Food · United States
What to eat in United States
United States's food, destination by destination.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Pictured: New York City · Photo: Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Start with New York pizza slice, Bagel with lox and Pastrami on rye. Thin, wide slices with a crisp yet chewy crust, tomato sauce and mozzarella, folded in half to eat on the move.
Key facts
- Dishes in this guide
- 132
- Destinations
- 44
Dishes to try in United States
Try in New York City · Vegetarian
New York pizza slice
Thin, wide slices with a crisp yet chewy crust, tomato sauce and mozzarella, folded in half to eat on the move. Plain cheese and pepperoni are the classics.
Where: Slice shops all over the city; coal-oven pizzerias in Little Italy and Brooklyn serve whole pies.
Try in New York City
Bagel with lox
A boiled-then-baked bagel, chewy and dense, split and topped with cream cheese ('schmear'), smoked salmon (lox), capers and red onion.
Where: Bagel shops across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the appetizing stores of the Lower East Side.
Try in New York City
Pastrami on rye
Hand-sliced, peppery smoked beef brisket piled high on rye bread with mustard and a pickle on the side — the signature of the city's Jewish delis.
Where: Katz's Delicatessen on East Houston Street, in business since 1888, and other classic delis.
Try in Los Angeles
Tacos al pastor
Chilli-marinated pork shaved from a vertical spit (trompo) onto small corn tortillas and topped with pineapple, onion, coriander and salsa. Taco trucks and stands are the backbone of LA's food culture.
Where: Taco trucks across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA, many parked in the same spot every evening.
Try in Los Angeles
French dip sandwich
Thinly sliced roast beef on a French roll dipped in meat juices, often eaten with hot mustard. Philippe the Original, near Union Station, is one of two Downtown restaurants that claim to have invented it in 1908.
Where: Philippe the Original, near Union Station and Olvera Street.
Try in Los Angeles
Korean barbecue
Marinated short ribs (galbi), pork belly and thin-sliced brisket grilled at the table and eaten with banchan side dishes, lettuce wraps and soju. Many Koreatown barbecue restaurants stay open late.
Where: Koreatown, along Western Avenue and Wilshire and Olympic Boulevards.
Try in San Francisco
Mission burrito
An oversized flour tortilla steamed soft and stuffed with rice, beans, meat, salsa and often cheese, sour cream and guacamole, then wrapped in foil. The style was developed in Mission District taquerias in the 1960s.
Where: Taquerias along Mission Street and 24th Street in the Mission District.
Try in San Francisco · Vegetarian
Sourdough bread
San Francisco's tangy sourdough dates back to the Gold Rush; Boudin Bakery, founded in 1849, still bakes from a mother dough it has kept alive for generations.
Where: Boudin at Fisherman's Wharf, plus artisan bakeries in the Mission and at the Ferry Building.
Try in San Francisco
Clam chowder in a bread bowl
Creamy New England-style clam chowder served in a hollowed-out sourdough loaf is the classic Fisherman's Wharf lunch on a cold, foggy day.
Where: Stalls and restaurants along Fisherman's Wharf.
Try in Las Vegas
Resort buffet
The all-you-can-eat buffet is a Vegas institution. Modern resort buffets serve crab legs, carved meats, sushi, regional stations and dozens of desserts, with prices rising for weekend brunch and dinner.
Where: Major resorts such as Caesars Palace, Wynn, Bellagio and The Cosmopolitan; Downtown buffets cost less.
Try in Las Vegas
Shrimp cocktail
The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino on Fremont Street has served its shrimp cocktail in a tulip glass since 1959, a throwback to old Vegas dining.
Where: Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Fremont Street.
Try in Las Vegas
Steakhouse dinner
Prime steaks and martinis in dark, old-school dining rooms are a Vegas tradition, from celebrity-chef steakhouses in the Strip resorts to long-running independents with red booths and tableside service.
Where: Strip resorts, and off-Strip classics such as the Golden Steer, open since 1958.
Try in Miami
Cuban sandwich
Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed on Cuban bread until crisp. Miami and Tampa both claim the definitive version; Miami's leaves out salami.
Where: Cuban cafés and bakeries in Little Havana, Westchester and Hialeah, and walk-up windows across the city.
Try in Miami · Vegetarian
Cafecito and colada
Cuban espresso brewed strong and whipped with sugar into a sweet foam. A colada is a larger serving in a cup with tiny plastic cups for sharing, and a cortadito adds steamed milk.
Where: Ventanitas, the walk-up coffee windows of Cuban cafés and bakeries all over the city.
Try in Miami
Croquetas
Small fried rolls of creamy béchamel mixed with ham, chicken or fish, eaten with morning coffee and ordered by the dozen for parties.
Where: Cuban bakeries and cafés across the city.
Try in Orlando · Vegetarian
Dole Whip
Pineapple soft-serve, often served as a float in pineapple juice, has a cult following at Disney; Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom's Adventureland is the classic place to try it.
Where: Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom and Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.
Try in Orlando · Vegetarian
Butterbeer
The sweet, butterscotch-flavoured drink from the Harry Potter books, served cold, frozen or hot under a creamy topping. It contains no alcohol.
Where: Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and Epic Universe's Ministry of Magic land at Universal.
Try in Orlando
Smoked turkey leg
A huge, smoky, salty turkey leg eaten by hand while walking is a theme-park tradition.
Where: Snack carts in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland, EPCOT and other parks.
Try in Chicago · Vegetarian
Deep-dish pizza
A tall, buttery crust baked in a pan and filled with mozzarella, toppings and a layer of chunky tomato sauce on top. It takes 30–45 minutes to bake, and two slices are a full meal. Cheese-and-spinach versions are as traditional as sausage.
Where: Pizzeria Uno in River North, where the style is said to have started in 1943, plus Lou Malnati's, Giordano's and Pequod's, known for its caramelised cheese crust.
