Last time I was in America I really liked the Wendy’s cheeseburgers.

(IIRC you’re UK-based) Authentic Mexican foods, and other things that are hard to come by in the UK. I was a picky eater as a child and didn’t care for it, but I spent my early childhood on RAF Feltwell hearing people wishing they could get good Mexican food.

For common american foods? Jerky, smoked meats (brisket 🤤), fried… everything.

Edit: food culture varies wildly based on region. Generally “what country colonized and/or immigrated to this area” and “what ingredients are readily available and cheap in this area”.

The best food in the US is the variety we’ve attracted from other cultures.

I’d try to find the local ‘hole in the wall’ restaurants, emphasizing Mexican or Indian food…

I’ve come to understand that the shadier the restaurant is, the better the food - idk if that’s good advice to shoot for lol, but if you feel like you might get stabbed waiting for your dinner, it’s gonna be fucking amazing.

It depends on what part of the country you’ll be in. If it happens to be in the south, i highly recommend trying some authentic buttermilk biscuits with white gravy or chicken and waffles with a big ol’ glass of sweet ice tea. Thats my favorite, for sure.

I’ve lived in the north, south, west and Midwest US so I may be able to give an honest recommendation.

Whatever ICE serves in their detention centres.

Why the fuck would you come here? I would, love to leave but I own land and have 4 cats.

Diners are an overlooked US staple, especially the one-offs, not the chains.

They aren’t really about snacks, but they often have a baked goods case of deliciousness.

I guess see what ICE is offering at the time? TF anyone going to America for.

It may depend where you are traveling from.

Packaged food:

• Toasty cheese-its.
• Annie’s boxed mac & cheese.
• Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups
• a million variations on potato chips and hard pretzels, some of them quite regional.
• birch beer

Other food: On the west coast and other places: Taco trucks and Asian food.

In the north east: subs or hoagies (buffalo chicken cheesesteak), good cheep pizza, Amish farm stands (homemade baked goods, cheese, rootbeer)

On the east coast and the south: arguably there is somewhat of a gas station food culture (Wawa, Buc-ees, Sheetz, etc). Its not that interesting, but more novel than a McDonald’s.

Stay safe, things aren’t exactly great here

I’d say maybe icecream? There are some really good classic creameries here, but I don’t really know whether locally made freshly churned icecream is also a thing in lots of other places 🤷‍♂️ NC state near me (a university) makes amazing icecream with their agriculture department

Most things that come to mind are food, and will depend on where you are. Here in NC pulled pork bbq would be a must (with regional variations in the style of sauce), just gotta find one of the good places that do it well. I’d try and learn a little about the food culture of where you’re headed and see what sounds interesting if food stuff beyond snacks interests you

Depends on the state and city you’re going to, but you should absolutely try light Hispanic foods from a restaurant. Cubano sandwich (butter-carmelized onions and simple meats), fried plantains, churros, and nachos. If the restaurant looks too clean, none of these will be any good. And before someone says that a Cuban isn’t a snack, I don’t have a massive appetite and I can easily eat 2. They’re rarely filling

S’mores if you can get to a campfire for that authentic experience

Reese’s peanut butter cups

Cool ranch Doritos are addictive

Beef jerky

Also - this is food food, but it’d be a good time to visit a sports bar and get some buffalo wings! For some reason they’re always wrong when I get them abroad

I’m pretty sure that most packaged candy and stuff you can order online. Might cost something in shipping, but the world is smaller now.

I think I’d focus on prepared dishes that might be harder to find wherever you normally are.

Fried pickle chips.

Like, slices of pickle, lightly battered and fried.

Where are you from? If you’re from Europe, I suggest expanding beyond the normal US snacks into snacks brought to the US from Mexico like Fresas con Cremas.

Also Beavis & Butthead style gas station nachos with the fake cheese out of a pump is a US snack staple.

Also bar nachos are entirely different and usually much better than gas station nachos, so those are worth a shot as well.

Oh and get some Skittles since they are “Unfit for Human Consumption.”