How Many Italian Restaurants Are There in the US?
Italian cuisine is one of the most popular across the United States, with over 35,000 Italian restaurants opened throughout the country, according to Restaurantji data. These restaurants are heavily concentrated in New York (11,5%), California (10,2%), Florida (8,7%), New Jersey (7,1%), and Pennsylvania (6,9%), together making up more than 40% of all Italian eateries. On the other hand, states like Vermont, Montana, Alaska, the Dakotas, and Wyoming have significantly fewer Italian dining options, with less than 1% of Italian restaurants in those areas combined.
Most Italian restaurants in the U.S. are reasonably priced - around 90% of them falling within the $ to $$ price range, making Italian cuisine accessible to a wide range of people. One of the largest Italian restaurant chains is Olive Garden. It has almost 1,000 locations nationwide, accounting for 2,6% of all Italian restaurants in the country.
Americans prefer Italian cuisine because of its simplicity yet richness in flavors, comforting dishes, and cultural significance. Many Italian-American immigrants have played a major role in introducing and popularizing their culinary traditions.
History of Italian Cuisine in the USA
Italian food came to the United States with the first Italian immigrants in the late 1800s. As more Italians passed through Ellis Island and traveled west, they held onto their cultural identity through their cooking.
After World War II, American soldiers who had been in Italy came home wanting Italian foods like spaghetti and meatballs, sausage and peppers, ravioli, lasagna, and pizza. Immigrant entrepreneurs opened restaurants to serve those foods to the soldiers and introduce the cuisine to their families.
In the 1950s and 60s, Italian foods like salami, mortadella, peppers, mozzarella, and provolone became part of mainstream American diets. Regional Italian dishes like eggplant parmesan and fettuccine alfredo became popular in the 1970s and 80s.
For most of the 1900s, Italian restaurant food in America came from southern Italy – meatballs, pasta with red sauce, olive oil, and pizza. In the 1980s and 90s, restaurants started focusing more on northern Italian cuisine like risottos and wine sauces as a fancier option.
What Makes Italian Food Unique?
Italian cuisine can use just a few ingredients to maximize natural, bold flavors without overpowering spices and herbs. Pizza is a great example of this simplicity creating big flavor. Italian cuisine values tradition, the art of creating a meal, quality ingredients and passion. The variety is part of the appeal - from pizza and pasta to salads and famous dishes from all over Italy. The simple, fresh flavors draw people in too. Italian cuisine is known worldwide for its taste, variety, simplicity, and affordability. It is focused on bringing out the best flavors from quality ingredients.
The Most Popular Italian Food in America
Pizza is by far one of the most popular foods ordered in the United States. People love pizza! You can get the classic pepperoni and cheese pizza. Or you can get creative with fun toppings like BBQ chicken or sun-dried tomatoes. Pizza seems like a new food, but it actually has very old roots. Early pizzas were different from the pizzas we have today. They were more like flatbreads. It wasn't until the 1500s that tomato sauce became part of pizza. In the late 1800s, Italian immigrants started bringing pizza to America. Today, Americans eat an estimated 100 acres worth of pizza each day! There are pizza shops in every town, and you can buy frozen pizzas at grocery stores too. For catering events, pizza is a great choice. It doesn't cost too much, and everyone likes it - kids and adults. If you want to learn more - we’ve covered pizza history, popular dishes, and interesting facts in our US Pizza Guide.
Differences Between American and Italian Pizza
While both American and Italian pizza have dough, sauce, and cheese, there are some big differences between them.
Meat Toppings - Italian pizzas commonly just use prosciutto or ham for meat. American pizzas tend to have ground beef or sausage.
Crust Thickness - Classic Italian pizza has a thin, crispy crust. The toppings are added after the thin crust is cooked in a wood-fired oven. American pizza crusts are much thicker and can hold more toppings, making them denser.
Other Toppings - American pizzas often have lots of cheese and meat piled on top. Italian pizzas are more plain and light, using just a few fresh toppings that are easy to digest.
Sauce - Italian pizza sauces use fresh simple ingredients like olive oil, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, and garlic. American pizza sauce typically uses canned tomatoes instead of fresh.
Aroma - Since they use different ingredients, Italian and American pizzas have distinct aromas after baking. Some prefer the cheesy American pizza smell, others like the fainter herbal scent of the Italian style.
What is the difference between Northern and Southern Italian cuisine?
The North is well-known for using more meats and rich cream sauces in their cooking. Down in the South, they take advantage of the warm climate and coastal location to use ingredients like olive oil, fresh fish, pasta, vibrant veggies and less meat. Pizza and pasta originated in the South but are now popular everywhere in Italy. The classic round, puffy crusted Neapolitan pizza is an iconic image thanks to the creative Neapolitans who invented it.
Being right on the Mediterranean Sea, the South's cuisine makes great use of olive oil, fish, pasta and lots of fresh vegetables since they have less meat. The long growing season allows for an abundance of veggie crops and farms that are highlights of the region's dishes. Unlike the South's focus on tomatoes, olive oil and pasta, the North favors hearty alpine cheeses, meat cuts and lard to create thick, stew-like meals. So polenta and risotto are more common than pasta up North, leading to the sayings of Northerners as "Polenta eaters" and Southerners as "Macaroni eaters."