Try in Chicago · Vegetarian
Tavern-style thin-crust pizza
The pizza most Chicagoans actually eat at home: a cracker-thin crust cut into squares rather than wedges (the 'party cut'), often topped with fennel sausage.
Where: Neighbourhood taverns and pizzerias across the city; Vito & Nick's on the South Side is one of the long-established names.
Try in Chicago
Chicago-style hot dog
An all-beef frankfurter in a poppy-seed bun 'dragged through the garden': yellow mustard, neon-green relish, chopped onion, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt. Ketchup is famously frowned upon.
Where: Portillo's branches including River North, Superdawg on the Northwest Side and hot-dog stands across the city.
Try in Washington, D.C.
Half-smoke
Washington's signature sausage: a coarse, spicy, smoked link that is often half pork and half beef, served in a bun with chili, mustard and onions.
Where: Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, open since 1958, plus carts and diners around the city.
Try in Washington, D.C.
Mumbo sauce
A sweet, tangy, bright red sauce that is a hometown staple at DC carry-outs, poured over fried chicken wings and fries.
Where: Neighbourhood carry-outs and wing shops, especially in Northeast and Southeast DC; bottles are sold in some local shops.
Try in Washington, D.C. · Vegetarian
Ethiopian injera and wot
The Washington area has one of the largest Ethiopian communities outside Africa. Meals arrive on a large round of spongy, sour injera bread topped with stews such as doro wot (spiced chicken) and lentil misir wot, eaten by hand.
Where: Restaurants around 9th and U streets in Shaw, and many more in nearby Silver Spring in Maryland; vegetarian combination platters are standard.
Try in Boston
New England clam chowder
A thick, creamy soup of chopped clams, potatoes, onions and salt pork, served with small oyster crackers; locals say 'chowdah'. Tomato-based versions are frowned upon here.
Where: Union Oyster House near Faneuil Hall, open since 1826 and among the oldest restaurants in the US, and seafood restaurants all over the city.
Try in Boston
Lobster roll
Chunks of lobster meat in a buttered, toasted split-top bun, served either cold with a little mayonnaise or warm with melted butter.
Where: Neptune Oyster in the North End is known for its warm buttered version; seafood shacks on the waterfront and in the Seaport serve the cold style.
Try in Boston
Fried clams
Whole-belly clams dipped in batter or crumbs and deep-fried, served with tartar sauce and fries; Woodman's of Essex on the North Shore claims to have invented them in 1916.
Where: Clam shacks on the North Shore, especially in Essex and Ipswich, and seafood counters in the city in summer.
Try in New Orleans · Vegetarian
Beignets
Square pillows of fried dough buried under powdered sugar, eaten hot with café au lait made from coffee blended with roasted chicory root.
Where: Café du Monde at the French Market, serving them since 1862, and Café Beignet on Royal and Bourbon streets.
Try in New Orleans
Gumbo
A thick stew built on a dark roux and the 'holy trinity' of onion, celery and green pepper, thickened with okra or ground sassafras (filé) and made with chicken and andouille sausage or seafood, served over rice.
Where: Almost every Creole restaurant; Dooky Chase's in Tremé is known for its gumbo z'herbes, a green gumbo served on Holy Thursday.
Try in New Orleans
Jambalaya
Rice cooked with sausage, chicken or shrimp; the Creole city version is red with tomatoes, while the Cajun country version is brown and made without tomato.
Where: Creole and Cajun restaurants across the city, and food stalls at Jazz Fest and French Quarter Festival.
Try in Honolulu
Poke
Cubed raw fish, usually ʻahi (yellowfin tuna) or octopus, dressed with shoyu, sesame oil, onion, limu seaweed or roasted kukui nut, and sold by the pound or over rice as a bowl.
Where: Supermarket poke counters such as Foodland, which locals swear by, and specialists such as Ono Seafood on Kapahulu Avenue.
Try in Honolulu
Plate lunch
The local lunch: two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad and a main such as chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, kalbi ribs or garlic shrimp, served in a takeaway box.
Where: Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu, open since 1961, and plate-lunch counters and food trucks across the island.
Try in Honolulu
Loco moco
White rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy, created in Hilo in the late 1940s and now a breakfast and lunch staple across Hawaiʻi.
Where: Diners, drive-ins and local chains such as Zippy's, and on most plate-lunch menus.
Try in San Diego
California burrito
San Diego's signature burrito wraps carne asada, French fries, cheese and guacamole or sour cream in a large flour tortilla. It is a late-night staple sold at 24-hour taco shops whose names often end in '-berto's'.
Where: Independent taco shops across the city, especially in Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and North Park.
Try in San Diego
Baja fish tacos
Battered and fried white fish in a corn tortilla with shredded cabbage, a creamy white sauce and salsa, in the style of Ensenada just across the border. Grilled fish versions are common too.
Where: Beach-area taco counters in Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach, and seafood restaurants on Point Loma's Shelter Island.
Try in San Diego
Carne asada fries
A heaped plate of fries topped with grilled carne asada, cheese, guacamole and sour cream, invented in San Diego taco shops and best shared.
Where: The same 24-hour taco shops that sell California burritos.
Try in Seattle
Wild Pacific salmon
King, sockeye and coho salmon are grilled, smoked or cedar-planked across the city. The arrival of Copper River salmon from Alaska in May or June is an annual event on restaurant menus.
Where: Fish stalls and restaurants at Pike Place Market, seafood restaurants on the waterfront and in Ballard.
Try in Seattle
Pacific Northwest oysters
Washington is a major oyster-producing state, with Kumamoto, Shigoku, Totten Inlet and other varieties from the inlets of Puget Sound and the coast, eaten raw on the half shell.
Where: Oyster bars in Ballard, Capitol Hill and downtown; many run happy-hour oyster deals.
