Land of the free, home of the brave — the United States of America is the epicenter of different cultures and cuisines. With this mixing, American food may be some of the tastiest, yet most calorie-dense food you can have. Pioneers of modern fast food, American dishes are known in every corner of the world. Ate at a Mcdonald's? Then you ate the hamburgers that the Americans perfected in their kitchens and shipped around the world for us to enjoy. While we know their most famous dishes, there is a lot more to discover about American foods.
Memed and laughed at, food in America is sometimes held as the fattiest food (or is it just jealousy?) While this might be true, at least the FDA has banned artificial trans fats! Either way, why travel around the world when you can try a huge variety of the best American dishes in eateries spawned across the country? By using uniquely American cleverness that the nation is blessed with, foods were combined, the best combos were found, and they spread around the world like wildfire. Do you call that bread and sausage combo of yours a sandwich? Try the American beef hamburger, friend, the best bread and meat combo in the world. Some dishes were even blessed with the title of American national dish, even though the whole world is eating them. If there are national dishes in your nation, it’s likely there are famous American dishes that did it better.
To get those veins pumping with flavors and calories that can only come from the food of the free and brave, Bored Panda took a look into the popular community of Ask Reddit to create a list of the best American foods, according to the opinions of the Reddit users. So prepare your taste buds and dive into the list below. Upvote those that you find most delicious and comment below if you’ve tried it, or found a way to improve it!
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"I'm Italian.
I still dream of the meat I've eaten in the USA.
Also, Mexican food. By that, I mean whatever it is you guys eat in California.
Also, junk food.
Also, I might have had the two best cakes of my life in the US. One was a carrot cake at a wedding, another one was a burnt-almond cake.
Also, everything that comes with Thanksgiving: the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the deviled eggs.
Also, apple pie.
Also, I forgot the most important thing!! IN N' OUT BURGERS.
Also, the breakfast. I loved having that giant ass food plated and infinite coffee refills.
Also, donuts from the local Chinese mom-and-pop store down the road.
Also, bagels.
I edited this post and will continue if more stuff comes to mind. The US doesn't get enough credit for food, especially by Italians."
Oh my gosh!!!! I'm not Italian, but I'm from CA and live across the country now. I miss GOOD Mexican food and I would do almost anything for an Inn-n-Out burger right now!!!!!!
"I hate to sound like an ignorant foreigner but a made from scratch Mac & Cheese with at least 3 different cheeses plus a crispy breadcrumb crust on top is one of my favorite American dishes."
"I saw this post and have been waiting for my non-American husband to come home. I asked him this question and fully expected him to say brisket or BBQ ribs. He straight up said, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I'm embarrassed."
"I took my German uncle to Waffle House when he visited, I swear that man ordered every item on the menu. Out of all the restaurants we went to, WH is the only one he still talks about."
Idgaf what anyone says, waffle house is great late night food. Country ham, cheesey eggs, and a chocolate chip waffle.
"Oh, this is easy!
My friend came to the UK and said she would make us Thanksgiving dinner. As they were cooking it, it sounded like the most vile thing in the world.
A pound of butter in the gravy? Marshmallow on sweet potatoe? Stuffing made with more butter, toasted cheap bread and cashews? And then this wierd 'casorole' made with tinned mushroom soup and green beans?!? Absolute madness, the kind of stuff a drunk or a child would concoct.
I think if the creamed potatoes were replaced with roast potatoes, it could easily rival a British roast dinner.
Anyway, needless to say, it was the most beautiful thing in the world. The turkey was juicy and slipped off the bone, the buttery gravy I could drink a pint of, and all the sides just had the best texture and flavor.
I've traveled a lot and been to a lot of fancy restaurants, but not much tops that meal."
A lot of our food is like that lol. I live in the South and some of the stuff I grew up eating sounds absolutely appalling on paper but tastes absolutely divine.
"Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, at first I thought it was a disgusting combo, but when I tried I loved it."
At one time in Australia you could buy peanut butter and grape jelly together in a jar. I think it was called Goober and Grape.
"I went on holiday to New York and had some amazing food - I had Mac and cheese, collard greens with pork, cornbread and I think mashed potato one time and I had some kind of religious, transcendent experience. This was at pies n thighs in Williamsburg FYI. My partner had chicken and waffles, the chicken tasted like it was fried in the ass fat of angels. Other great stuff is pizza from this place called sal's or something in Brooklyn, although I liked those 99-cent slices that are everywhere too. Cornbread is amazing and I make it myself sometimes, I also had biscuits which are dope too."
