Skip the burgers: the incredible local dishes you need to try in every US World Cup city

Growing up in Pennsylvania, soccer – er, football – was definitely not on my radar. Despite World Cup USA ’94, I was only vaguely aware that America even had national teams, not to mention an ever-growing professional league. In fact, my first experience of watching a World Cup was in 2010, the same year I moved to the UK.

But, after 16 years in England, marrying a Londoner and becoming a dual citizen, embracing football culture is second nature – I now spend a lot of my spare time reviewing matchday experiences with my other half for Any Given Saturday, something I never imagined I’d be doing. It’s been exciting to watch the US embrace that culture too, as one of the three host nations of the 2026 World Cup.

The tournament has not been without its controversies, but in the past few weeks, social media has been a rare source of joy as global visitors have shared their foodie discoveries while travelling across America – from Japanese fans sampling traditional Texas barbecue to the TSA issuing warnings to travellers trying to smuggle bottles of ranch dressing home.

I get it – I have plenty of my own favourite nostalgic US snacks (every visiting family member duly pays a tax of a jar of Peter Pan peanut butter in exchange for my London tour services). And, because the country is so vastly different from coast to coast, there is SO MUCH food to try while you’re there. These are just a few suggestions of what to seek out if you’re making the trip…

If you’re off to Boston, you’re probably thinking lobster roll. You’re not wrong – the city’s North Atlantic location means it’s a great place to eat seafood. But the less obvious sandwich of choice in the city is a ‘North Shore 3 way’ – a stack of razor-thin roast beef on a soft onion roll topped with mayo, white American cheese and, traditionally, James River barbecue sauce. You can get a really good one about an hour up the coast at The Modern Butcher, if you’re lucky – they’re only available on Saturdays, so expect a queue.

Growing up in a New York Yankees household means I do my best to avoid Boston baseball culture, but if you’re here in summer, there’s no getting around it. Head to Fenway Park to grab one of its eponymous franks at any concession stand in the stadium – the beef-and-pork hot dogs are uniquely boiled then grilled to keep them juicy, and they’re served in a steamed New England-style split-top bun.

Once you’ve had your fill of crab cakes and fried clams, stop by Parker’s Restaurant in the Omni Parker House hotel for a taste of Boston’s sweeter heritage. It’s here in 1856 that French chef Augustine Anezin created the Boston cream pie, a dessert that is, confusingly, a cake (at the time, specialised cake tins didn’t exist, so ‘pie’ covered everything). Comprised of two buttery sponge cakes sandwiched with thick pastry cream and topped with chocolate glaze, the original version at Parker’s is also laced with a touch of rum and ringed with flaked almonds.

If you’re not up for a sit-down slice, try a Boston cream doughnut at almost any doughnut shop instead – a delightful take on a Berliner filled with vanilla custard and topped with choc frosting. Boston is, after all, the birthplace of the Dunkin’ chain, and both the pie (cake!) and doughnut are official Massachusetts state symbols.

There are plenty of guides for eating your way through New York, so yes, tick off your bucket list of pizza, bagels and pastrami on rye. For another American classic, make your way to the Lower East Side and order a generous pan of macaroni & cheese at S’MAC – Sarita’s Mac and Cheese. In my first year of uni in New York, I spent a lot of time here – it’s the one food I could eat any time of day, any day of the week – which was possible because the sheer number of flavours on offer would keep anyone busy for a while. Aside from the classic, there are alpine-, masala- and Cajun-inspired macs, plus endlessly customisable build-your-own options and a sampler plate if you can’t decide. Or, grab a take-and-bake mac & cheese pan to cook fresh in your Airbnb.

Don’t spend all your time in Manhattan, either – The ‘New York/New Jersey’ stadium is actually located across the river in East Rutherford, New Jersey, so while you’re there, seek out a Taylor ham, egg and cheese from the closest available spot. ‘Taylor ham’ is the original brand name for pork roll – a processed, salty, log-shaped pork product that’s sliced and pan-fried, then stacked onto a soft kaiser roll with a fried egg and melted cheese. (If you’re headed to south Jersey, just order a pork roll – the Taylor ham/pork roll name debate is hotly contested and heavily regional.)

Don’t skip an order of diner disco fries, either – first popularised in Clifton in the 70s, these are Jersey’s late-night answer to Canadian poutine, featuring thick- or crinkle-cut fries, gravy and melted mozzarella.

