Most restaurants pick "Restaurant" as their primary Google Business Profile category. That is almost always the wrong choice. The primary category is the single biggest ranking factor for category specific queries. Picking "Restaurant" puts you in a pool with every food spot in your city. Picking "Mexican Restaurant" or "Brunch Restaurant" puts you in a much smaller, much more relevant pool.
How to choose your primary category
Pick the most specific category that describes the majority of your business. If 70 percent of your menu is Italian, your primary should be "Italian Restaurant," not "Restaurant." If you primarily serve breakfast and lunch, your primary should be "Brunch Restaurant," not "Restaurant." The primary category is what Google ranks you for.
Recommended primary categories by cuisine
American: American Restaurant, Modern American Restaurant, New American Restaurant. Italian: Italian Restaurant, Pizza Restaurant, Pasta Shop. Mexican: Mexican Restaurant, Tex Mex Restaurant, Taqueria. Asian: Chinese Restaurant, Thai Restaurant, Sushi Restaurant, Korean Barbecue Restaurant, Vietnamese Restaurant. French: French Restaurant, Bistro. Indian: Indian Restaurant, North Indian Restaurant, South Indian Restaurant. Each subtype is a separate ranking pool with much less competition than "Restaurant" alone.
Recommended secondary categories
You get up to 9 secondary categories. Use them. Common high impact secondaries for restaurants: Caterer, Wine Bar, Cocktail Bar, Brunch Restaurant (if you also serve brunch), Bakery, Takeout Restaurant, Delivery Restaurant, Vegetarian Restaurant, Family Restaurant, Romantic Restaurant. Each opens a new ranking pool.
Service style modifiers
Categories like Fast Food Restaurant, Fine Dining Restaurant, Casual Restaurant, Counter Service Restaurant signal experience type. Pick the one that matches what customers expect. A fine dining French restaurant categorized as "French Restaurant" with secondary "Fine Dining Restaurant" wins different searches than the same place categorized as "Bistro."
Categories to avoid
Avoid "Restaurant" as primary unless you genuinely have no specialty (very rare). Avoid categories that do not match your actual menu (Google can detect mismatches through reviews and posts, and may penalize). Avoid using the maximum 9 secondaries if half are stretches. Quality over quantity.