"Tasted like it was fried in the a*s fat of angels" is the best compliment a cook can get.
"Grilled cheese sandwich with American cheese. Moved here as a kid and thought the cheeses and the butter were pretty meh/lacking compared to my home country. Especially American cheese because it has a weird plasticky texture. But an American grilled cheese sandwich?? With some regular ass basic butter? Chefs kiss. I don’t get it. But I couldn’t get enough of it. Still can’t some 30 years later. It’s simple, greasy, buttery, just perfection."
There's something about it, you just can't beat it. I'm a cheese snob, and I still make grilled cheese with American cheese.
"So I’m a European dating an American.
I’ve tried many things so far but SMORES MAN it’s perfection."
"I'm from Mexico and we get spoiled with our traditional cuisine but I found the thanksgiving dinner experience in the US incredible. Love everything, the turkey (dark meat :) ), cranberry sauce, the stuffing (oh the stuffing), mashed potatoes, salads and the delicious pays that follow for dessert. That whole combination plus the red wine and good company is an incredible experience hard to match."
"I wanna thank ya'll for bbq and fried chicken."
"As a Ukrainian in USA brisket and peach pie are my favorite!"
I once found a recipe for peach pie made with peach schnapps. I can never go back
"For me it's cinnamon rolls. The closest we get here without making them at home is the ones at ikea and they're nothing like american cinnamon rolls."
"Those potatoes with cheese in it you make for Thanksgiving. I mean the double-baked one, but the funeral potatoes I have to try them now."
"From a Scottish friend of mine: chicken-fried steak with biscuits and gravy."
"Oddly enough, no one seems to have mentioned it… but cornbread. Yeah, as a guy who moved here, Americans have got cornbread down to a T. Combined with some soul food? Makes me smile on the inside. Gives me high blood pressure, but smile on the inside too."
"Are you telling me it's not a general procedure in other countries to take a rack of ribs, grill that with a nice rub, cover it in sugar sauce, then face the entire thing until you get so dehydrated from the salt content that it gives you weird meat dreams?"
"I love American breakfast food. Honestly, I think they have breakfast down pat.
But what I really appreciate are the PIZZA ROLLS. God bless the Americans for pizza rolls."
"God bless the Americans for pizza rolls." Thanks we really need it we're falling apart over here. Food is a coping mechanism for our country 😂
"My daughter was born and raised in Dallas, TX, and moved to Geneva, Switzerland 6 years ago.
Every time she comes home, she packs a giant suitcase with canned chipotle, peppers, Xochitl salsa, pounds of chili powder, salsa verde, and the works. When she throws a Mexican dinner, her friends go nuts.
But their favorites are her fried chicken (she learned from dad!!!) and they always track down a turkey for thanksgiving; she's learned my gravy and dressing recipes to the letter. She always sends me pics and videos of her friends freaking out over super-legit turkey gravy.
So beyond how cool it is that my girl really picked up my love for feeding people, she's brought some family recipes overseas (she works at the UN so she feeds people from like nine different countries)."
"I lived in Asia and when I visited the USA for 10 days my entire diet was basically...
Texas BBQ with all the sides.
All the Pies - Apple, Peach, Pecan, Key Lime...
Philly Cheesesteak.
Hamburger and Fries.
The simple desserts like Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Krispy Kreme Plain glazed Donuts.
Soft Drinks like Dr. Pepper and Root Beer are absolutely hated in Asia."
"Waiting for someone to say some real Vermont maple syrup because I live here."
"I showed my cousins who live overseas grilled cheese for the first time and they absolutely loved it."
"Grilled cheese and tomato soup, some potato chips. The American diner food. You just don’t see roadside diners anywhere else."
Oh grilled cheese and tomato soup! I had a 3-month work experience in the US back in 2010, and to this day I crave eating grilled cheese and tomato soup. No matter what I try, what I do at home (in Brazil) doesn't taste like it tasted 12 years ago
"I may be a simpleton, but an average diner with bottomless filter coffee, pancakes, bacon, and syrup was my favorite part of the day. Although I did put on about 10-15kg after a month in Texas."
