1908 was founded in 1908 by Harry Cole, a legendary Downtown LA entrepreneur. Cole’s sandwich contains the finest ingredients and the highest quality hand carved meats. Cole’s a recipient of the Los Angeles’ Conservancy’s coveted Presentation Award recognizing the achievement in the field of historic preservation.

Corkbar was created with a simple mission in mind: re-create the California wine tasting experience. It’s a California wine country inspired wine bar located in downtown LA.

BottleRock is a combination wine retailer, tasting room and small plates café. It is open for Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner and Private Events. It is boasting an inventory of over 800 wine labels from around the world and handcrafted beers and sake.

BREADBAR bakes artisanal bread in the classic tradition of French bread craft. Their breads and pastries are inspired by a combination of French bakers of the past centuries and updated with a contemporary American taste.

Wurstkuche is an exotic sausage grill that is located in downtown Los Angeles, CA. They serve sausage sandwiches and Belgian fries with homemade dipping sauces. They also have a gourmet selection of sodas and 24 imported biers on tap.

Bodega Wine Bar is a great place to hang out. The wine selection is excellent and the food is great. There’s a trendy and unique choices to choose from. It’s casual, comfortable place for you to kick back and relax and have fun. It’s also an excellent place to host any party, event, personal gathering, wine fest, family re-unions, filming and photo shoots.

Urban Belly is recognized by Travel and Leisure Magazine to be one of the 50 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS in 2009. Their menu boasts of dumplings such as chicken and mushroom, pork and cilantro and lamb and brandy to name a few. They also have a selection noodles, rice and side dishes.

Rush Street is located in Culver City, California. It is inspired by the famous Chicago Strip. It is a vibrant bar where you could hang out with your friends and family and you will surely enjoy your drinks which will be complemented by a casual American menu. It’s also a great place for parties, birthdays, anniversary and reunions.

Blue 13 Restaurant serves American food in a casual and urban atmosphere. They pair classic American food with a more modern French and Italian flair while providing excellent service. You will surely have a great dining experience once you go to Blue 13.

Pizzeria Mozza serves amazing pizza, the crust is perfect. They have great food as well. The ambiance is cozy and you will surely enjoy your dining experience there.

The Smith Restaurant first opened its doors in November of 2007. It serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner every day in a casual upbeat environment. They are committed to use only the freshest ingredients in their dishes; they make it a point to use local, natural, organic and sustainable ingredients.

Province is an American restaurant located in Chicago’s West Loop. It achieved Gold Level LEED citification. The sumptuous cuisine is inspired by Central and South America and Spain. It is owned by Randy Zweiban, also the Executive Chef.

Berghoff Restaurant is a family owned restaurant that provides great tasting food and an excellent place to relax and unwind. It provides a great casual dining experience. It offers an expanded menu that includes many contemporary dishes ideal for lunch and dinner. It’s also a wonderful place for parties and other social events.

Canter’s Deli is a family-owned and operated delicatessen and has been an LA landmark since 1931. It offers an authentic deli-style experience. They have endless menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their menu items are available 24 hours a day.

Café Ba Ba Reeba is a premier Spanish tapas restaurant located in Chicago owned by Chef Gabino Sotelino. The menu includes delectable Spanish dish such as paella. It is well known for Tapas, the hot & cold appetizers of Spain and Sangria, it is Spain’s famous wine “fiesta” drink made from fruit, wine and liquors.

Manny’s Deli is deemed to be the best deli in Chicago. They have been serving great tasting foods since 1942. Their menu includes Jewish comfort food such as sumptuous corned beef sandwiches, yummy kugel and their heart warming chicken soup.

Motorino has locations in Brooklyn and the East Village. They serve great tasting pizza; they also have pies which are served hot from the oven. It’s more than an excellent pizzeria; it’s also a good restaurant. Sam Sifton of The New York Times acclaimed it as the City’s great pizza. It is owned by Anthony Mangieri and co-owned by Mathieu Palombino who is also the chef.

Cafeteria is a product of an ingenious idea of three New York City entrepreneurs. It opened its door in Manhattan’s Chelsea district in June 1998. The place itself is great, it has a cozy ambience and they serve well prepared American comfort cuisines that are available to everyone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

La Grande Orange is owned by Bob Lynn, he is also the Executive Chef of the restaurant. The Café was a product of the culinary talents of Bob; it was opened in 1934 at the Pasadena’s historic Del Mar train station. Their dishes are created with only the freshest ingredients.

DMK Burger Bar has the best Grass-fed beef burgers, American craft beer & hand-cut fries. They also have mouth-watering malted milkshakes, mac & cheese, fried pickles, deviled eggs, ice cream sandwiches.

The first Rosa Mexicano restaurant was first opened in 1984. Their dishes are award winning that they could boast of which are authentic Mexican cooking and they have a great and stylish place that has a festive atmosphere. Today, they already have nine locations from New York to Miami to Los Angeles. Their restaurants continue to win rave reviews and loyal patrons everywhere they go.

