One of the easiest ways to sample a regional specialty is by trying it at a local chain. When eating there, it will likely just be you and some hometown locals. This approach might mean sampling Detroit-style pizza where it was invented, or Key lime pie where it was perfected. Locals will have their own favorites, so use these six suggestions as a guide and ask your new local friends for recommendations.
Chicago: Al’s #1 Italian Beef and its signature sandwich
Visitors to Chicago should make trying an Italian beef a priority
(Image credit: Sergio Amiti / Getty Images)
The Italian beef sandwich is a Chicago staple, made with “thinly-sliced roasted beef, preferably swimming in jus and topped with spicy pickled veg,” Food & Wine said. A local favorite is Al’s #1 Italian Beef, open since 1938 with five locations in Chicago and the city’s suburbs. Fans “obsessive enough” to drive to each say the original spot on Taylor Street is the “absolute best,” serving “one of the most unique and layered spice combinations in the business.” Take the signature Italian Stance, leaning in with your elbows on the counter, feet spread and mouth wide open to keep the beef from dripping on your clothes.
The Florida Keys: Kermit’s Key Lime Shop and its pie
Key lime pie is a refreshing treat
(Image credit: Bruce Yuan-Yue Bi / Getty Images)
Questions swirl around the Key lime pie’s origins (it may actually be from New York City!), but there is no mystery about where to get the best slice in Key West. Kermit’s is the “sweetest of the bunch,” Travel and Leisure said, known for deliciously tart Key lime pie topped with a dollop of whipped cream and frozen, chocolate-covered Key lime pie bars. While visiting one of Kermit’s three locations, pick up some pantry staples to remind you of your time in the Keys —souvenirs like Kermit’s pure Key lime oil, Key lime orange blossom honey and Key lime peanuts.
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Louisville: Indi’s and its fried chicken
Indi’s fried chicken and wedges are local favorites
Colonel Sanders who? When craving fried chicken in Kentucky, head to an Indi’s in Louisville. This is “heaven on Earth,” where “angels that fry up that chicken” are “earning jewels in their crown for sure,” said WBKR. Order your legs, thighs, wings, breasts and keels mild or spicy, and do not skip the sides. The potato wedges are legendary, and the apple and peach cobblers will make you do a “little dance while you clean your plate.”
Near Los Angeles: Porto’s and its Cuban specialties
The Porto family, seen here in 2001, have been baking in Southern California for five decades
(Image credit: Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)
Los Angeles is filled with mom-and-pop shops serving Mexican food, from tacos to tortas. Cuban food is not as widespread, one reason why Porto’s has six “perpetually busy” locations in the L.A. area, the Los Angeles Times said. When Rosa Porto left Cuba for the U.S. in the 1970s, she brought with her recipes passed down for generations, and Porto’s became known for its cakes and pastries. Today, you “never go wrong with a cubano or medianoche” sandwich, the famous potato balls and the “tangy, creamy” cheese rolls and refugiados (pastries with guava and cream cheese). Porto’s has become so ingrained in local culture that its offerings “no longer just represent Cuba — they’ve come to represent Los Angeles.”
Michigan: Buddy’s and its Detroit-style pizza
Detroit-style pizza has crispy corners and dollops of sauce on top
(Image credit: Pat Greenhouse / The Boston Globe / Getty Images)
New York, Chicago and New Haven all claim to have the best pizza, but Detroiters beg to differ. Detroit-style pizza dates back to the 1940s, when Gus Guerra of Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria used blue steel pans to make a square-shaped pie with a “soft interior, crispy bottom crust and thick cheese that caramelizes into golden edges,” Detroit Metro Times said. You can still enjoy one of these eight-corner pies at Buddy’s, which has expanded to several locations; for a true slice of history, go to the flagship location on Conant Street.
Oklahoma: Tucker’s Onion Burgers for its namesake
Onion burgers are an Oklahoma original
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The juicy onion burger, Oklahoma‘s “magnificent contribution to American burger culture,” was created here in the 1920s, when “beef was hard to come by,” Food & Wine said. By smothering a small amount of meat in onion slices, it “married” the flavors and left diners thinking of the taste, not the size. Tucker’s is a newer addition to the Oklahoma City landscape, opening its first joint in 2011, but has made a name for itself with “quality” burgers (including turkey and Impossible) and tasty hand-cut fries.