Try in Seattle
Seattle-style hot dog
A grilled hot dog or Polish sausage in a toasted bun spread with cream cheese, often topped with grilled onions and jalapeños — the classic late-night street food.
Where: Street carts outside bars and stadiums in Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill and Belltown.
Try in Portland · Vegetarian
Food cart meals
Food carts are central to Portland eating: Thai chicken and rice, Mexican tacos, Korean fusion, Georgian cheese bread, Polish pierogi and vegan bowls, usually for less than a sit-down meal.
Where: Cart pods in Southeast, North Portland and downtown; carts come and go, so check what is open on the day.
Try in Portland · Vegetarian
Craft doughnuts
Portland is known for doughnuts, from novelty creations covered in cereal or bacon to brioche doughnuts with seasonal glazes like marionberry or blood orange.
Where: Long-established doughnut shops downtown and on the east side; queues build on weekend mornings.
Try in Portland · Vegetarian
Marionberry pie
The marionberry is a blackberry variety developed at Oregon State University and grown in the Willamette Valley; it is baked into pies, cobblers and jams.
Where: Bakeries and diners citywide, and farm stands in summer; marionberry jam is sold everywhere.
Try in Austin
Central Texas brisket
Beef brisket rubbed simply with salt and pepper and smoked for many hours over post oak until it has a dark bark and a pink smoke ring, sold by weight on butcher paper with white bread, pickles and onions.
Where: Franklin Barbecue in East Austin and other well-known pits; queues form for hours before the most famous ones open, and Lockhart is an hour away.
Try in Austin · Vegetarian
Breakfast tacos
Flour tortillas filled with eggs and fillings such as bacon, chorizo, potato or beans and cheese, eaten for breakfast across the city; the 'migas' taco with crispy tortilla strips is an Austin favourite.
Where: Taquerías and food trucks citywide, especially in East Austin and South Austin.
Try in Austin · Vegetarian
Queso
Warm, melted cheese dip, often with green chilli, guacamole and ground beef stirred in, served with tortilla chips. It is a Tex-Mex staple at nearly every table.
Where: Tex-Mex restaurants across the city.
Try in Nashville
Nashville hot chicken
Fried chicken coated in a cayenne-laced paste, served on white bread with pickle chips. Heat levels range from mild to almost inedible; the dish is credited to Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, which has served it for decades.
Where: Hot-chicken shops across the city, including Prince's and several newer specialists; start at medium.
Try in Nashville
Meat-and-three
A cafeteria-style Southern lunch: one meat such as fried chicken, meatloaf or catfish, plus three sides from macaroni and cheese, greens, fried okra, mashed potatoes and stewed tomatoes, with cornbread.
Where: Long-running lunch spots such as Arnold's Country Kitchen near the Gulch; many serve lunch only on weekdays.
Try in Nashville · Vegetarian
Biscuits
Fluffy buttermilk biscuits served with country ham, gravy, preserves or fried chicken, a breakfast staple across the South.
Where: Breakfast spots across the city and the Loveless Cafe near the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Try in Denver
Green chile
Colorado green chile is a thick pork-and-roasted-chile stew, usually from Pueblo chiles, used to smother burritos, eggs and fries or eaten by the bowl.
Where: Mexican diners and taquerías across the city, especially on Federal Boulevard and in Northwest Denver.
Try in Denver
Smothered breakfast burrito
A big burrito filled with eggs, potatoes and bacon or chorizo, smothered in green chile and cheese — the standard Denver breakfast.
Where: Breakfast diners and burrito counters citywide.
Try in Denver
Denver omelette
An omelette with diced ham, onions and green peppers, also known as a Western omelette, served at diners across the US but named for the city.
Where: Classic diners and breakfast spots.
Try in Philadelphia
Cheesesteak
Thin-sliced ribeye griddled and piled into a long roll with Cheez Whiz, provolone or American cheese. Order like a local: 'one Whiz wit' means Cheez Whiz with fried onions, 'witout' means none.
Where: Pat's and Geno's face each other at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue; many locals prefer neighbourhood shops and the stalls in Reading Terminal Market.
Try in Philadelphia
Roast pork sandwich
Many Philadelphians rate this above the cheesesteak: thin-sliced roast pork in its juices with sharp provolone and garlicky broccoli rabe on a seeded Italian roll.
Where: DiNic's in Reading Terminal Market and John's Roast Pork in South Philadelphia are the best-known addresses.
Try in Philadelphia
Hoagie
Philadelphia's name for a long sub sandwich, declared the city's official sandwich in 1992. The Italian version layers salami, capicola and provolone with lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and oregano on a fresh roll.
Where: Italian delis in South Philly and the Italian Market, and Wawa convenience stores across the region.
Try in Atlanta
Lemon pepper wings
Atlanta's signature wing: fried chicken wings tossed in lemon pepper seasoning, ordered 'lemon pepper wet' when they are also drenched in butter. They are a staple of the city's wing spots and sports bars.
Where: Neighbourhood wing joints across the city and in most sports bars; locals argue over which one is best.
Try in Atlanta
Fried chicken and the meat-and-three
The Southern lunch plate: one meat, usually fried chicken, with three sides such as collard greens, mac and cheese, fried okra or sweet potato soufflé, plus cornbread or rolls.
Where: Mary Mac's Tea Room on Ponce de Leon Avenue, open since 1945, where you write your own order on a pad, and soul-food restaurants across the West End.
Try in Atlanta
The Varsity chili dog
A chili dog with onion rings and a Frosted Orange from The Varsity, the giant drive-in near Georgia Tech that has been serving since 1928. Staff greet you with 'What'll ya have?'
Where: The original Varsity on North Avenue in Midtown.
Try in San Antonio
Puffy taco
San Antonio's own taco: a disc of fresh masa dropped into hot oil so it puffs into a crisp, airy shell, then filled with picadillo beef or chicken, lettuce and tomato. Eat it fast before it softens.
