New research has revealed the top cities across the US that are the most popular among tourists, hoping to explore all the culinary delights they have to offer. 

The study by the social casino website Hello Millions analyzed 199 US cities listed by the US International Trade Administration as the most visited in America and the corresponding number of Instagram and TikTok hashtags relating to the food offerings in the city. Hashtags accounted for in the study include “#[city]foodie”, “#[city]restaurants”, and “#[city]placestoeat”, and more. The hashtag counts across both social media platforms were then combined and ranked to reveal the most popular. 

According to social media popularity, New York City is the best city for food tourism in the US by some distance – with a staggering 12.5 million hashtags across Instagram and TikTok related to restaurants and food in the city.  

Most recent figures released by the Office of the New York State Comptroller revealed that in 2019, NYC had a huge 23,650 restaurants and food industry establishments – so tourists and locals have endless culinary experiences to enjoy. With a visit to one per day, it would take a food enthusiast nearly 65 years to eat at them all. 

Los Angeles is second on the list of the best US destinations for food lovers. Not only does the city attract tourists hoping to experience the life of the rich and famous, but a study found that the city has over 5.3 million hashtags relating to its culinary offerings. From classic American burgers to the city’s world-renowned taco scene, LA offers one of the best dining experiences in the US. 

Taking the third spot in the ranking of the best foodie cities in America is Chicago. Known around the world for the city’s iconic deep-dish pizza, the study found that there are more than 4.1 million posts under hashtags on Instagram and TikTok relating to eateries in the Illinois city. 

The first of three Texan cities included in the top 20 foodie cities in the US, Houston takes the fourth spot in the national ranking. According to the findings, there are more than a huge 3.1 million hashtags, such as ‘#AustinFood’ and ‘#AustinRestaurants, across Instagram and TikTok, with foodies keen to share their favorite finds. 

Completing the top five US foodie hotspots is the tourist magnet Miami, Florida. While the city is well-known for its beautiful beaches and lively nightlife, the findings revealed that Miami is also a hit for its cuisine. The study found that the city has over 2.7 million hashtags relating to places to eat. Plus, with TripAdvisor awarding over 30 of the city’s restaurants their coveted ‘Traveller’s Choice 2023’ stamp, it is clear the city is a popular choice among food tourists. 

Top 20 American Foodie Hotspots: 

Rank	City	Instagram Hashtag Count	TikTok Hashtag Count	Total Hashtag Count
1	New York City, NY	12,044,016	520,219	12,564,235
2	Los Angeles, CA	5,192,326	175,660	5,367,986
3	Chicago, IL	3,945,985	167,380	4,113,365
4	Houston, TX	3,016,090	174,938	3,191,028
5	Miami, FL	2,615,554	111,059	2,726,613
6	Dallas, TX	2,160,366	91,070	2,251,436
7	Las Vegas, NV	1,965,238	185,590	2,150,828
8	Washington DC	1,909,742	71,518	1,981,260
9	Atlanta, GA	1,822,584	86,683	1,909,267
10	Seattle, WA	1,670,671	43,090	1,713,761
11	San Diego, CA	1,621,671	50,349	1,672,020
12	Boston, MA	1,574,934	38,168	1,613,102
13	Orlando, FL	1,207,134	74,590	1,281,724
14	Austin, TX	1,226,936	25,953	1,252,889
15	Denver, CO	1,125,324	35,493	1,160,817
16	Nashville, TN	858,967	23,972	882,939
17	Tampa, FL	853,490	27,760	881,250
18	Detroit, MI	666,035	28,362	694,397
19	Baltimore, MD	637,341	17,104	654,445
20	Portland, OR	639,256	12,829	652,085

The sixth most popular US city among food enthusiasts is Dallas. The study found that the north Texas city has more than 2.25 million posts featuring hashtags related to its food scene. 

Las Vegas follows in seventh place in the ranking. Combining the food and restaurant-related hashtags mentioning the city, the study identified an impressive 2.15 million posts showcasing the cuisine “Sin City”, as it is commonly nicknamed, has to offer. 

With just under 2 million posts, Washington DC and Atlanta are the eighth and ninth best foodie hotspots in America, respectively – each gaining more than 1.9 million posts featuring hashtags related to the cities’ eateries. While Seattle rounds out the top ten with a significant 1.7 million posts tagging places to eat and specialities available in the northwestern city. 

Joerg Nottebaum at Hello Millions commented on the findings: “Food tourism has been a travel trend globally for a long time, but especially with the growth of social media and content such as ‘top places to eat in…’ videos going viral in a matter of hours, it is now more popular than ever. Therefore, this study provides a vital insight into which US cities are capturing food lovers the most online.  

“Cities such as Dallas and Washington DC being named on the list of foodie favorites, alongside cities long-known for their cuisine scene, such as New York City and LA, is a testament to the power of social media in enticing people from all over to indulge in all the delights other cities have to offer too.”