For my money, though, the best New York-area snack – obvious though it may be – is a ‘dirty water dog’, aka street-cart hot dog. Don’t worry – the nickname comes from the colour of the water after a day spent simmering hundreds of hot dogs (especially the case for vendors who add spices and seasoning to the water). Sauerkraut and mustard on mine, please!

You can’t visit Georgia without trying the three Ps: pecans, peanuts and peaches. It’s not quite nut season yet, but if you’re driving to Atlanta, stop by any roadside stand selling boiled peanuts and dig in (the canned versions found in petrol stations and shops are usually best avoided). Made using young, green peanuts, the whole nuts are boiled in salted water until the peanuts soften inside the shell. Don’t go in expecting roasted peanuts – these are a totally different snack, with a texture like a very firm cooked bean and deeply salty flavour. If you find ones that have been boiled with salt and Cajun seasoning, even better. Best enjoyed with a cold beer (when your road trip is over, that is) or Coca-Cola – it was invented in Atlanta, after all.

Peak peach season in Georgia runs from May to mid-August, so it’s prime time to enjoy the ripest, sweetest fruit, which will be popping up in farmers’ markets and shops all over Atlanta. For a real taste of Southern soul food, peach cobbler is the answer – think of it like a crumble but with a pie crust or scone-like topping. The Peach Cobbler Factory serves scoops of its cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream, while Ivy’s Heavenly Cobbler is baked with a buttery, flaky pie crust top.

Locals also wait all year for Chick-fil-A’s limited-edition peach milkshake – and while it may be ‘fast food’, it gets high praise for its real peach purée and fresh flavour. Plus, the chain got its start in an Atlanta suburb, so it’s deeply loved in the area.

As a bonus: lemon pepper wings are an Atlanta staple, packed with citrussy, spicy flavour. Head to The Loclearntal on Ponce de Leon Avenue for some of the best around.

Texas is beef country, so it’s no surprise tourists come seeking barbecue. But the state’s largest city, situated along the Gulf Coast in the south, has a more diverse food scene than you might expect. Viet-Cajun cuisine, for example, has boomed in popularity here over the last 10-15 years and is largely built around the native crawfish industry.

Following an influx of Vietnamese refugees to the Gulf Coast post-Vietnam War, immigrants working as fishermen in New Orleans learned how to cook Cajun and Creole specialities (think: gumbo, po’boys), while local Louisiana chefs also took inspiration from traditional Vietnamese recipes, creating their own twists on bánh mìs and pho.

This hybrid cuisine was then taken to Houston, where many relocated after Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill – instead of fishing in the Gulf, which had been greatly impacted, fishermen could work further inland, catching freshwater crawfish. Now, you’ll find plenty of crawfish eateries in Houston serving the crustaceans ‘Vietnamese-style’, boiled and seasoned with special spice blends. Try them with garlic noodles at Crawfish Cafe on Bellaire Boulevard, or alongside grilled pork spring rolls and fried catfish at Crawfish & Noodles.

Kolaches – Czech pastries that were brought to Houston by immigrants in the 19th century – are another go-to local snack. The Original Kolache Shoppe, which has been baking authentic treats for 70 years, offers sweet kolaches filled with raspberry cream, sweetened cottage cheese, cherries and more for just $3 each. Or, for a savoury snack, tuck into a klobásníky filled with sausage & cheese or added jalapeños.

Further north in Texas is Dallas, and I know I said there’s more to the state than beef, but you really need to get a steak while you’re here. You might need to splash out, but there are plenty of traditional steakhouses in the city – Pappas Bros serves porterhouse and prime ribeye with baked potatoes and creamed spinach; Bob’s offers wedge salads as a starter for veal rib chops and T-bone steaks; and Nick & Sam’s cooks the classics alongside bison fillet, fried lobster and inventive sides.

There’s also, of course, a huge variety of Tex-Mex in Dallas, from grab-and-go fast food breakfast tacos to authentic, generous platters of enchiladas, chimichangas and rice and beans. Las Palmas is on the higher end (think portobello mushroom or Gulf shrimp fajitas topped with bone marrow butter), while Mariano’s Hacienda serves Texas brisket tacos alongside house-made corn tortillas (not to mention roasted salsa and queso sold by the quart, if you fancy). Mariano’s is also the birthplace of the frozen margarita machine, so it can’t hurt to sample one…

Speaking of drinks, Texas is the home of Dr Pepper, and it’s an understatement to say that locals love it. In the city, you’ll find Dr Pepper old fashioneds at The Rustic, and plenty of spots serving ‘dirty’ Dr Pepper sodas (mixed with flavoured syrups and cream) and even Dr Pepper-flavoured ice creams.

