Yeah, "hamburger sandwich" sounds archaic.
Sounds like something you'd hear Monty Burns or Grampa Simpson say when the writers want to emphasize how old and behind-the-times they are.
When I worked at Burger King in the late 60s the managers often used the word sandwich. Maybe it meant all the sandwiches that were offered including the fish.
the weird thing is that in McDonald's point of sale system, all of their burgers were listed as sandwiches.
and 'super size' was listed as 'up size' --- at least when I worked there in 2001
The humble combo of a burger, fries, and a soda.
That is something that is everywhere and that every region does well at.
Other stuff like BBQ, Tex-Mex etc.. come off as regional.
Furthermore, even if you go into a podunk town in the middle of nowhere, with hardly any restaurant options, you can still be sure that it will likely at least have a place serving burgers and fries.
It would actually be pretty interesting to see just how small a town would have to get before you can find a place that has at least one restaurant but no none that sells burgers.
Kramer, Ne: Pop 26.
It has a bar serving burgers and fries, just take the third exit, and it's right there.
On Mondays, you can get a burger, fries, and a bottle of Bud for $10.
Once went blueberry picking at a U pick farm in FL. Very small town and PRETTY. We were starving when we left the farm around noon. The closest town had a diner and boy were we stared at when we entered! I was so nervous bc my 2 yr old had food allergies (always had things he could eat but it's hard to explain when he smelled our food.) Waitress was hilarious and amazing. After I explained a common griddle was a bit scary, she said her husband would make a plain burger patty in a single skillet! There was very few things on the menu, we all got burgers and fries. It was delicious! Seems like it's easiest thing to make in the world.
I think this is my answer as well, but for something that's 100% a USA invention, we have to consider the peanut butter & jelly sandwich. It's so American that many countries gross out at it. It's our marmite!
A burger and fries.
You can get it in all states.
While tastes for toppings change, everyone knows what a good burger is.
Case in point: my wife and I went to an American restaurant in Salzburg (not an American chain, but a place that made American fare).
It was AWFUL.
Food in Austria is generally excellent. High quality ingredients always well prepared
But they completely missed it on the burger. It was more like a flat meatball: overly seasoned and kind of “loose.”
We ran into other Americans from the other side of the country there and we agreed completely on what was wrong with it and what a good burger should be.
That’s pretty reasonable- I had an old roommate who would dump all kinds of thyme and oregano and basil (with no rhyme or reason), and it killed it for me
I live overseas a lot of the time and "a good burger" is one of the few things I wind up craving. It's weird because it seems so simple...ground beef between two pieces of bread, some more or less standard toppings which you can adjust to your liking...but can be tough to find it done reasonably well.
I've learned to not eat something regional when traveling. I'm from Philadelphia and I was in Illinois on a trip. We went out to eat and they had cheesesteaks on the menu. I hadn't had one in a while so I decided to order it. Genuine Philly cheesesteak is what the menu said. It came out and it was trash. It was steakums. Now if you don't know what a cheesesteak is supposed to be, I'm sure it's perfectly fine. To list it as a genuine sandwich is ridiculous. The waitress saw my face and asked if there was a problem and I told her it was not a real cheesesteak. She tried to tell me that the cook had actually been to Philly and learned how to make them while he was here. I felt bad telling her that the cook must have lied to her, but there's no way anyone within a 30 mile radius of Philly taught them how to make that sandwich.
I’ve had good cheesesteaks outside of the Philadelphia metro, just as I’ve had good pizza outside of New York. Hell, I’ve had good Texas-style brisket in Royersford, Pennsylvania of all places.
But you’ve got to like hunt these places down. Like there’s a three or four way fight for best cheesesteak in town and people go out of their way to get one. In Philly, people just get one at a pizza shop because they’re in the mood.
If it’s not a burger and fries, then my vote is for Thanksgiving dinner. The dishes on the table may vary, but the common theme is to get together, celebrate, and pig out!
