Whether you鈥檙e gathering with friends at a local bar, chowing down on pizza and drinks at home, or hosting your own watch party, some cities just know how to do it better.

But which cities are the most ideal for food, drinks, and fandom during football鈥檚 biggest Sunday of the year?

With the championship game right around the corner, we analyzed key metrics from cities across the country to determine which provide the ultimate game day experience. From food and drink accessibility to fan enthusiasm and safety, these are the cities that take football鈥檚 most-anticipated game of the year to the next level.

Our analysis included nine weighted metrics, including pizza accessibility (number of pizza restaurants), number of bars and sports bars, number of liquor stores, game day travel safety (traffic fatalities), food and beverage affordability, as well as fan enthusiasm (Google searches related to the game and number of times each city has hosted the championship game).

Key Highlights:

• NOLA Ranks No. 1: This year鈥檚 host city, New Orleans, claims the number one spot as the best city to celebrate the Big Game. With 164 bars per 100,000 residents and a record 11 times as a host city, New Orleans sets the standard for game day festivities.
• Top Cities to Celebrate: Atlanta, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Tampa round out the top five best cities, according to our analysis. 
• Game Day Watch Parties: In terms of game day watch party interest, Atlanta tops the list with 78,465 Google searches related to watch parties per 100,000.
• Football Foodies: St. Louis is not only home to the most pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents but also leads the nation in searches for game day-related foods like wings, pizza, chips, and dips.

The Top 25 Cities to Watch the Big Game

#1. New Orleans, LA

With this year鈥檚 game taking place in New Orleans, it鈥檚 only fitting that the Big Easy takes the top spot for watching the Big Game. Known for its vibrant culture and love of celebration, New Orleans is the best city to watch all of the action thanks to its high number of bars (164 per 100,000), strong search interest for game day parties, and status as a frequent host of football鈥檚 biggest event, which has hosted the game 11 times since 1970. 

#2. Atlanta, GA

Although the Falcons missed the playoff cut this season, Atlanta remains an ideal city to celebrate this year鈥檚 game due to its overwhelming enthusiasm for watch parties (78,465 searches per 100,000) and a bustling bar scene (122 per 100,000). Having hosted the Big Game three times since 1994, and gearing up to host again in 2028, it鈥檚 a city that knows how to celebrate football in style.

#3. St. Louis, MO

Despite no longer being home to an NFL team, St. Louis continues to take celebrating football very seriously. Since the Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles in 2016, the city has been clamoring for football. In fact, St. Louis tops the list of cities searching the most for game day food, with 10,094 game day food-related searches per 100,000. With the highest search interest for game day food, St. Louis earns its spot as a foodie鈥檚 paradise for Big Game snacks and party prep.

#4. Minneapolis, MN

Although their playoff run was cut short after a loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, the Minnesota Vikings can still take pride in residing within the top five best cities to celebrate this year鈥檚 game. Minneapolis combines passionate fans and strong game day food-related searches, making it an all-around contender for game day celebrations.

#5. Tampa, FL

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers also fell short this playoff season, but the 2020 champions can take pride in their city rounding out the top five best places to celebrate this year鈥檚 game. With its warm weather, thriving bar scene (94 bars per 100,000 residents), and history of hosting major football events (five times since 1984), Tampa secures its spot as a premier destination for Big Game celebrations.

For the full rankings and the metrics behind them, see the interactive table below:

Football Foodies: Where Game Day Cravings Reign Supreme

Let鈥檚 face it, game day isn鈥檛 complete without the food.

We determined which cities are home to the most football foodies by analyzing Google search interest for terms related to food during the championship game. Our analysis included keywords and phrases such as 鈥淪uper Bowl recipes,鈥� 鈥淪uper Bowl party food,鈥� as well as 鈥減izza,鈥� 鈥渨ings,鈥� 鈥渁ppetizers,鈥� 鈥渃hips,鈥� 鈥渄ips,鈥� and more.

When it comes to appetites during the Big Game, a few cities rise above the rest. From wings and nachos to pizza and dips, these cities know how to prep for a feast. St. Louis, in particular, stands out with a large volume of searches for game day recipes and food.

Big Game Anticipation: Watch Party Capitals

If you weren鈥檛 lucky enough to snag tickets to the game, a watch party is the next best way to get in on the action with fellow football fans.

According to our Google search analysis, no other city in the country is more eager to join a watch party than Atlanta. We analyzed terms related to places to watch the Big Game, and Atlanta took the top spot with 78,465 searches per 100,000 residents.

Whether you鈥檙e in the heart of New Orleans or the party hubs of Atlanta and St. Louis, these cities are the ultimate destinations for celebrating football鈥檚 biggest stage. Which city will you be in for the Big Game?