Where: Long-established West Side Tex-Mex drive-ins and family restaurants, several of which claim to have invented it.
Try in San Antonio
Barbacoa and Big Red
Slow-cooked beef cheek, traditionally bought by the pound on Sunday mornings and eaten with tortillas, onion and cilantro, washed down with a cold Big Red, the bright-red Texas cream soda.
Where: Taquerías and meat markets on the West and South Sides, especially on weekend mornings.
Try in San Antonio
Chili con carne
Texas chili of beef stewed with dried chiles and cumin, traditionally without beans. In the 1800s San Antonio's 'chili queens' sold it from stalls in the downtown plazas, and it is now the official state dish.
Where: Tex-Mex restaurants citywide, and on chili-gravy enchiladas.
Try in Dallas · Vegetarian
Tex-Mex with queso
Enchilada plates in chili gravy, crispy tacos and fajitas start with chips, salsa and a bowl of molten queso, often with ground beef, guacamole and pico de gallo stirred in.
Where: Long-running Tex-Mex restaurants citywide, especially along Greenville Avenue and in Oak Cliff.
Try in Dallas
Corny dog
A hot dog dipped in cornmeal batter and deep-fried on a stick, popularised at the State Fair of Texas by Fletcher's, which has sold them there since the 1940s. Eat with a line of yellow mustard.
Where: Fletcher's stands at the State Fair of Texas each autumn; corn dogs are sold at stadiums and fairs year-round.
Try in Dallas
Texas steak
Dallas has a strong steakhouse culture, with thick bone-in ribeyes and dry-aged cuts served with creamed spinach and loaded baked potatoes.
Where: Steakhouses in Uptown and downtown, and classic Texas steak houses in Fort Worth.
Try in Houston
Viet-Cajun crawfish
Houston's Vietnamese community added garlic butter, lemongrass and chili to the Louisiana crawfish boil. Crawfish are served by the pound in plastic bags with corn and potatoes, to be peeled at paper-covered tables.
Where: Restaurants along Bellaire Boulevard in Chinatown and across the city during crawfish season, roughly January to June.
Try in Houston
Gulf oysters and shrimp
Oysters and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico appear raw on the half shell, chargrilled with garlic butter, fried in po'boys or in gumbo, showing the Louisiana influence on Houston cooking.
Where: Seafood restaurants in Houston, Kemah and Galveston; oysters are best in the cooler months.
Try in Houston · Vegetarian
Mahatma Gandhi District chaat and biryani
Along Hillcroft Avenue, Indian and Pakistani restaurants and sweet shops serve chaat, kebabs, nihari and biryani, with saree and jewellery shops in between.
Where: The Mahatma Gandhi District around Hillcroft Avenue and Harwin Drive in south-west Houston.
Try in Phoenix
Sonoran hot dog
A bacon-wrapped hot dog in a soft, split bolillo roll, piled with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño salsa, mustard and mayonnaise, often with a roasted chile on the side. It came north from Hermosillo in Sonora.
Where: Hot dog stands and food trucks across south and west Phoenix, especially in the evening.
Try in Phoenix
Chimichanga
A burrito deep-fried until crisp, filled with shredded beef or chicken and topped with sauce, cheese and sour cream. Arizona restaurants in Tucson and Phoenix both claim to have invented it.
Where: Sonoran-style Mexican restaurants across the Valley.
Try in Phoenix · Vegetarian
Cheese crisp
An Arizona speciality: a large, thin flour tortilla baked flat until crisp and covered with melted cheese, sometimes with green chiles. It is shared like a pizza at the start of the meal.
Where: Old-school Mexican restaurants across Phoenix and Tucson.
Try in Sedona · Vegetarian
Prickly pear margarita
A margarita sweetened with the magenta syrup of the prickly pear cactus fruit, giving it a bright colour and a mild, melon-like flavour. It is the classic sunset drink in Sedona.
Where: Bars and restaurants across Uptown and the Gallery District, many with red-rock views from their terraces.
Try in Sedona
Navajo taco
A round of puffy fry bread topped with beans, ground beef or chile, lettuce, tomato and cheese. It reflects the Navajo and other Native communities of northern Arizona.
Where: Native-owned stands and casual restaurants in the region, including on the road to the Grand Canyon.
Try in Sedona · Vegetarian
Elote
Mexican-style roasted corn with mayonnaise, chile, lime and crumbled cotija cheese. In Sedona it is famously served in a skillet as a dip at Elote Cafe, the chef-owned restaurant named after it.
Where: Elote Cafe and Mexican restaurants around town; expect a queue at Elote Cafe.
Try in Charleston
She-crab soup
A rich, creamy crab bisque made with blue-crab meat and crab roe, finished with a splash of sherry at the table. It is Charleston's signature soup and usually served by the cup as a starter.
Where: Seafood restaurants on East Bay Street and in the Market area; add the sherry yourself if it comes on the side.
Try in Charleston
Lowcountry boil
Shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob and potatoes boiled together with seafood seasoning and tipped out onto newspaper-covered tables. It is a social, eat-with-your-hands meal.
Where: Casual seafood spots on Folly Beach, James Island and Shem Creek, especially in summer.
Try in Charleston
Oyster roast
Clusters of local oysters steamed under wet burlap over a fire and shucked at long tables. Oyster roasts are a cold-season tradition, held at festivals, fundraisers and some restaurants from autumn to early spring.
Where: Seasonal events and oyster bars; raw local oysters also feature on raw-bar menus downtown.
Try in Savannah
Southern fried chicken, family style
Lunch at long shared tables loaded with bowls of fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, okra, mac and cheese, cornbread and banana pudding. Strangers pass dishes to each other like family.
Where: Long-running family-style dining rooms in the historic district, where queues form before opening.
