Americans today apply the term “foodie” to anyone who loves gourmet dining. But foodie culture isn’t limited to restaurants. More importantly, far fewer than the many who claim to be foodies truly deserve the label. “Authentic” foodies, according to experts, not only crave new and different flavors but also savor the exploratory experience of eating, learning and discovering food.
Naturally, the foodie lifestyle can be quite expensive, considering that restaurant prices rose 3.2% just between July 2018 and July 2019. And in 2015, Americans spent more money at food establishments than at grocery stores for the first time, and restaurant purchases continue to experience greater year-over-year growth than grocery sales in 2019. And while people may view dining at home to be more cost-effective, eating at home still can be pricey, depending on the local cost of living as well as the type and quality of ingredients used.
Fortunately, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable options for cash-strapped foodies. These wallet-friendly cities cater to diners who prefer to cook at home, explore the local flavors or both. To determine the best and cheapest foodie scenes, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 30 key indicators of foodie-friendliness. Our data set ranges from cost of groceries to affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants to food festivals per capita. Read on for the winners, expert foodie insight and a full description of our methodology.
