In history, street food was widely consumed by poor urban residents whose homes did not have ovens or hearths. In ancient Rome, chickpea soup with bread and grain paste were common meals. In ancient China, street food generally catered to the poor, however, wealthy residents would send servants to buy street food and bring it back home for them to eat. What is street food?
Street food is ready to eat food or drink sold by a vendor in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and meant for immediate consumption. Most street foods are classed as both finger foods and fast food, and are cheaper on average than restaurant meals. Today, people may purchase street food for a number of reasons, such as convenience, to get flavorful food at a reasonable price in a social event or setting, to try ethnic cuisines, or for nostalgia.
In America, the most famous and delicious foods that have been integrated into our food culture have started as street food and/or poor folk food. In some cases, true culinary talent to make them tasty and widely popular, to the point where some of these food items have made their way onto gourmet menus on some of the most respected and luxury restaurants across the United States, if not the world.
Street food from New York to Los Angeles, San Francisco to New Orleans, each city dishes out gourmet street food that is distinct to their own history and culinary flair. For most urban city dwellers, eating on the go has become a way of life in large part due to the pace of living. It suits their lifestyles to have their meals on wheels.
Hot Dogs
The hot dog is a grilled or steamed sausage sandwich, commonly made of pork, beef, and/or chicken served in a sliced bun with condiments ranging but not limited to ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, chili, cheese, relish and onions. The hot dog is arguably the most famous and favorite of all street foods. The sausage or frank is a German invention, but it became all American when it was sandwiched inside a bun.
Most iconic city for Hot Dogs: Chicago, Illinois
Top 5 Hot Dog Spots
I Dream of Weenie
Hot Diggity Dogs
The Dog of Nashville
Cori’s DogHouse
The Donut + Dog
*Daddy’s Dogs is also really good, they’re listed on our Top 5 Late Night Spots.
Pizza
The American pizza with its numerous styles and variations in today’s world bears only a casual resemblance to the classic, highly regulated, Italian Neapolitan pizza. With numerous cheese and toppings ranging from pepperoni to pineapples and Canadian bacon to mushrooms, whether it's sliced triangular or square cut, the combination is endless and each city has its own unique style which Americans can’t get enough of.
Most iconic cities for Pizza: New York, New York
Chicago, Illinois
Top 5 Pizza Spots
Desano Pizza Bakery
Nicky’s Coal Fired
312 Pizza Company
Two Boots
Emmy Squared
French Fries
These deep fried potato strips fresh from the fryer, or baked, have met with great success on the streets of America. Whether they are seasoned with salt, paprika or cheese, dipped in ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise, or just plainly eaten, these crispy golden finger foods are true crowd pleasers. French fries are usually accompanied as a famous side dish for other famous street foods like the hamburger, hot dog, or can be enjoyed by itself. French fries are so popular that it is a global phenomenon.
Most iconic cities for French Fries:
Brussels: Belgium fries
Paris: Pommes Frites
Amsterdam: Patat
New York City: Waffle Fries
Athens: Gyro Fries
Quebec City: Poutine
London: Chips
Tokyo: Furaido Potato
Top 5 French Fries
Burger Up
Riverside Grillshack Fries and Burgers
Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop
Chauhan Ale & Marsala House
Hemingway’s Bar & Hideaway
Barbeque (BBQ)
BBQ is a serious process, whether the style is Carolina, Kansas City, Memphis, or Texas. To keep this regional debate at bay, we will concentrate on the Texas BBQ style for this article. But for more in depth information on the subject of this fabulous and delicious food item, refer to the Barbeque article. Texas BBQ usually refers to low and slow cooked beef brisket, served with a side of white onions, pickles, and plain sliced white bread or Texas toast. Rather than putting in long hours and work at home, there are tons of food trucks and BBQ restaurants that have popped up to serve the BBQ cravings of the masses.
Most iconic cities for BBQ:
Austin, Texas
Memphis, Tennessee
Kansas City, Missouri
Lexington, North Carolina
New York, New York
Owensboro, Kentucky
Greenville, South Carolina
Honolulu, Hawaii
Top 5 Barbeque (BBQ) Spots
Martin’s Bar B Que
Peg Leg Porker
Jack’s BBQ
Edley’s
Rippy’s Bar & Grill
Tacos
The origins of the taco is vague at best, but for the most part, a taco is a typical Mexican street food item made of usually corn tortilla folded around other ingredients, usually some sort of meat or protein, lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and some sort of sauce, usually salsa. In short, tacos are delicious and very convenient. Tacos are Mexican in origin but the United States have adapted, adopted and modified it to become part of the mainstream American cuisine, and much like the burger, there have been many upscale restaurants adapting this common peasant or street food into a more glorious upscale restaurant cuisine. For more in depth information on the taco, please see the Taco article on our link or site.
Most iconic cities for Tacos: San Francisco, California
Los Angeles, California
San Diego, California
Phoenix, Arizona
Dallas, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Austin, Texas
Top 5 Taco Spots
Mas Tacos Por Favor
La Hacienda
Carniceria y Taqueria Don Juan
Taco Mamacita
Taqueria Del Sol
Burritos
The burrito with its American style has become as much a part of American food culture as the hamburger or hot dog. A burrito is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla rolled around a filling, typically of beans and/or ground beef or other meats/ protein. To me, a burrito is more defined as a Tex-Mex cuisine consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape around various delicious ingredients. Burritos are often filled with a savory filling, most often a meat such as chicken, beef, and/or pork and often include a wide array of other ingredients or fillers, like rice, cooked beans, vegetables, tomatoes, cheese and a sauce, usually salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and/or crema.
