Gooey butter cake, Cincinnati chili, toasted ravioli: When it comes to these delicious menu choices, one Midwestern restaurant knows how to do it right. The region does famous for its food that are as unique as they are iconic: where else can you find beer cheese soup and Detroit-style square pizzas? Midwesterners manage to bring a little comfort to every dish.
While recipes from the Midwest are a cautionary tale, they can be trickier to find in other parts of the country. That’s why we’ve put together a list of restaurant dishes you’ll (probably) only easily encounter in the Midwest, along with some recommendations on where exactly to try them while you’re in the region.
From Limburger sandwiches to toasted ravioli, here are 10 iconic Midwestern dishes you should try.
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Limburg sandwich
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Don’t expect to find a Limburger sandwich in many places outside the Midwest. This tasty delicacy, made from buttered rye bread, onions, mustard and Limburg cheese, has been a favorite for years. a favorite for Wisconsin residents for decades. Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern, located in Monroe, Wisconsin, is said to have some of the best Limburg sandwiches all around.
Chicago style hot dog
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Hot dogs are done a little differently in the Midwest. To start, Chicago style hot dogs are filled with toppings. If you’re ever in the Chicago areadefinitely try it Superdawga popular old-school drive-in serving some of the best Chicago-style hot dogs. Here you can order pure beef hot dogs, generously piled with kosher dill pickles, chopped Spanish onions, hot pepper, mustard and delicious piccalilli. a flavor made from pickled vegetables and herbs.
Detroit style pizza
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If you like pizza, you might want to try Detroit-style pizza. Known for its recognizable square shape and crispy corners, this pizza was created when the founders of Buddy’s Pizza in Michigan decided to bake their cakes in steel car factory pans. More than 75 years later, Buddy’s still prepares this beloved dish.
Garland
Juo-Chin Y. / Yelp
Sure, you may be familiar with bacon and eggs for breakfast, but have you ever dug into a bun? With eggs, hash browns, ground beef, chili con carne, and cheese, this dish is a Midwest dinner staple: The Mud House in St. Louis serves a version with pickled red onions and roasted potatoes, while Rooster, also in St. Louis, has a version with andouille sausage.
Beer Cheese Soup
Milwaukee Brat House / Facebook
Yes, beer-cheese soup is exactly what it sounds like: a steamy soup made with beer, cheddar cheese, and milk. This unexpected Midwestern must-try dates all the way back to medieval Europe, where it was served for breakfast. Today, it’s enjoyed by Midwesterners at eateries like the Milwaukee Boathouse, a local spot that serves a house-made version of this dish with red pepper and hickory-smoked bacon.
Sticky butter cake
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Forget ho-hum vanilla or chocolate cake; in the Midwest it’s all about decadent, gooey butter cake. Made from yellow cake mix, powdered sugar and butter, this cake is said to have its origins in St. Louis in the 1930s, when a German baker miscalculated the proportions of the ingredients for a traditional cake recipe. A good place to try this sweet treat is Russell’s in St. Louistrue to nine different variations of this Missouri-born classic are served.
Fried Walleye
Charline L. / Yelp
Walleye, a freshwater fish, appears on many menus in the Upper Midwest. One place where this dish is served is Old Fashioned in MadisonWisconsin. The cafe offers a dish of fried pike-perch served with coleslaw with poppy seeds, tartar sauce, rye bread and match fries.
Cincinnati Chile
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Cincinnati Chili is a Midwestern classic that puts a twist on a traditional chili recipe. Loaded with Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce, spaghetti and shredded cheese, a well-known place in the Midwest to enjoy this dish is Blue Ash Chili in Ohio. Here they offer a six-pack Cincinnati Chili, complete with sliced jalapenos, featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Meiritus sandwich
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Since 1926, the Midwest-based Maid-Rite restaurants have been serving Maid-Rite sandwichesa signature “loose meat” sandwich, served on a warm bun. The dish originated in Iowa, but is now loved throughout the Midwest.
Toasted Ravioli
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A popular dish you’ll find in the Midwest is toasted ravioli, a delicious appetizer made by breading and frying ravioli. Some people say that some of the best toasted ravioli is from Antonino’s Taverna in Saint Louis.
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This story has been updated with additional citations, fact checking and copy editing.