20 Hyper-Regional American Dishes No One Outside of the US Has Ever Heard Of
We Bet You Didn't Realize Just How Obscure These Dishes Are
America’s food scene isn’t just burgers and barbecue. Every region has at least one hometown specialty that locals treat like common knowledge, while everyone else stares like you just made it up. If you ever want to eat like a true insider, these dishes are the kind you have to order confidently and explain later. Here are 20 extremely regional dishes that no one outside of the US has heard of.
1. Garbage Plate (Rochester, New York)
This is a glorious pile-up of home fries, macaroni salad or baked beans, and meat topped with chili sauce, onions, and mustard. It was invented by a restaurant owner in 1918 and then refined over time by intoxicated college students. It’s messy in the best way, so don’t wear a white shirt unless you enjoy regret.
2. Horseshoe Sandwich (Springfield, Illinois)
Think of it as an open-faced sandwich that decided it deserved a trophy. Toast gets topped with meat, then smothered with fries and a thick cheese sauce, like it’s trying to hide the evidence. If you order it, you’re basically committing to a nap afterward.
3. Goetta (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Goetta is a pork-and-oats sausage that’s pan-fried until it gets a crisp edge and a soft middle. Cincinnati folks treat it like a breakfast staple, especially with eggs and toast. Once you try it, regular sausage starts feeling a little underdressed.
4. Runza (Nebraska)
A runza is a baked bread pocket stuffed with beef, cabbage, and onions, and it’s more satisfying than it has any right to be. It’s the kind of food you eat when the wind is rud, and you need something hearty. You’ll understand why locals talk about it like it’s a personality trait.
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5. Hot Brown (Louisville, Kentucky)
The Hot Brown is an open-faced turkey sandwich covered in creamy sauce, topped with bacon, then baked until it’s bubbling. It’s unapologetically rich and indulgent. If you’re hungry and feeling brave, this one will treat you right.
6. Chislic (South Dakota)
Chislic is cubed meat, usually lamb or beef, fried or grilled, and served with toothpicks like it’s party food. It’s simple, salty, and weirdly addictive once you start snacking. Somewhere around the fifth piece, you’ll realize you’re fully on board.
7. Funeral Potatoes (Utah and the Intermountain West)
Despite the name, these cheesy potato casseroles show up at gatherings that are way more cheerful than you’d expect. They’re creamy, comforting, and often topped with crunchy bits that make people “just take a little more.” You don’t have to attend a funeral to appreciate the strategy here.
8. Sonoran-Style Hot Dog (Southern Arizona)
This hot dog rolls in wearing a bacon wrap and then gets loaded with beans, onions, tomatoes, sauces, and whatever else the stand feels like blessing you with. It’s messy and unapologetic, as street food should be. By the time you’re done, you’ll respect how serious Arizona is about hot dogs.
9. Knoephla Soup (North Dakota)
Knoephla soup is a creamy potato soup with soft dumplings that feel like little edible pillows. It’s the kind of bowl that makes winter seem slightly less personal. If you like comfort food, this one practically hugs you.
10. Chicken Bog (South Carolina Lowcountry)
Chicken bog is a one-pot rice dish with chicken, smoked sausage, and spices that ends up hearty and slightly sticky in a good way. It’s not quite jambalaya and not quite pilaf, and it doesn’t care about fitting in. You’ll want seconds, even if you promised yourself you wouldn’t.
11. Burgoo (Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley)
Burgoo is a thick stew built from multiple meats and slow-simmered until it tastes like an entire picnic got concentrated into one pot. Traditionally, it shows up at big gatherings where someone’s been tending to it for hours. The flavor’s deep enough that you might start talking about it like it’s a legend.
12. Lefse Lutefisk “Tacos” (Upper Midwest)
Lefse "tacos" are a Scandinavian-American fusion dish of lutefisk (dried, rehydrated white fish) and lefse (a Norwegian potato flat bread). Calling it a taco would make someone’s grandma squint at you, but the handheld concept holds. One bite in, and you’ll stop worrying about labels.
13. Beer Cheese (Kentucky)
Beer cheese is a tangy, spicy spread that shows up with crackers, pretzels, or anything else willing to be a vehicle. The beer adds bite and depth, and the heat level can sneak up on you. It’s dangerously easy to keep “taste-testing” until the bowl is mysteriously empty.
14. Cincinnati Chili (Cincinnati, Ohio)
This is a thin, spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti and topped with a snowy mountain of shredded cheese. People argue about it like it’s a sports team, and that’s part of the fun. If you try a “three-way” (spaghetti, chili, and shredded cheese only) or “five-way” (everything in a three-way, plus diced onions and kidney beans), you’re officially participating in local culture.
15. Shrimp & Grits, the Coastal Insider Version (Lowcountry & Coastal South)
Outside the South, people know the name, but the truly regional versions can be wildly specific to a town or family tradition. You’ll run into gravy styles, spice levels, and add-ins that locals insist are the only correct way. It’s less a recipe and more a delicious ongoing debate.
16. Pork Roll, Egg, & Cheese (New Jersey)
The pork roll is an iconic breakfast sandwich. It gets crisped on the griddle, then stacked with egg and cheese on a roll like it’s morning fuel for people who mean business. Once you’ve had a good one, you’ll wonder why it isn’t everywhere.
17. Boiled Peanuts (Deep South, especially Georgia and the Carolinas)
These peanuts simmer in salty water until they turn soft, briny, and oddly satisfying. They’re a roadside classic that feels like a snack and an experience at the same time. If you’re not used to the texture, give it a minute because it grows on you fast.
18. Muffuletta (New Orleans, Louisiana)
A muffuletta is a big, round sandwich stacked with Italian meats and cheese, then brought to life by a bold, tangy olive salad. It's said to have been invented at Central Grocery Co. on Decatur Street in New Orleans in 1906. It’s the kind of thing you order, thinking you’ll “just have half,” and then you somehow don’t.
19. Pepperoni Rolls (West Virginia)
Pepperoni rolls are soft bread rolls baked with pepperoni inside, made for miners who needed a portable, filling lunch. They’re simple, savory, and somehow better than the ingredient list suggests. If you eat one fresh, you’ll understand why people get nostalgic about them.
Lenin and McCarthy on Wikimedia
20. Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast (Pennsylvania Dutch Country)
This dish, sometimes affectionately teased with the nickname S.O.S., or "save our stomachs", is a creamy white sauce with dried beef served over toast. It originated in the US military as a practical, shelf-stable meal. It became a staple in homes and diners across the country after WWII, as returning soldiers craved the familiar, comforting dish.
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