A new report has reaffirmed that San Antonio's diverse food scene stacks up as one of the best in the country. San Antonio claimed the No. 18 spot in WalletHub's just-released study comparing the "Best Foodie Cities in America."
To determine the rankings, analysts compared 182 U.S. cities across two key dimensions — "affordability" and "diversity, accessibility, and quality" — using 28 relevant metrics, such as the cost of groceries; the number of restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, cooking schools, and others; restaurant diversity and ratings; and more.
The top five best foodie cities in America are Miami (No. 1); Portland, Oregon (No. 2); San Francisco (No. 3); Seattle (No. 4); and Austin (No. 5).
The local food scene in San Antonio outperformed almost all other U.S. cities for its affordability, the report found. The city nearly topped the list with the 2nd most affordable local foodie scene in the nation. This ranking was based on the accessibility and affordability of high-quality restaurants, the costs for groceries and restaurant meals, sales and food taxes, and the average price for beer and wine.
San Antonio is filled with affordable gems like Con Huevos Tacos.Con Huevos Tacos/ Facebook
San Antonio also ranked 30th in the national diversity, accessibility, and quality category, which examined the prevalence of certain dining establishments, the diversity of restaurant cuisine, and restaurant growth.
People who consider themselves foodies don't have to limit themselves to a local restaurant scene, the report's author says. Foodies can discover new flavors and cuisines "wherever they can find them," including exploring in your own kitchen, checking out a food festival, or visiting "less prominent establishments" like food trucks.
"For these culinary enthusiasts, the experience of eating is elevated to a hobby or even a lifestyle," the report said. "While being a foodie can be quite expensive, culinary hotspots across the U.S. offer plenty of affordable and delicious options. These wallet-friendly cities cater to diners who prefer to cook at home, explore the local flavors, or both."
San Antonio has been a hotbed for restaurant openings this year, including new concepts at Pearl, a Brazilian steakhouse, a Greek restaurant, and more.
(A)mar is one of several new restaurants shaking up Pearl.Photo courtesy of (a)mar
Top foodie cities across Texas
Austin was the only Texas city to star among the top 10 best foodie cities nationwide. Austin's food scene ranked 11th in the national diversity, accessibility, and quality category, and it ranked 15th in the national category for affordability.
Houston could only muster up a surprising No. 13 rank on the list of the best foodie cities, two spots higher than last year's ranking. The diversity, accessibility, and quality of Houston's food scene ranked 18th overall, but its affordability rank (No. 24) left room for improvement.
Dallas' food scene suffered a tumble to the 36th spot overall this year after ranking as the 25th best foodie city in 2025, but Fort Worth made a leap from No. 89 last year to No. 74 in 2026. Fort Worth was also ranked the ninth cheapest foodie city in the U.S.
The local food scenes in the suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth leave much to be desired, according to the report. Out of all 182 U.S. cities, Plano (No. 94) was the only suburb that ranked among the top 100, which left out Arlington (No. 118), Garland (No. 120), Irving (No. 128), and Grand Prairie (No. 160).
The top 10 best foodie cities in America for 2026 are:
- No. 1 – Miami, Florida
- No. 2 – Portland, Oregon
- No. 3 – San Francisco, California
- No. 4 – Seattle, Washington
- No. 5 – Austin, Texas
- No. 6 – Orlando, Florida
- No. 7 – Tampa, Florida
- No. 8 – Las Vegas, Nevada
- No. 9 – Sacramento, California
- No. 10 – Denver, Colorado
