The Absolute Best Street Foods In The U.S.

Great street food is defined by a few key attributes. Street food should be portable, utensil-free, and handheld. Standing or walking can take place at the same time as eating such foods. The dish is usually prepared in a food truck, push cart, or on the side of the road. Most of the time, these meals should be filling and comforting, while having a low price point. All of these traits are not strictly required, but a lot of the best street foods in the U.S. tend to have these things in common. Additionally, many of them contain strong connections to American history that infuse these quick bites with welcome nostalgia.

There are plenty of popular and beloved street foods to highlight. In addition to those mentioned in this list, recognizable dessert street foods like donuts, churros, and ice cream, come to mind. But for this roundup, we focused on savory items. Read to learn about the absolute best street foods in the U.S.

New York's Italian food scene itself has been around for generations — think back to John Travolta's famous pizza-ordering scene from the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever" — but the dollar slice is a more recent phenomenon. Per Vice, it didn't become popular until 2008, around the time of the national financial crisis. At that time, New York's street food scene exploded, providing cheaper food options to struggling residents. Sadly, it's also now mostly a thing of the past, with inflation increasing the cost of NYC slices, explains The New York Times. You're more likely to pay over a dollar these days.

These to-go slices remain authentic street food items. You can eat them on the street while walking. Consuming these slices quickly is so common that there is even a recommended way to do so: by folding. If you fold the slice in half down the middle, you can eat it twice as fast.

The efficiency of New York pizza shop workers, the water quality increasing dough's flavor, and the thin style that's indicative of NYC pizza all contribute to this street food's success. It's cheap, easy to eat, and comforting — all qualities of the best American street foods.

The origin story of corn dogs is contentious. As one story goes, two vaudeville performers brought corn dogs into the world at the 1942 Texas State Fair (via Bar-S). At the time, the dish was referred to as "corny dogs." Another tale credits the Oregon-based chain Pronto Pup with selling the first dogs. Other early corn dog sightings were reported in Oklahoma and Illinois. Even as early as 1927, an inventor from New York was patenting devices similar to those used to make corn dogs.

Corn dogs aren't the same type of food as tacos — which we might associate with late nights possibly involving alcohol — but both dishes are street food. These hot dogs on sticks don't require utensils and can be eaten while walking. We wouldn't say every corn dog is made fresh on the street. But you can sell corn dogs out of a restaurant on wheels (such as a food truck or cart). Corn dogs also remain a staple of certain outdoor venues, such as theme parks, beach boardwalks, and county fairs.

Per The Village Voice, corn dogs get their name from their batter, which is made with cornmeal. To make them, hot dogs are partially skewered, coated in batter, then deep-fried. Today, you might come across the Korean corn dog, street food that's been popular in recent years. These items add a layer of melted cheese or additional toppings to the cornmeal batter.

A po' boy is a New Orleans favorite. Out of the many famous dishes invented in this Southern metropolis, the po' boy is one of the most well-known. According to Nola.com, the local sandwich first appeared during the 1920s. A restaurant created the sandwich as an inexpensive way to feed struggling workers. It consisted simply of leftover roast beef bits, gravy, and French bread. When the workers would show up to get their sandwiches, the restaurant would announce the arrival of another "poor boy." The name later became synonymous with the sandwich, with the accent's local touch changing it to "po' boy" instead.

You'll find more than roast beef in a po' boy today. Per the French quarter's tourism website, fried seafood po' boys are the most popular. Other sandwich ingredients like tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles, are added. As for dressings, you'll find mayonnaise, gravy, or remoulade (a rich sauce that originated in France) enhance the filling quality of a po' boy.

As street food, po' boys are satisfying. There's so much stuffed into this sandwich — from the thick baguette to the fish-filled center to the toppings to the sauces — that's hard to not be full after eating one. Also, they are usually cheap. A po' boy can fill a diner's belly without breaking the bank. That's something we like about this street food.

Fried clams are a delicacy you'll find at seafood shacks across New England. But most locals agree the first clams were served at Woodman's. The Essex, Massachusetts eatery initially created the dish in 1916. This landmark restaurant is still open today. Over 100 years later, they are still serving fried clams.

As the New England Historical Society explains, there is a debate among fried clam enthusiasts: bellies versus strips. Clam bellies are the central, main portion of meat inside a clam (via Bentley's Roast Beef). Strips are cut pieces of Atlantic surf clams, which are usually larger than the shellfish used for their bellies (via Pangea Shellfish). Ipswich clams are what provide those bellies (via Historic Ipswich). According to a poll from New England Today, it seems that most people in the region prefer bellies. However, if you're outside of those six Northeastern states, you're probably going to get clam strips.

Strips vs. bellies aside, fried clams are a revered form of street food. Each piece of clam balances fish flavor with fried batter. When served with a creamy, acidic sauce like tartar sauce, the whole dish is even more well-rounded. This is a historic piece of American finger food that you can eat on the street. However, it would be best on a street that's near the ocean. The atmosphere will perfectly complement your catch of the day.

Burritos were initially invented somewhere in Mexico, but historians don't know exactly when or where (via Vox). The dish came to the United States at some point during the 1900s. Around the 1940s and 1950s, the recipe began to gain more American fans, starting with Californians. Some people credit the Los Angeles restaurant El Cholo with first introducing the burrito to the U.S., says The Plaza Restaurant.

A crucial development — in terms of this fare as street food — came with the invention of the mission-style burrito. In 1960s San Francisco, a restaurant called El Faro was the first to supersize this street food. Instead of just a few ingredients, burritos were now stuffed with everything you'd want in a meal inside of two huge tortillas (via Refinery 29). Then, the whole thing was wrapped in foil. This conveniently held everything together, while allowing diners to take them to-go. Today, there are even more unique styles of this street food. You'll find breakfast burritos, chimichangas (fried burritos), wet burritos (covered with sauce and cheese), and more. But the best styles are those ready for eating while strolling on the street.

