American menus vary widely; this guide focuses on Southern and soul-food plates, New Orleans dishes and Hawaii-style meals. Read the sides and combo details first: a bowl, sandwich and plate lunch are different orders.[1]
Typical menu
Editorial review ·
Examples vary by restaurant. Confirm ingredients, portions and dietary needs with staff.
Southern and soul-food plates
- Fried chicken — Bone-in chicken pieces in a seasoned, crunchy crust; usually not spicy unless labeled hot, and a plate often comes with two sides and a biscuit or cornbread, so check which.
- Collard greens — Leafy greens simmered until silky, traditionally with smoked pork for flavor; savory and slightly bitter, sometimes served with their cooking liquid (pot likker).
- Mac and cheese — Pasta baked in a cheese sauce, often with a browned top; rich and mild, sold as a side scoop or as a larger main.
- Cornbread — A crumbly cornmeal bread, sweet or savory depending on the kitchen; usually served warm with butter alongside greens or barbecue.
New Orleans and Hawaii examples
- Gumbo — A New Orleans staple that locals treat almost as its own food group[1]: a thick, dark-roux stew with sausage, chicken or seafood, served with rice; offered by the cup or the bowl.
- Jambalaya — A famous New Orleans rice dish[1] cooked with sausage, chicken or shrimp and onion, celery and bell pepper; filling, mildly spicy and usually a main.
- Poke — Cubes of raw fish, often tuna, seasoned with soy, sesame and onion; served on its own as a Hawaii-style snack or over rice as a bowl, so check which.
- Plate lunch — A Hawaii-style lunch plate: a main such as teriyaki chicken or kalua pork, commonly with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad; generous and usually a full meal.
How to order on your first visit
For two, choose a plate each and compare included sides before ordering extras. With gumbo, ask cup versus bowl; with poke, choose raw or cooked deliberately. A vegetable side may contain meat, so ask the kitchen if that matters.
Different menu styles
Soul food is a specific African American food tradition, not a name for every Southern dish. Cajun and Creole menus are not interchangeable; Hawaii-style plate lunches and Native Hawaiian dishes also need their own context.[2][3]
What to order
- Smash burger — thin patties seared hard for a lacy crust, cheese, pickles
- Texas brisket — salt-and-pepper beef smoked low and slow over oak
- Buttermilk fried chicken — brined, dredged, and fried crisp
- New England clam chowder — cream-based with clams, potato, and bacon
- Shrimp and grits — Lowcountry classic of shrimp over creamy corn grits
98 menus
Waldo's Restaurant- The Beachside Sampler
- Peel And Eat Shrimp
- Baked Brie
American
Willa Jean- Cornbread$ 9
- Chia Pudding$ 7
- Boudin Hand Pies$ 14
American
Frequently asked questions
What are the main styles of American barbecue?
Texas (beef brisket, salt-pepper rub, oak smoke), Carolina (whole-hog or pork shoulder, vinegar or mustard sauces), Memphis (ribs, dry rubs), and Kansas City (everything, sweet tomato-molasses sauce).
Are sides included with an American main?
Check the plate description before adding sides. A plate lunch or Southern combination can already include rice, vegetables or bread; ask staff what comes with your chosen main.
What should I order at an American restaurant?
Order the house specialty — the smoked meat, the burger, the chowder — rather than the longest section of the menu. Use SeEat to understand the dishes, then confirm portions and included sides with staff.
What background helps when reading a American menu?
American cuisine is a settler-and-immigrant synthesis organized around regional schools: Southern and soul food (fried chicken, cornbread), Texas and Carolina barbecue, New England seafood, Tex-Mex, Cajun-Creole Louisiana, and the diner-and-burger canon. Generous portions, smoke, and the grill define its restaurant culture. Barbecue alone splits into four commonly recognized regional schools — Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, and the Carolinas — each with its own cuts, woods, and sauces.
Related guides
Sources
- New Orleans & Company. Traditional New Orleans Foods. Accessed
- Hawaii Tourism Authority. Oahu Restaurants. Accessed
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Food for the People. Accessed