With 4th of July right around the corner and cook-out season in full swing, Zagat is out with the results of its first-ever Summer Food survey. The findings reveal the preferences and divisive opinions of more than 1,000 avid diners around the U.S.

Whether you fire up the grill at home, or leave it to the professionals, food is a major part of warm weather months. America’s most quintessential summer food, according to more than half of respondents, is the hamburger, followed by hot dog, fried chicken and fish tacos. The New York Street Dog takes top honors as the the preferred style of hot dog, with the Chicago Dog and Coney Dog trailing close behind.

The majority of diners say that ice cream is their favorite summer sweet treat (51%) - and move over chocolate, because cookies ‘n’ cream takes top honors. The runners up are Vanilla and Mint chocolate chip, followed by Chocolate, and Coffee.

As for favorite summer coffee drinks, Frozen blended coffee drink top the list overall, followed by Iced latte and Regular iced coffee.

Lobster rolls have become a hotly contested category among diners. When asked which style they prefer, the Connecticut style lobster roll (warm with butter) wins out over Maine style (cold with mayo) by nearly two-to-one.

The perfect non-alcoholic drink refreshment to compliment these savory summer eats, according to 37% of voters, is Iced tea, with the proportion particularly high in the South compared to the other regions. The preferred alcoholic drink is Beer (35%). When broken down by gender, Beer is tops overall among Males, while Females favor Margaritas.

And what foods to diners avoid most in the summer? You won’t find Hot soup (38%), Hot coffee (18%), Fondue (13%), Ramen (11%), Meatloaf (11%) or Red wine (6%) on their dinner table any time in the next few months.

When cruising the boardwalk or local carnival, the most coveted delicacy, according to respondents, is a Funnel cake/Elephant ears, followed by Corn dogs, Popcorn, Cotton candy, Snow cone, and Fried Oreos. 

From best side dishes to favorite summer fruits, be sure to check out this year’s full results.

Posted by:
Tiffany Herklots, Zagat

Whether you’re looking to explore the best new restaurants in your neighborhood or rediscover a classic favorite, Zagat is out with its latest Boston Restaurants results, serving up something for every palate. Based on the combined feedback of nearly 5,000 local diners, new ratings and reviews for more than 850 restaurants in Boston are available today on Zagat.com and via Google Search and Maps.

Boston’s No. 1 pick for both Food and Decor go to L’Espalier, Back Bay’s “elegant”, French “grande dame”. Taking top honors for Service is Barbara Lynch’s “fabulous” French-Italian Menton, thanks to an “impeccable” team that “accommodates individual preferences”, and snagging the top spot for Most Popular is the “classic” steakhouse Abe and Louie’s, serving up “tender and flavorful” “Flintstone-sized” cuts.

While a meal at several of the city’s best restaurants may be reserved for special occasions (or tax return season), Zagat’s list of “Best Cheap Eats” offers places with high food scores (read: insanely delicious bites) with a cost estimate of $25 or less. The top places are:
1. Za
2. Flatbread Company
3. Flour Bakery 
4. Petsi Pies 
5. Regina Pizzeria

And several top cheap eats by neighborhood include:

Allston/Brighton: Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Back Bay: Flour Bakery
Downtown Boston: Sam LaGrassa's
Near Fenway: Pho Basil 
Near Harvard Square: Pinocchio's Pizza & Subs

According to this year’s results, interesting, boundary-pushing restaurants like Japanese Yume Wo Katare, serving “comforting” bowls of “incredibly rich broth” and “tasty” noodles, and hotspots like Alden & Harlow, where “adventurous eaters” descend upon the “inventive” eats and “creative drinks” are popping up all over the city. Somerville has proven to be particularly buzzy this past year with top-rated restaurants including: 
1. Sarma Restaurant
2. Journeyman
3. Bergamot
4. Union Square Donuts
5.  CasaB 

According to the recent Zagat National Dining Trends survey, Boston diners eat out 4.1 times per week for a combined lunch and dinner, less than the 4.5/week national average. The average spend per person for dinner out is $42.24 which is above the national average of $39.40. Once the meal ends, diners leave a reported 19.6% gratuity (vs. 19.3% nationally).

Locals say their favorite cuisine is Italian -- followed by French, Seafood, American, and Japanese. This year’s Top Italian spot in Boston is Il Capriccio, followed by Giulia, Sorellina, La Campania and Rino’s Place.

A whopping 81% of Zagat’s avid Boston diners say they have sent a dish back to the kitchen. 82% admit to having eavesdropped on a conversation at the next table and 46% of diners say they have stiffed a server on the tip for bad service. 25% feel it’s rude and inappropriate for children to use tablets/phones at the table while 14% say it’s perfectly acceptable.

For more information, snack on the full list of Boston's 50 best restaurants here.

Posted by: Tiffany Herklots, Zagat