Special Report

The 15 Most Popular Food Orders in America

San Francisco-based DoorDash — the country’s leading food delivery service, accounting for 34% of U.S. sales in the category, according to the most recent data — has just released its 2019-2020 Trend Report. Based on orders received between January and November of this year compared with those from a comparable period in 2018, and on a survey of more than 1,200 of its customers, the report reveals the 15 most popular food items for home delivery in America.

The key trend, according to DoorDash, is Mexican food — though that sometimes means dishes that are more Mexican-inspired than actually Mexican, like taco salad. Some foods that we might think have foreign origins, though, were actually invented in America — these are 20 “foreign” foods that are really American.) 

The popularity of south-of-the-border-style fare might be partially a reflection of the fact that, according to The Atlantic, DoorDash rings up more than half of all delivery sales in Houston and Dallas, two cities in which Mexican and Tex-Mex food are particularly popular. (Houston is sometimes called the country’s Mexican food capital.) 

Click here to see the top 15 most popular food orders in America

Another major trend, according to the report, is DIY — the customizing of orders, especially of pizza and sushi. It may not have reached “most popular” status yet,  but creating a sushi roll to order is considered one of the rising food trends of the year — even though it is sometimes said that sushi isn’t something you should order in. From listeria outbreaks to mold in virtually all soda fountain machines, there are many reasons why a little forethought cooking at home is well worth the effort — these are 29 foods you should never order for delivery.

Though pizza is the only Italian food on this list, the customer survey portion of the report also found that Italy was the country most Americans would choose to live in based on its food scene. Without leaving home, though, 96% of those polled believe that food is a great way to explore other cultures. At least four of these are reflected in this list.

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