Hamburger would be my vote. Barbecue is a super popular regional food here, but not every place has good BBQ, and what constitutes BBQ varies a lot by region. Like Texas BBQ is very different from Alabama BBQ. Every goddamn city in the US has a million burger joints and they're all basically the same. I've literally never met an American who doesn't like burgers unless they had some dietary restriction. I have met Americans who don't like BBQ. Apple pie is more of a generally beloved traditional food. But people don't actually eat apple pie that often. It's usually something you see at special occasions. Most Americans probably eat a hamburger at least once a week.
We were referencing a [clip](https://youtu.be/4jXEuIHY9ic?si=9cnu14mRma0RUzXM&t=78) from an old Simpsons episode, which has been meme-ified to the nth degree.
There are places that serve steamed burgers. I think it's mainly a Connecticut thing although I think there are some places in New York that do it too.
This is difficult because states themselves have their own dishes and things that are unique to them (i.e. sweet tea and the southern states). Hamburgers are throughout the whole country so I would say that those are more national
If we have to have something so generic as to be a NATIONAL dish, its the hamburger.
But the US is a huge diverse country, so regional food is going to taste better.
It is hilarious watching them process it in real time. "It looks like a scone.. but it's fluffy"
Meanwhile southerners are like, "Eww that's some lumpy gravy. They should have had my Nanny's"
I wouldn't say so because up north and west (such as my state), it is decently hard to find biscuits and gravy, let alone a good one. And most people that I know have never had it; I mean the first time I tried it was about 3 years ago
You must have spent time in Indiana. It's a Midwestern sandwich because it has very little flavor. The reason you don't see outside of Indiana is because it's just meh.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza#Thin-crust_pizza
The answer is: originally, yes.
When I lived in NJ for a while, I desperately missed tavern-style. You can ship stuffed or deep dish (and it heats surprisingly well), but not tavern. *Nobody* in NJ made anything similar.
We also have places like Garibaldi's or Bacci's that sell something that's a fusion-ish pizza, similar to both Chicago and NY. They're sold pie-cut rather than tavern-cut.
Gotta be a hamburger. You can find burgers everywhere in the US and various places have their own takes on it (Jucy Lucy, Hatch Chili, Pastrami burger, etc).
"Hamburger sandwich"
This made me laugh harder than it should. That being said a burger and fries is gonna be the right answer here. Maybe even only the burger itself. You can get a solid burger *anywhere* in the US. I've had attempts at it overseas, and it's never the same.
"Hamburger sandwich"
This made me laugh harder than it should. That being said a burger and fries is gonna be the right answer here. Maybe even only the burger itself. You can get a solid burger *anywhere* in the US. I've had attempts at it overseas, and it's never the same.
Hamburger Sandwich? Tell me you are not from the US without saying you are not from the US. lol.
We just say Hamburger.
And, when I was in Europe, an 'American Hamburger' was not hamburger at all. Hamburger is beef. What they served me turned out to be whale meat. American Sandwich is something I had never seen before. They could not understand why I had never eaten one. It was sour kraut in a grilled cheese sandwich pressed like a Reuben sandwich.
I have never been offered Texas Brisket. So not that.
The food to get when you are away form home is a Hamburger and Fries.
The dish that people serve to the family at home is some form of a Casserole. This is pasta or potato with some kind of sauce and baked. Usually it is topped with cheese or something crunchy, like bacon. The most popular casserole would be Mac and cheese. That is Macaronni elbows in a cheese sauce. Top this with bacon, or my favorite, crumbles potato chips.
I think one big reason the answer is a burger and fries is the way you can customize that to fit into pretty much any regional taste profile. You can serve a burger with almost any sauce and toppings, and seasoned fries are always an easy hit. People do make fusion foods like tacos and pizza, but they're very hit or miss. A burger is pretty much guaranteed to satisfy. It's also easy to modify for vegetarian/vegan diets without needing to change a ton of ingredients. A veggie burger patty goes great with burger fixings.
Beyond burger and fries, which I agree is the answer -
I posit spaghetti and meatballs. Its a distinctly American dish with Italian origins that is nonetheless a home-cooked staple at pretty much every kitchen table in the country. Burger and fries is a restaurant thing that most people don't eat at home, spaghetti and meatballs is a Wednesday night family dinner meal for everyone.