In some ways, poke doesn't seem like typical street food. It's considered healthy, isn't deep-fried, and doesn't contain (land-based) meat. But for all the ways that this street food isn't typical of American fast food, poke bowls are emblematic of Hawaiian food culture. In Hawaii, dishes involving poke have existed since ancient times. This rich history aligns it with old European-inspired street foods that are now popular in the U.S. (such as funnel cake or pretzels).

As Foodicles explains, native Hawaiians would make their version of the poke bowl long before colonizers arrived on the islands. Dishes involved raw fish, seaweed, and salt. Later on, Japanese and Chinese travelers brought ingredients like soy sauce and sesame oil — which would one day be used to make poke bowls — to Hawaii. In the '70s, the term poke became used to describe the way fish was cut into small pieces. But it wasn't until around 2012 when the poke bowl itself became popular in the rest of the United States, per Eat Poke Bros.  

Unlike many street foods, to eat poke, you do need utensils. But at least you don't have to worry about making too much of a mess. The ingredients within poke — things like rice, cucumber, and green onions — aren't the most dangerous to the street food eaters' fits.

As Visit Arizona explains, fry bread's origins can be traced back 150 years to the forced migration of Native American people from Arizona to New Mexico. During this period, the Navajo were made to walk 300 miles by the U.S. government. Rations provided to sustain the Navajo during the journey included salt, flour, lard, and water. These ingredients became the basic recipe for fry bread. Fry bread is a symbol of the unfairness of this walk, as well as the resilience of the Native Americans who went through it.

Fry bread is traditionally served at outdoor celebrations honoring Native American culture, per Mental Floss. Stands selling fry bread will make the dough fresh outside, forming it into small circles similar to a fluffy pancake or puffed-up tortilla. Then, toppings like powdered sugar or honey are applied. In other situations, fry bread is used to make recipes like Native American Tacos, also known as Navajo Tacos. These recipes consist of ingredients like beans, cheese, sour cream, and salsa being stacked onto a piece of bread (via Smithsonian Magazine).

Fry uniquely celebrates an element of Native American food history (albeit one created out of injustice from the U.S.-government). It's also delicious and portable, so it's the perfect street food.

According to Forbes, the recipe for this simple sausage was born out of German food culture in Chicago, where immigrants often ate sausages. In the 1860s, the city's hot dog-making factories flourished. In 1893, the Columbian Exposition took place in Chicago. Hot dogs were such a hit at the fair that they began to be served in other public spaces (like ballparks). The addition of the hot dog bun is attributed to St. Louis, and New York is credited with coming up with the name. Some people also credit New York with inventing it, since food carts allegedly sold hot dogs as early as the 1860s. 

While the development of the mainstream hot dog was a collaboration between different U.S. cities, regions differ in specific hot dog recipes. Depending on where you're getting this street food from, toppings and other ingredients will vary. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, New York's come with yellow mustard and steamed onions. Chicago-style hot dogs utilize relish, onions, peppers, pickles, tomatoes, mustard, and celery salt. Other prominent styles include the Sonoran dog, the Fenway Frank, and more. Don't get us started on the chili dogs — those are a different story.

Frankfurters are unquestionably street food. They're portable, filling, comforting, and can be eaten while standing (and for some, while walking). They also carry with them a bit of nostalgia, like the other greatest street foods in the U.S.

Michigan is probably the birthplace of the chili dog. As early as 1910, a Greek immigrant named Constantine "Gust" Keros was selling hot dogs alongside chili from a food cart in Detroit (via Vox). Just a few years later, in 1914, a restaurant called Todoroff's — located in Jackson, Michigan — started serving chili-topped hot dogs. Despite Coney Island itself being located in Brooklyn, New York, the term "Coney Island chili sauce" was used to describe the products sold by Todoroff's in Michigan. "Coney Island" would even become the name for a chain of Michigan restaurants serving chili dogs (via Smithsonian Magazine).

The recipe for chili dogs, explains The Atlantic, is a combination of different food cultures. Mexican immigrants brought the chili element. Greek, Macedonian, and other Balkan cultures influenced the meat-filled sauce (which is loaded with traditional seasonings like oregano). German and Eastern European cultures had already popularized the element of sausage or hot dog meat. Over time, other toppings like cheese, ketchup, and bacon were added, per The Culture Trip.

Confusing origin story aside, the chili dog is synonymous with street food. Just try to imagine eating one of these indoors. You can't. You shouldn't bring a chili dog inside, it's too messy. But that's what makes it great for consuming outdoors.

Döner, shawarma, and gyros are three different, yet related foods. Döner kebab is a dish that comes from Turkey (but is now popular in Germany, per Thrillist), gyros are Greek, and shawarma is a meal prominent throughout the Middle East, explains Spinning Grillers. What these three have in common is their cooking method: on a vertical, turning rotisserie. In addition, all three have a prominent place in American food culture, typically as street food.

In the states, you'll often come across döner, shawarma, and gyros as sandwiches served with various flatbreads. Inside the bread, along with meat, there will be different toppings. On a gyro, you'll find things like red onion, tomato, tzatziki, and fries. On shawarma, toppings are often ingredients like hummus, fattoush, tabouleh, and tahini sauce. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, and other similar components are used on döner kebabs (via MasterClass).

In American cities where you're lucky enough to come across these meat sandwiches, they make great street food. Meat, vegetables, and other toppings are encompassed in portable pockets of bread. It's like getting a hamburger, but instead of being made from one patty, you're getting several thin slices of meat. Since that meat has spent hours marinating and being cooked on a rotisserie, the effort in creating such a sandwich goes above and beyond.