A new decade means a brand new bucket list of dishes to try and cities to visit. After all, what better way to make it through the cold winter months than by working on a travel itinerary and dreaming of all the delicious food you’ll be eating during your next getaway? Because we know there are so many great destinations and dishes out there, we’ve created a list of the top US foodie destinations to help inspire your 2020 travel plans. Whether it’s biscuits and pimento cheese in Charleston, SC, or vegan french toast donuts in Portland, OR, Yelp’s got you covered when you start daydreaming of your next three-day weekend.
To name this year’s top US destinations for food lovers, our Data Science team looked for the cities that had the highest restaurant ratings from out-of-towners and then took a look at what visitors were loving on Yelp.
Below, we’ve highlighted one under-the-radar allstar dish from each of our top cities.
- Asheville, NC – Chocolate
Nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville comes in as #1 on this year’s list. Asheville is a regional-food powerhouse, filled with restaurants, breweries and food businesses powered by generations-old family farms and menus filled with time-tested recipes. French Broad Chocolates specializes in hand-crafted, artisanal chocolate truffles, using local ingredients like fresh berries, lavender and wildflower honey. Some fan favorite menu items include the Maple and Smoked Salt Liquid Truffle sipping chocolate, and the Truffle Torte. While you’re in the area, be sure to check out Yelper Annie M’s collection to 48 Hours in Asheville, NC.
- Portland, OR – Donuts
Portland’s food scene is no secret and it shows no signs of slowing down in 2020. Businesses like Doe Donuts, a woman-owned shop specializing in artisanal vegan donuts, continue to surprise and satisfy visitors with locally sourced ingredients and flavors like french toast, pink lemonade and pumpkin s’more. Yelpers are particularly obsessed with the Ube Coconut Donut, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise considering we recently predicted ube will be one of the hottest ingredients of the year. Pip’s Original Donuts and Chai and Coco Donuts also rank among some of the top-rated Portland donut eateries.
- Charleston, SC – Biscuits and Pimento Cheese
When Yelpers visit the Holy City, they go crazy for biscuits and pimento cheese at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. With over 1,200 reviews, they’re best known for serving seven different kinds of handmade biscuits and their pimento cheese sandwiches. A creamy spread consisting of cheddar cheese, red bell pepper and mayonnaise, locals know no luncheon or cocktail hour is complete without pimento cheese. Palmetto Cheese is another beloved brand of this southern staple, and was founded on nearby Pawleys Island.
Foodies, book your trip to Hawaii ASAP! Both Maui and Honolulu surfaced top food destinations for 2020. A sweet pie made with macadamia nut filling, often served with coconut whipped cream, Macadamia Nut Pies are causing a stir on Yelp due to their unique ingredients and local flavor. Hawaii’s famous macadamia nuts are the star of the “Mac Pie”, and Hawaii Tart Company is a go-to for dish. Their Honey Caramel Macadamia Nut Tart is sold at local farmers markets and dessert shops across the islands.
- New Orleans, LA – Muffuletta Sandwich
Long known as a top destination for everything from gumbo to beignets to good ole fashioned creole cooking, New Orleans has a wide variety of distinct flavors. However, one dish that’s often overlooked is the signature Muffuletta sandwich. We’re seeing this sandwich, which is layered with olive salad, salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and swiss cheese, as a favorite among out-of-towners visiting the Big Easy. If you’re heading to New Orleans, make sure to stop by Central Grocery & Deli, the original home of the Muffuletta. It’s a favorite among Yelpers, with more than 1,600 reviews and a 4-star average.
Don’t see your city on our list? Tag @ Yelp on social media and tell us why your city should be on next year’s list!
