Hawaii Named the U.S. State With the Best Food Scene

When most people think of the great culinary scenes in the U.S., they might imagine the electric buzz of New York City's pop-ups, diners, and long-established, lofty institutions or perhaps the sprawl of food trucks, strip mall hidden gems, and upscale, farm-to-table joints in Los Angeles. But Escoffier, one of the best culinary schools in America, has a different idea of where you should head to enjoy the best food in the country.

In December, the culinary school released a study ranking the top 10 states with the best food scenes in the U.S. For its analysis, it looked at data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Restaurant Association. Escoffier also considered metrics such as each state's tourist-to-restaurant ratio, the percentage of independent restaurants, as well as the number of culinary schools and Michelin-starred restaurants. It then assigned each state a score out of a possible 100.

After crunching the data, Escoffier concluded, “Hawaii has, by far, the best statewide restaurant scene.” In fact, the state ranked at or near the top of five out of the study's seven categories. 

“Hawaii tops the rankings with a score of 100, standing out for its exceptional capacity to serve visitors, with 376 tourists per restaurant — the highest among all states analyzed,” Escoffier said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. “Additionally, 77.17 percent of its restaurants are independently owned. The state also ranks high in restaurant spending and employment, with 14 percent of jobs tied to the industry.” 

Joining Hawaii at the top of the list is New York, which scored an impressive 83.23 thanks to its densely packed restaurant scene and 68 Michelin-starred establishments. “It also has one of the highest percentages of independent restaurants at 71.87 percent, reflecting the diversity of its dining options,” Escoffier added.

Nevada follows New York in third with a score of 82.57, California in fourth with a score of 75.01, and Florida in fifth with a score of 72.14. There was, however, one state that took researchers by surprise.

“Perhaps unexpectedly, Rhode Island ranked in the top 10 overall, powered by high restaurant spending, a large percentage of independent restaurants, and strong employment numbers,” Escoffier said.

However, as a born and bred Rhode Islander, this in no way feels unexpected to me — after all, it is the “Ocean State,” so you know the seafood is going to be on point. As Escoffier noted, with several “small” states ranking well in the study, “Population size is clearly not everything … [that] alone does not determine the vibrancy of a state’s restaurant scene.”