25 Weird Americans Foods That Every Foodie Should Try

American food is often thought of as boring—hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, barbecue, and fried chicken are pretty commonplace. But there are many foods here in my home country of the United States that the rest of the world finds downright strange. 

In fact, it’s not just other countries. I’ve driven across the U.S. nine times and have eaten most of the items on this list. In exploring these foods, I’ve realized that thoughts on what’s considered weird definitely varies from state to state.

Some weird American foods are part of the everyday fare, and others can only be found at the state fair. 

A lot of people look forward to the array of deep-fried guilty pleasures at their local state fairs each year. And these foods certainly prove that you can find a way to fry just about anything.

From deep-fried dough injected with Pepsi or beer, to jelly beans, Oreos, and perhaps the most decadent, deep-fried butter, a plethora of some of the weirdest foods in America can be found only at state fairs. 

However, the list below focuses on the foods Americans somewhere in the country eat every day.

Weird American Foods

1. Alligator Meat

The first time I visited New Orleans, I was surprised to see alligator on so many menus. From fried alligator bites to alligator sausage to gator tail creole, the preparations are as varied as for any other meat.

People will tell you that alligator tastes like chicken. Well, not to me. It’s not bad—but it’s not particularly good either. Especially in NOLA, where there are so many good things to eat, it’s hard to save room for gator. But you should try it at least once.

Fried gator bites sound weirder than they taste.

2. Rocky Mountain Oysters

Rocky Mountain Oysters, one of the most exotic American foods, come from Colorado. These “oysters” have nothing to do with seafood of any kind. Quite the opposite: They are bull testicles, usually deep fried.

Cowboys started the practice of eating this organ so as not to waste any part of a slaughtered bull. And while I agree with the philosophy, I’m not crazy about this Colorado delicacy. The same goes for its cousins: lamb fries, or fried lamb testicles. These are commonly eaten in rural parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and Kentucky.

Rocky mountain oysters, aka bull testicles, can be sliced and fried or served whole.

3. Kool-Aid Pickles (Koolickles)

This one is just what it sounds like—pickles soaked in Kool-Aid. I was introduced to Kool-Aid pickles in Nashville, TN, although they originated in the Mississippi Delta. 

I was at our favorite BBQ restaurant in Nashville, and the woman next to me was so excited to see the Kool-Aid pickles on my tray, I shared them with her. It was a perfect reminder that bizarre foods to some can be cherished childhood memories to others.

Kool-Aid pickles can be soaked in any flavor, but cherry and tropical punch are favorites.

4. Corn Dogs

Many lay claim to the invention of corn dogs. Most likely, it’s either a famous food from Texas or Oregon. No matter who invented it, it was popularized during the Great Depression. 

The name “corn dog” comes from the corn batter that a hot dog is dipped in before being deep fried and served on a stick. 

Even some Americans think this is a weird food. I’ll never forget my brother-in-law’s first bite of a corn dog. I don’t know what he thought would be inside, but he sure was surprised to see a hot dog!

5. American Cheese

American cheese was created in the early 1900s from cheddar cheese. Why make a processed cheese when you already have real cheese? The idea was to have a cheese that melted easily and could be individually portioned.

Today, American cheese is a true American staple, with plenty of people in the U.S. eating it every day in grilled cheese sandwiches or on burgers. Some love it; some liken it to plastic.

It seems like the lovers win, as more processed cheeses like Velveeta, Cheez Whiz, and Provel cheese (a St. Louis specialty) have followed in the footsteps of American cheese. 

Are you a cheese lover like me? If so, learn more about French cheeses, Italian cheeses, and Greek cheeses.

American cheese is used on burgers because it melts easily.

6. Hawaiian Pizza

There are many different kinds of pizzas in American cuisine: New York, Chicago deep-dish, Colorado, St. Louis, and Californian are just a few. But Hawaiian is the only one I won’t eat. 

This pizza with ham and pineapple is not actually a food from Hawaii. It was invented by a Canadian chef, but Americans quickly embraced it—I am just not one of them. 

And it is definitely not a pizza you’ll find in Italy. Ask an Italian pizza maker for one, and you may make them cry.

7. Loco Moco

Loco Moco actually was invented in Hawaii. This weird food was created in Hilo on the big Island of Hawaii in 1941. Nowadays, whether you are visiting Honolulu, Lahaina, or Poipu, trying a Loco Moco is a must.

It sounds like a strange breakfast: A bed of white rice is topped with a ground beef burger patty smothered in brown gravy with a fried egg on top. But I’ve never had a bad one!

The strange Hawaiian breakfast, Loco Moco, hides a burger with gravy between eggs and rice.

