A single dish can soar over all others in popularity at a restaurant — maybe because it’s just amazing, maybe because the restaurant invented it, or maybe because it’s a regional specialty you can’t get anywhere else. Whatever the cause, it’s a solid move to order a restaurant’s most famous dish so you can see what all the hype is about. We scoured reviews and rankings by expert food writers and countless hungry customers to find out which restaurants across the U.S. are worth putting on the list for a visit someday just for a signature menu item.
Peter Luger Steak House: Porterhouse
New YorkFor the best steak in the country, it’s New York City’s Peter Luger. Established in 1887, it’s best known for huge porterhouse steaks that serve two or four people. The beef is USDA prime grade and dry-aged in house, cooked under a broiler until a thick crust forms, then sliced on a platter before serving.
The Brown Hotel: The Hot Brown
Louisville, KentuckyThe hot brown is an open-faced sandwich with a layer of toast, roasted turkey, bacon, and tomato topped with creamy mornay sauce and broiled. It was created in the 1920s at The Brown Hotel, where diners can look forward to enjoying the classic dish in its restaurants, bar, or through in-room dining.
Charlie Gitto’s: Toasted Ravioli
St. LouisThough the exact origins of this favorite snack are unknown, one of the most accepted stories is that Charlie Gitto’s was the first to serve toasted ravioli, little pillows of meat-filled pasta that get breaded, deep fried, and served with marinara sauce for dipping.
Franklin Barbecue: Brisket
AustinIf there’s one kind of barbecue Texas is known for, it’s brisket. And the best place to get brisket is Franklin Barbecue in Austin. It’s so good that people have been known to line up for hours just to get their mouths on some. It opens at 11 a.m. and usually closes between 2 and 3 p.m. — because that’s how quickly it runs out of smoked meat.
Las Cuatro Milpas: Tacos
San DiegoThere are so many amazing taquerias, but few have the following of San Diego’s Las Cuatro Milpas. The menu is short and lines of orders long, but that’s because the tortillas are rolled every day and fried fresh for light, crispy tacos.
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Marini’s Empanada House: Empanadas
Houston Empanadas can be filled with practically anything, and at Marini’s Empanada House, there are more than 50 types to choose from, including Argentinian beef, mac and cheese, and apple with dulce de leche, cheeses, and nuts for dessert.
Bakesale Betty: Fried Chicken Sandwich
Oakland, CaliforniaFried chicken sandwiches are popular all over, but one worth waiting for is at Bakesale Betty in Oakland. The sandwiches are huge, the chicken is juicy, and the batter is crunchy. It’s served with spicy vinaigrette-dressed slaw on a soft roll. And there are cookies and other treats for dessert, but they won’t sell out by 2 p.m. each day — and sometimes earlier — like the fried chicken sandwiches.
Paul’s Pel’meni: Dumplings
Madison, WisconsinPel’meni are small, traditional Russian dumplings, and they’re all Paul’s Pel’meni in Madison, Wisconsin, sells. Choose from ground beef or potato filling, or get a mix. They’re topped with melted butter, yellow curry powder, sweet chili sauce, cilantro, and sour cream, making for one of the best late-night snacks around.
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La Taqueria: Burritos
San FranciscoSan Francisco is a hot spot for excellent burrito joints. One of the best is La Taqueria, where the lines over the years have been long but fast-moving. You won’t find rice in these burritos — just heaps of meat, beans, and salsa. If you want cheese, guacamole, and sour cream, ask for a burrito to be made “super.” Diners are wise to grab plenty of napkins. Without rice to soak them up, these burritos are juicy.
The Grilled Cheeserie: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Nashville, TennesseeEveryone loves a grilled cheese sandwich, but at The Grilled Cheeserie in Nashville, they’re over the top. An item called the B&B of Tennessee combines cheddar and bacon with a caramelized apple and shallot jam. There’s also a Southern-inspired pimento mac and cheese item. Yes, that’s mac and cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich.
MACS: Macaroni and Cheese
Multiple locations, WisconsinAnd speaking of macaroni and cheese, a seven-location chain in cheese-loving Wisconsin predictably makes some of the best. MACS serves up piping hot skillets of bubbly mac, extra creamy and full of cheeses, and topped with anything from fried hot dogs to chipotle chicken.
Pequod’s: Deep Dish Pizza
ChicagoIf you’re going to think about deep dish pizza in Chicago, make sure you include Pequod’s, where the edges of the pies are crispy, caramelized cheese and toppings. Diners classically encounter long waits and a slightly confusing ordering system — but that it as just part of the experience.
