Fort Worth Ranked Number One City for Affordable Dining

We can all appreciate the simplicity and deliciousness of cowboy cuisine, and it turns out that it’s also quite economical.

by

There’s nothing quite like the experience of going out to eat, and Fort Worth is one of the best places, in this writer’s humble opinion, to do so. Besides the occasional drive-thru stop, my wife and I plan our big meal outings based on our monthly budget. This helps us keep our finances in line as well as giving us time to enjoy some great food without dealing with any cleanup. Like many people do post meal, I have to admit a little buyer’s remorse after nonchalantly ordering appetizers and side salads, which have bloated many of my meal tabs.

But if you’re going to order the whole Kit and Caboodle on your next food outing, Fort Worth is the best place to do it, according to a recent study released by The Cookie Rookie. This study, which broke down culinary preferences for all fifty states, took into account things like each cities’ favorite meals, state dishes, and much more. Inside of this study was a section asking which cities in the U.S. have the most affordable dining, and wouldn’t you know it, Fort Worth ranked number one.

The results of this section revealed that it cost $60 on average for two people to get a three-course meal at any of the city’s mid-range restaurants. Yeah, we’re not talking 97 West here folks. But for an average meal at a restaurant like Wild Acre, a party of two can get their grub on without fear of having to wash dishes to pay their bill.

Close on our heels is another Texas city, El Paso, which comes in at around $62 for a party of two to enjoy the same selection of food we do for two dollars cheaper. Ranking under the two Lone Star State cities that head this list are Detroit and Columbus, Ohio who share the number four spot with a cost of $70 per couple.

Ranking at the lowest spot for this section of the study are nine cities that include, Dallas, Houston, Denver, and Oklahoma City, to name a few. And although both Dallas and Houston were ranked at the number 10 spot, Texas in general stands as the top state for budget friendly dining, out of any other state in the U.S.

Since the U.S. is a melting pot of cultures, who all live and thrive in various regions, this greatly impacts each state’s culinary offerings and available resources. This is why The Cookie Rookie used data from social media and Google to find its final number rankings. For instance, did you know that enchiladas are the third most popular state food in the nation? This dish actually made Texas’ favorite dish, with a Google search of over 480,000. Coming in at number one for this category are bagels, which amassed 11 million searches alone last year, according to data.

Another culinary surprise revealed through this study shows that we Texans love our pizza, but so does most of the nation. In the category of each state’s favorite meal, 44 states are said to prefer pizza. The other six states, which include New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Rhode Island, all vied for chili instead.

The best foodie cities category ranked Denver, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C. as the top three, with Las Vegas coming in at number one in the cheap eat category.

When it’s all said and done, this study really offers budget conscious foodies some food for thought. After all, isn’t having great meal the hallmark of hard work?

To read the full list of categories and see more of The Cookie Rookie’s methodology click here.