Umi was founded in 2008 by owners Stewart Chen who is also the executive chef, Shamus Booth and Russell Richardson; they are the General Managers of Umi. They serve lunch and dinner specials to their guests. The menu would include Sashimi, Nigiri, salads and rolls.

Big Jones restaurant features Coastal Southern cooking with a focus on the locally-grown, sustainably-farmed food and Progressive American kitchen techniques spearheaded by the co-owner of the restaurant as well as the chef- Paul Fehribach. It is located in Chicago.

ZED451 will bring you to the next level when it comes to fine dining experience. It is located in the heart of Chicago’s bustling downtown River North. It is a revolutionary restaurant concept that features original cuisine. For the ultimate ZED experience, it would be worth to try the restaurant’s grilled cheeses, ribs, breads, seafood and charcuterie.

Duchamp Chicago is an American restaurant that serves great foods and drinks. The restaurant derives its character from the 20th century’s most provocative artistic spirit Marcel Duchamp. It has a good ambiance; it has a vibrant bar scene and also a wonderful place to hang out with friends.

Nacional 27 is a modern Latin restaurant where you could enjoy delicious Latin cuisine in Chicago. Their dishes are a bold combination of flavors of 27 countries. It’s the perfect American-Latin experience that you could ever imagine.

Trader Vic’s is the world’s famous cocktails and food located in downtown LA. It’s considered party time everyday at this exciting place. It is also a great place for private parties as well as for private gatherings and special occasions.

Akasha Restaurant, Bar and Bakery was named after the owner, Akasha Richmond who is also the restaurant’s chef. Since its opening in February 2008 it continued to feature new American cuisine offering comfort food with big flavors and sustainable ingredients, for both carnivores and herbivores. It is located in the historic Hull Building in downtown Culver City. The bar has a 20-seat that highlights fresh juice cocktails, organic and premium spirits, beer and wine. The bakery features artisan desserts and pastries made with organic flours, sweeteners and healthy but delicious ingredients like spelt, goji berries and acai.

Rialto Restaurant is owned by James Beard award-winning chef Jody Adams. Rialto’s menu is based on her sophisticated and whimsical interpretations of regional Italian cuisine. The fresh New England ingredients add a local twist to the menu. It is located in Cambridge, MA.

N9NE Steakhouse is one of the hottest places to eat steaks and seafood in Chicago. The ambiance is good and the service is great as well. This is definitely an awesome place to dine.

Bar Food offers great beer, good food, and you will surely have a good time once you visit the place. They have 24 of the best handcrafted and specialty beers. They also provide comfort foods such as beef stew or mac & cheese and potato puffs. Plus, they have a wide selection of wines, Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon.

Sagra Restaurant serves great Italian food in downtown Austin. The place has a relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff. Chef Pellegrini’s menu was inspired by the bistro-style meals served at Italy’s many railway stations. It features a combination of Old World traditions with a touch of contemporary Italian fare. They only use the freshest ingredients to satisfy their guests. Their menu also includes new twists on Italian specialties like pasta carbonara, made with house-cured pancetta and fresh peas, topped with a parmesan sauce and egg.

Piccolo Sogno means “little dream”, it is an Italian Restaurant owned by Tony Priolo and Ciro Longobardo. It opened its doors to Chicago in July 2008. The menu includes fresh, seasonal rustic Italian cuisine with an impressive all-Italian wine program.

Nostrana Restaurant is an Italian Restaurant located in Portland, OR. It the perfect place to enjoy fine dining for lunch and dinner. It uses only honest and freshest ingredients in every dish that they serve. There are lunch and dinner menu that you could take your best pick. There is also a wine list that would suit your preference.

Joan’s on Third was opened way back in 1995 as a catering company. It is a family owned and operated Gourmet Marketplace, Café and Full Service Catering and Event Planning Company. It has been the most sought caterer in Los Angeles. The place provides a sophisticated setting and it offers comfort food. It was in 1998 that it became gourmet foods marketplace and café where great food and signature dishes such as sandwiches, salads, soups are being served.

Bob Chinn’s Crabhouse is America’s busiest seafood and steak restaurant. It is deemed to be one of the highest-volume restaurant not only in IL but also all across the States. It offers a full selection of seafood, steaks, ribs and pork chops. Their top seller is the Alaskan king crab legs.

Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant has 29 locations in the United States. The owners are Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch. It was on July 6, 1988 when the first Gordon Biersch opened in Palo Alto, California. The Gordon Biersch heritage of superior beer, great food and good times can now be experienced in different locations stretching coast to coast and across the Pacific to Honolulu.

CK’s Tavern and Grill is a bar and restaurant that offers great food and drinks to their guests. It carries all major sports packages and shows them on 35+ TVs which make it a great place to hang out especially for sports enthusiasts. They have been voted best place to watch the games in Ahwatukee. Plus, they have pool tables, beautiful patio with additional HDTV’s, shuffleboard and free WiFi. They also have a full menu along with a happy hour menu, kid’s menu, and a full bar with over 20 beers on tap.

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant is the perfect place to go to satisfy your cravings for Sushi. There’s never a dull moment at this place, it has an upbeat atmosphere with great music that could help you unwind and relax. It has 25 locations all over t