50 American Foods to Try Before Anything Else
American food is a continent's worth of regional traditions: barbecue smoked overnight in Texas, chowder ladled out in New England, gumbo simmering in Louisiana and pie cooling on every diner counter. Here are fifty classics worth seeking out — our picks, in the order we'd recommend starting.
Entries 1–10
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Cheeseburger
The American icon: a griddled or flame-grilled beef patty with melted cheese on a soft bun — endlessly argued over and perfected everywhere from diners to backyards.
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New York pizza slice
The foldable, thin-crust slice sold from counters all over the five boroughs — best eaten standing up, ideally within minutes of leaving the oven.
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Chicago deep-dish pizza
Chicago's famous knife-and-fork pizza: a tall buttery crust filled with cheese and chunky tomato sauce, invented in the city in the 1940s.
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Chicago-style hot dog
An all-beef frank 'dragged through the garden' — mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport peppers and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. Never ketchup.
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Corn dog
A hot dog dipped in cornmeal batter and deep-fried on a stick — the taste of every American state fair.
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Texas smoked brisket
Beef brisket rubbed simply with salt and pepper and smoked low and slow over oak for many hours — the crown jewel of Texas barbecue.
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Carolina pulled pork
Pork shoulder smoked until it falls apart, dressed Carolina-style with a vinegar-based sauce and piled onto buns with slaw.
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Baby back ribs
Pork ribs smoked or slow-cooked until tender and lacquered with barbecue sauce — a staple of cookouts and rib joints nationwide.
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Southern fried chicken
Buttermilk-brined chicken fried in a seasoned crust — the South's most famous dish and one of America's great culinary exports.
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Nashville hot chicken
Fried chicken slathered in cayenne-laced oil, served on white bread with pickles — a Nashville institution that ranges from mild to punishing.
Entries 11–20
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Chicken and waffles
Crisp fried chicken on a sweet waffle with syrup — a soul food and brunch classic with deep roots in Harlem and the South.
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Buffalo wings
Deep-fried chicken wings tossed in cayenne-pepper hot sauce and butter, invented at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, and served with blue cheese and celery.
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Baked mac and cheese
Macaroni baked in a rich cheese sauce until browned and bubbling — an American comfort-food cornerstone, especially in Southern cooking.
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New England clam chowder
A creamy soup of clams, potatoes and onion — thick, pale and utterly tied to the New England coast, often served in a bread bowl.
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Maine lobster roll
Chunks of fresh lobster in a split-top buttered bun, served cold with mayo or warm with butter — the taste of the Maine coast in summer.
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Maryland crab cakes
Lumps of blue crab lightly bound and seasoned with Old Bay, pan-fried or broiled — the Chesapeake Bay's proudest dish.
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Shrimp and grits
Sauteed shrimp over creamy stone-ground grits — a Lowcountry breakfast from the Carolinas that became a Southern restaurant standard.
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Gumbo
Louisiana's deep, dark stew built on a long-cooked roux, with shrimp, sausage or chicken, ladled over rice — Creole and Cajun cooking in one bowl.
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Jambalaya
A one-pot Louisiana rice dish with sausage, chicken or seafood cooked into the rice itself — cousin to paella, seasoned like nowhere else.
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Po' boy
New Orleans' signature sandwich: fried shrimp, oysters or roast beef with gravy, 'dressed' on crackly New Orleans French bread.
Entries 21–30
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Beignets
Pillowy squares of fried dough buried in powdered sugar — the classic New Orleans treat, traditionally with a cafe au lait.
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Crawfish boil
A Louisiana ritual: crawfish boiled with corn, potatoes and heavy spice, dumped on newspaper-covered tables and eaten by hand in season.
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Philly cheesesteak
Thin-sliced ribeye griddled with onions and topped with melted cheese — often Cheez Whiz — on a long roll; a Philadelphia institution since the 1930s.
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Reuben sandwich
Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing grilled on rye — a deli classic found on menus across the country.
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Pastrami on rye
Hand-cut, peppery smoked pastrami stacked improbably high on rye bread with mustard — the defining sandwich of the New York Jewish deli.
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Bagel with lox and cream cheese
A boiled-then-baked bagel with silky cured salmon, cream cheese, capers and onion — a New York breakfast tradition.
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Cuban sandwich
Roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed on Cuban bread — a Florida classic, with Tampa and Miami both claiming the crown.
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Breakfast tacos
Soft flour tortillas filled with eggs, potato, bacon or chorizo — an everyday Texas obsession, with Austin and San Antonio leading the way.
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Tex-Mex fajitas
Sizzling platters of grilled skirt steak or chicken with peppers and onions, wrapped at the table in warm flour tortillas — a Texas border invention.
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Chili con carne
A slow-simmered stew of beef and chiles; Texans famously insist on no beans, and the argument is half the fun.
Entries 31–40
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Cornbread
Quick bread made from cornmeal, baked in a skillet — the essential partner to chili and barbecue, sweet or savory depending on where you are.
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Biscuits and gravy
Flaky buttermilk biscuits smothered in peppery sausage cream gravy — the heavyweight champion of Southern breakfasts.
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Meatloaf
Seasoned ground beef baked in a loaf with a tomato glaze, served with mashed potatoes — mid-century American home cooking at its most comforting.
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Pot roast
Beef braised slowly with carrots, onions and potatoes until spoon-tender — the classic American Sunday dinner.
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Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing
The centerpiece of America's biggest food holiday: roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy.
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Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Buttery griddled cheese sandwich dunked in tomato soup — the classic American lunch pairing, especially on a cold day.
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Sloppy joe
Loose, sweet-savory ground beef in tomato sauce spooned onto a soft bun — a school-cafeteria and family-dinner standby with a self-explanatory name.
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Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
The PB&J: America's lunchbox staple, elevated to national-treasure status by sheer ubiquity and nostalgia.
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Hush puppies
Crisp balls of fried cornmeal batter served alongside fried fish and barbecue throughout the South.
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Fried green tomatoes
Firm unripe tomatoes sliced, cornmeal-crusted and fried — a Southern side dish made nationally famous by the 1991 film of the same name.
Entries 41–50
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Baja fish tacos
Battered or grilled white fish in corn tortillas with cabbage, crema and lime — a Baja California import that became a Southern California signature.
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Hawaiian poke
Cubes of raw, seasoned fish — classically ahi tuna with soy, sesame and onion — a Hawaiian staple now found across the mainland.
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Loco moco
Hawaii's ultimate comfort plate: rice topped with a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy.
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Pancakes with maple syrup
A tall stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with butter and real maple syrup — the American diner breakfast in its purest form.
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Glazed doughnuts
The classic American doughnut: yeast-raised, fried and dipped in shiny sugar glaze, best eaten warm from an independent shop.
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Cinnamon rolls
Soft spiraled buns heavy with cinnamon sugar and topped with icing — a bakery and weekend-breakfast favorite from coast to coast.
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Apple pie
Spiced apples under a flaky double crust — 'as American as apple pie' for a reason, especially warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Pecan pie
A sweet, sticky filling of pecans, eggs and syrup in a single crust — the pride of the Southern holiday table.
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Key lime pie
Florida's official state pie: tart key lime custard in a graham cracker crust, born in the Florida Keys.
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New York cheesecake
Dense, rich cream-cheese cheesecake in the style made famous by New York's delis and diners — the definitive American cheesecake.
Rankings are our editorial picks, not objective measurements. Details like hours, access and booking can change — always check ahead with the official site before you travel.