Most iconic cities for Burritos: San Francisco, California
Los Angeles, California
San Diego, California
Phoenix, Arizona
Austin, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Top 5 Burrito Spots
Baja Burrito
Burritos La Mina
Oscar’s Taco Shop
Chile Burrito
El Burrito Mexicano (Farmer’s Market)
Cheesesteak
A cheesesteak is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of ribeye steak and melted cheese in a long hoagie roll. A popular street food that is fast convenient and feeds the masses in an urban setting, originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philly cheesesteak is to the East coast, what the taco and burrito is to the West coast. Most commonly made from thinly sliced rib eye steak, melted provolone cheese, caramelized onions and options to include bell peppers and mushrooms, the true “Philly” only has steak, onion, and cheese served over a roll. One of the all time original American street foods.
Most iconic city for cheesesteak: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Top 5 Cheesesteak Spots
Penn Station East Coast Subs
Tower Market and Deli
It’Z A Philly Thing
Tasty & Delicious
M & J Philly Steak
Hamburger (Cheeseburger)
Created in America in 1900 by Danish immigrant Louis Lassen, the hamburger is on the menu more than any other street food. The cooked patty of ground beef sandwiched in a hamburger bun, dressed with onion, lettuce, tomato, bacon, chilies and/or cheese; and condiments like ketchup, mustard and/or mayonnaise tickles everyone’s taste buds and is a huge favorite among everyone. The hamburger personifies what is America. There are many origin stories associated with the hamburger, which adds to the mystique and popularity of the delicious sandwich. Over the years, there have been many amazing hamburger joints, from White Castle, Kewpee Hamburgers, Bob’s Big Boy, but none as famous or iconic to American food culture as McDonald’s.
Most iconic cities for Hamburger: Providence, Rhode Island
Chicago, Illinois
Houston, Texas
New York, New York
Los Angeles, California
Denver, Colorado
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 5 Burger Spots
Rotier’s Restaurant
Joyland
ML Rose Craft Beers & Burgers
Burger Republic
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint
Grilled Cheese
The grilled cheese sandwich, not only a comfort food, but an American iconic street food so easy and delightful. The grilled cheese sandwich is a hot sandwich made with one or more varieties of cheese melted between two slices of toasted bread. The cheese dream, an open faced grilled cheese sandwich, popular in the United States during the Great Depression during the 1930’s, eventually evolved into the current wonder of melted cheesy goodness. The feeling of biting into a freshly grilled sandwich with oozing melted cheese and all the goodness in between is just on top of the world.
Most iconic city for Grilled Cheese: Boston, Massasschusetts
Top 5 Grilled Cheese
The Grilled Cheeserie
Tom + Chee
Milk and Honey
Ty’s Soups and Sandwiches
Cousins Maine Lobster
Gryos
The gyros is a street food originating in Greece. It is a sandwich traditionally made using lamb, beef, and/or pork combined with tomato, onion, and a yogurt sauce “tzaztiki,” on pita bread. Grilling a vertical spit of stacked meat slices and cutting it off as it cooks was developed in Bursa in the 19th century Ottoman Empire, and called Doner Kebab. By 1970, the gyros was already a popular street fast food in Athens, as well as New York and Chicago.
Most iconic Gyros cities: Chicago, Illinois
New York, New York
Top 5 Gyros
House of Gyro’s
King Solomon’s Gyros
Chicago Style Gyros
Kouzina Cafe Gyros & Subs
Fattoush Cafe
Fried Chicken
Southern fried chicken, simply known as fried chicken, is a delicious peasant and street food staple consisting of chicken pieces which have been coated in a seasoned batter and pan fried, deep fried, or pressure fried. The breading adds a crisp or crust to the exterior of the chicken while retaining the juicy tenderness of the meat. When done right, the fried chicken is one of the most delicious foods and is “finger licking good,”
Most iconic cities for Fried Chicken: Nashville, Tennessee
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York, New York
Chicago Illinois
Top 5 Fried Chicken Spots
Monell’s
Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant
Lil Cee’s
Liberty Common
Dandgure’s Classic Southern Cooking
Crepes
Crepes are of French origin and are a type of very thin pancake, usually of two types, sweet crepes and savory galettes. Crepes are served with a variety of fillings, from the simplest with only sugar to the flambeed crepes Suzette to elaborate savory galettes.
Most iconic cities for Crepes: New York, New York
Chicago, Illinois
San Francisco, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Top 5 Crepes
Red Bicycle Coffee & Crepes
Coco’s Italian Market
Music City Crepes
The Perch
Pancake Pantry
Ramen
Ramen, originally brought to Japan by Chinese immigrants about 100 years ago, began as a street food for laborers and students. However, it soon became a “national dish” and even acquired regional variations. Traditional Japanese style ramen noodles are increasingly popular in the United States, and not the freeze dried instant variety that have become dorm room staples. We’re talking fresh made wheat noodles served in long simmering broths, topped with an assortment of delicious items like pork, bamboo shoots, seafoods and peppers. When cold weather hits or you’re feeling a little under the weather, what better way to warm up than with a piping hot bowl of slurpy noodle goodness.
Most iconic cities for Ramen: Honolulu, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
New York, New York
Top 5 Ramen Spots
Otaku Ramen
Two Ten Jack
Black Dynasty Secret Ramen House
Subculture Urban Cuisine and Cafe
Umami Asian Fusion
Fun fact: Lobsters were once considered poor man’s food, and were only fed to poor people, prisoners, slaves and also used as fertilizer. Other famous food items considered decadent today, but disgusting peasant food of past, foie gras, escargots and oysters. Prior to the 1980’s, skirt steak was one of the most affordable meats. The Tex-Mex Fajitas changed all that.
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