Methodology:

To determine our rankings, we analyzed key metrics from the 50 largest cities in the United States, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. We compared these cities across nine weighted variables: pizza accessibility (number of pizza restaurants per 100,000 residents), food and beverage affordability (average prices of pizza and a six-pack of beer), number of bars and sports bars per 100,000 residents, number of liquor stores per 100,000 residents, and game day travel safety (traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents). Additionally, we examined Google search data related to game day watch parties and food searches per 100,000 residents. Finally, we factored in the number of times each city has hosted the championship game.

Key Metrics: How We Ranked the Cities

Game Day Food Searches (20 points): Measures how often residents search for Big Game-related food and snacks, reflecting enthusiasm for game day preparations.

Watch Party Searches (20 points): Assesses interest in communal viewing by analyzing searches for watch party venues, highlighting cities with strong social engagement.

Bars per 100,000 Residents (16 points): Indicates the availability of popular spots for football fans to gather and celebrate, contributing to the game day atmosphere.

Pizza Restaurants per 100,000 Residents (12 points): Reflects accessibility to one of the most popular game day foods, ensuring fans have plenty of dining options.

Affordability of Pizza and Beer (16 points total: 8 each): Evaluates the average cost of an 11鈥�12 inch cheese pizza and a six-pack of beer, highlighting cities where fans can enjoy the Big Game without overspending.

Traffic Safety (8 points): Measures traffic fatalities per capita to account for safe travel to and from game day gatherings.

Liquor Stores per 100,000 Residents (8 points): Provides insight into accessibility for fans stocking up on beverages for home celebrations.

Host City Bonus (5 points): Awards points to cities that have hosted the Big Game, emphasizing their experience and capacity to handle football鈥檚 biggest event.

By combining these metrics, we created a comprehensive ranking system that reflects the unique qualities each city brings to the Big Game experience.

While the Super Bowl is referred to within the methodology and search term analysis, this study is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NFL.

Sources: Yelp, U.S. Census Bureau; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration鈥檚 (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS): Annual Report File (ARF); Council for Community and Economic Research

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While some of us might pride ourselves on our ability to embrace culinary diversity, not everyone has an adventurous palate. Whether it鈥檚 being selective about pizza toppings or favoring certain food textures, picky eaters have a wide range of preferences and habits.

But how pervasive is picky eating in America? To find out, we conducted a nationwide survey of 2,000 Americans to gain insight into picky eaters and their eating habits. We also examined Google search volume for terms related to picky eating in order to determine where the pickiest eaters reside in the United States. 

Key Findings:

• 50% of Americans consider themselves 鈥減icky eaters鈥�
• Among picky eaters, one-third are embarrassed about their picky eating habits
• 45% have never attempted to overcome their picky eating habits
• 54% often hide their picky eating habits while dining with others
• One in five say they would not date a picky eater
• St. Louis, Missouri, is home to the pickiest eaters in the nation, according to Google search volume analysis

Cities with the pickiest eaters in America

When it comes to food preferences, some U.S. cities have pickier eaters than others. If you鈥檙e from New York City, you likely have one of the most adventurous palates in the nation, according to our research. But if you live in St. Louis, Missouri, you鈥檙e living in the national capital of picky eaters.

The pickiest eaters don鈥檛 seem tied to any specific region; however, the West Coast appears to have less picky eaters than the rest of the United States. Elsewhere, two of the top 10 pickiest cities are located in Ohio (Cincinnati and Toledo). Jersey City, New Jersey, is the second pickiest in the nation, followed by Cincinnati, Ohio (3), Winston-Salem, North Carolina (4), and Fort Wayne, Indiana (5).

Despite their track record of adventurous sauce invention, Buffalo, New York, is home to the sixth pickiest eaters in the nation, followed by Chesapeake, Virginia (7), Lubbock, Texas (8), Toledo, Ohio (9), and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (10).

How many Americans are picky eaters?

According to our nationwide survey, picky eating is more common than most might think. Half of Americans say they consider themselves to be 鈥減icky eaters.鈥� This label comes with some difficult feelings attached 鈥� nearly half (48%) of picky eaters say they get judged for their eating habits, one-third are embarrassed about their eating habits, and over a third (37%) become actively annoyed when people call them 鈥減icky eaters.鈥�

Picky eating can even cause people to change their behaviors 鈥� nearly one-third (32%) of picky eaters say they have declined dinner invitations due to their eating habits.

What types of foods do picky eaters dislike?

What foods are picky eaters most likely to avoid? Over half of picky eaters (57%) say they dislike vegetables the most, followed by seafood (56%), meat (39%), spices and seasonings (34%), and pork (33%).