Miami’s food scene is dominated by its Cuban influence, but it’s also got Caribbean and Latin American flair, thanks to its far-south location. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the de facto meal here is a Cuban sandwich – slow-roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, all hot-pressed on crusty Cuban bread. You can pick them up all over the city, but try Sanguich for a classic take or order the patria at Tinta y Café. Or, just find one in your nearest petrol station – it won’t disappoint.

Look out for croquetas and pastelitos, too – Islas Canarias offers ham, chicken or fish croquetas and guava & cheese pastries.

Miami’s got a huge coffee culture, but don’t expect lots of New York-style coffee shops. Locals instead gather at ventanitas, or coffee windows, for a cafecito (a shot of strong, very sweet espresso) and quick catch-up. If you’re new to Cuban coffee, try a cortadito, which is cut with steamed milk.

Sourdough is legendary in the Bay Area, but it’s not (cue gasps) hugely different to other high-quality loaves elsewhere. What is unique is that San Francisco has been taking its sourdough seriously for much longer than the rest of the US – in fact, more than a hundred years longer. During the Gold Rush, when immigrants travelled with scarce supplies to California in search of fortune, bread starters helped basics like flour and water bake into risen loaves. Later, San Francisco bakers perfected the technique, working with those same historic starters, local ingredients and the warm climate to produce tangy, well-baked loaves.

Boudin Bakery is considered San Fran’s oldest continuously operating business and still uses a Gold Rush-era mother dough, while Tartine Bakery is a hotspot in the Mission District. (If you’re queuing at Tartine, pick up a massive Mission burrito for lunch afterwards – there are plenty of taquerias to choose from and most are pretty good.)

It’s not all about the dough, though – San Francisco’s the birthplace of many American-style Chinese takeaway favourites, like chop suey, crab rangoon and even fortune cookies. Chinatown caters to tourists, sure, but you’ll be able to sample plenty of these uniquely adapted dishes.

If you’re in town for a match, you’re likely downing a few pints. But skip the Coors or Miller for a local brew – most of America’s hops are grown in the Pacific Northwest, and Seattle has plenty of independent breweries to back up those stats. Holy Mountain is a highly regarded brewer-owned option, while Cloudburst is a multi-award-winning brewery selling to-go four-packs at its taproom. If you can’t choose just one to visit, head to Ballard Brewery District and make your own pub crawl.

And, if you need something to soak up the booze after, get yourself some chicken teriyaki. Teriyaki was, obviously, invented in Japan hundreds of years ago, but its spiritual home could be said to be Seattle. The now-popular Americanised version – marinated chicken or beef, grilled and served with teriyaki sauce and rice – became a thing here in the late 70s and quickly became the city’s favourite comfort food. Find your closest restaurant and tuck in, or make a pilgrimage to Toshi’s Teriyaki for a taste of the original Seattle style.

Seattle’s also synonymous with seafood, from Dungeness crabs to salmon. But if you’re in Pike Place Market for the fish, don’t skip the produce section: it’s peak Rainier cherry season, and it’d be a shame to miss out. The Insta-worthy berries (named after nearby Mount Rainier) are yellow-orange with a red blush and sweet, creamy yellow flesh and are only around for a short time – head over to Alberg Cherry Farms’ stand for a punnet or pick up some chocolate-covered Rainiers at Chukar Cherries.

I know I’ve mentioned hot dogs a lot already, but every major US city has its own take, and Seattle is no different. Here, the local dog of choice has a cream cheese-slathered bun filled with a frankfurter, caramelised onions and sometimes jalapeños. Uniquely Seattle and, according to locals, highly underrated.

With its proximity to Mexico, Southern California is packed with taco trucks, and you can’t really go wrong with any. Many street-food vendors combine the Pacific Coast’s fresh seafood with authentic Mexican flavours, so expect to see fillings like fried shrimp with guacamole alongside smoky carne asada and cauliflower al pastor. Search ‘taco truck’ on Google or Apple maps for a live look at what’s open near you.

You’ll also undoubtedly order from In-N-Out’s secret menu while you’re in town – its ‘animal-style’ burger seared in mustard and topped with grilled onions, pickles and Thousand Island sauce is the stuff of Instagram legend – but head to a local diner for chili cheese fries. The Hat in Alhambra and The Original Tops in Pasadena have both been slinging pastrami sandwiches and diner classics since the 50s, including signature chili-topped cheesy fries – you can decide which does it best.

