For new college grads or older workers thinking about retirement, trying to decide where to live means considering all aspects of lifestyle. There’s the cost of living and housing, of course. But you also want to relocate to a city with amenities to enhance your life. And for many, that means food choices.
FinanceBuzz recently conducted a study to identify the most laid-back cities in America. One of the criteria was restaurants, from sushi to comfort food to coffee shops. The data team looked at the number of restaurants per 100,000 people to determine which cities offer the most dining options.
Some cities provide more ways to save money eating out , while some give you more diverse dining options to choose from.
As a result of this research, we’ve got the top 16 cities for you to tantalize your taste buds in.
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1. Chicago: 210.2
Chicago is known for deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, like the ones at Portillo’s, and Italian beef sandwiches. You will find pockets of incredible Greek food in the West Loop, Chinese and Irish cuisine on the South Side, and many more incredible options scattered around Chicagoland.
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2. Denver: 210.3 (tie)
Denver comes fully stocked with local breweries, burger joints, and really great Thai food. The city is known for its omelets and for arepas and green chili, a spicy condiment that Denver does best. Locals love the variety of Mexican restaurants, citing burritos as a specialty in the city.
3. Austin, TX: 210.3 (tie)
Austin is celebrated for its award-winning queso dips, chicken-fried steak restaurants, and Texas-style barbecue. You can find many different dining options as you approach Red River and Rainey Streets, since convention center visitors don’t stray far from the downtown area.
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4. Hartford, CT: 211.8
With a population of just over 121,000, Hartford is known for some unique dishes for foodies. You can chow down on hot lobster rolls, hand-churned ice cream, steamed cheeseburgers, and hot dogs.
5. Virginia Beach/Norfolk, VA: 211.9
The famous and numerous beaches of the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area provide fresh seafood options, including high-quality oysters and soft shell crabs. They are proud of their berry farms, and it feels like every corner has a hip brunch spot to check out.
6. Greater Los Angeles: 214.2
When you think of Los Angeles, incredible Mexican food and delicious sushi probably come to mind. But this city is fully immersed in every type of cuisine from every corner of the earth.
Check out LA when you need a new food truck to rave about, decadent french dip or cheeseburger to enjoy, or a sweet treat from almost 1,500 independent donut shops.
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7. Boston, MA: 219.3
Boston Cream Pie, Boston baked beans, and clam chowder aren’t the only foods Boston is known for. As the home of Dunkin’, this city is known to be one of the most caffeinated in the country, with cafes and bakeries seeing a bump in business in recent years.
8. New York metropolitan area: 219.5
With a population of 3.8 million in New York City, 219.5 restaurants per 100,000 people means you have a lot of places to eat.
There are over 2,000 pizzerias in New York City alone, and that’s not counting restaurants that serve pizza on the side. The city is known for its takeout slice, which you eat folded in half while walking.
Jewish delis serve up pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup, and bagels. There are more than 300 restaurants in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. And due to its diverse population, you can find just about any type of cuisine in the five boroughs.
If you cross the Hudson River to Newark, New Jersey, head to the Ironbound for outstanding Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian restaurants.
9. San Diego, CA: 220.5
San Diego is a multicultural mecca, known for CaliBaja-style food. Visit Old Town to eat authentic Mexican cuisine in one of the most haunted areas of the state. Grab seafood and incredible ocean views by the marina. Don’t forget to order a California burrito on the boardwalk in Mission Beach.
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10. Miami/Dade, FL: 221.5
With a massive population of Latinos, the Miami/Dade area of South Florida benefits heavily from Latin American cuisine. Cuban sandwiches and fritters are available city-wide, with ceviche, stone crabs, and alligator bites ruling appetizer menus.
11. Orlando, FL: 223.8
As a world-wide tourist destination due to theme parks like Walt Disney World, Orlando has many restaurants to serve the tourists, who far outnumber its 325,000 residents. But the residents benefit from a range of restaurants, from American diners to high-end Indian cuisine to Latin and Asian fusion.
12. Providence, RI: 226.0
Rhode Island has their own take on clam chowder that is particularly noteworthy. Foodies will find Rhode Island-style calamari and clam cakes for seafood of note. For dessert, baklava is a favorite in the city. Be sure to try a coffee milk, an interesting caffeinated shake beverage that is the official drink of Rhode Island.
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13. New Orleans, LA: 240.0
With a population of about 370,000, New Orleans hosts over 19 million tourists each year. People flock to the Cajun and Creole capital of America.
Taste the city’s French roots in the French Quarter with a coffee and beignets at the storied Café Du Monde. All around the city you can find a perfect gumbo or shrimp po’ boy. Bourbon Street restaurants will serve you hurricane beverages any time of day.
14. Portland, OR: 240.2
Portland, Oregon, is one of the popular foodie destinations in America. Its location in the Willamette Valley means chefs have access to fresh seafood and a variety of fruit and vegetables. Portland is known as the home of farm-to-table restaurants, and the diversity of cuisine rivals much bigger cities.
15. San Francisco/Bay Area: 258.2
If you want the peak tourist sourdough experience, enjoy a Boudin Bakery & Cafe sourdough bread bowl with soup while overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Fisherman’s Wharf catches incredible Dungeness crab, and Mission burritos became popular in the city in the 1960s. Top off any meal with a visit to the Ghirardhelli chocolate store.
16. Honolulu, HI: 261.4
Honolulu offers 261.4 restaurants per 100,000 people, topping our list of best cities for diners. Its 350,000 population is dwarfed by the 9.6 million tourists who visit each year.
Honolulu offers tourists some incredible cuisine. Poke, Spam musubi, and Kalua pig are popular dishes. For a sweet treat, you must try shave ice or Dole Whip, which originated here. Honolulu’s Kona coffee is considered by some to be the most delicious in the world.
Bottom line
If you are a true foodie, consider one of these cities as your next travel destination or a place to retire in. Eating out can be a luxury and a cultural experience.
Of course, you can always try making these regional dishes at home using ways to save on grocery bills . And then you can travel anywhere right in your own kitchen.
Money tips that can work for everyone
No matter what your bank account balance is, there's always an opportunity to optimize and improve your finances. Here's a quick checklist of things you can look at today.
Focus on paying off your debt . Debt can hold you back from making progress with your overall financial well-being. Aside from cutting expenses, there are tools that can help you pay off debt faster like balance transfer credit cards and debt counseling.
Earning extra income can give you breathing room. If finances are tight, earning some extra money to supplement your income can make a huge difference. A new job is one option to consider, but if you're not ready to make a big change or already retired, a part-time side job could be a better choice.
Cut your expenses. It sounds painful and so not fun, but it doesn't have to be. Take a look at your biggest expenses because that's where you'll probably find the biggest savings. For example, auto insurance rates have been soaring so shopping around for a new insurance company can be the fastest way to cut your bill. Also, look for ways to cut your grocery bill (despite rising inflation).
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