Top 10 Best Cities for Street Food in the USA

With such an abundance of choices for where you can travel after working in the USA on our Work America or Summer Camp Exchange USA programme, we want to make sure you're not going hungry when running around from place to place. In order to keep you fed well we've put together a list of the top 10 cities for street food in the good ol' US of A!

10. Los Angeles – When you’re not roller-blading along the beach in your speedo / bikini, explore the tastes of the local vendors where you’ll find nibbles such as dim sum and grilled cheese. There are vendors that actual Top Chef Masters have opened up as well, like Ludo Lefebvre’s Ludo Truck, where the food is bound to be superb. Don’t go too crazy though, you need to maintain that beach bod!

9. Chicago – Whilst in "The Windy City", keep a tight grip on your lunch during Food Truck Tuesdays and Thursdays. Street vendors will be serving up everything from spicy, mouth watering (or burning) meatballs, and the oh-so-good lobster naanwhich.

8. Philadelphia – If you’re heading to Philadelphia (aka The City of Brotherly Love), there’s one thing that if you leave without having your brothers just may not love you anymore – who would want such a thing? Cheesesteaks are the be all and end all of street food in Philly – hence the name, “Philly Cheesesteak”. Geno’s and Pat’s are the two big names when it comes to cheesesteak - you’ll find the walls covered in celebrity photos. The two vendors literally face head to head with many people trying a taste of each to determine who really is the King of Steaks.

7. San Francisco – Here vendors will serve anything from sugary waffles or crispy crème brulee to Koritos (Korean burritos). Sink your teeth into these and other goodies during San Francisco’s Street Food Festival over the summer!

6. Washington D.C. – Whilst taking a stroll between the Smithsonian Museum and the Washington Monument, be sure to take a gander at some of the best tasting quick-food vendors in the State. Push through the locals on their lunch break and get served some tasty street meat.

5. NYC – It would be a sin to visit New York City and not chow down on a hot dog, pretzel, or kebab (or all three!) from one of their famous street vendors, perhaps in a city called “The Big Apple” they would have a vendor dedicated to that? Hmm, probably not unless they were deep fried.

4. Austin – If you're lucky enough to spend some time in Austin TX, you might be lucky enough to try Lucky J's fried-chicken-and-waffle tacos. It’s pretty self-explanatory, and you’ll probably have to sign a waiver saying you won’t sue them if your arteries instantly clog, but hey, you’re in Texas – go big or go home!

3. Boston – For “America’s #1 hot dog” the only option is Boston Speed Dog - it has a terrible location and severely limited menu but by golly they have amazing hot dogs. They marinate their hot dogs in various flavours ranging from apple cider chili sauce to cranberry relish. hey are the epitome of hot dog street meat heaven.

2. San Antonio – head to La Gloria for a taste of true Mexican street food. Famous for their tortas (imagine a sandwich, stuffed with everything from carnitas pork to shrimp to breaded chicken cutlets) your mouth will be watering before you make it to the entrance. Watch out for their tortilla chips (American chips, not our lovely chips), as they’re so tasty you might just fill up on them before you get to your meal.

1. Portland – With over 400 carts in the Portland area, you won't be hard up for choice. Try the lefse (potato flatbread) from Viking Soul Food, Portland's only Norwegian food cart or, for something both tasty and affordable, go with any of the Thai curry from Thai Garden. Make sure you figure out the order process (food > chicken or tofu > spice level > white or brown rice) before you step up and you won't look like such a tourist (except for the fact you don't have an American accent of course!)

To visit any or all of these lovely cities and their unique street vendors, take a look at our programmes in the USA! Want a chat about the programme? Give us a call on 033 3999 7516.

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