There’s more to San Francisco than just sourdough bread.
WalletHub recently released its annual ranking of the best food cities in America, highlighting places where you can enjoy top-rated food without breaking the bank.
Surprisingly, a Bay Area city secured the third spot on the list, which is quite impressive given how steep the living costs can be in that region.
In total, WalletHub analyzed over 180 cities across the country, including the 150 largest metropolitan areas, along with two of the biggest in each state, to figure out which ones cater best to food enthusiasts.
Food lovers, in this context, are those who appreciate everything from indulging in high-end restaurants to seeking out creative food trucks or trying new recipes at home.
The analysis looked at 28 different criteria, which fell into two broad categories: “affordability” and “diversity, accessibility, and quality.”
Affordability examined various factors such as grocery costs, the average price of meals in restaurants, sales tax, and the typical prices for beer and wine.
On the other hand, the second category took a deeper dive into the food scene, tallying up the number of restaurants, food trucks, farmers markets, craft breweries, coffee shops, and specialty food stores available per capita.
San Francisco came out strong in this evaluation.
The city ranked third overall, with WalletHub noting its impressive number of restaurants per capita, alongside a substantial selection of affordable dining options that have received ratings of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Additionally, San Francisco is home to 25 Michelin-starred establishments, three of which have achieved the prestigious three-star rating.
But it doesn’t just stop at upscale dining. The city also ranked sixth for restaurant diversity and fourth for access to healthy food options.
For those who enjoy diverse culinary experiences, San Francisco has numerous food festivals and cooking schools available, which is definitely a plus.
Moreover, the city leads the nation in stores selling herbs and spices, international grocery options, and craft breweries per capita.
However, the top title of the best food city was claimed by Miami, which took the number one spot in WalletHub’s rankings.
Miami excels in providing affordable restaurants with high ratings, as well as a commendably high number of eateries per capita.
While Miami is ranked 12th for restaurant diversity and 9th for the ratio of full-service restaurants compared to fast food options, it has fewer Michelin stars than San Francisco—totaling 12, with just one earning two stars. But it offers a lot for home cooks and market-goers.
Miami is also notable for having the third-most farmers markets and decent numbers of gourmet specialty stores, butcher shops, and kitchen supply stores per capita.
Portland, Oregon, rounded out the top three, claiming second place overall.
This Pacific Northwest city boasts a remarkable array of craft breweries, wineries, herb and spice shops, culinary tours, and food festivals per person.
Restaurant choices are also abundant, especially those rated over 4.5 stars. However, Portland currently lacks any Michelin-starred restaurants, which is a curious gap.
But to sweeten the deal for diners, Portland offers a unique advantage: there’s no tax on food, whether you’re dining out or stocking up at the grocery store.
Other cities in California didn’t go unnoticed in WalletHub’s rankings either; Sacramento, San Diego, and Los Angeles made it into the top 20 nationwide, landing at 9th, 12th, and 17th places, respectively.