Try in Savannah · Vegetarian
Pralines
Pecan-and-brown-sugar candies, still warm when made in the window of River Street candy shops, where staff hand out free samples. Bear claws and pecan log rolls are close relatives.
Where: Candy kitchens along River Street and around the City Market.
Try in Savannah · Vegetarian
Leopold's ice cream
An ice cream parlour founded in 1919 by Greek immigrant brothers, known for tutti-frutti and seasonal flavours served in an old-fashioned soda fountain setting.
Where: Broughton Street; expect a queue on summer evenings, though it moves quickly.
Try in Key West
Key West pink shrimp
Sweet, firm shrimp caught in local waters, served peel-and-eat, grilled, fried or in a basket with fries.
Where: Raw bars at Key West Bight and dockside restaurants on Stock Island.
Try in Key West · Vegetarian
Cuban coffee
Strong, sweet espresso served in small cups or a 'colada' for sharing, or as café con leche with steamed milk and buttered Cuban toast for breakfast.
Where: Walk-up coffee windows across the island, especially in the morning.
Try in Key West
Hogfish sandwich
Mild, flaky white hogfish fillet, usually fried or grilled with onions and peppers on Cuban bread. Hogfish is speared by divers rather than caught on lines.
Where: Dockside restaurants on Stock Island and the Historic Seaport.
Try in Maui · Vegetarian
Banana bread on the Road to Hāna
Warm, dense banana bread from roadside stands along the Hāna Highway has become part of the drive; the Keʻanae Peninsula stand is one of the best known.
Where: Roadside stands on the Hāna Highway, especially around Keʻanae; bring cash.
Try in Maui
Kalua pig
Pork slow-cooked in an underground imu oven until smoky and shredded, the centrepiece of a lūʻau, often served with cabbage.
Where: Lūʻau in Kāʻanapali and Wailea, and plate-lunch counters island-wide.
Try in Maui
Huli huli chicken
Chicken marinated in a sweet soy-ginger sauce and grilled over kiawe wood on rotisserie racks, sold by the half from roadside stands.
Where: Roadside stands on weekends, including on the road to Kahakuloa and around Kahului.
Try in Anchorage
Wild salmon
King, sockeye and silver salmon from Alaskan rivers, served grilled, smoked, as salmon chowder or in salmon burgers. Fresh fish is best from late May to September.
Where: Seafood restaurants downtown and in Girdwood; smoked salmon from local fish shops.
Try in Anchorage
Halibut
Firm white Pacific halibut, often served as beer-battered fish and chips, grilled fillets or halibut tacos.
Where: Casual seafood restaurants and food trucks across the city.
Try in Anchorage
King crab
Huge, sweet red king crab legs from the Bering Sea, steamed and served with butter; usually the most expensive item on the menu.
Where: Seafood restaurants downtown; prices vary with the season and catch.
Try in Salt Lake City · Vegetarian
Fry sauce
A pink mix of ketchup and mayonnaise, sometimes with pickle juice or spices, served with fries at nearly every burger stand in Utah.
Where: Local burger drive-ins across the valley; ask for it if it does not arrive automatically.
Try in Salt Lake City
Pastrami burger
A cheeseburger piled with shaved pastrami, a local favourite made famous by Greek-American burger chains in Salt Lake City.
Where: Long-running burger chains and diners across the valley.
Try in Salt Lake City · Vegetarian
Utah scones
Not the British kind: pillows of fried bread dough served hot with honey butter, more like fry bread than a baked scone.
Where: Diners and scone shops in the valley, usually at breakfast.
Try in Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · Vegetarian
Kaʻū coffee
A less-known coffee from the southern Kaʻū district, grown on former sugar land and increasingly award-winning.
Where: Farm stands in Pāhala and Nāʻālehu and speciality shops on the island.
Try in Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · Vegetarian
Sweet bread
Soft, sweet Portuguese-style bread, sometimes flavoured with taro or guava, a favourite road-trip snack.
Where: Bakeries in Nāʻālehu in the Kaʻū district, on the drive between Kona and the volcano.
Try in Big Island (Hawaiʻi) · Vegetarian
Macadamia nuts
The Big Island grows most of Hawaiʻi's macadamia nuts, sold roasted, salted or coated in chocolate.
Where: Farm visitor centres near Hilo, markets and supermarkets.
Try in Kauaʻi · Vegetarian
Poi and taro
Kauaʻi grows much of Hawaiʻi's wetland taro, especially in Hanalei Valley; it is pounded into poi or used in taro rolls, chips and smoothies.
Where: Hawaiian food restaurants, lūʻau and North Shore stands selling taro products.
Try in Kauaʻi
Kalua pork
Pork shoulder slow-cooked in an imu (underground oven) with banana leaves until smoky and tender, often served with cabbage.
Where: Lūʻau at Poʻipū and Wailua, and as a plate-lunch option.
Try in Kauaʻi · Vegetarian
Lilikoʻi chiffon pie
Light, tangy passion-fruit chiffon pie, a classic of old-style Kauaʻi diners and bakeries.
Where: Long-established diners in Līhuʻe and bakeries around the island.
Try in Napa Valley · Vegetarian
Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The valley's signature wine: rich, structured Cabernet from benchland sites in Oakville and Rutherford and mountain vineyards such as Howell Mountain and Spring Mountain.
Where: Estate tasting rooms along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, and downtown Napa tasting rooms.
Try in Napa Valley · Vegetarian
Carneros sparkling wine and Chardonnay
The cool Carneros district produces crisp Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and méthode champenoise sparkling wines.
Where: Domaine Carneros and other Carneros estates, and tasting rooms across the valley.
Try in Napa Valley
Tasting menus
Napa's top restaurants serve multi-course tasting menus built around local farm produce, from Yountville's The French Laundry to restaurants in St Helena and Napa.
Where: Yountville, St Helena and downtown Napa; reservations at the best-known restaurants open weeks or months ahead.
