Photo by Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock
The Top 6 Cities to Visit in the US for Food Lovers
With people from around the world heading to the US to pursue their own American dream, the United States often offers the best of a cuisine outside of its home country. Cities like New York allow you to eat your way almost completely around the world, without ever leaving. With the influx of immigrants bringing their recipes from home has also given birth to countless new culinary creations, unique to the US. Here are some of the best food cities in the US to head to if you're looking connect with this vibrant food scene.
table of contents
[x] close
The Top 6 Cities to Visit in the US for Food Lovers
San Francisco, California
Photo by IM_photo/Shutterstock
Often contending with NYC for the top spot of US food cities, San Fran is full of both fancy Michelin-starred restaurants and budget friendly eateries.
Neighboring North America's most famous wine region, the Napa Valley, the area around San Francisco is also perfect for growing a variety of delicious fruits and vegetables. With the recent ongoing food trend of farm to table restaurants, you'll find a number of places both high-end and budget fare that source all their ingredients locally.
Portland, Oregon
Photo by Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, Portland isn't usually too high on most traveler's wish list, most that do make it up here tend to visit Seattle instead. While the latter's champion coffee culture can't be disputed, in terms of food scenes, Portland takes the crown.
The city is best known for its food carts, which are grouped together in 'pods' somewhat similar to the outside hawker centers you'll find in Singapore. Offering traditional classics from the US and abroad along with innovative culinary creations, these pods are home to some of the best food in the city. They're best enjoyed with a few friends, grabbing a mix of different dishes to share, but we won't judge those who to keep all the delicious food to themselves.
Portland is also next to the vast Willamette Valley, which offers perfect conditions for growing fresh produce to supply the city, just another reason why food often tastes much better in the city.
New York City, New York
Photo by cocozero/Shutterstock
One of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, New York's demographics stretch from all around the world and it shows clearly in its diverse food scene. Whether its spicy dumplings from Tibet, West African stews or pancakes from Russia, you'll find almost any world cuisine here. Best of all, many of them are delicious, New Yorkers have no tolerance for poorly tasting food.
For those who find it impossible to make a journey across world in the near future, New York is the perfect spot to eat around the world without even leaving one city. With many of the eateries around the city opened to cater for low income workers, you'll find a huge range of price points, from budget street eats to fancy Italian eateries that'll impress even the most stubborn of dates.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Photo by f11photo/Shutterstock
For those looking to sample the country's delicious southern cuisine, New Orleans is a must. Famous in particular for the creole and cajun cuisines, influenced by the region's history as a part of France, along with other immigrant populations, New Orleans is home to a unique food scene you won't find anywhere else.
Los Angeles, California
Photo by Chones/Shutterstock
Any resident of LA will proudly claim their city beats out San Francisco for its food scene, but deciding on the real winner is a difficult feat. Truth be told, both cities have a vibrant and unrivaled food scene, for those with a little time make sure to head to both. As the bigger city by far, Los Angeles has an advantage for its sheer number of eateries. It's vicinity to the border with Mexico also tends to mean the Mexican food is unbeatable here, offering both traditional dishes and with Californian twists.
Austin, Texas
Photo by Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock
Texans tend to have a huge appetite and no tolerance for poorly made food. Austin is the capital of American barbecue, you'll find countless age-old restaurants that have been serving up delicious platters of slow-roasted beef brisket, ribs and other smoked meats for years. Everything from homemade sauces, to temperature and flavored smoke are all part of each eatery's secret recipe.
The city's culinary scene extends far beyond BBQ however, bordering Mexico means there are plenty of delicious Mexican restaurants along with the region's famous Tex-Mex sub-cuisine.
Conclusion
For anyone that considers themselves a 'foodie', taking a trip around the best food cities in the US is a pilgrimage that can't be missed. If you don't have enough time to travel the width of the country, consider breaking up the trip in different holidays. A visit to any of these cities will guarantee some delicious meals.
Hotel
