The New York Times recently published its annual list of the 50 best restaurants in America. The Times, however, did not address a crucial question for faculty, staff, and students: which law schools are closest to these esteemed eateries?
This post fills that crucial gap. Notable culinary hotbeds: New York Law School is the proximate institution to three restaurants on the Times list. Seven institutions—CUNY, the University of Denver, Detroit Mercy, New Mexico, Southwestern, Tulane, and Vanderbilt—are the closest law schools to two top-50 restaurants.
But a warning: UNM’s distance to El Paso’s Elemi Taqueria is 222 miles, the longest span on the list. The full table on this intersection of foodie and legal geographies, below the fold.
The Closest Law Schools to the NYT’s 2026 Top 50 Restaurants
| Closest law school | NYT Top 50 Restaurant | Distance in Miles |
|---|---|---|
| American University Washington College of Law | Chef’s Counter at Burnt Hill Farm Clarksburg, MD | 24.0 |
| Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law | Durant’s Phoenix, AZ | 1.6 |
| Campbell University School of Law | Big Cat Raleigh, NC | 1.3 |
| Charleston School of Law | Merci Charleston, SC | 0.65 |
| Chicago-Kent College of Law | Creepies Chicago, IL | 1.1 |
| Cleveland State University College of Law | Rosy Cleveland, OH | 1.9 |
| CUNY School of Law | Meju Long Island City, NY | 0.7 |
| CUNY School of Law | Zoli Brooklyn, NY | 2.5 |
| Emory University School of Law | So. Fox Atlanta, GA | 2.1 |
| Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law | Perennial Montgomery, AL | 4.2 |
| Georgetown University Law Center | Albi Washington, DC | 1.8 |
| Howard University School of Law | Rye Bunny Washington, DC | 1.6 |
| Lewis & Clark Law School | OK Chicken and Khao Soi Portland, OR | 4.1 |
| Loyola University Chicago School of Law | Kouklas Greek Eatery Niles, IL | 12.6 |
| Loyola University New Orleans College of Law | Dakar NOLA New Orleans, LA | 0.9 |
| Marquette University Law School | La Sirena Ephraim, WI | 151.2 |
| New England Law Boston | Dalia Boston, MA | 1.4 |
| New York Law School | Yamada New York, NY | 0.5 |
| New York Law School | Bistrot Ha New York, NY | 0.8 |
| New York Law School | Korai Kitchen Jersey City, NJ | 2.9 |
| University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School | Bomb Bomb Philadelphia, PA | 2.7 |
| Seattle University School of Law | Hama Hama Oyster Saloon Lilliwaup, WA | 34.0 |
| Southwestern Law School | Jacaranda Los Angeles, CA | 3.3 |
| Southwestern Law School | Yerord Mas Bakery and Deli Glendale, CA | 7.7 |
| Stetson University College of Law | The Tides Market Safety Harbor, FL | 16.3 |
| Tulane University Law School | Dolfy’s New Orleans, LA | 0.9 |
| Tulane University Law School | Little Bird Fairhope, AL | 138.4 |
| UC Berkeley School of Law | Bar Panisse Berkeley, CA | 1.1 |
| UC College of the Law, San Francisco | Restaurant Naides San Francisco, CA | 0.7 |
| University of Arkansas School of Law | Lasang Pinoy Rogers, AR | 18.4 |
| University of Denver Sturm College of Law | Heretik Denver, CO | 5.7 |
| University of Denver Sturm College of Law | Milpero Denver, CO | 6.5 |
| University of Detroit Mercy School of Law | Tacos Wuey Detroit, MI | 2.9 |
| University of Detroit Mercy School of Law | Roses Detroit, MI | 3.8 |
| University of Maine School of Law | Douro Portland, ME | 0.4 |
| University of Miami School of Law | Tin Tin Miami, FL | 4.1 |
| University of Minnesota Law School | Khue’s Kitchen St. Paul, MN | 2.4 |
| University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law | Anjin Kansas City, MO | 4.1 |
| University of New Mexico School of Law | Leo’s Santa Fe, NM | 55.0 |
| University of New Mexico School of Law | Elemi Taqueria El Paso, TX | 221.7 |
| University of Pittsburgh School of Law | Titusz Pittsburgh, PA | 2.0 |
| University of San Diego School of Law | Mesa Agricola Escondido, CA | 24.5 |
| University of Texas School of Law | Paprika Austin, TX | 3.2 |
| University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law | Junah Salt Lake City, UT | 2.4 |
| University of Washington School of Law | Passage Langley, WA | 26.8 |
| USC Gould School of Law | Komal Los Angeles, CA | 0.4 |
| Vanderbilt Law School | Cauponor Nashville, TN | 2.4 |
| Vanderbilt Law School | Junior Nashville, TN | 3.2 |
| Willamette University College of Law | Hayward Carlton, OR | 25.7 |
| University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law | Māze Honolulu, HI | 2.8 |
Related TaxProf Blog coverage:
- Best Law Schools for Hot Dogs (Sept. 12, 2026)
- Law School Rankings Season (Feb. 25, 2026)
- Princeton Review’s Top 10 “Quality of Life” Law Schools (Dec. 13, 2025)
- Princeton Review’s Best 197 Law Schools (2025 Edition) (July 24, 2025)