Try in Palm Springs · Vegetarian
Date shake
Blended dates, vanilla ice cream and milk make a thick, caramel-sweet shake that has been the Coachella Valley's signature treat since the early 20th century, when date palms were planted around Indio.
Where: Shields Date Garden in Indio has served them since the 1920s; Hadley Fruit Orchards in Cabazon is a classic stop on the drive in from Los Angeles.
Try in Palm Springs · Vegetarian
Medjool and Deglet Noor dates
Most US dates are grown in the Coachella Valley. Medjools are large, soft and toffee-like; Deglet Noors are firmer and less sweet. Farm shops sell many rarer varieties for tasting.
Where: Date farm shops around Indio and Thermal, and seasonal stalls at the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.
Try in Palm Springs
Tacos and Mexican plates
The valley has a large Mexican-American community, and taquerías serve carne asada, al pastor and fish tacos alongside burritos and tortas. Many places make tortillas in-house.
Where: Family-run taquerías along Indian Canyon Drive and in Cathedral City, Coachella and Indio, which have some of the most traditional cooking.
Try in Minneapolis
Jucy Lucy
A burger with molten cheese sealed inside the patty, served so hot that the first bite needs care. Two south Minneapolis bars both claim to have invented it in the 1950s.
Where: Matt's Bar (spelling it Jucy Lucy) and the 5-8 Club (Juicy Lucy) in south Minneapolis.
Try in Minneapolis
Walleye
Minnesota's state fish is a mild, flaky freshwater fish, usually served pan-fried or beer-battered, in sandwiches or with wild rice. Fish fries are popular on Fridays during Lent.
Where: Supper clubs, bars and riverfront restaurants; many menus label it as Canadian or Minnesota walleye.
Try in Minneapolis
Wild rice soup
A creamy soup of nutty wild rice, a grain harvested by Ojibwe communities on Minnesota's lakes, usually with chicken, carrots and celery. It is a classic winter lunch.
Where: Cafés, delis and lunch counters across the Twin Cities; packaged hand-harvested wild rice makes a good souvenir.
Try in Pittsburgh
Primanti Bros. sandwich
Grilled meat and cheese piled on thick Italian bread with tomato, vinegar coleslaw and a fistful of fries inside the sandwich, created for truckers and produce workers in the Strip District in the 1930s.
Where: The original Primanti Bros. on 18th Street in the Strip District, and its branches around the city and at the stadiums.
Try in Pittsburgh · Vegetarian
Pierogies
Dumplings stuffed with potato and cheese, sauerkraut or farmer's cheese, then boiled and fried in butter with onions. Brought by Polish, Ukrainian and Slovak immigrants, they are Pittsburgh's signature comfort food.
Where: Church pierogi sales and festivals, Eastern European delis and bars, and the frozen aisle of every supermarket.
Try in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh salad
A green salad topped with grilled steak or chicken, cheese and a heap of french fries, often with ranch dressing. Visitors are surprised; locals are not.
Where: Diners, bars and family restaurants across the city.
Try in Baltimore
Crab cakes
Baltimore crab cakes are mostly jumbo lump crabmeat with as little filler as possible, broiled or fried and served with crackers or on a sandwich.
Where: Faidley's Seafood at Lexington Market is the classic; seafood restaurants in Fells Point and Federal Hill also serve them.
Try in Baltimore
Maryland crab soup and cream of crab
Two soups, often ordered as a half-and-half 'mix': Maryland crab soup is a spicy tomato and vegetable broth with crab, and cream of crab is a rich, sherry-laced bisque.
Where: Most seafood restaurants and crab houses; ask for a 'half and half' to try both.
Try in Baltimore
Pit beef
Top round roasted over charcoal until crusty outside and rare inside, sliced thin and piled on a roll with raw onion and 'tiger sauce', a horseradish and mayonnaise sauce.
Where: Roadside stands along Pulaski Highway east of the city, and at Camden Yards on game days.
Try in Asheville
Mountain trout
Rainbow trout raised in cold mountain streams of western North Carolina, served pan-fried, smoked or as smoked-trout dip.
Where: Farm-to-table restaurants across the city and smoked trout at local markets.
Try in Asheville · Vegetarian
Ramps
Wild leeks with a strong garlic and onion flavour that grow in the Appalachian forests in spring. Chefs fold them into eggs, pesto and potatoes for a few weeks each year.
Where: Restaurant menus and farmers' markets in April and May.
Try in Asheville · Vegetarian
Sourwood honey
A light, caramel-like honey made from the blossoms of the sourwood tree, which flowers in the southern Appalachians in midsummer; it is prized and often sells out.
Where: Farmers' markets, craft shops and the Western North Carolina Farmers Market.
Try in Memphis
Dry-rub ribs
Pork ribs charcoal-grilled and coated in a dry rub of paprika, garlic and spices rather than sauce, the style that made Memphis barbecue famous. Ribs ordered 'wet' come basted in sauce instead.
Where: Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, in an alley across from the Peabody, has served them since 1948; barbecue joints across the city offer both dry and wet.
Try in Memphis
Pulled pork sandwich
Slow-smoked pork shoulder, chopped or pulled, piled on a soft bun and topped with tangy coleslaw, usually with a sweet, tomato-based sauce on the side.
Where: Barbecue restaurants and roadside joints throughout the city.
Try in Memphis
Barbecue spaghetti
A Memphis original: spaghetti tossed in barbecue sauce with smoked pork, served as a side or a main.
Where: Many traditional barbecue joints offer it as a side; ask if it is not on the board.
Try in St. Louis
Toasted ravioli
Meat-filled ravioli breaded and deep-fried until crisp, dusted with Parmesan and served with marinara for dipping. Restaurants on The Hill claim to have invented it.
Where: Italian restaurants on The Hill and appetiser menus all over the city.
