Being in the U.S., us Americans tend to take our food for granted. You can get cheeseburgers and hot dogs left and right here, but they aren't quite the same when you go outside the states. Here are some of the best American foods, chosen by people foreign to the United States.
u/Two_Cigarettes asked: Non US Redditors, what is your favorite US food?
Waffle House is the restaurant for the gods.
I went to the US for a course once, and then after we closed for the day we went drinking, and after we were rather happy we ended up at a 24/7 place called Waffle House.
It is my spiritual home. When I die and go to heaven, that is where you will find me.
I'm stoked about peanut butter, and I'm American.
Giphy
Idk if it's American, but peanut butter.
I brought peanut butter to my host family in Argentina and they were STOKED.
The correct answer.
Barbecue, proper low'n slow brisket, beef ribs etc etc. Fried chicken and waffles close second!
Canada has some good stuff too.
Anything that Canada doesn't have. Walking into a grocery store in the US gives me so much happiness lol.
American here, can you give some examples of things we have in grocery stores that you don't? I'm curious.
A lot of health food surprisingly, you can't get in Canada. My wife does keto and when we just go shopping at like Target or Walmart, there are tons of specifically keto foods, where in Canada you have to either go to a specialty store at a higher price, get a limited selection, or buy online.
In general though, it's mostly variety. Like you guys will have a ton of pop flavours, chip flavours, or cereals that we don't get. Energy drinks too, we mostly only get Monster and Rockstar here, I haven't seen Bawls or Jolt cola in years.
Not a grocery thing, but fast food is vastly different as well, even for chains we do have. I would say though, that sometimes ours is better, or at least just as good but just different. KFC is probably the biggest example, it tastes vastly different, and there are so many sides available in the States. It actually blew my mind when I realized most KFCs I've been to in the States don't even have fries, it's like biscuits or maybe potato wedges (we don't get either).
And then the variety of fast food restaurants in general. We get all the major ones, but there are some other franchises we don't have like Shake Shack, Carl's Jr/Hardees, any Taco franchise except Taco Bell and Chipotle, and there's no such thing as a cheap BBQ joint up here, we have some, but they're always considered like on the same level as craft breweries.
Denny's is the best.
Giphy
When I went on a family holiday to San Francisco (we stayed with some friends of my dad in Oakland), we went to Denny's for every breakfast for 2 weeks.
Every morning I would have American pancakes stacked up, bacon and sausages, all covered in like a gallon of syrup.
I put on a stone in those 14 days.
Edit: Lol quite a response! It was my first ever trip to the US from the UK. I'm 30 now and it was 15 years ago. We went to Denny's every morning because it was just round the corner from our motel. I don't remember where we ate for lunch and dinner but Denny's was only for breakfast and I ate a lot! Just to clarify, the Denny's breakfast was not the sole contributor to me gaining a pound everyday lol, at lunch and dinner I ate loads too.
But you'll be pleased to know that since then, I have been back to the Bay Area 3 times where I stayed in Berkeley and never had a breakfast in Denny's again or a big chain diner.
With great power comes great bacon.
A Wendy's baconator I believe it's called...that's a powerful burger.
Anything that sounds like it's gonna travel through time to save the world's beef must be a hell of a burger.
Great tip!
Honey Buns. Good lord! They're so sweet, but PERFECT. I like them slightly squished. But, I'm not sure if that's because they've always come out of a suitcase, squeezed between clothes. I could eat 6 with a coffee.
Microwave it for like 7 seconds.
Really!!! I just had to take a second and steady myself, what have you done? Lol
Meatloaf can be amazing.
Giphy
Hamburgers, no doubt. There's tons of foods that I consider even more American that we just don't have where I live, like meatloaf and corndogs. I'm really curious about those.
Me too, tbh.
Not really a food bit I have a mighty Reese cups habit.
Have you ever had the Big Cup? It is like a bigger Reese's Cup but with a higher peanut butter to chocolate ratio.
Deep fried Oreos are the BEST.
Giphy
Corn dogs, or fair food, last time I was in the US I tried a deep fried Oreo, holy crap I was skeptical but totally worth it.
Same.
Reeses, no joke. love those buggers.
I was in the US when I was 17 and honestly, microwaved pizza is gross, why do you have that? But REESES, God help me, Reeses make me weak.
Those burgers are heavenly.
Giphy
In-N-Out burgers for sure.
Also creamy peanut butter. It's not a common food in France!
Chicken makes me cry too.
Fried chicken... idk if it's a US food or not but when I tried KFC for the first time I almost cried.
Redditor Beadiest_Cape wanted to hear the best cuss free insults out there and asked:
“What's the best insult you've heard without swearing?"
Professor burn…
“After getting a compliment on his assignment, A buddy of mine leaned back in his chair and told our college professor, ‘I'm not as dumb as I look.’ To which he leaned forward on his podium and said, ‘You couldnt be.’” dusty_boots
“…and may God have mercy on your soul.”
