One thing you can count on when traveling around the United States is that you’ll always be able to find incredible food. There are dozens of specialty dishes, unique foods, and amazing restaurants that foodies seek out all over the United States.
Have you been to Chicago for deep dish pizza or those loaded Chicago hot dogs? Have you been to Philadelphia for Cheesesteaks? How about New York for its famous bagels? For those people who say the United States doesn’t have its own food culture, they’re wrong. There are so many foods that hail from different states. You just have to seek it out.
New York City
Our top-ranking US city when it comes to great food is New York City! If you’re planning a trip to this iconic city, you should also plan what you’ll be eating because there’s so much choice. New York City is known for its abundance of amazing chefs – many have Michelin stars, for deli pastrami that’s better than anywhere else, for some of the best brunch places, New York pizza, and the world’s best bagels.
New Orleans
Not only is New Orleans a vibrant city with a fantastic atmosphere, but the food and drinks are next to none. The great thing about dining in New Orleans is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have an incredible culinary experience. And maybe more than anywhere else in the U.S., New Orleans is filled with iconic foods and cocktails. They span from Po Boy’s to BBQ Shrimp, Turtle soup, to Jambalaya.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia’s local cuisine is often overshadowed by cheesesteaks, and for good reason, but there’s so much more. We love going on a food crawl in Philadelphia, to try as much as we can. We’re talking cheesesteak, roast pork sandwiches, donuts, oysters, and water ice, just to name a few. For a Philly cheesesteak the two famous ones are Pat’s and Gino’s. If you love walking around food markets and sampling food from the stalls that catch your eye or tempt your senses, then you’ll adore Reading Terminal Market.
Chicago
From loaded hot dogs to deep-dish pizza, Chicago is known for its indulgent comfort food. However, Chicago also has and amazing restaurant scene (seriously, there are over 8,000 restaurants in the city). The most iconic is the deep-dish pizza, which you really can’t find anywhere else in the world. The top contenders are Lou Malnati’s, Giordano’s, Pizzeria Uno’s. Just one will do though.
Charleston
Ask anyone who’s been to Charleston what their favorite thing was and they’ll say the food scene. It gets a lot of recognition as a top food city, and for good reason. Charleston is especially well known for its southern cuisine, which you can enjoy at fine dining restaurants as well as more relaxed establishments. Edmund’s Oast is a local favorite (especially for charcuterie), and we also like these: Halls Chophouse, Revival, Charleston Grill, and Circa 1886 Restaurant.
Austin
Between breakfast tacos, some of the best Bloody Marys, dozens of food trucks, and amazing BBQ, Austin is a serious food mecca. We have been there numerous times for the Austin Food & Wine Festival in November. You can’t go to Austin without trying the barbecue. Franklin Barbecue is incredibly popular, but we also love Lambert’s. Breakfast tacos are to Austin as bagels are to New York. You cannot miss the chance to try Paco’s Tacos or Veracruz All Natural.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles has a ton of great international cuisines, incredible tacos, quirky food trucks, farmers’ markets, and fresh Pacific seafood. Now that we live within an hour of the city, we’ve been able to try new, hot places like Funke in Beverly Hills. There are dozens of Michelin-star establishments to choose from. Personally, my favorite restaurants are Ori Menashe’s Bestia, Republique, and two-Michelin–starred Japanese kaiseki cuisine by Niki Nakayama. Grand Central Market, which opened in 1917, is LA’s largest and oldest public market with 40 food stalls that feature local cuisine from the diverse inhabitants of LA.
San Francisco
There are still dozens of amazing restaurants, food halls, and dishes that are unique to San Francisco, everything from Michelin-star restaurants to French-style bakeries. When we’re looking for high-end dining, Quince and Seven Hills are at the top of the list, but more often than not, we’re eating at markets like the Ferry Building Marketplace or grabbing a sourdough bread bowl filled with clam chowder.
