With Oct. 16 being World Food Day and restaurant prices rising 6.5 percent between August 2022 and August 2023, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2023’s Best Foodie Cities in America, as well as expert commentary.
To determine the best and cheapest local foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities across 28 key metrics. The data set ranges from affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants to food festivals per capita to craft breweries and wineries per capita.
Top 20 Foodie Cities in America
Orlando, Florida was tops on the list, coming in at number one. Portland, OR was number two, followed by Sacramento, CA; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; Tampa, FL; San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Austin TX; and Seattle, WA rounding out the top 10.
Making the list at number 11 through 20 were Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; Richmond, VA; Pittsburgh, PA; Washington, DC; St. Louis, MO; Houston, TX; and New York, NY.
Best vs. Worst
St. Louis has the most gourmet specialty-food stores (per square root of population), 0.4362, which is 13.3 times more than in Pearl City, Hawaii, the city with the fewest at 0.0327.
Miami has the most restaurants (per square root of population), 8.6485, which is 19.7 times more than in Pearl City, Hawaii, the city with the fewest at 0.4386.
Cape Coral, Florida, has the highest ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food establishments, 1.58, which is 2.9 times higher than in Jackson, Mississippi, the city with the lowest at 0.54.
Orlando, Florida, has the most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops (per square root of population), 0.3761, which is 24 times more than in Lewiston, Maine, the city with the fewest at 0.0157.
To view the full report, visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522
Expert Commentary
What tips can you provide to foodies on a tight budget?
“Stay with seasonal fresh produce or food categories. Cook at home more often if possible. If visiting areas beyond hometown, look for places where local people would go to eat and ask for references. Keep an open mind to try new food items with reasonable prices – sometimes new food items, especially specialty fruit and vegetables, are more affordable when they have a local flavor and in season.”
Kathleen Liang – Professor; Director, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
“Do your research about some of the local options. More importantly, ask your local friends about the ‘hidden place’. Some of the best places for budget are often not on the food bloggers’ radar. If you have time and skills, cooking at home can always save you money.”
Mark Z. Meng, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Indiana University Kokomo
What role, if any, can local authorities play in improving the food scene in their city?
“Local authorities need regulations to make sure that food is safe to consume. This is a challenging task as you want to support local, startup businesses, but also need to be sure that all food safety guidelines are followed and enforced. Local authorities can be helpful in supporting both existing food establishments and supporting new ventures with more diverse owners and operators. Local authorities can also be mindful of food insecurity and food waste and be creative in ways to compensate restaurants for donating meals to shelters. It takes a village to tackle food insecurity – including government, non-profits, and volunteers.”
Joanne Slavin, PhD, RDN – Professor, University of Minnesota
“Promote local niche and seasonal flavors. Educate consumers about eating different types of food related to health improvement. Offer and organize food festivals to bring producers and consumers together. Provide technical assistance to producers who are seeking new opportunities to grow new crops or make new value-added products. This could be a collaboration with local government agencies, Cooperative Extension systems, community-based organizations, and food industry. Help underserved communities and low-income households access fresh and healthy food.”
Kathleen Liang – Professor; Director, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
What are the dining out trends for 2023 and how is inflation affecting Americans eating out habits?
“Since the pandemic, remote working has been shifting the industry, where delivery and pick up are still trending. High inflation definitely has been affecting our choice and behavior even in 2023. Restaurants may want to think about family bundles or meal deals.”
Mark Z. Meng, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Indiana University Kokomo
