Hi anons,
I'm traveling to the US for the first time in a couple of months. I'll be arriving in Miami, staying for 2 days, then heading to Washington, D.C.

I'm from a small country where we only have the usuals like KFC, Burger King, McDonald's...

What fast food chains, diners, or local stuff should I absolutely not miss while I'm there?

I'd love to try food that feels "American" or unique to those cities.

Bonus points for greasy, unhealthy, iconic stuff. Thanks.

>>2799062 (OP)
Taco truck tacos, BBQ places (brisket/ribs etc), and a Cuban place for a Cubano sandwich since youre in the area.

>>2799062 (OP)
>Washington, D.C.
Soft shell crab is a must

>>2799062 (OP)
bump for also wanting to go to Miami

>>2799067
>BBQ in Miami
gross

>>2799062 (OP)
Chicago style deep-dish pizza, of course. You won't be able to find the best chains outside of Chicago, but Uno's sold its nationwide branding rights to a chain back in the 1980s and there are locations in Florida, Maryland, and Virginia.

https://www.unos.com/locations.php

There are also Giordano's in Florida, and a D.C. location "opening soon" so maybe by the time you get here they'll be ready for you.

https://giordanos.com/all-locations/

Other than that, "American food" is just "everybody else's food". You didn't mention Taco Bell in your list of chains, so maybe hit one of those if you really want fast food type food.

But if you're going to be in Florida, FFS man, that's a state where you can get very high quality seafood. There's nothing distinctly "American" about grilled fish, but get the good stuff when you can.

>>2799281
Being in the Midwest, you got to get frozen custard. Culvars or Freddy's is 10 times better of a chain than In & Out.

>>2799062 (OP)
Attention Amerifats! I'll be in Boston and NYC and Washington, DC. What should I get? The only thing I know is a New York Slice

>>2799062 (OP)
I live in DC - Happy to give you some recs on my favorite places in the city, but the city itself doesn’t have a particularly unique cuisine. More like its status attracts a lot of excellent fusion.

But like >>2799072 said - you must get some Maryland Blue Crab. If its served with no plate, on a big ass brown piece of paper, with just a wooden hammer and some Old Bay, you’re in the right spot.


Other options:
Oyster Oyster
Izakaya Seki
The Red Hen
Jônt
MITA
Stracci Pizza
St. Anselm
Succotash Prime


There is plenty more, lmk what type of shit you’re on. I can also recommend food in shitty parts of the city if you’re okay with getting mugged.

>>2799291
I was in Boston recently for the first time, and it was way better than I thought it would be. I'd try to find a way in your plan to stay there longer than NYC. DC is just great for the mall and it's museums. None of them have anything in particular I crave foodwise. Just go with whatever you're desiring at the time, and that includes a NYC slice or corn beef/pastrami sandwich. They're nothing particularly special to me.

>>2799292
>There is plenty more, lmk what type of shit you’re on. I can also recommend food in shitty parts of the city if you’re okay with getting mugged.

The sketchier and the more local, the better. I can get good international food here in Berlin. I am interested in unique shit you can only find in a specific location. I am definitely going to try those crabs. Europe doesn't eat much crab

>>2799062 (OP)
Cuban food is amazing. Try ropa vieja and other shit. For American food foreigners always think biscuits and gravy sounds gross but it’s amazing. Perfect hung over breakfast food

>>2799294
What is some food you can ONLY find in Boston. Doesn't have to be good, can be horrible even. I just want to experience the culture

>>2799291
>Boston
Lobster, cod

>>2799299
that's just ingredients

Excellent seafood. You know I'm thinking a guy with your kind of mind oughta try the land crab... excellent seafood.

Go to Buc-ees

>>2799295
Hip Hop Fish and Chicken
MLK Deli SE
Manna Korean
Doro Soul Food
Meats and Foods

If you’re askin about ‘local’ food its gonna be the mid-atlantic spin on Black southern cooking. Lots of crab, lots of fried chicken, lots of fish, lots of stuff being fried. But I’ll warn you, some of these places are genuinely dangerous - I’m not even like some perma-frightened conservative bigot. East of the Anacostia river is asking for trouble. Like, a black guy with a few dollars isn’t even going there. Be careful.

Definitely try and eat at some of the fancier restaurants though. Food in Berlin is great, but DC has resettled so many people from around the world that the food scene is like 90% of what you’d get in New York.

Try places like Marks Duck House or the Eden Center for Asian, Que Rico for Puerto Rican, Corado’s for Guatemalan, Abuare or Family for Ethiopian, like there is anything you could imagine.

>>2799329
Oh and if you come to DC, do yourself a favor and download the Capitol Bikeshare app on your phone, called CaBi by the locals. Go rent one of the grey ebikes and explore way way more than just the mall. This city has some of the best neighborhoods in the country, and it is super easy to see them all by bike in half a day.

If you start at the mall I’d recommend this loop:
>Mall to Lincoln Park down East Capitol St
>Barracks Row
>Navy Yard
>Buzzards Point
>Titanic Memorial
>The Wharf (this place is mid, but its a strong contrast to the real DC that is worth seeing)
>Up 7th St to Chinatown
>Shaw
>Logan Circle
>14th st NW
>Meridian Hill Park (locally called Malcolm X Park)
>Mt Pleasant (feels like a small American town in the heart of a big city)
>Adams Morgan and 18th St
>Kalorama
>Woodland Drive NW going uphill to the National Cathedral (you’ll see how the people with fuck you money live)
>down Wisconsin Ave into Georgetown (I personally dislike Georgetown’s M Street, but its often a tourist destination [but there is a fucking sick art gallery called the L’enfant Gallery that is cool to explore cause its like the attic of your obscenely wealthy grandpa])

Do this and you’ll see a lot more of the real city than your average tourist.

>>2799067
>Taco truck tacos
fpbp. nothing like taco truck tacos and beer from the late night liquor store at 1am in a questionable part of east los angeles. not recommended for amateurs.

Counterintuitively, Hispanic and Latino cuisines.

>>2799355
Better quality meat and bigger portion sizes when you eat Hispanic food in the USA compared to the origin countries.

>>2799080
He is passing through the Carolinas. He can get a pulled pork sammie.

>>2799341
Having spent the last several years overseas...Mexican food isnt common elsewhere. When it is its usually tones down are altered (which is sometimes pretty good).

French style burrito, with a thick slab of stinky French cheese on top and some kind of cream sauce inside. Odd...but good stoner food.