When I traveled as a child with my family food was always a hassle because my mom was (and still is) a super picky eater. In fact, we hardly ever ate out on roadtrips because she'd always pack an icebox of food. Although this had its benefits (i.e., never running out of snacks and saving money), I did miss out on one quintessential travel experience: local cuisine.
Now that I'm older and have the freedom to eat wherever I want (I'm not a really picky eater), I actually enjoy hunting for great local spots. However, this can still be a hassle because there are many places that seem to be good but are really tourist traps.
So, here are a few things I do to ensure (for the most part) that I have a good culinary experience while traveling.
1) Hit up Pinterest and the Blogosphere
I've found these two platforms to be highly useful when figuring out where I want to eat. Travel and lifestyle blogs are super useful because bloggers generally give honest reviews and great recommendations that usually don't pop up on tourist websites.
2) Tripadvisor
I will say that you should take everything you read on Tripadvisor with a grain of salt. Some places are at the top of the list because they're near tourist zones or are "must-try" places.
However, the app does let you filter out locations and if you're savvy, you can figure out which places are worthy trying. My number one tip here would be to seek out restaurants in business districts. They are generally in safe parts of town and have a wide variety of selections for the 9-5 crowd.
3) Asking hotel receptionists, cashiers, baristas, and basically any local you interact with
In the past, I've found that most people are willing to give a shoutout to their favorite eateries. Some of these can be a hit or miss (though this is rare), but Tripadvisor usually saves me from this. At the very least, you can be ensured that you're not gonna be eating in a tourist trap.
4) Look up the city's website or any organizations that work within a city to promote local businesses
I've found that Instagram is a great place to scope out organizations dedicated to promoting local restaurants. You can usually look up the city's main Instagram page and click on the down arrow to find similar profiles.
On that note, you can also seek out bloggers and Instagrammars located in the city you're visiting. I can guarantee that they will have posted something about places to eat.
5) Stumble upon a hidden gem
Whenever I plan out an itinerary, I always dedicate one day to hitting up the "must-see" spots that I want to check out and separate day where I just walk around and go with the flow. On the second day, when I'm more relaxed and chilled, I like to just walk around a neighborhood known for its food and simply walk into a restaurant.
How do you pick a place to eat while you're on the road?
Best Wishes,
The Pseudo Southerner
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