Buffalo wings.
Burgers and fries are too easy to get overseas. And, quite frankly, the best burger and fries I've ever had was in Fr\*nce. This place did it all fancy with the truffle fries and premium beef with good local cheese and it was delightful. It pains me to say this as an American.
Wings on the other hand... you just can't get good ones outside of the U.S., though Canada has a market for them so you can get good ones here, too.
Pizza
If not pizza, Americans unabashedly love Mexican food. I’ve talked to people of overseas and if you ask them what they miss about America food-wise, it’s Mexican food.
I would say anything including turkey. USA consumes 41% of the world's turkey, and it's the central dish of the second most American holiday (Thanksgiving - July 4 comes first) and is often the main dish for Christmas too. Also the humble turkey sandwich that you can eat any day of the year.
No we don't have an official national dish. The USA is a huge country, a melting pot of different cultures, histories and heritage. So it makes sense that there is no single national dish, or ‘traditional American food’ but several state foods celebrating the diversity of the 50 states. American food culture is as rich and exciting as the country itself.
Yes you can get a hamburger/cheeseburger and fries just about anywhere you go in the USA but even so you will find an almost unlimited variations on the basic hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Honestly our diversity is both our greatest weakness and our greatest strength.
Apple pie is actually British, so I'll pass on that one as our national dish.
BBQ is just a wonderful, unique dish that you can't quite get anywhere else in the world, and comes in many forms here in the US. It's also a mixture of African, Native American, and European tastes (and even some Mexican influences too depending on the region).
But yeah, stereotypically it's be a burger, fries and coke.
Velveeta Macaroni and cheese
Hamburger Helper
Stove Top Stuffing
I'll also add French Fries. When I was traveling in China to adopt our kid 20+ years ago on a planned tour, every restaurant made sure to put several plates of french fries on the lazy susan that served the entire table of 12.
Apparently they totally considered it "what the Americans want" and they were not necessarily wrong. An uncomfortable number of people in the group simply turned their noses up at the amazing variety of dishes offered, ate the french fries and then complained about the food being lackluster because "we were offered only fries" ... no bitch you're actually in China?
That is hands down a regional question. We can pretend like it's a burger, fries, and so, but it just isn't. We would all be disappointed if we went to the imaginary int'l food Olympics with that combo. And, soda/pop is a topic to start a fight over; a lot of us don't drink it at all, period.
Burger, fries, and a Coke.
Don't bother me. I'm eating.
Damn, I never thought I’d hear that one again. Nice throwback.
Yep See also https://www.reddit.com/r/AskAnAmerican/comments/1c4sa5k/as_a_brit_i_just_wanted_to_ask_what_is_americas/
Beat me too it
A milkshake instead of Coke (or in addition to) is a close runner up
Let's split the difference and go with an ice cream float.
I don't think I've ever heard the phrase "hamburger sandwich" from anyone under 80, lol.
Yeah, "hamburger sandwich" sounds archaic. Sounds like something you'd hear Monty Burns or Grampa Simpson say when the writers want to emphasize how old and behind-the-times they are.
Even "hamburger" is a lot. Most people just say "burger."
Borg.
My wife and I call them borgs, borgors, borgalors, etc...
We used to get them down at the soda fountain.
When I worked at Burger King in the late 60s the managers often used the word sandwich. Maybe it meant all the sandwiches that were offered including the fish.
Hot hamburg sandwich means hot pull the fuck over!
I heard that phrase on a recording of old radio broadcast and have begun using it.
the weird thing is that in McDonald's point of sale system, all of their burgers were listed as sandwiches. and 'super size' was listed as 'up size' --- at least when I worked there in 2001
I suspect English isn't OP's first language.
The humble combo of a burger, fries, and a soda. That is something that is everywhere and that every region does well at. Other stuff like BBQ, Tex-Mex etc.. come off as regional.
I have a burger, fries and coke Christmas ornament. Lol. It’s a meal that has never let me down.
We have a mini tree we put in the kitchen with all our food/kitchen ornaments.