Seattle
Everyone knows that when in Seattle, you’re on the look-out for incredible seafood, especially oysters, Dungeness crab, and fresh caught salmon. You can find all of these things at the famous Pike Place Market, but some of our favorite restaurants for seafood are Elliot’s, Taylor Shellfish, and Rock Creek Seafood. Some of our favorites are The Pink Door and Matt’s in the Market. The Ballard neighborhood of Seattle has become a mecca for craft beer. You can also find some of Seattle’s best pizza and burgers in Ballard and in Fremont.
Portland
I grew up in Oregon and have visited Portland dozens of times. Over the years, certain places have made it into our regular rotation, like Salt & Straw for their creative ice cream flavors, VooDoo Doughnut, and Screen Door for brunch. The food trucks located all around the city are the perfect way to sample food made from local ingredients. Alternatively, for a sit-down meal, you could make a reservation at any of Portland’s best-known restaurants, like Andina, Le Pigeon, and Mucca Osteria.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is known for its over-the-top food culture. The all-you-can-eat buffets that are just plan crazy. The best ones to try are: The Buffet at Wynn, Bacchanal Buffet inside Caesars Palace, Bellagio Buffet, and Wicked Spoon inside The Cosmopolitan. There are just so many restaurants on the strip to try. My favorite has always been é by José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan hotel, but now he also has a Bazaar Meat at the Sahara, with playful cuisine and cocktails.
Portland, Maine
I’ll throw a curveball at you. Portland, Maine is one of my favorite foodie cities to visit. There are so many great things to eat, starting of course with the lobster rolls. But that’s not nearly all! We once combined a beer crawl with a few cocktail bars, a couple of great lobster rolls at Mash Tun, a stop for Duck Fat fries, amazing Poke Bowls at Crunchy Poke, and Vietnamese food at Cung Tu Bot, and so good gelato at Gelato Fiasco.
Miami
Miami is primarily known for its amazing Cuban cuisine due to its proximity to Havana. Restaurants like Versailles serve some of the best Cuban food in America. If you like a good Cuban Sandwich, you have to try one here. However, Miami is also the perfect city to sample some fresh seafood, particularly in the South Beach area. My Ceviche serves delicious seafood options along with light lunches such as burrito bowls and avocado toast. We also had some of the tastiest crab cakes ever at Joe’s Stone Crab.
Nashville
Nashville has a food culture to be proud of, but there’s no denying that Hot Chicken (which several sources report dates all the way back to the 1930s!) is still Nashville’s main food-related claim to fame. If you visit Nashville, you should make a point to dine at Prince’s Hot Chicken to taste this extraordinary dish for yourself. Husk serves some of the best shrimp around, and if you’re in the mood for some of Nashville’s best biscuits, Sweet 16th and Biscuit Love have you covered.
Boston
Another historic city, Boston has had a reputation for great, classic food for many years. However, the scene is constantly evolving, so there’s always something new and exciting to try. We recommend Union Oyster House for its famous clam chowder. There are also plenty of restaurants to visit while you shop at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, including pizzerias, seafood restaurants, and even organic eateries.
Houston, Texas
Houston has one of the most diverse food scenes in the U.S., thanks to its booming international communities. You’ll find world-class Vietnamese, Tex-Mex, Cajun, and barbecue all in one city. The food here is bold, flavorful, and unpretentious, with dishes like smoked brisket, pho, and kolaches making a serious impression.
Denver, Colorado
Denver’s food scene is all about bold flavors, local ingredients, and innovative takes on comfort food. You’ll find some of the best green chili, craft beer, and farm-to-table dining in the country. Plus, the city’s proximity to the mountains means bison burgers, Rocky Mountain oysters, and trout are local favorites.
Louisville, Kentucky
Best known for bourbon and the Kentucky Derby, Louisville’s food scene is rich with Southern flavors and innovative chefs. The city is famous for Hot Brown sandwiches, bourbon-infused dishes, and fried chicken that rivals Nashville’s. You’ll also find an incredible farm-to-table movement, great BBQ, and a lively cocktail culture. All of this is besides the fact that there is a plethora of bourbon distilleries and tasting rooms to choose from.
Laura Lynch, creator and writer of Savored Journeys, is an avid world traveler, certified wine expert, and international food specialist. She has written about travel and food for over 20 years and has visited over 75 countries. Her work has been published in numerous guidebooks, websites, and magazines.