“One of the best is from Billy Madison, ‘What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.’” maswriter
You should apologize…
“You’re not the dumbest person in the world, but you'd better hope they don’t die.” WhatThatBoiDoin
“Whenever this question is posted, my favorite is usually along the lines of: ‘There's a tree somewhere in the Amazon jungle with sole purpose of producing oxygen you breathe. You should go find that tree and apologize." all_worth
How low can they go?
“The bar was on the ground and you grabbed a shovel” BlckAlchmst
“That reminds me of one comment i read saying: ‘the bar was so low it was practically a tripping hazard in hell, yet here you are dancing limbo with the devil’.” give_it_a_vodkashot
Series 2 Limbo GIF by BBC ThreeGiphy"Having been born an infant, and realizing he quite liked it, he decided to stay one forever." overt-wan-kenobert
“From Casablanca: ‘You probably think pretty poorly of me don't you?’”
"’I would if I gave you any thought’" koiven
These teachers got clap backs for days…
“I had a teacher tell some kid ‘Nothing you have to say is of any consequence...to anyone.’ He was an odd teacher who kinda talked like that, but it was his version of savage. The room lost its sh*t in unison.” glib_battling
“I had a guy sit behind me in English class let out of fart that reverberated off the wooden seat. The whole class heard it. The teacher said ‘that's the most intelligent thing you've said all year’. Priceless” melbers22
Bob Dylan…
“Bob Dylan: One day, I wish you'd be in my shoes, so you could know... what a drag it is to see you.” WhatDaufuskie
“I was at a karaoke 50th the other night and this one caught my eye. Thankfully I wasn't drunk enough to sing it. But I love this song for its sick burn. Poor old Edie. Bob really gave it to her that time.” crankenfranken
Down the Monty Python rabbit hole…
“Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt... of elderberries!” UpTwoDownOne
“Elderberries were the cheap replacement for grapes in making wine. That is basically ‘your father is a drunk and can't afford the good stuff’.” ukezi
“And hamsters have sex all the time with no regard for monogamy.” draconum_ggg
“So, ‘Your mother is being cheated on but is also a w*ore and you father is a drunk who is also broke’.” EmpanadaDeMayonesa2
Firefly insults…
“‘My days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a...middle.’ --Mal Reynolds”
"’It's not that I hate you, exactly; it's just that any admiration I have for you is well under control.’” FlourChild1026
Shakespeare master of insults…
“Straight from Shakespeare ‘I wish we could become better strangers’.” Dundeklil
“Also from Shakespeare: (Fallstaff, after Bardolf calls him fat) ‘Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life.’” driving_andflying
Excuse us while we go grab the burn cream.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Sure, it's depressing, but you know what? Aging happens to all of us, and no one is getting out of here alive.
"What gets worse with age?"
Physical consequences of aging is one of the cruelest things in life.
What The Body Does With Food
"Digestive system."
"Every meal is followed by a poop."
Fighting Gravity
"Bending over to pick a quarter off the ground. Hurts your back, gut and your fingers don't work. That's why there is change all over my floor. ;)"
After A Wild Night
"Hangovers for sure."
"At 18 I could go heavily drink and feel damn near 100% the next day. Now I get horrid mental and physical effects. Probably should quit drinking all together."
When our senses gradually start to fail us, it's yet another reminder of our brief mortality.
Look, See
"eyesight."
"Make sure you get your eye dilated every year and check for cataracts."
See, Hear
"My hearing is on the decline. I don't think it'll go completely, but I did get hearing aids last year."
Deaf GIF by memecandyGiphyThe degeneration of certain abilities as we get older is too much to bear.
Staying Above Water
"My ability to cope. I'm just burnt out all the time."
"I feel the same. Aside from my family and friends, I have no care for anyone or anything anymore. Nothing phases me but that's not a good thing IMO. I feel very apathetic towards everything, I'm tired all the time and just want to lay down."
Counting Sheep
"The ability to sleep through the night."
– dabuku1
"Used to be a world champion sleeper and now 5-6 straight hours is huge. Pretty much wide awake every night at 3am."
Putting Up With People
"Humanity.... The older I get the less I want to deal with people."
Maintaining Friendships
"Friendship - making new friends after your 20s becomes a big struggle, and the newer friendships just aren't the same. You can literally run out of 'lifelong friends' due to death, disease, people growing apart, etc."
– cowanon7
I found as I'm getting older my patience and tolerance for certain things have gotten worse.
Waiting in line at the grocery store while someone fumbles with their payment option, or getting antsy when the food I ordered at the restaurant is taking way too long are things that never bothered me ten years ago.
I"m not curmudgeonly by any means, at least not yet. Besides, I'm not that old.
But to all the cranky elders I grew up with who complained about poor service or lack of efficiency, I get it now, and I hear you.