8. Tater Tots

There’s no disputing tater tots are a famous food from Oregon invented by Ore-Ida. They’re made from the little bits of potatoes that are left over from the process of making french fries. What was once considered livestock feed became a frozen food sensation that kids (the human kind) couldn’t get enough of. That by itself is a little weird. 

But what kicks things up a notch nowadays are some of the modern preparations. I’ve had clam chowder over tater tots (delicious), all sorts of unique casseroles, and I’ve even enjoyed one that was hanging off the rim of a Bloody Mary. 

Tater tots are regaining popularity and are showing up on many restaurant menus.

9. Root Beer Float

I grew up on this weird American food and never gave it a second thought. I didn’t realize that most of the world thought it was gross to put vanilla ice cream into soda until I was an adult. (My husband still thinks it’s weird.) 

For starters, most people in many foreign countries have no idea what root beer is. When they find out it’s a soda, they’re usually pretty sure they don’t want to put their beloved ice cream into it. Fine—more for me then!

10. Fried Cheese Curds


Cheese curds, a byproduct of cheesemaking, are battered and deep-fried into bite-sized snacks. They are a popular food in Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland.”

But I’ve seen them in other cheese-producing states like California and Oregon too. They are served as a bar snack or side dish and are best enjoyed squeaky-fresh and piping hot.  

Cheese curds at the Tillamook restaurant in Oregon

11. Strawberry Pretzel Salad


This dish seems a little less weird if you know that strawberry pretzel salad is not really a salad. It’s a dessert that became popular from Pennsylvania to Florida at the height of the Jell-O craze that broke out in the U.S. after World War II.

Of all the Jell-O salads I’ve ever had, strawberry pretzel salad is my favorite. The crust is crushed pretzels, the middle layer is Cool Whip and cream cheese, and the top is Jell-O with strawberries. To me, it’s way more appetizing as a sweet treat than a standalone blob of wiggly gelatin.

12. Rattlesnake

Once upon a time, my friend’s boyfriend Rick accidentally ran over a rattlesnake while riding his motorcycle. He pulled over, collected the snake, and threw it on the barbecue when he got home. 

And while rattlesnakes are all over California, Rick is the only person I know who has ever taken such a hands-on approach to having rattlesnake for dinner. I didn’t try rattlesnake until I went to cooking school; I found the texture more off-putting than the taste.

Today, you can still find rattlesnake on restaurant menus in the Southwest, especially in Arizona and Texas. Try it fried, and dipped in a little bit of ranch dressing.

Buffalo rattlesnake with ranch dressing is an easy way to try this weird American food.

13. Akutaq

Alaska is such a beautiful state and there are so many delicious Alaskan foods that I love—but their ice cream isn’t one of them. Akutaq, also known as Inuit ice cream, Eskimo ice cream, or Alaskan ice cream, is not like any other ice cream in any other state. 

The main difference being that it is not made from cream, but animal fat (like caribou, moose, whale, or reindeer fat) and seal oil. Usually wild berries are mixed in, so the color of Akutaq can range from purple to pink. It can be gamey and salty from the seal oil, and in my book, it is somewhat of an acquired taste.

14. Frito Pie


Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of my favorite foodie cities and has a special place in my heart. I especially love that many of the best restaurants in Santa Fe serve authentic New Mexican cuisine at an affordable price. 

But Santa Fe is also the birthplace of one of America’s oddest dishes: Frito Pie. It’s a fun concoction traditionally served in an opened bag of Fritos corn chips. The Fritos are topped with chili, cheese, and sour cream. 

If you visit Santa Fe, you can still try a Frito Pie at the Five & Dime on the Santa Fe Plaza where this dish was invented.

The Santa Fe Five & Dime claims to have made the original Frito Pie.

15. Chitterlings

Chitterlings, commonly referred to as "chitlins," are a traditional dish made from the large intestines of a hog. They are usually loaded with seasonings and spices and simmered for hours to tenderize the rubbery meat. 

They were a southern staple food originally eaten for survival by enslaved African Americans in the southern United States. It was these African Americans who transformed this otherwise discarded part of the hog into a nutritious meal that is now central to soul food cuisine.

Of all the bizarre foods, intestines of different kinds are probably the most widely eaten. I’ll go out on a limb and say that more Americans find chitlins weird than do people from European, Asian, or South American cultures.

16. Pumpkin Pie


Many countries eat pumpkins. There are traditional Mexican dishes with pumpkin and celebrated Italian specialties too. Pumpkin also features in many Asian cuisines. 


Yet, Americans and Canadians seem to be the only ones eating pumpkin pie. In the U.S., pumpkin pie is right up there with cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes as a must-have element in our Thanksgiving dinners.

