When travelling from Dubai to the U.S., you can’t miss enjoying a delicious meal in the U.S. If you are wondering where to travel for a cosy meal, we have several foodie cities to suggest to you.
Foodies in America, you don’t have to leave the country to enjoy revolutionary and plain-old delicious cuisine.
The U.S. has dozens of fantastic food cities, each with its own undiscovered treasures, renowned hotspots, and everything in between.
Get ready to dig in and explore food cities, from large cities like New York City and San Francisco to delightful picks like Greenville, South Carolina, and Tucson, Arizona, among others.
Best Foodie Cities in the US to Visit
Below are some of the best places to travel for foodies:
#1 New York City, New York
You can enjoy any cuisine in New York City’s 300-square-mile area. The city is a melting pot of cultures ranging from the delicious authentic dim sum at Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown or mouthwatering bagels and smear plus meat-piled sandwiches at one of the city’s dozens of Jewish delis like Katz’s.
Don’t limit yourself to Manhattan either, as you can binge your way through the five boroughs, including stops in Astoria and Jackson Heights (in Queens) for legit Greek and Himalayan fare, respectively.
Arthur Avenue in The Bronx and Staten Island offer some of the city’s best Italian cuisine, while Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood is home to a number of Polish bakeries such as Syrena.
The Big Apples have over 70 Michelin-starred restaurants, including high-end establishments like Le Bernardin and casual but still wonderful spots like Jeju Noodle Bar. You may find some of the best food in the most unlikely places.
#2 New Orleans, Louisiana
Food in New Orleans’ is just as diversified as its cultural influences from Europe, the Caribbean, and Africa. The Big Easy is big on flavor, and savory staples in the city include po’boys Sammy’s is a local favorite), jambalaya (the one at Mother’s is *chef’s kiss*), gumbo (dig in at the aptly named Gumbo Shop), crawfish etouffee (check out Creole House), and muffulettas (grab yours at the Verti Marte, which is open 24/7). These are, of course, best paired with live jazz.
Save a room for powdered sugar-covered beignets at Cafe Du Monde, which is mostly crowded but still worth the wait, and finish with NOLA’s most iconic cocktail, the Sazerac, at the Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt Hotel.
#3 Chicago, Illinois
Chicago residents are enthusiastic about their ketchup-free hot dogs and their deep-dish pizzas. The two delicacies are best enjoyed at Jimmy’s Red Hots, and Windy City staples Pequod’s, respectively. The city also boasts over 50 James Beard Award winners and 20-plus Michelin-star-awarded restaurants, inclusive of the world-famous Alinea, famous for its creative multi course tasting menus. Newest joints include the 24,000 square-foot Chicago Winery, which is one part winery, one part restaurant, and one part bar and events space, and the 17,000 square-foot Kindling, a live show kitchen lead by Jonathan Sawyer (James Beard Award Winner).
#4 San Francisco California
The culinary offering in San Francisco is just as impressive as its innovative tech scene. It is the most restaurant-dense city in the country, and diners can pamper themselves with dozens of Michelin-starred meals at acclaimed eateries like Atelier Crenn (haute French cuisine is served in a swanky space), Mister Jiu’s (features contemporary Chinese-American fare), and Lazy Bear (bills itself as a “modern American dinner party). For something more casual, visit the Building Marketplace, which is teeming with locally loved food vendors like Acme Bread Company, Dandelion Chocolate, El Porteño Empanadas, Donut Farm, and Hog Island Oyster Company. To complete your trip in the city, you should sample some sourdough from Josey Baker Bread or Boudin Bakery and namesake Mission burritos from Taqueria Cancún, preferably.
#5 Houston, Texas
Houston, popularly known as Bayou City, is America’s most diverse city and one of the top destinations for foodies. You can get the Viet-Cajun fusion at Crawfish & Noodles, the Southeast Asian-Latin American cuisine at Hawker Street Food Bar, found at Post Market. Post is an international food haul featuring fantastic eats from acclaimed chefs. Some of the top joints include ChópnBlok, which offers West African fare, and East Side King, which serves up Japanese street food like pork buns and beet home fries. You can feast on Korean-Mexican fusion, like Korean barbeque tacos from the award-winning Coreanos.
#6 Tucson, Arizona
In 2015, Tucson became the first U.S. city to be recognized as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and it is widely known for its distinct Native American and Mexican cuisines. Prickly pear margaritas and nopales (edible cacti) are the staples in this city. The vibrant downtown district has 0ver 85 bars and restaurants, including Bata, which offers a largely veggie-focused menu (90 percent of the veggies are sourced within 400 miles of the restaurant), and Boca (famous for its flavorful tacos and salsa flights). Tucson will welcome an additional 13 new joints in 2023, one of which is the brand-new Blue Front, whose menu highlights include orange wines, creative cocktails, made-from-scratch pies, and deviled eggs.
#7 Cleveland, Ohio
The underestimated but broad food scene(over 100 diverse ethnicities in the city) in This Midwestern city is supported by adjacent farms, regional suppliers, and trailblazing chefs. Visit the West Side Market, an indoor-outdoor market for Cleveland’s best eats. Local retailers include Orale! Contemporary Mexican Cuisine, Pierogi Palace, Frank’s Bratwurst, Theresa’s Bakery, and Crepes de Luxe. For an afternoon treat, visit AsiaTown for dim sum and Slavic Village for pierogies. Black-owned and Black-led restaurants include Pearl’s Kitchen, Yonder, and Cleveland Cold Brew. The city’s newest joints you should visit include the Cordelia and The Judith.
#8 Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, located in North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, is among the top best food cities in the U.S. There are over 120 restaurants in the city, and each offers something unique. Chai Pani, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant, serves mouthwatering Indian street food like chicken tikka rolls, crispy pakoras, and butter chicken in the beautiful scenery. Other remarkable spots to visit include the Cúrate, a trendy eatery housed in a 1927-era bus depot, and the Buxton Hall Barbecue, best known for its pulled pork.
#9 Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, best known for its bourbon, has a thrilling food scene with more than 2,500 restaurants and several award-winning chefs. Trail highlights the city’s best bourbon bars and restaurants(over 40), and the top best joints include Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar, Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen, and Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar. The Hot Brown, a delicious open-face sandwich made of turkey, bacon, tomatoes, and Mornay sauce smothered on Texas toast, is Louisville’s signature dish. The delicacy dates back to the 1920s when it was first invented at the Brown Hotel.
#10 Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville has, in recent years, transformed from a sleepy cotton mill town to a buzzing city with a diverse culinary scene that challenges the larger adjacent cities like Asheville and Charlotte. There are hundreds of locally owned joints, including Camp and Coral. The camp offers a bizarre menu featuring unique dishes like Thai-inspired calamari and lamb smothered in curry cream. The new-ish Great Jones offers fresh seafood, and the Methodical Coffee is great for an afternoon pick-me-up. The Scoundrel is a fantastic French brasserie headed by Joe Cash, an acclaimed chef, and Greenville native. Topsoil Kitchen & Market, run by the 2020 James Beard Award semifinalist Adam Cooke and the Comal 864, owned and operated by the 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist Dayna Lee-Marquez are must-see spots in the city.
Which US food cities would you most like to visit and why?
About Author: John is a travel blogger & wanderer living in the UAE and works as a travel expert for local tourism companies like Arooha.
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