If you can’t get enough of American diners, the French dip sandwich was invented here and is still a go-to, featuring thinly sliced roast beef on a baguette that’s been dipped in the beef roasting juices, often served with jus on the side for dunking. The debate about which restaurant invented it – Philippe the Original or Cole’s French Dip – rages on, but with the latter now closed, head to Philippe’s for a taste.

Confusingly, Kansas City is technically two cities, divided by a state line but treated as one greater metropolitan area. The stadium is on Missouri’s side, but as a whole, KC is known for its barbecue – specifically burnt ends, originally the extra-crispy offcuts from smoked brisket that are now a speciality in their own right. Made from cubed pieces of the fatty point muscle found on whole brisket joints, burnt ends are tossed in barbecue sauce, brown sugar and beef juices before being smoked again until the fat renders and the sugars caramelise.

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que serves burnt ends with Texas toast and your choice of side (and arguably more famously, the local favourite Z-Man sandwich, stacked high with smoked brisket, provolone cheese and onion rings); Arthur Bryant’s provides an old-school burnt ends experience plus baked beans, slaw and potato salad; and Chef J’s has a succinct but quality menu of barbecue favourites, including bacon burnt ends and mac & cheese.

If you’re not completely stuffed with smoked meats, Garozzo’s in downtown Kansas City created the chicken spiedini in the 1980s – chicken cubes marinated in olive oil, garlic, basil and breadcrumbs before being skewered, coated in more breadcrumbs, then grilled and served over pasta with sauce. It’s now a KC icon found around the city, but you can still try the original at Garozzo’s cosy Italian tavern seven days a week.

Throughout the World Cup, I’ve been seeing social posts of European visitors discovering Buc-ee’s – the giant part-petrol station, part-shopping mall travel centres dotted around the south. But if you’re heading to Philly, you have to go to Wawa. This isn’t just a chain of petrol stations; here, Wawa is an institution. It lives up to the hype, too – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you can get made-to-order hoagies and breakfast sandwiches, freshly made doughnuts, soups, pizza and more, alongside a full coffee and iced drinks menu.

While you’re there, stock up on packaged Pennsylvania snack stalwarts like Herr’s or Utz crisps and Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets (way better than Twinkies), alongside basic groceries and toiletries, if you need. (You can skip the Hershey’s; I won’t be offended.)

While we’re on the subject, Pennsylvania is a stronghold for those who love to snack. Heinz, Snyder’s of Hanover, Auntie Anne’s and, yes, Hershey’s, are all from PA. One of the most famous American snacks, the soft pretzel, is often associated with New York, but Philadelphia is its true home, brought to the city by an influx of German immigrants in the 1800s. While you’ll see the familiar Bavarian-style shape, Philly soft pretzels are traditionally twisted in a figure eight, which helps bakers fit more into their ovens in one go. For a hyper-regional taste, look out for brands from so-called ‘Pretzel City’, aka Reading: Tom Sturgis Pretzels, Unique Snacks and Faller’s have all been baking snappy hard pretzels for generations (my husband highly recommends the former’s chocolate-covered option).

Reading Terminal Market is high on tourist bucket lists, but there’s a reason: outside of Tommy DiNic’s famous roast pork & broccoli rabe sandwiches, you can also sample Lancaster County Dairy’s fresh milk and juices, Termini Brothers’ cannolis and Bassetts ice cream.

If you wind up in a dive bar while you’re here (you will, and should – I have a soft spot for Oscar’s Tavern on Sansom Street). Order a ‘citywide’ to get a can of beer and a shot – traditionally a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam, but this varies. Think of it as a happy hour special, but one that happens whenever you want it. For the more adventurous, a ‘pickleback’ will get you a shot of Jameson with a pickle brine chaser. And, if you order a lager, expect a Yuengling – crafted just under a two-hour drive from Philadelphia at America’s oldest brewery. A word to the wise, though: bring your passport (most PA bars require valid ID for entry) and cash, as many dives don’t take cards.

And, if you want a cheesesteak? Ask a local for their pick – everyone’s got a different number one, but most agree that there are better options in the city than Pat’s and Geno’s, two ultra-famous spots that sit opposite one another on Passyunk Avenue.

Are you hungry now?