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The 10 Best Cities For People Who Are Obsessed With Food

Prepare to drool over these destinations.

Headshot of Hannah DoolinBy Hannah Doolin
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Flickr Creative Commons/Jessica Spengler

Every city has it's own unique dishes and hidden gem restaurants, but which places can truly brag about having the best and cheapest local food scenes? After conducting a study of 182 U.S. cities, weighing 24 different factors in each, WalletHub named the best foodie cities in America for 2017. If you live to eat, these are the spots where you might want to consider settling down.

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10. Seattle, WA

Pike Place fresh crab

With Starbucks practically flowing through the veins of Seattleites, there's definitely no shortage of quality coffee shops in this city. Beer and wine is on the pricier side, but with tons of craft breweries and wineries in the area, locals are willing to pay up, plus there's tons of top-notch food to enjoy it with. Whether you're eating fresh oysters at a restaurant or cooking up crab legs at home, Seattle ranks highly on the scale of food freshness thanks to its proximity to the ocean and Washington farms. You can (quite literally) catch some insanely fresh seafood right at Pike Place Market downtown.

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9. San Diego, CA

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Flickr Creative Commons/Arup Malakar

Eating and drinking are practically synonymous with socializing in San Diego. It boasts more craft breweries and wineries per capita than most U.S. cities, ensuring you'll never go thirsty (or have to resort to a Coors Light), and it's full of food festivals and farmers markets so you can explore the city while chowing down.

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8. Las Vegas, NV

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Las Vegas' glittering main drag isn't just good for its casinos and over-the-top entertainment. The city ranks fourth for having the most restaurants per capita, with ice cream and fro-yo joints galore when you need your sweets fix. It's also home to high-end eateries launched by star-studded chefs, and ultra-fun spots like Sugar Factory — a Kardashian-endorsed candy store on crack.

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7. Austin, TX

Salt Lick Bar-B-Que
Flickr Creative Commons/Carlos Pacheco

Groceries, beer and wine won't cost you much in Austin compared to other large cities in the U.S., which gives you more of an excuse to explore the local restaurants. Across the board, iconic downtown spots serving Tex-Mextacos, barbecue and beyond have impressively high rankings on Yelp, and places like Salt Lick Bar-B-Que definitely don't skimp on the portion size.

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6. Orlando, FL

dole whip
Flickr Creative Commons/Mike Callanan

In our opinion, a trip to Orlando requires a magic-filled visit to Disney World, but it turns out the local food scene can compete with the worldly selections at Epcot. Downtown, restaurant prices are low, and the options are endless, plus there's no shortage of ice cream and fro-yo shops if you haven't managed to get your Dole Whip fix at the resort.

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5. Miami, FL

Joe's Stone Crab Key Lime Pie

Surprisingly, Miami had the second most restaurants per capita in this survey, not far behind New York. The diverse population has put Cuban and Spanish specialities like arepas, empanadas and cubano sandwiches on the map — best followed by a cortado and a slice of the famous key lime pie from Joe's Stone Crab. If pie isn't your style, hit up an ice cream or fro-yo shop — they're plentiful throughout town.

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4. Los Angeles, CA

Taqueria Cancun Burrito
Jonathan Boulton

Los Angeles has made a name for itself thanks to its thriving food truck scene, massive burritos and residents' insatiable cravings for green juice, grain bowls and avocado. It's no surprise that the sunny city ranks third for gourmet specialty-food shops and fifth for coffee shops per capita — wander into any java joint and you can bet you'll find almond milk, coconut milk and every other alternative to stir into your morning joe.

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3. New York, NY

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Sure, New York City has some of the least affordable groceries and most expensive restaurant tabs you'll find in the U.S., but it makes up for its price tag with insane variety and top-notch spots serving any cuisine you might be craving. Whether you're going for a classic slice of New York's best pizza or the trendy dish of the moment — say, a sushi burger or decadent freakshake — you'll find it here easily.

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2. Portland, OR

peanut-butter-pickle-bacon-burger
Ben Bach

Portland's quirky culture definitely extends to its food scene — just look at the insane ice cream flavors at Salt & Straw, or this peanut butter-pickle-bacon burger — and that's just part of what draws eaters in from across the country. Local spots, from craft breweries and wineries to indie coffee shops, all have unique personalities, and there's a real focus on maintaining full-service restaurants, even as fast-food joints continue to pop up. That's one way to keep Portland weird ...weirdly delicious.

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1. San Francisco, CA

Boudin Bakery sourdough bread
Flickr Creative Commons/Alfred Lui

After weighing 24 different indicators, this study put the City by the Bay in the number 1 spot, thanks to its impressive variety of food and restaurant options. San Francisco ranked first in having the most farmer's markets and CSA programs per capita — explaining why a visit to the Ferry Plaza market is a must when in town. The city's gourmet specialty-food store scene is tough to compete with, boasting beautiful supermarkets like Bi-Rite Market and famed shops like Boudin Bakery, where every visitor should stop for a sourdough bread bowl filled with creamy clam chowder.

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