A new study by Escoffier has revealed the top ten states with the best culinary scene, and Hawaii has, by far, the best state-wide restaurant scene, ranking at or near the top of five out of the seven categories we explored.
Perhaps unexpectedly, Rhode Island ranked in the top ten overall, powered by high restaurant spending, a large percentage of independent restaurants, and strong employment numbers.
Population size is clearly not everything; while several of the biggest states did crack the top ten, smaller states like Hawaii, Nevada, and Rhode Island also ranked highly, indicating that population size alone does not determine the vibrancy of a state’s restaurant scene.
The #1 ranked culinary school in the USA, Escoffier, analysed all 50 U.S. states to determine the top ten with the best food scenes. The analysis explored economic factors like restaurant spending (Restaurant Expenditures = RE) and employment, restaurant density, and the presence of independent and Michelin-starred restaurants. Each state received a composite score to reveal the top food hotspots.
Findings summed up
| State | Restaurant Density | RE as a % of total food expenditures | % independent restaurants | Restaurant Jobs % | Tourist-to-Restaurant Ratio | Michelin-Starred Restaurants | Score |
| Hawaii | 13 | 0.4354 | 0.77 | 14 % | 376.44 | 10.00 | 100 |
| New York | 15 | 0.4168 | 0.72 | 9 % | 183.32 | 68.00 | 83.23 |
| Nevada | 12 | 0.4381 | 0.62 | 15 % | 315.75 | 3.00 | 82.57 |
| California | 26 | 0.3975 | 0.64 | 10 % | 73.08 | 85.00 | 75.01 |
| Florida | 14 | 0.3784 | 0.59 | 11 % | 164.06 | 26.00 | 72.14 |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 0.4097 | 0.56 | 10 % | 73.12 | 15.00 | 51.29 |
| Illinois | 8 | 0.412 | 0.55 | 10 % | 68.11 | 20.00 | 48.33 |
| Texas | 17 | 0.3512 | 0.50 | 11 % | 32.99 | 5.00 | 46.25 |
| Rhode Island | 10 | 0.3892 | 0.64 | 12 % | 29.53 | 4.00 | 43.31 |
| New Jersey | 9 | 0.3676 | 0.52 | 10 % | 24.11 | 3.00 | 42.04 |
You can check the full research findings by following this link.