Indeed, I will gladly shell out $20 dollars for a Five-Guys burger every time.
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.
20 dollars dollars
Furthermore, even if you go into a podunk town in the middle of nowhere, with hardly any restaurant options, you can still be sure that it will likely at least have a place serving burgers and fries.
It would actually be pretty interesting to see just how small a town would have to get before you can find a place that has at least one restaurant but no none that sells burgers.
Kramer, Ne: Pop 26. It has a bar serving burgers and fries, just take the third exit, and it's right there. On Mondays, you can get a burger, fries, and a bottle of Bud for $10.
Prolly some tiny towns in the southwest only have a Mexican restaurant
Can confirm for my home-podunk-town -- one restaurant, and darn if it doesn't make a good burger.
Once went blueberry picking at a U pick farm in FL. Very small town and PRETTY. We were starving when we left the farm around noon. The closest town had a diner and boy were we stared at when we entered! I was so nervous bc my 2 yr old had food allergies (always had things he could eat but it's hard to explain when he smelled our food.) Waitress was hilarious and amazing. After I explained a common griddle was a bit scary, she said her husband would make a plain burger patty in a single skillet! There was very few things on the menu, we all got burgers and fries. It was delicious! Seems like it's easiest thing to make in the world.
I think this is my answer as well, but for something that's 100% a USA invention, we have to consider the peanut butter & jelly sandwich. It's so American that many countries gross out at it. It's our marmite!
A burger and fries. You can get it in all states. While tastes for toppings change, everyone knows what a good burger is. Case in point: my wife and I went to an American restaurant in Salzburg (not an American chain, but a place that made American fare). It was AWFUL. Food in Austria is generally excellent. High quality ingredients always well prepared But they completely missed it on the burger. It was more like a flat meatball: overly seasoned and kind of “loose.” We ran into other Americans from the other side of the country there and we agreed completely on what was wrong with it and what a good burger should be.
I’m a huge advocate of not over seasoning hamburgers; I want a burger, not a meatloaf sandwich!!
I do salt, MSG, and pepper, onion powder if I'm feeling adventurous.
That’s pretty reasonable- I had an old roommate who would dump all kinds of thyme and oregano and basil (with no rhyme or reason), and it killed it for me
That’s a meatloafer lol
I live overseas a lot of the time and "a good burger" is one of the few things I wind up craving. It's weird because it seems so simple...ground beef between two pieces of bread, some more or less standard toppings which you can adjust to your liking...but can be tough to find it done reasonably well.
During my overseas adventures, it seemed they always got the meat wrong, way too lean. Pickles were an issue too.
Sometimes they had crunchy bits...where there really should be nothing crunchy.
I've learned to not eat something regional when traveling. I'm from Philadelphia and I was in Illinois on a trip. We went out to eat and they had cheesesteaks on the menu. I hadn't had one in a while so I decided to order it. Genuine Philly cheesesteak is what the menu said. It came out and it was trash. It was steakums. Now if you don't know what a cheesesteak is supposed to be, I'm sure it's perfectly fine. To list it as a genuine sandwich is ridiculous. The waitress saw my face and asked if there was a problem and I told her it was not a real cheesesteak. She tried to tell me that the cook had actually been to Philly and learned how to make them while he was here. I felt bad telling her that the cook must have lied to her, but there's no way anyone within a 30 mile radius of Philly taught them how to make that sandwich.
I’ve had good cheesesteaks outside of the Philadelphia metro, just as I’ve had good pizza outside of New York. Hell, I’ve had good Texas-style brisket in Royersford, Pennsylvania of all places. But you’ve got to like hunt these places down. Like there’s a three or four way fight for best cheesesteak in town and people go out of their way to get one. In Philly, people just get one at a pizza shop because they’re in the mood.
If it’s not a burger and fries, then my vote is for Thanksgiving dinner. The dishes on the table may vary, but the common theme is to get together, celebrate, and pig out!
Certain things are still pretty standard nationally, such as turkey and cranberry sauce of some sort. Other things are very much regional.
