According to the latest Zagat Poll –
American diners have long had a love affair with Italian food. The comforting cuisine ruled as the most popular, with 22% of surveyors calling it their favorite. Next up was American (16%), followed by seafood (11%), Mexican (9%), French (7%) and Japanese (also at 7%).
Bucking the trend are Atlanta, Austin and Chicago, where Italian and American cuisine are tied; Charlotte, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Nashville, San Diego and Seattle all favor American cuisine. New Orleans diners are the country’s biggest seafood lovers (20%) and unsurprisingly, diners in Dallas–Fort Worth are the country’s biggest fans of Mexican food (22%) with Phoenix/Scottsdale and San Antonio close behind at 18% each — all cities in which you can find some killer south-of-the-border specialties.