That's why everything's bigger in Texas. Food servings, the people and your belt line. Sorry Texas
"Gumbo from a grandmother's kitchen south of 1-10 in a small town you'll think you've died and gone to heaven."
"Give me a burger, some buffalo wings, and a Dr. Pepper and I am the happiest fake American you‘ll meet that day."
"I was 6 on my first trip to the U.S. Went back home to southern Brazil and told my friends that Americans put ketchup on their churrasco and drink their cokes frozen. It wasn't until I moved to the U.S. that I grasped the concept of barbecue/bbq sauce, coke Slurpees, and the vast amounts of ice used with soft drinks in general. Barbecue with all its regional variations is the most American food for me. Aside from that, I'd count every single item on any typical diner menu... all favorites!"
"Something about a simple Grilled Cheese Sandwich is just greater than the sum of its parts."
Ok but hear me out, make it with crusty, crunchy homemade sourdough that has been grilled with butter like @JoJo Anisko said but with like 3 different types of cheese, (NOT KRAFT PLASTIC CHEESE), like gouda, Pepper Jack if you want spice Colby Jack if not, and Provolone. Cook it until the cheese oozes and serve it with warm soup and vegetables! (1st edit) You could also use swiss cheese, pretty much any melty cheese you could think of. (2nd edit) Seems like there are many other cheese lovers here! :)
"I can’t find someone who’s listed it so, BANANA PUDDING. That is LIFE CHANGING."
"A nice warm cornbread muffin with some butter and a little drizzle of honey is amazing."
"American pancakes. Hands down. Had an American friend when I was a child and her mom made the nicest pancakes ever and they were perfectly round and perfectly fluffy. Replica American pancake mixes sold in Europe still don't have that same taste, can't get the fluffiness right, and can't get the even brown color. It's impossible."
"Ohhhh! A friend of mine is from the USA and lives with us in The Netherlands. She insists we celebrate the 4th of July each year. She always makes these amazing smores with crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate! Love it!"
"As a Nigerian, one would expect my favorite food to be, idk jollof rice or swallow. But no. It's fries. I absolutely LOVE them. They're my all-time favorite food. I can't get any burger or chicken without fries, and I can eat as many of them as possible.
Fries Fries Fries (Forgive me If they aren't originally American I really don't know these things )."
They’re Belgian originally! I thought they were French but my bff is Belgian and would have hit me with a stick
"Baked cheesecake
Boston chowder
Pecan pie
BBQ ribs."
"Deli sandwiches. Any deli in NYC makes a better sandwich than anything you can get in Australia. And then places like Katz's deli just take it to another level."
I remember several times we had a gig in a venue right across the street from Katz's and afterwards we'd go in and get like 3 pounds of fresh pastrami to take back to Philly with us. It was gone before we even hit the tunnel! So awesomely good!
"European who moved to the states, so I've tried some American dishes that are beyond what is common back home.
Lobster Rolls. OMG, these would be so popular back home. They are the perfect seafood sandwich!
Smoked brisket. Wow! I tried this in some small texas town and that place deserves a Michelin star!
Key Lime Pie. I think I ate a whole one by myself when I was in Miami.
Chocolate chip cookies."
"I'm in SC. We bake a turkey and fry one. Everyone goes into food comas."
"Are buffalo wings American? Because that's modern day Ambrosia. Of course with blue cheese sauce, I'm a functioning human being."
"It's a snack really but Reese's, those are amazing."
"Cajun food. Definitely the most unique American food."
My favorite for sure. Red beans and rice, fried catfish, boudin, jambalaya, Po'Boy sandwiches, crawfish etouffee and so much more!
"Crab cakes."
"Key Lime Pie is my favorite dessert and Smoked Brisket is my go to barbecue order. Excellent choices."
"Cheeseburgers with bacon... as an African it was insane."
"Y'all have BBQ down to a science. In some places like St. Louis, KC, and TX it's like a religion."
It isn't "like a religion," BBQ IS most definitely a religion. I worship at the Holy Church of Weber, and a 14 hour brisket is communion.
"Coconut cream pie."
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
"Anything with a city name in front of it, Chicago Pizza, Buffalo Wings, Nashville chicken, Philly Cheesesteaks."
"My best friend moved to France and her number 1 request for gifts is black beans and seasonings! She says she can't find them in France. Every time she visits the US again we always get tacos because she misses them so much."