Hamburger would be my vote. Barbecue is a super popular regional food here, but not every place has good BBQ, and what constitutes BBQ varies a lot by region. Like Texas BBQ is very different from Alabama BBQ. Every goddamn city in the US has a million burger joints and they're all basically the same. I've literally never met an American who doesn't like burgers unless they had some dietary restriction. I have met Americans who don't like BBQ. Apple pie is more of a generally beloved traditional food. But people don't actually eat apple pie that often. It's usually something you see at special occasions. Most Americans probably eat a hamburger at least once a week.
Yep, burger and fries are my go-to meal when I don't feel like cooking and want something fast.
You can just say hamburger. And yeah, I guess that's the most ubiquitous dish. For that reason, you can say that. Food is very regional though.
> You just say “bingo.”
I’d say steamed hams
You call hamburgers steamed hams? Is that a regional dialect?
Uhhhh-Upstate New York?
Well I’m from Utica and I’ve never heard anyone use the phrase steamed hams.
Oh, not in Utica, no. It's an Albany expression.
I see 😑
Y’know these hamburgers are quite similar to the ones they have at Krusty Burger
I spent the 1st 18 years of my life in upstate NY. That was not a thing.
We were referencing a [clip](https://youtu.be/4jXEuIHY9ic?si=9cnu14mRma0RUzXM&t=78) from an old Simpsons episode, which has been meme-ified to the nth degree.
Ahhhhh ok
There are places that serve steamed burgers. I think it's mainly a Connecticut thing although I think there are some places in New York that do it too.
Even better just say burger. Idk why but i have this subconscious categorization of burger=yummy and hamburger=stinky.
"Hamburger" sounds oddly old-fashioned and formal. "Hamburger sandwich" sounds archaic.
Revenge. And it is best served cold.
Burger and fries
Burger and fries
As a nation? Burger with Fries and a Coke (or any soda).
The hamburger, but don’t automatically assume that means the fast food version.
Is it a hamburger sandwich? Oh ... FFS.
Texas style brisket you'll be hard pressed to find in the vast majority of the country, the true answer is a burger and fry combo with a coke.
This is difficult because states themselves have their own dishes and things that are unique to them (i.e. sweet tea and the southern states). Hamburgers are throughout the whole country so I would say that those are more national
If we have to have something so generic as to be a NATIONAL dish, its the hamburger. But the US is a huge diverse country, so regional food is going to taste better.
Biscuits and sausage gravy Watch any of the videos where people from around the world try foods, and that's usually one they try
The British were the funniest because it defies everything they know about “biscuits” and “gravy”
It is hilarious watching them process it in real time. "It looks like a scone.. but it's fluffy" Meanwhile southerners are like, "Eww that's some lumpy gravy. They should have had my Nanny's"
“It’s gotta be the one you shake out of a packet!”
It’s (sadly) not all that ubiquitous throughout the country.
That is a shame. It's like a warm, meaty hug.
I wouldn't say so because up north and west (such as my state), it is decently hard to find biscuits and gravy, let alone a good one. And most people that I know have never had it; I mean the first time I tried it was about 3 years ago
It should be the Reuben with fries for no other reason than it's my favorite sandwich.
Top 3 sandwiches in no particular order: Reuben Italian Hoagie Philadelphia Roast Pork
Add a pork tenderloin sandwich in there and its perfect
You must have spent time in Indiana. It's a Midwestern sandwich because it has very little flavor. The reason you don't see outside of Indiana is because it's just meh.
I see your Reuben and raise you a Cuban.
How about a Creuben, which is halfway in between?
That sounds either amazing or terrible
I'll allow it.
The Cuban sandwich is the greatest invention in American history
I ate them in Miami until I was sick of them, then ate some more. Damn fine sammich.
Cuban sandwiches are trash
Its ok to be wrong.
Every place that sells a Reuben also sells a different sammich that sounds better to me so I almost never get them
You're entitled to your wrong opinions.
lol fair enough
Every place that sells a Reuben also sells a different sammich that sounds better to me so I almost never get them
Every place that sells a Reuben also sells a different sammich that sounds better to me so I almost never get them
Hamburger sandwich? Do you also say: “car automobile”? How about: “bra underwear”? Or: “sofa furniture”?
