James Beard Foundation Announces 2016 America's Classics Award Winners

Each year since 1998, the James Beard Foundation Awards Committee has recognized our nation's beloved regional restaurants. Distinguished by their timeless appeal, they serve quality food that reflects the character of their communities. The foundation anoints these locally owned restaurants with a James Beard Foundation Award and designates them as America's Classics.

The foundation announced today the five recipients of its 2016 America's Classics Award. The 2016 honorees join the ranks of nearly 100 restaurants that have received the award since the category was introduced. This year's winners will be celebrated at the 26th annual James Beard Foundation Awards, taking place on Monday, May 2, 2016, at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Here are this year's winners:

Al Ameer Restaurant (Dearborn, MI)Brooks' House of BBQ (Oneonta, NY)Matt's Place Drive-In (Butte, MT)Bully's Restaurant (Jackson, MS)Rancho de Chimayó Restaurante (Chimayo, NM)

Check out the video below that the James Beard Foundation produced back in 2013 about America's Classics winner and Food Republic favorite Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville, Tennessee.