"American here, but recently spoke with an Italian exchange student and asked him what he would miss most about the states.
He said "chicken parm". That's not an Italian thing. He said the first time he had it, he called his friend back home to tell them about it, and she hung up on him."
I have an Italian friend (foreign Exchange) and we just had a conversation on how tortillas are the world's greatest super food. I'm from the southwest so hearing a northern Italian say he liked tortillas more than pasta was pretty amusing.
"I worked in California for a while and this bakery near me used to have this spicy bread that was packed with cheese and jalapenos. It was greasy but it was good."
"Give me a po'boy sandwich any day of the week."
"A well-made Reubens is a king among sandwiches. Also a big fan of Cubanos and Muffaletta."
Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking, what the heck have I been eating? Amazing. Also a well-made Monte Cristo.
"Americans have perfected the biscuit."
So many biscuits. So many types that have been perfected by grandmothers.
"I’m from China. Huge fan of the meatloaf."
Don't think there is a better sandwich for a quick lunch than cold meat loaf on toast with ketchup (don't downvote me, try it).
"So, I became a green card holder a short while ago and in 2014 I had my first Thanksgiving. My family and I went all the way up from Miami to SC to visit our family from Georgia they had this summer house in SC and then the family that came to grom Tennessee made FRIED turkey for Thanksgiving, OH!! THE LORD BE PRAISED, that turkey was phenomenal."
"OP is gonna make a killin' opening up a BBQ-Bakery in the UK that serves NE clam chowder, cheesecake, pie, and chocolate chip cookies."
"Obligatory I’m an American but this was a friend who invited a Japanese exchange student for Thanksgiving. She couldn’t get enough of the southern-style sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top. Thought it was the most delicious thing ever. I didn’t realize marshmallows are very rare outside of the US."
"Greasy bready cheesy are the 3 most important parts of the American food pyramid."
"I am a resident of Saint Louis, Missouri and I must urge anyone who visits our city to please try TOASTED RAVIOLI, basically you take regular ravioli and bread it and deep-fry it until crispy, and then dip it in marinara. No fork is needed just pick it up with your fingers, it turns pasta into an appetizer that is absolutely amazing. People can rag on our pizza as much as they like but you NEED to try the T-Ravs. And the gooey butter cake if you want a very luscious dessert."
Fellow st. Louisiana here, can confirm. T-Ravs are amazing. However if you don't like cardboard and plastic steer clear of the Imos pizza.
"Biscuits and gravy. Nothing even comes close. A good buttermilk biscuit with a proper sausage gravy is heaven on earth. Because by the end, your heart stops beating anyway."
"Pulled pork. Luckily a couple of places make it here too (pulled pork burger, pizza, pulled pork filled crepes with coleslaw).
I miss strawberry Twizzlers. I can't buy it here, unfortunately. And strawberry pop tarts too.
I also liked the bagels, especially the ones with chocolate chips. I sliced it in half, put it in the toaster, and then put butter on it - it was delicious.
Rice crispy treats were also surprisingly great.
I loved the brioche French toast with blueberries in the brioche itself. Luckily I found a great recipe so I regularly make brioche French toast with crispy bacon and maple syrup."
"Curly fries. Recently came across Carl’s jr for the first time in Istanbul airport and the curly fries were just the best."
"Anything smoked: brisket, pork shoulder, chicken, turkey. I've even had smoked burgers. If seasoned well you don't even need BBQ sauce and it is so tender and juicy."
"I have relatives in Carolina, (I'm UK) and the first time I had vinegar-based BBQ I nearly cried... that stuff for me can't be beaten. I'd be huge if I moved to the states."
"Chicken fried steak. There are a lot of other dishes in this thread, but this is one that you really don't get anywhere else."
"Honestly this might sound like a stereotype but nowhere does hamburgers as tasty as they do in the USA. The topping combinations are epically good."
"Burgers! The way you do meat in the south, Europeans are not at that level yet.
My sister said that since I moved to the US I forgot what real food tastes like. And then she visited, even after 7 years still remembers and talks about the burger she had… at Applebees."
"If you've only had it from a restaurant, I can tell you that it gets much much better. Once in a blue moon, my immediate family from Chicago goes to visit our relatives from bumfuck nowhere Missouri. Like, living on a farm, can't see any other houses, 0 cellular reception. Let me tell you, my great aunt's biscuits and gravy are the best I've had. They're so good that I can't order biscuits and gravy from a restaurant because they all just taste like cardboard and pepper, literally no flavor. She has provided me with the most mouthwatering dish I've ever had but at the same time ensured that I can only enjoy said dish if I'm at their farm.
