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California is home to the best place to eat in the United States — and the worst.
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That’s according to a new ranking of the nation’s top cities for foodies.
California cities landed at both the top and bottom of the list.
Seafood company Maine Lobster Now scored the 49 largest cities in the United States on their dining scenes, culinary recognition, affordability and cafe culture.
“The results show that a city doesn’t need to be the biggest to have the best food scene,” Julian Klenda, food expert at Maine Lobster Now, said in an Oct. 9 news release.
“What makes a city great for food is how easy it is to eat well on any given night,” Klenda added. “When there’s a restaurant on almost every block and a dozen cuisines within walking distance, you’re always one short walk from something good.”
Here are more details from the study:
What makes San Francisco the No. 1 city for foodies?
“If your idea of a great night out starts with a long menu and ends with dessert, San Francisco may be the place to be.
With an overall score of 78.86 out of 100, San Francisco was named the best city for food lovers.
The Bay Area city was trailed by Seattle; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon, and Denver.
San Francisco had about 386 restaurants for every 100,000 residents, more than any other city in the study.
The city ranked third in the nation in terms of the number of James Beard Award semifinalists per 100,000 residents for 2024 to 2026, with 3.6.
San Francisco also had relatively high numbers of bakeries and coffee shops, with local restaurants serving 100 types of cuisine.
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However, the city has some of the most expensive food in the nation
Maine Lobster Now said a meal at an “inexpensive” San Francisco restaurant costs $27.15 on average.
New York, often seen as America’s food capital, landed in 20th place. The city’s large population means it has fewer restaurants, James Beard Award nominees and cafes per 100,000 residents than other top-ranking cities.
What are the top 10 cities for foodies?
According to the study, these were America’s top 10 foodie cities:
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington, D.C.
- Portland, Oregon
- Denver
- Boston
- Las Vegas
- Chicago
- Atlanta
- Minneapolis
Where are California’s worst cities for food lovers?
While San Francisco took top honors for foodie cities, three California cities landed among the 10 worst in the nation for food lovers.
Maine Lobster Now named Bakersfield the worst city in the nation for foodies.
Ranking at No. 49, the Central Valley city had an overall score of 20.10 out of 100, with 183 restaurants and 13 bakeries and coffee shops per 100,000 residents. These eateries serve a total of 52 kinds of cuisine.
Another Central Valley city, Fresno, was No. 47 on the list. It had an overall score of 23.75.
Fresno had 10 bakeries and coffee shops and 178 restaurants for every 100,000 residents, while offering 66 types of cuisines, the study found
Other California cities ranked among the worst for food lovers included San Jose, Long Beach and Oakland.
What are the worst places for food lovers?
According to the study, these were the 10 worst cities for food lovers:
- Bakersfield: 20:09
- Fort Worth, Texas: 22.82
- Fresno: 23.75
- Mesa, Arizona: 27.51
- El Paso, Texas: 30.92
- Detroit: 31.36
- Memphis, Tennessee: 31.87
- Indianapolis: 33.52
- Louisville, Kentucky: 33.58
- San Jose: 33.67
How were rankings determined?
Maine Lobster Now compared cities based on five key factors:
- Restaurants per 100,000 residents
- Bakeries and coffee shops per 100,000 residents.
- Variety of cuisines offered
- James Beard Award semifinalists per 100,000 residents
- Cost of a meal at an inexpensive restaurant
“Those measures were combined into an overall score out of 100 for each city.” the study said.
This story was originally published October 23, 2026 at 9:44 AM with the headline “California has the best foodie city in the US — and the worst, new study says.”
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