In America, pumpkin pie is a must on Thanksgiving.

17. Livermush

Livermush is a North Carolina specialty born from Appalachian resourcefulness. It’s a loaf made of pork livers and cornmeal that’s sliced, fried, and served on biscuits. 

It’s a hearty dish sometimes referred to as a “poor man's pâté.” It’s certainly true that the name of the French dish sounds much more haute cuisine than livermush. As a former marketer, I suggest a rename.

18. Biscuits & Gravy

Anyone from any of the southern states will think I’m crazy for calling biscuits and gravy a weird food. Truth be told, I’m not the biggest gravy person, but I’m not the only one who thinks it’s weird to smother biscuits in white gravy with sausage. 

I finally have warmed up to the quintessential southern breakfast after many trips to southern states like Tennessee, North Carlolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and others. But it usually takes a few hours to digest. 

For the record, I have the same beef with chicken fried steak (battered and fried steak with white gravy).

Biscuits and gravy is usually quite a rich dish with lots of sausage gravy.

19. Garbage Plate

When something is called the “garbage plate,” it’s a pretty safe bet it’s going to be a strange food. 

This particular weird food is a hearty dish that originated in Rochester, NY, at a restaurant called Nick Tahou Hots in 1918. The original dish consisted of hotdogs, cold beans, potatoes, Italian bread, and butter.

It now includes a hot meat sauce and options like macaroni salad and hamburger meat. I bet you can’t eat the whole thing!

20. Fried Pickles

Fried pickles were invented in Arkansas in the 1960s. Today, many of the same states that eat biscuits and gravy for breakfast eat fried pickles as an appetizer or side dish. 

The pickles are prepared similar to fried green tomatoes and look very similar too. They are sliced, dipped in batter, and fried. 

They are definitely an unusual food, but they’re really pretty good. They’re certainly nothing to be afraid of, like an alligator or rattlesnake.

Fried pickles make a great appetizer in the south.

21. Scrapple

Made from pork scraps combined with cornmeal, buckwheat flour, and spices, scrapple is a northern cousin of livermush. 

The first time I visited my husband’s family in Maryland was also the time I first learned about scrapple. I admit, I thought it sounded pretty unappetizing.

This Mid-Atlantic breakfast staple originated from German settlers in Pennsylvania and never really made its way that far outside of the region. But in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., it is fried up like bacon as a common side dish to the morning meal.

22. Peanut Butter & Jelly


Speaking of childhood memories . . . Everyone who attended elementary school in the United States has at least seen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, most likely on white bread. 

They are one of the most popular American foods! However, to the rest of the world, PB&J is not a common sandwich or pairing. 

Personally, I love it. I also love peanut butter sandwiches with marshmallow fluff (Fluffernutter) or banana. I’d say the one peanut dish I haven’t acquired a taste for is peanut soup. 

If you love PB&J too, try this Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie Recipe.

One of the best ways to eat peanut butter and jelly is in cookies.

C23. Spam


SPAM, canned processed pork (pork shoulder and ham), is immensely popular in Hawaii. An important protein source at Pearl Harbor during World War II, SPAM first became a pantry staple for islanders at that time for a good reason—fresh meat was scarce. 

Today, you’ll find SPAM musubi (SPAM and rice wrapped in seaweed) at nearly every corner store or restaurant in the Aloha State. Although SPAM is sold in grocery stores nationwide, no other state has a famous food where SPAM is the main ingredient.

24. Monte Cristo Sandwich


Culinary historians call the Monte Cristo an American version of the iconic French ham and cheese sandwich, Croque Monsieur. Which, by the way, is definitely not a weird food, and is very yummy. 

The Monte Cristo is a salty-sweet dish consisting of Swiss cheese, sliced turkey or ham, and bread dipped in egg and fried. It is sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with preserves.

This sandwich is simply too sweet for me, so my taste buds always choose a Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame over this American sandwich.

A Monte Christo sandwich is a unique mix of sweet and savory.

25. Pickle Dog

If the good folks of Minnesota thought they were off the hook, I’d like to remind them of their pickle dogs. In other states, you may find a pickle wrapped around a hot dog in the local corn dog. But this Minnesota native is a completely different breed of dog.

In MN, a pickle dog is a slice of pastrami slathered with cream cheese and rolled around a dill pickle. It’s not fried, but this salty, creamy, meaty phenomenon began at the Minnesota State Fair. 

Wrap on Weird American Foods

As you can see, weird foods in America can be found in all regions of the country. Most of them are quite common too!

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. How many of them have you tried? Which ones do you like? Which ones do you consider gross American foods too weird to try?

Looking for more weirdness? Read these next:
Weird French Foods
Weird Mexican Foods

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