FL's Best Foodie City Ranks 1st Nationally, New Survey Says

There is no greater town for foodies than Miami, a new survey says.

At No. 1, Miami has "beet" everyone to be named the best foodie city in the U.S., per the personal finance website WalletHub's ranking. The South Florida town's overall score was 73.58.

WalletHub on Monday said the diverse town outpaced competitors in Texas, Illinois, Missouri and New Jersey.

Experts analyzed 182 cities in two categories: affordability, as well as diversity, accountability and quality. Miami ranked 156th in the former and second in the latter category.

"In addition to having a lot of dining establishments, Miami also has high-quality choices. The city has the 12th-most diversity when it comes to the types of restaurants available, and the 13th-best ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food chains. On top of that, foodies who want to partake in fine dining can choose from 14 Michelin-starred restaurants. One of them, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, even has two Michelin stars," WalletHub said.

"Finally, Miami is a great place for foodies who enjoy cooking at home. It has the third-most farmers’ markets, ninth-most gourmet specialty food stores, second-most butcher shops and most kitchen supply stores per capita."

Portland (No. 2) and San Francisco (No. 3) followed suit with 72.73 and 70.58 scores respectively.

“In the best foodie cities, including Miami, Fl, San Francisco, Ca, and Orlando, Fl, there are tons of unique culinary experiences to try, from food trucks to specialty-food stores to Michelin-starred restaurants," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report.

"The top cities cater not just to people who enjoy dining out, but also to foodies who enjoy putting their own skills to the test by exploring new flavors in their own kitchens. In addition, these cities make delicious dining affordable for residents and visitors alike.”

In evaluating 28 metrics, analysts reviewed factors such as grocery costs and the affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants.

Miami was joined by several other Florida cities. Here's how Florida towns ranked on the list:

• Orlando: No. 5, overall score of 70.08
• Tampa: No. 7, overall score of 68.62
• Fort Lauderdale: No. 21, overall score of 60.57
• St. Petersburg: No. 72, overall score of 51.38
• Jacksonville: No. 77, overall score of 51.11
• Tallahassee: No. 90, overall score of 49.16

The worst foodie city in the U.S. is Pearl City, Hawaii, according to WalletHub. The cost of groceries is highest in Laredo, Texas; but, the best average food and wine price can be found in Reno, Nevada.

In Florida, Miami tied first with Orlando and other cities for having the most number of restaurants per capita, and Cape Coral has the highest ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food establishments in the nation. Port St. Lucie has the fourth-most for the latter.

Ice cream and frozen yogurt lovers may can satisfy their cravings at one of several shops in Miami or Orlando as they lead the country in such category.

Orlando also tied for first for its gourmet specialty-food stores, while Fort Lauderdale tied for first for the most coffee shops per capita.

The culinary scene in Miami is about eclectic as the ways to cook a chicken.

So much so, there is a TikTok page dedicated to "Miami Foodiez," which features Ethiopian flavors, seafood, a Brazilian steakhouse, Colombian cuisine and a ramen bar.

The restaurant culture is continuing to grow in Miami, and the concepts cooked up by new eateries may be mouthwatering to some foodies.

ViceVersa, Cafe La Trova and Phuc Yea are among some of Miami's Michelin-star restaurants.

Here are the top 10 best foodie cities in the U.S.

1. Miami, Florida
2. Portland, Oregon
3. San Francisco, California
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Orlando, Florida
6. Austin, Texas
7. Tampa, Florida
8. Las Vegas, Nevada
9. Sacramento, California
10. San Diego, California

See WalletHub's full methodology.

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