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck: Garlic Shrimp
Haleiwa, HawaiiHawaii has its own version of shrimp scampi, usually served from food trucks on the North Shore of Oahu. Giovanni’s is one of the most popular, selling plates of a dozen shrimp bathed in a butter sauce full of chopped garlic, along with two scoops of rice to soak up all that sauce.
Las Olas Cafe: Cuban Sandwich
Miami BeachJust a couple blocks from the southern end of Miami Beach is one of the best places to get a Cuban sandwich in Miami: Las Olas Cafe. It’s tiny, with just a couple of tables, so over the years diners got in the habit of taking their melty Cubano full of roasted pork, ham, pickles, and mustard to the beach.
Faidley’s Seafood: Crab Cakes
BaltimoreIn Baltimore, you have to eat one thing: crab cakes. Faidley’s stand in Lexington Market is known as one of the best in the country. The cakes are made with either jumbo lump or backfin crab meat, formed into softball-sized cakes by hand, and deep fried briefly to form a crust.
Louis’ Lunch: Hamburgers
New Haven, ConnecticutMany restaurants serve great hamburgers, but Louis’ Lunch in New Haven claims to have created the hamburger sandwich in 1895 and makes it the same today: cooked in a vertical grill, topped with tomato and onion, and served on toast. It’s simple and satisfying, and it’s easy to see why it became a classic.
Willie Mae’s Scotch House: Fried Chicken
New OrleansIf there’s only one place you can choose to go for fried chicken, pick Willie Mae’s Scotch House in New Orleans. This hole in the wall has been open since 1957 in the Treme neighborhood, closed only two years by Hurricane Katrina. Today, Willie Mae’s great-granddaughter runs the place, serving the same fried chicken as always. Sadly, disaster struck earlier this year when a fire did heavy damage to the restaurant, which is temporarily closed for repairs.
Medium Rare: Steak Frites
Washington, D.C.There’s a French dish that’s so classic that one restaurant in Washington, D.C. (with three locations) serves only it. Medium Rare has one prix fixe menu: You get bread, a green salad, and a culotte steak with fresh hand-cut fries, also known as steak frites. There are some desserts and plenty of wine to choose from if you feel like you must make some type of choice during your meal.
Nong’s Khao Man Gai: Chicken and Rice
Portland, OregonThe popular Thai street food called khao man gai, otherwise known as chicken and rice, is still sold on the street by Nong’s food cart (there are also two bricks-and-mortar chicken locations). The chicken is gently poached, the rice is cooked with the stock and aromatic herbs, and it’s all served with a tangy sauce made with fermented soy beans.
Red’s Eats: Lobster Roll
Wiscasset, MaineJudging by the lines of hungry customers, the great lobster rolls at Red’s Eats are no secret. Once you see the size of the massive roll — with more than one whole lobster’s worth of meat — the wait is understandable. The rolls are served plain, with melted butter and mayonnaise on the side.
Domilise’s: Po’ Boys
New Orleans
When you think of po’ boys, chances are you’re thinking of fillings such as fried oysters. Domilise’s has that, of course, but seafood doesn’t appear on the menu until after more than 15 other kinds of po’ boys, including the popular roast beef. It comes topped with the juices and little bits of meat it’s cooked in, called debris — tastier than the name implies.
The Vanguard: Sausages
Milwaukee
In Milwaukee, with its long German roots, The Vanguard ups the ante on bratwursts and hot dogs with creative variations such as the Nashville Hot Chicken Sausage spiced with paprika and cayenne and a Thai sausage made with pork and lemongrass that gets a squirt of peanut sauce.
Gramma’s Kitchen: Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Walcott, Iowa
The fried pork tenderloin sandwich is an Iowa specialty. Gramma’s Kitchen — just off Interstate 80 at the same exit as the world’s largest truck stop in Walcott — has an award-winning version. The pork is pounded thin until it’s about twice the size of the hamburger bun it’s served on, then breaded and fried crispy.
The Varsity: Chili Dogs
AtlantaThe Varsity has been slinging chili dogs since 1928, and is known as the world’s largest drive-in restaurant. Its bestselling combo meal comes with two chili dogs and onion rings for big appetites. Get your dogs topped with creamy slaw for a Southern addition.
The Boise Fry Co.: French Fries
Multiple locations, IdahoThis Idaho mini-chain considers burgers to be the side dish, not fries — and it’s no joke. Though potato choices change seasonally and cuts change daily, usually you can choose between six different potatoes, including red lady, sweet potato, yam, and purple and five or six cuts (everything from curly fries to “po’balls”). And diners who feel guilty about eating so-called junk-food fries can at least feel good about the company’s commitment to reducing waste and being green. The chain recycles its oil in cars and uses Energy Star appliances and lights.
The Original Pierre Maspero’s: Shrimp and Grits