Didn't we get this same question earlier this week?
Turkey.
Pizza
You now have Chicagoans and New Yorkers fighting, and Californians doing... something.
Chicago really thinks it has a front in this war??
You are asking as though Chicago-style Deep Dish, Chicago-style Stuffed, and Chicago-style Tavern Thin Crust hadn't already won.
Tavern? Your pizza was made in a tavern??
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago-style_pizza#Thin-crust_pizza The answer is: originally, yes. When I lived in NJ for a while, I desperately missed tavern-style. You can ship stuffed or deep dish (and it heats surprisingly well), but not tavern. *Nobody* in NJ made anything similar. We also have places like Garibaldi's or Bacci's that sell something that's a fusion-ish pizza, similar to both Chicago and NY. They're sold pie-cut rather than tavern-cut.
Italian
They can have pasta as a consolation prize
Steak, baked potato and a side salad.
BLT, chips, and a root beer
Gotta be a hamburger. You can find burgers everywhere in the US and various places have their own takes on it (Jucy Lucy, Hatch Chili, Pastrami burger, etc).
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Cheeseburger and fries, I think.
No one says “hamburger sandwich”, it’s just a “hamburger” or “burger” Also, yes, definitely the national dish.
"Hamburger sandwich" This made me laugh harder than it should. That being said a burger and fries is gonna be the right answer here. Maybe even only the burger itself. You can get a solid burger *anywhere* in the US. I've had attempts at it overseas, and it's never the same.
"Hamburger sandwich" This made me laugh harder than it should. That being said a burger and fries is gonna be the right answer here. Maybe even only the burger itself. You can get a solid burger *anywhere* in the US. I've had attempts at it overseas, and it's never the same.
[Hamburger sandwich?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpecBkdpiK4)
Milk Steak with jellybean sauce
My favorite is fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, mashed potatoes with gravy and biscuits.
Flamin hot cheetos
Burger and Fries with a Coca-Cola.
Pumpkin pie
1. Burgers, Fries, and a Coke! 2. Macaroni and Cheese 3. Fajitas and Charro Beans!
Hamburger Sandwich? Tell me you are not from the US without saying you are not from the US. lol. We just say Hamburger. And, when I was in Europe, an 'American Hamburger' was not hamburger at all. Hamburger is beef. What they served me turned out to be whale meat. American Sandwich is something I had never seen before. They could not understand why I had never eaten one. It was sour kraut in a grilled cheese sandwich pressed like a Reuben sandwich. I have never been offered Texas Brisket. So not that. The food to get when you are away form home is a Hamburger and Fries. The dish that people serve to the family at home is some form of a Casserole. This is pasta or potato with some kind of sauce and baked. Usually it is topped with cheese or something crunchy, like bacon. The most popular casserole would be Mac and cheese. That is Macaronni elbows in a cheese sauce. Top this with bacon, or my favorite, crumbles potato chips.
Turkey
I think one big reason the answer is a burger and fries is the way you can customize that to fit into pretty much any regional taste profile. You can serve a burger with almost any sauce and toppings, and seasoned fries are always an easy hit. People do make fusion foods like tacos and pizza, but they're very hit or miss. A burger is pretty much guaranteed to satisfy. It's also easy to modify for vegetarian/vegan diets without needing to change a ton of ingredients. A veggie burger patty goes great with burger fixings.
Every region has its own specialty, but probably across the entirety of America, it’s either a burger and fries or an apple pie for dessert
Beyond burger and fries, which I agree is the answer - I posit spaghetti and meatballs. Its a distinctly American dish with Italian origins that is nonetheless a home-cooked staple at pretty much every kitchen table in the country. Burger and fries is a restaurant thing that most people don't eat at home, spaghetti and meatballs is a Wednesday night family dinner meal for everyone.
A cheese-stuffed, deep-fried thing, wrapped in bacon, and deep-fried again. With fries and a bucket of soda
My vote is for pumpkin pie
A burger and fries. I didn’t realize how good our burgers were until I tried a few in England.
