Inspiration Food Travel USA Travel Bucket List: Best Food in the USA Written by Melanie Renzulli and Sophia Melissa Caraballo Piñeiro Updated 06/26/19 Share Pin Email One of the joys of traveling through the United States is discovering the diversity of food that is available. Regions, states, and cities have their own specialty fare, ingredients, and must-visit restaurants and markets. Even those travelers who don't consider themselves gourmands may be inclined to plan an itinerary around a favorite food item, such as Chicago pizza or Memphis BBQ; or around a culinary landmark, like a Michelin-starred restaurant. The following is a list of some of the must-eat foods and must-visit restaurants, markets, and snack shacks across the USA. The items in this list are in no particular order. 01 of 20 Fish in Seattle Pike Place Market View Map Address 4435 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116-4108, USA Get directions Phone +1 206-938-7576 Web Visit website Watch the flying fish at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. Visit Rachel the Piggybank while shopping in the fish market, collectible shops, and specialty food vendors. Originally established in 1907, the Fish Market has gained an expansion called the MarketFront. 02 of 20 Tabasco in Louisiana Tabasco View Map Address 32 Wisteria Rd, Avery Island, LA 70513, USA Get directions Phone +1 337-373-6129 Web Visit website You can take a tour of the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island in Louisiana, but if you're just passing by, you can read what it's like to work as a Tabasco taste tester. 03 of 20 Michelin-Starred Resturants Michelin Guide Michelin-Starred restaurants are considered the pinnacle of dining (though there has been some blowback on that). Nevertheless, many foodies may aim to dine in at least one — if not all — of the Michelin-starred restaurants in the USA. 04 of 20 BBQs Eric William Ozbun / EyeEm / Getty Images BBQ is made differently in each nook and cranny of the country. You can sample each one of the USA's many different styles of BBQ, from Memphis-style to Kansas City to Texas barbecue brisket. Continue to 5 of 20 below. 05 of 20 Spicy New Orleans Bill Boch / Getty Images Indulge in the spicy flavors of Cajun and Creole cuisine in New Orleans. Trying their gumbo is a must and you can't leave without trying the pralines. 06 of 20 Cuban Food in Little Havana Boogich / Getty Images Enjoy authentic Cuban eats in Miami's Little Havana. Indulge your palate with their arroz con gris, while indulging your eyes and ears with the culture and the language. 07 of 20 Jewish Delis in New York City Carnegie Deli View Map Address 205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, USA Get directions Phone +1 212-254-2246 Web Visit website Go on a crawl of Jewish Delis in New York City. Some of the renowned Jewish Delis in New York City include Katz's and Carnegie Deli. 08 of 20 New York Bagels Lonely Planet / Getty Images Eating an authentic New York bagel is a must. Try one from one of the delis listed as the best places for New York City bagels. Continue to 9 of 20 below. 09 of 20 Ethnic Neighborhoods Sean Duan / Getty Images Some of the best food in the entire nation is cooked in various cities' ethnic neighborhoods. Some areas worth exploring for their culinary contributions include San Francisco's Chinatown and Saint Louis's Italian-American neighborhood The Hill, which is particularly known for its fried ravioli. 10 of 20 Kentucky Bourbon Trail John J. Miller Photography / Getty Images View Map Address 1325 S Hurstbourne Pkwy #105, Louisville, KY 40222, USA Get directions Phone +1 502-548-8302 Web Visit website Bourbon whiskey is particular to the United States, and the best place to experience it is along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. You can pick up a "passport" which will get stamped at every distillery and once completed, you'll receive a t-shirt for your journey. 11 of 20 Wine Country Martin Sundberg / Getty Images Everyone should visit California wine country, which includes regions north of San Francisco such as Napa and Sonoma, as well as the Central Coast such as Paso Robles. 12 of 20 Seafood Along the Coasts JuniperCreek / Getty Images With thousands of miles of coastline on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico, the United States can boast many seafood traditions. Two of them worth adding to a bucket list are dining on lobster in Maine and blue crabs in Maryland. Continue to 13 of 20 below. 13 of 20 Pizza Corners LauriPatterson / Getty Images Pizza is Italian in origin, but it has its own traditions in the United States. Both New York pizza and Chicago pizza deserve to be on the bucket list. 14 of 20 Burger Joints Eugene Mymrin / Getty Images Try one, if not all, of the best burgers in the USA. 15 of 20 Old Eating Paul Marotta View Map Address 26 Marlborough St, Newport, RI 02840, USA Get directions Phone +1 401-849-3600 Web Visit website Dine at one or all of America's oldest restaurants. They include the White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island; Union Oyster House in Boston; and Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans. 16 of 20 Lowcountry Cuisine A13ean/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0 Visit coastal Georgia and South Carolina to try Lowcountry Cuisine. Continue to 17 of 20 below. 17 of 20 Green Chiles in New Mexico sbossert / Getty Images View Map Address 1807 Don Lewis Dr, Artesia, NM 88210-9340, USA Get directions Phone +1 979-220-2090 Web Visit website Spice up your trip taste buds with some New Mexico green chiles. Check out the best restaurants for green chile dishes in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 18 of 20 Tex-Mex in Texas istetiana / Getty Images Try the Tex-Mex cuisine in Texas. Texas Monthly, the authority on all things Lone Star State, has published the 50 Best Mexican Restaurants in Texas. 19 of 20 Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia Thomas Firak Photography / Getty Images View Map Address 1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147, USA Get directions Phone +1 215-468-1546 Web Visit website Have a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia. Will you go to Pat's or Geno's, the best-known cheesesteak sellers in the city, or another vendor? 20 of 20 Good Eats in Hawaii Burke/Triolo Productions / Getty Images If you're willing to cross the ocean to our furthest state, you have to go to a luau in Hawaii. What's not to love about the warm weather, the salty air, and Hawaiian cuisine? Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Share Pin Email Tell us why! Submit