Portland, Maine, Ranks Shockingly Low Among America’s Best Foodie Cities

Well, apparently not everyone is convinced that Portland, Maine, is one of the best foodie cities in America. I know, crazy, right?

Anyway, the folks over at the popular site WalletHub.com released their annual report on the best foodie cities in America, and for some reason, Portland was ranked just 29th overall. What’s up with that?

How Good is Portland, Maine, as a Foodie City?

Now, to be fair, Portland did finish 29th out of a total of 182 cities, so it’s actually pretty darn good. But IT’S STILL PREPOSTEROUS HOW LOW IT IS. Let’s break down what went wrong, or, at least, what I find inaccurate.

Hot Suppa via Facebook

The scoring was based on two major categories: Affordability and Diversity, Accessibility & Quality. These categories were broken down into 28 subcategories to make the rankings as detailed as possible. You can read more about the methodology here.

First off, Portland received a ranking of 34th in the Diversity, Accessibility & Quality category. Again, that’s a very good score considering how large the field is. But there are some cities ahead of Maine that I know don’t come close to Portland here (I’m looking at you, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh).

I see Portland as being much closer to 15th than 30th. The quality of Portland’s restaurants is world-class. The city has always been open and accessible. And as for diversity in food and drink, Portland is top-notch.

As for the affordability category, Portland got absolutely hammered. It was listed as the 66th most affordable foodie city. Do I think this is crazy? Not really. It’s expensive to eat out right now. Prices have gone up everywhere, and it’s very noticeable when going out for a nice meal.

Street & Co. via Facebook

But here’s my problem: There are numerous major metropolitan cities ahead of Portland on this list. Very few major metropolitan areas are more affordable for dining than Portland. Could they be similar? Sure. But it’s not like you’re rolling into Baltimore and finding a gourmet burger for $5. I think Portland is getting a bit of the shaft here.

It’s difficult for me to see Portland so low on this list. Again, I understand that 29th is a decent ranking, especially for a small city going up against the big boys and objectively being better than many of them. But, I genuinely believe Portland is getting a tough deal here.

READ MORE: Biddeford, Maine’s Food Scene Is Booming: Here Are Its 10 Most Popular Restaurants

What are Considered the Best Foodie Cities in America?

According to WalletHub’s report, the No. 1 foodie city in America is Miami, Florida. That’s a pretty solid choice.

Here’s the remainder of the top five:

1. Miami, FL
2. Portland, OR (Boo)
3. San Francisco, CA
4. Seattle, WA
5. Austin, TX

I’d take our Portland over any of them.