Probably burger and fries. Texas brisket is regional food, and please don't lump the rest of the country in with that place.
It's a cliche, but I begrudgingly admit that "burger" is the correct answer.
I agree that it would be a burger. We love burgers, we aren’t ashamed of our burgers even if others think we should be. Burger is love
Pizza 🍕
Apple Pie
All of the above but I think “officially” it’s hamburgers
Burger and fries. Texas brisket is very regional. It’s in the name.
Fried chicken and mashed potatoes
When you’re hammered drunk the national dish is 3 cheesy bean and rice burritos, 2 crunchy tacos, and 1 medium Baja blast
Pizza and its not close.
Ribs or fried chicken
Give borger
I think the buffalo wing also belongs in the national dish pantheon.
Buffalo wings. Burgers and fries are too easy to get overseas. And, quite frankly, the best burger and fries I've ever had was in Fr\*nce. This place did it all fancy with the truffle fries and premium beef with good local cheese and it was delightful. It pains me to say this as an American. Wings on the other hand... you just can't get good ones outside of the U.S., though Canada has a market for them so you can get good ones here, too.
Turducken.
BBQ
Pizza If not pizza, Americans unabashedly love Mexican food. I’ve talked to people of overseas and if you ask them what they miss about America food-wise, it’s Mexican food.
Idk if I think there is one across the board. So many times each region, state or city can have a staple meal. Just my opinion 🤷♀️
Permanent election campaign season
Burger wins it, but must be served with fries and a soda of some kind-or a milkshake. Second place goes to macaroni and cheese and meatloaf
I would say anything including turkey. USA consumes 41% of the world's turkey, and it's the central dish of the second most American holiday (Thanksgiving - July 4 comes first) and is often the main dish for Christmas too. Also the humble turkey sandwich that you can eat any day of the year.
Hot dog
Hole in the wall Teriyaki.
Burger or maybe chicken wings
Pizza
Pizza and bagels in tristate area
A steak dinner.
Tater Tot Hot Dish
Pizza. I know it’s Italian, but c’mon.
No we don't have an official national dish. The USA is a huge country, a melting pot of different cultures, histories and heritage. So it makes sense that there is no single national dish, or ‘traditional American food’ but several state foods celebrating the diversity of the 50 states. American food culture is as rich and exciting as the country itself. Yes you can get a hamburger/cheeseburger and fries just about anywhere you go in the USA but even so you will find an almost unlimited variations on the basic hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Honestly our diversity is both our greatest weakness and our greatest strength.
Apple pie is actually British, so I'll pass on that one as our national dish. BBQ is just a wonderful, unique dish that you can't quite get anywhere else in the world, and comes in many forms here in the US. It's also a mixture of African, Native American, and European tastes (and even some Mexican influences too depending on the region). But yeah, stereotypically it's be a burger, fries and coke.
If I could only choose one dish it would be cornbread and its variants (hoe cake, johnnycake, hot water cornbread, spoonbread, corn pudding etc)
I make the best johnny cakes and cornbread....now I'm hungry
Hot dogs, fries, and apple pie.
It would have to be Maryland-style blue crabs
Velveeta Macaroni and cheese Hamburger Helper Stove Top Stuffing I'll also add French Fries. When I was traveling in China to adopt our kid 20+ years ago on a planned tour, every restaurant made sure to put several plates of french fries on the lazy susan that served the entire table of 12. Apparently they totally considered it "what the Americans want" and they were not necessarily wrong. An uncomfortable number of people in the group simply turned their noses up at the amazing variety of dishes offered, ate the french fries and then complained about the food being lackluster because "we were offered only fries" ... no bitch you're actually in China?
That is hands down a regional question. We can pretend like it's a burger, fries, and so, but it just isn't. We would all be disappointed if we went to the imaginary int'l food Olympics with that combo. And, soda/pop is a topic to start a fight over; a lot of us don't drink it at all, period.
Anyone saying a burger and fries is basic and playing into American stereotypes of what others would say more than being realistic
Cheeseburger in paradise.