Miami has been named the best U.S. city for food lovers in WalletHub’s ranking of 182 cities. The city earned strong marks for affordable, highly rated restaurants and its abundance of dining options. Its food scene also stood out for farmers’ markets, butcher shops and kitchen supply stores, alongside a roster of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Key takeaways
- Miami ranked No. 1 overall in WalletHub’s study.
- The city scored highly for affordable restaurants rated at least 4.5 stars and restaurants per capita.
- Miami placed third for farmers’ markets and butcher shops per capita, and second for kitchen supply stores.
The rankings recognize more than restaurant dining: WalletHub’s analysis also considered access to specialty food retailers and resources for home cooks.
What helped Miami lead
WalletHub cited Miami’s availability of affordable restaurants with high customer ratings and an especially high number of restaurants relative to its population. The city ranked 12th for restaurant-type diversity and ninth for its ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food chains.
The city also has 12 Michelin-starred restaurants, including L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, which holds two Michelin stars. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said leading foodie cities offer varied culinary experiences—from food trucks and specialty stores to Michelin-recognized dining—and options for people who like to experiment with food at home.
A broad measure of food appeal
WalletHub assessed 182 cities using two broad categories: affordability, and diversity, accessibility and quality. Those categories were divided into 28 measures, including restaurant availability and variety, grocery costs and the price of restaurant meals.
Miami’s rankings beyond restaurants included third place for farmers’ markets, 10th for gourmet specialty food stores, third for butcher shops and second for kitchen supply stores, all measured per capita. Together, the results reflect a food scene that serves both diners and home cooks.
Other cities in the top 10
Portland, Oregon, placed second, followed by San Francisco and Seattle. Austin, Texas, was fifth. Florida cities Orlando and Tampa ranked sixth and seventh, respectively; Las Vegas, Sacramento and Denver completed the top 10.