Try in St. Louis · Vegetarian
St. Louis-style pizza
A cracker-thin, unleavened crust topped with Provel, a processed blend of cheddar, Swiss and provolone, and cut into squares rather than slices.
Where: Local chains such as Imo's and neighbourhood pizzerias.
Try in St. Louis · Vegetarian
Gooey butter cake
A dense, flat coffee cake with a sticky, sweet butter-and-sugar layer on top, created by St. Louis's German-American bakers in the 1930s.
Where: Local bakeries across the city, sold by the slice or whole.
Try in Kansas City
Burnt ends
The crusty, fatty point end of a smoked brisket, cut into cubes and sauced. Once given away as scraps at the counter, they became the city's signature barbecue order; some pits now make them from pork belly too.
Where: Long-running barbecue joints across the city; Arthur Bryant's at 18th & Brooklyn and Jack Stack's Freight House are classic stops.
Try in Kansas City
Kansas City ribs
Pork spare ribs slow-smoked over hickory and served with a thick, sweet tomato-and-molasses sauce — the style most of America thinks of as barbecue sauce.
Where: Gates Bar-B-Q's locations (where staff greet you with a shouted 'Hi, may I help you?'), Q39 and Jack Stack.
Try in Kansas City
The Z-Man sandwich
Smoked brisket, provolone and two onion rings on a kaiser roll, the best-known order at Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que.
Where: Joe's original location inside a working gas station on 47th Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas; expect a queue out of the door.
Try in Tampa
Tampa Cuban sandwich
Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed in Cuban bread — and, in Tampa's version, Genoa salami, a nod to the city's Italian cigar workers. The city council adopted it as the official 'historic Tampa Cuban sandwich'.
Where: Ybor City bakeries and cafés and long-running Cuban sandwich counters across West Tampa.
Try in Tampa · Vegetarian
Cuban bread
A long, light loaf with a crackly crust, traditionally baked with a palmetto frond laid along the top to create its distinctive seam.
Where: La Segunda Central Bakery in Ybor City has baked it since 1915 and supplies many of the city's restaurants.
Try in Tampa
Spanish bean soup
Chickpeas simmered with chorizo, ham, potatoes and saffron, served as a hearty starter in Tampa's Spanish restaurants since the early 1900s.
Where: The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City is the classic place to try it, often with the 1905 Salad.
Try in Fort Lauderdale
Smoked fish dip
Smoked local fish such as mahi-mahi or kingfish blended with cream cheese and spices, served with crackers, jalapeños and hot sauce — the classic South Florida starter.
Where: Waterfront fish shacks, marinas and seafood markets around the Intracoastal and in Dania Beach.
Try in Fort Lauderdale
Grouper or mahi-mahi sandwich
A thick fillet of local fish, grilled, fried or blackened, on a bun — the default beach lunch.
Where: Beach bars on A1A, marina restaurants and dock-and-dine spots on the Intracoastal.
Try in Fort Lauderdale
Jamaican jerk chicken and beef patties
Broward County has a large Jamaican community, and jerk chicken smoked with allspice and Scotch bonnet chillies, oxtail stew and flaky beef patties are everyday food here.
Where: Family-run Caribbean restaurants and bakeries in Lauderhill and Lauderdale Lakes, west of downtown.
Try in Myrtle Beach
Calabash-style seafood
Shrimp, oysters, flounder and scallops in a light, crisp batter, fried quickly and served in heaped platters with hushpuppies and coleslaw. The style is named after the fishing village of Calabash just over the North Carolina line.
Where: Seafood restaurants along Kings Highway and in Calabash itself, about 40 minutes north.
Try in Myrtle Beach
Seafood buffet
Huge all-you-can-eat buffets of crab legs, fried shrimp, oysters and Southern sides are a Myrtle Beach tradition, especially along Restaurant Row on North Kings Highway.
Where: Restaurant Row and Kings Highway; go hungry and check whether crab legs cost extra.
Try in Myrtle Beach · Vegetarian
Hushpuppies
Deep-fried balls of cornmeal batter, sometimes with onion, served free with almost every seafood plate. Some places serve them with honey butter.
Where: Every seafood restaurant on the coast.
