Just in: Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva lands on OpenTable's list of top U.S. restaurants

Open only since May, Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva already has landed on OpenTable's "100 Best Restaurants in America for 2016."

Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza owns the Mexican restaurant, which took over the old Bragg's Factory Diner on Grand Avenue in Phoenix. She has earned four James Beard Award nominations at Barrio Cafe, her flagship restaurant on 16th Street south of Thomas Road, Phoenix. 

Grand Reserva is an intimate space that seats 27 diners and offers rotating tasting menus, along with a la carte selections.

OpenTable's 2016 list, released on Dec. 1, also includes two established, fine-dining Arizona restaurants that also made the 2015 list. 

• Kai, in the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, which is the only AAA Five Diamond/Forbes Five Star restaurant in Arizona.
• Monarch (previously Cafe Monarch) in Scottsdale, a contemporary American restaurant that features a chef-driven, seasonal four-course, prix fixe menu.  

“The common thread running through this list of winning restaurants is excellence in hospitality,” Caroline Potter, OpenTable chief dining officer, said in a written statement. “Whether creating one-of-a-kind fine-dining experiences or serving up incredible fare in a more casual setting, this year’s honorees are consistently earning rave reviews from diners.”

How it works

OpenTable is a popular online reservation website with more than 24,000 participating restaurants across the U.S. It pulls together the top-restaurant list each year, determined by reviews from more than 10 million OpenTable users.

Restaurants with a minimum overall score were considered, and scores were calculated from the overall average rating and the rating relative to other restaurants in the same area.

Find the complete list, in alphabetical order, here: opentable.com/m/best-restaurants-in-america-for-2016. 

Arizona spots on OpenTable's '100 Best Restaurants in America for 2016'

Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva: 1301 Grand Ave., Phoenix. 602-252-2777, barriocafe.com. 

Kai: Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, 5594 Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Gila River Indian Reservation. 602-385-5726, wildhorsepassresort.com/kai. 

Monarch: 6934 E. First Ave., Scottsdale. 480-970-7682, cafemonarch.com.

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