Picky eaters also turn up their noses at foods that are featured heavily in most diets. Over one-quarter (28%) don鈥檛 like fruit, a quarter skip dairy, one in five (20%) aren鈥檛 keen on poultry, and 19% leave grains off their menu.

Textures also present problems for picky eaters. Over four in five respondents (84%) agreed that slimy foods are the most problematic, followed by anything mushy (54%), gelatinous or jelly-like (40%), or gooey and sticky (39%). Some even admit to having problems with chewy (13%) or crunchy (6%) foods.

Picky palates also shape meal preferences, with three-quarters of respondents saying they dislike bitter flavors. Bitter is the main offender by a healthy margin, while the next closest problem flavor is sour, which bothers 31% of picky eaters, followed by anything spicy (22%), salty (9%), sweet (7%), or savory (5%).

Sometimes it isn鈥檛 the food itself that is the problem, but rather how it is prepared and served.

Overall, 42% of picky eaters avoid eating leftovers, and one-third have a problem with different foods touching on their plate. This can lead to skipped meals in almost half of the picky eater population (49%), and can even cause some to feel sick (22% claim this can be a result of eating something they don鈥檛 like).

How to get a picky eater to try new foods

Changing our dislikes is easier said than done. Rather than alter their habits, many picky eaters mask their picky eating for fear of judgment. Over half of picky eaters (54%) admit they routinely hide their picky preferences while dining with others.

To do so, picky eaters use a variety of stealthy strategies. Among the most common, 66% pretend to be full, half make excuses (e.g., having allergies or feeling unwell), 38% manipulate the food on their plate, and 35% give it to their partner or someone else to eat.

Rather than conceal the problem, some picky eaters try to meet their limitations head-on. More than half of picky eaters (55%) say they have tried to overcome their picky eating habits, and over a third (35%) have been bribed to eat something they don鈥檛 like.

According to picky eaters, these interventions are unlikely to work. Nearly three-quarters (74%) say it鈥檚 impossible to overcome picky eating habits as an adult, and one in five say their picky eating is related to anxiety or psychological factors, suggesting the habits may be deeply embedded.

Do picky eaters like pizza?

Where can a picky eater turn when the going gets tough? For a majority, pizza is the answer.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of picky eaters say pizza is their preferred backup meal option. Similarly, more than two-thirds of parents (67%) with picky eaters say their kids prefer pizza as a backup meal.

Naturally, picky eaters do have preferences when it comes to pizza. One-quarter prefer light sauce, while 13% want heavy sauce. Additionally, 15% don鈥檛 want meat on their pizza, and 15% prefer to leave off the veggies.

There鈥檚 a reason we assume kids are picky eaters 鈥� they usually are. More than half (59%) of parents say they have a child who is a picky eater, and 63% are pushed to make separate meals for their child due to picky eating.

Often met with resistance, over half of parents (57%) say they have bribed their child to eat something they don鈥檛 like, often by offering a dessert or treat (84%), allowing screen time (40%), offering money or a gift (21%), and allowing extra play time (16%).

According to most of our respondents (65%), their picky eating habits started in childhood. Only 14% say picky eating habits crept in during their teenage years, and 7% claim the onset of picky eating happened during adulthood. Elsewhere, 14% are unsure of when, exactly, they developed picky eating habits.

Picky eating can even influence who we end up dating, according to survey respondents. One in five of our respondents said they would not be open to dating a picky eater. But maybe picky eaters shouldn鈥檛 mind considering that four in five individuals would still be willing to overlook a picky palate.

Methodology

In May 2024, we conducted a nationwide survey of 2,010 respondents. Respondents were asked about their picky eating habits. Among respondents, 53% were female, 45% were male, and 2% were non-binary. The average age of respondents was 40. Income: Under $25,000 (18%); $25,000-$34,999 (11%); $35,000-$49,999 (13%); $50,000-$74,999 (21%); $75,000-$99,999 (14%); $100,000-$149,999 (13%), $150,000 or over (10%). Marital status: Married (37%), single (35%), in a relationship/not married (20%), divorced (6%), separated (1%), widowed (1%).

Total respondents: 2,010

Margin of error: +/- 3%

Country: United States (USA)

Region: All Regions

Gender: All Genders

Age of respondents: 18-82

We analyzed Google search volume for this analysis to determine search interest for picky eating habits. Our analysis included terms related to picky eating, meal ideas for picky eaters, and ways to overcome picky eating. Then, we analyzed those terms in all 50 states as well as cities with a population of at least 250,000 and calculated the average monthly searches per 100,000 in each state and city.聽

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