Food scene by destination
| Destination | Food experience | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Smorgasburg | Menu prices exclude sales tax of about 8.9%, and a tip of 18–20% is expected at sit-down restaurants. |
| Los Angeles | Taco truck crawl | LA dines early: restaurants are busiest from about 7pm, and many kitchens outside nightlife areas stop serving by around 10pm. |
| San Francisco | Ferry Building and farmers market | Many restaurants add a surcharge of a few percent for staff healthcare or wages; it is listed on the menu and is separate from the tip. |
| Las Vegas | Weekend buffet brunch | Book popular restaurants and weekend brunches ahead, especially on Friday and Saturday nights and during big conventions. |
| Miami | Ventanita coffee stop | Check the bill: many Miami Beach restaurants automatically add an 18–20% service charge, so you do not need to tip twice. |
| Orlando | EPCOT World Showcase | Disney restaurant reservations open well in advance, and popular table-service and character meals fill quickly; book as soon as your… |
| Chicago | Randolph Street restaurant row | Sales tax on restaurant bills downtown is above 10%, so the final bill will be noticeably higher than menu prices before you add a tip. |
| Washington, D.C. | Maine Avenue Fish Market | Restaurant prices don't include sales tax, which is around 10% on meals in the city, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top. |
| Boston | North End food walk | Massachusetts adds a meals tax of about 7% to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top. |
| New Orleans | Jazz brunch | Sales tax of nearly 10% is added to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top. |
| Honolulu | Lūʻau | Hawaiʻi's general excise tax is added to restaurant bills, and a tip of 18–20% is expected on top. |
| San Diego | Taco shop crawl | Taco shops are counter-service and often open late or around the clock; you order and pay at the window. |
| Seattle | Pike Place grazing | Seattle eats early by US big-city standards; many kitchens wind down around 9–10pm outside Capitol Hill and downtown. |
| Portland | Food-cart pod crawl | Oregon has no sales tax, so menu prices are only increased by the tip. |
| Austin | Barbecue queue | Famous barbecue spots often sell out by early afternoon; arrive before opening. |
| Nashville | Hot-chicken comparison | Popular restaurants book up on weekends; reserve ahead in Germantown, East Nashville and the Gulch. |
| Denver | Brewery crawl | Drink more water than usual at altitude, and remember alcohol hits harder at 1,600 metres. |
| Philadelphia | Reading Terminal Market grazing | Check whether a restaurant is BYOB before you go; many small places have no licence and welcome your own bottle, sometimes with a small… |
| Atlanta | Meat-and-three lunch | Atlanta eats a little earlier than coastal cities; popular restaurants fill from about 7pm and many kitchens wind down by 10pm. |
| San Antonio | Pearl Farmers Market | Many taquerías serve breakfast tacos only until late morning; go early. |
| Dallas | Barbecue queue | Top barbecue spots can sell out of brisket by mid-afternoon; go early. |
| Houston | Crawfish season boil | Houston is built for driving to dinner; plan transport between neighbourhoods, as restaurants are spread out. |
| Phoenix | Sonoran hot dog crawl | In summer, locals eat late and outdoors only after sunset; patios have misters and heaters for the season. |
| Sedona | Sunset dinner with a view | Book dinner ahead at popular restaurants, especially at weekends and in spring and autumn; Sedona has fewer tables than visitors. |
| Charleston | Shem Creek seafood at sunset | Book dinner at well-known downtown restaurants several days ahead for Friday and Saturday, and weeks ahead during Spoleto or Charleston… |
| Savannah | Family-style Southern lunch | Popular family-style lunch spots do not take reservations, so join the queue before they open. |
| Key West | Key lime pie comparison | Popular breakfast and dinner spots fill up in high season; reserve dinner or arrive early. |
| Maui | Lūʻau | Most restaurants close relatively early; plan dinner by 8pm outside the resort areas. |
| Anchorage | Salmon bake | Book dinner at popular seafood restaurants ahead in July and August, when cruise and tour visitors fill the city. |
| Salt Lake City | Downtown Farmers Market | Utah's alcohol laws are stricter than most states: wine, spirits and stronger beer are sold at state-run liquor stores, and restaurants… |
| Big Island (Hawaiʻi) | Coffee farm tasting | Many restaurants close by 8:30–9pm, especially in Hilo and smaller towns. |
| Kauaʻi | Food-truck lunch | Restaurants close early, often by 9pm, especially on the North Shore and West Side. |
| Napa Valley | Seated estate tasting | Book tastings and dinners in advance; many wineries operate by appointment only. |
| Palm Springs | Date garden visit | Book dinner ahead from January to April, and especially during Modernism Week, the film festival and the Coachella weekends. |
| Minneapolis | Eat Street | Minnesotans eat early: many restaurants are busiest from 6pm to 8pm and kitchens close earlier than in coastal cities. |
| Pittsburgh | Strip District grazing | Book dinner at popular Lawrenceville and downtown restaurants ahead on Steelers weekends and theatre nights. |
| Baltimore | Crab feast | Steamed crabs are priced by size and the day's catch; ask where they are from, as some come from outside the Chesapeake out of season. |
| Asheville | Brewery hop | Book dinner well ahead for October weekends, when leaf-season crowds fill restaurants. |
| Memphis | Barbecue crawl | Order ribs 'dry' to taste the classic Memphis rub, or 'wet' if you prefer sauce; many places offer half and half. |
| St. Louis | Dinner on The Hill | Book popular restaurants on The Hill ahead for weekend dinners. |
| Kansas City | A barbecue crawl | Barbecue is a lunch meal for many locals, and the best-known places can sell out of burnt ends by evening. |
| Tampa | Ybor City food walk | Cuban bakeries are busiest early in the morning; deviled crabs and fresh bread can sell out by lunchtime. |
| Fort Lauderdale | Dock and dine on the Intracoastal | Winter and spring are peak season; book popular Las Olas and waterfront restaurants for weekend dinners. |
| Myrtle Beach | Sunset dinner on the MarshWalk | Early-bird specials before about 5:30pm are common and can save a lot on dinner. |
Food experiences
- New York City — Smorgasburg: An open-air food market with dozens of vendors, held at weekends from spring to autumn on the Williamsburg waterfront and in Prospect Park.
- Los Angeles — Taco truck crawl: In the evening, trucks and stands set up across East LA, Boyle Heights and South LA.
- San Francisco — Ferry Building and farmers market: Browse the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, then pick up oysters, cheese and bread inside the Ferry Building for a waterfront picnic.
- Las Vegas — Weekend buffet brunch: Weekend brunch buffets at the big resorts add sparkling wine packages and made-to-order stations; arrive early to avoid the longest queues and pace yourself.
- Miami — Ventanita coffee stop: Order a colada at a Cuban coffee window, share it in thimble-sized cups and add a pastelito or croqueta, as Miamians do every morning and mid-afternoon.
- Orlando — EPCOT World Showcase: Graze through the country pavilions — Mexico, Norway, Japan, Morocco, France and more — and, during festivals, try small plates from extra booths around the lake.
- Chicago — Randolph Street restaurant row: The West Loop's Randolph Street and Fulton Market are lined with chef-driven restaurants in former warehouses.
- Washington, D.C. — Maine Avenue Fish Market: Operating at the Southwest waterfront since the early 19th century, the open-air market sells steamed crabs, raw oysters and fried fish to eat on the pier by the Wharf.
Questions travellers ask
+What food is United States famous for?
New York pizza slice, Bagel with lox, Pastrami on rye, Tacos al pastor and French dip sandwich.