If you're going to try B&G, find yourself an elderly farmer's wife haha."
"I love fried pickles I ate i, North Carolina… now I make them at home and spread them a lot! I know at least 10 of my friends make them now."
"Married to an American, here are my immediate responses since I can't reduce to a single answer:
Southern and Texas BBQ rocks.
The quality and regional varieties of the humble hot dog are just wonderful, and some of them are downright delicious.
Likewise, the quality and variety of hamburgers are astounding and, surprisingly, historical.
Velveeta isn't cheese but is it perfect on macaroni (fight me, Italians)?
Waffle House. Just, that.
In-N-Out, Five Guys, Carl's Jr., Firehouse Subs, and other super-duper regional chain food stops.
Jimmy John's Dean breakfast sausages.
Lousiana crawfish boils are a fantastic mix of social gatherings, family reunions, buffets, BBQs, drinking competitions, and delicious seafood with other fixings."
Jimmy Dean's breakfast Sausages. Jimmy Johns and Jimmy Dean's are two different things. Just ask Big John, he'll tell you all about it.
"Ok, I’m gonna be basic here. I loved ihop and those other chain diners where you could order breakfast and it comes with dessert on the same plate. Bacon eggs and ice cream on pancakes? Sweet waffles maybe? Fruit and Syrup? All on the same plate !!! Yes please, how do I go about getting my green card?"
"Chicken and waffles sounds disgusting but damn it was a good combo! Also lobster rolls and something cajun I tried? Well, cajun stuff then."
"Gumbo. I’m talking about cooked by somebody raised south of 1-10"
"So, as a non-American, my most vivid memory of something I ate in the US (in Key West actually) is a Key Lime Pie! Divine."
"Jambalaya."
I always hear Newman from Seinfeld in my head when I read that word.
"I helped open an American Bar in the '90s in Koln Germany. Mainly it was burgers and ribs, cheesecakes, brownies, sloppy joes(germans loved that), and nachos were big as well.
I look at the pictures from the restaurant and the food looks so bad."
"Cheesy jalapeno bread is so dang good. I just pull chunks right off the loaf, can't be bothered to do anything else with it."
"I was in Australia recently and got met with confusion when I asked what kind of pasta their Chicken Parm usually comes with. Apparently, it's just pub food there, not a full-on dinner plate, so it's usually served with fries."
But have you tried a fat Steve ( Rutgers university greese trucks rip) it's breaded chicken, mozz sticks & French fries on a submarine roll....
"I swear to god, I took a trip to Nashville, Tennessee about a month ago. Wandered around on afternoon looking for lunch, and I eventually stumbled across a Bojangle's. We don't have any in my state, so I gave it a try. Hands down, the best biscuit I have ever eaten in my LIFE. Swear to god, it was witchcraft. Delicious seasoning, crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside. I'm upset that I can't have more."
"I had a corn casserole and a green bean casserole at a friend’s parent's house for the first time when I was 18 for thanksgiving. I fell in love instantly and still make casseroles every year for Thanksgiving. I lived in China before I came to the US."
"Spaniard who lives in the States for six years: I liked apple pie, pastrami on rye sandwiches, Tex Mex, all the things you do with sweet potatoes, virtually any item at a Waffle House, bagels, Reuben sandwiches, chicken and waffles, cheesecake, s'mores, chocolate chip cookies, buffalo wings.
I never got into peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I tried, but it wasn't for me."
"Marshmallows all the way. I’ve lived in Germany most of my life and had my first German store-bought marshmallow this last year. We roasted them and instead of puffing up and caramelizing, they just sort of burned and got a sweaty sheen. They didn’t even really melt and they tasted weirdly fruity like some marshmallow gummy. We didn’t even come close to finishing the bag.
I finally get why no one has ever wanted to roast marshmallows with me. Those marshmallows don’t hold a candle to American store-bought marshmallows."
"Gumbo. I usually cook a big pot, portion it and freeze it. So good when it's re-heated, it doesn't even have to be hot."
"When I try a new place, if they have a Reuben, I’ll try that first, because if they can do that well, everything else on the menu is probably pretty good."