Why Italian Food is So Popular in the US?
Italian food is very popular not just in the US but around the world. The ingredients are high-quality, the dishes are simple, and Italian food is healthy. The flavors taste amazing but aren't too strong or overwhelming. The ingredients are also easy to find and accepted by many communities globally. Italians brought bread recipes and the idea of making sandwiches with meat, veggies, etc. - which later became very trendy. The simplicity but delicious taste of many Italian dishes appeals to people everywhere.
What are Some of the Best Italian Desserts?
While gelato (Italian ice cream) is very popular, Italy has a rich dessert culture with many other iconic regional sweet treats:
Tiramisu - This famous layered dessert has coffee-soaked ladyfingers and a rich cream made from mascarpone cheese, eggs, and sugar. It originated in northern Italy.
Panettone - A sweet leavened cake from Milan, made with flour, butter, eggs, and dried fruits like raisins. It has a long baking process and history dating back centuries.
Cannoli - A Sicilian pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta cheese cream. Can also have chocolate chips, candied fruit, or nuts mixed in or as toppings.
Zuppa Inglese - Despite the name meaning "English soup," this is an Italian dessert with layers of sponge cake soaked in liqueur and custard. Often topped with almonds or chocolate.
What is the difference between gelato and ice cream?
The main difference is gelato uses more milk instead of cream, giving it a lower fat content than ice cream. Ice cream has to contain at least 10% milk fat by law, but gelato doesn't. Gelato also tends to have a bit more sugar than ice cream to keep its soft, scoopable texture. While both are cold and sweet, ice cream incorporates more air during the churning process for a lighter, fluffier feel. Gelato has less air whipped in so it's denser in texture but still soft enough to scoop.
In Southern Italian areas like Campania and Sicily, gelato is sometimes made using just sweetened whole milk thickened with carob flour rather than cream or egg yolks.
Most Popular Italian Dishes in the US and Canada
Lasagna
Lasagna already made the list in our pizza guide, surprisingly surpassing some popular pizzas. Therefore, there is no doubt that it will also be in the top of Italian dishes in general. Lasagna is an Italian favorite layered-dish made with wide noodles, cheese, meat sauce, and more cheese. Though strongly associated with Italy, it may have evolved from ancient Greek laganon noodles layered with toppings and eaten with a stick. The key ingredients in modern lasagna are wide flat noodles, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, ground meat sauce, and tomato or bechamel sauce.
Here are some of the best spots across the country to try Lasagna yourself:
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Italian • Cannoli
“Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli”. These iconic Sicilian pastries consist of fried, tubular shells made of a crunchy, buttery dough flavored with cinnamon and wine. The shells are filled with a rich, creamy mixture of ricotta cheese, sugar, vanilla, and often bits of chocolate or candied fruit. Believed to have origins tied to the ancient Saracens who brought sugarcane to Sicily, cannoli were once called "Cappelli di Turchi" meaning "Turkish Hats." Though small, they pack a delightful punch of sweetness and texture.
Restaurantji suggests these restaurants to try Cannoli:
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Italian • Tiramisu
One of Italy's most famous desserts, tiramisu features layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers alternated with a lush mascarpone cream made with egg yolks, sugar, and cocoa powder. The name means "pick me up," referring to the caffeine kick from the espresso. While its origins are debated, it likely arose in the Veneto region in the 1960s. Many versions incorporate different liquors like rum, marsala or coffee liqueur. The result is a luscious, creamy indulgence.
Users recommend these places for the best Tiramisu:
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Italian • Chicken Parmigiana
A Italian-American classic created by immigrants trying to replicate the flavors of home. Chicken breasts are breaded, fried, smothered in tomato sauce and topped with melty mozzarella cheese. Its name refers to Parmesan cheese, though that's not actually used. Served with pasta or veggies, it evokes the homey, comforting feeling of an Italian grandma's kitchen.
These places pop up the most when talking about a perfect Chicken Parmigiana:
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Italian • Margherita Pizza
The most iconic and well-known pizza also made the list. Check out our pizza guide to learn about its history. Margherita pizza was created in Naples with just a few quality ingredients: yeasted dough stretched into a round, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. The key ingredients are a simple bread dough base, fresh tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and olive oil – simple and perfect!
Some of the best restaurants serving Margherita Pizza:
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Italian • Chicken Marsala
Thin chicken cutlets are dredged and sauteed, then finished in a rich sauce made with marsala wine, mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Marsala is a fortified Sicilian wine prized for its robust, slightly oxidized flavor that gives the sauce great depth. The alcohol burns off, leaving an intense, nutty taste. A classic Italian-American way to fancy up chicken.
You can try some of the best Chicken Marsala in the country here:
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Italian • Is Italian Food in the US Authentic?
Not all Italian food you get in America is authentic Italian food from Italy.
In Italy, they don't drown their food in lots of cheese and sauce and meals are typically based on whatever fresh ingredients are in season. The portion sizes are usually smaller and meatballs are not put on top of spaghetti, usually served as a separate dish.
You might think Italian salad dressing is from Italy, but it's not. Italians don't use different dressings on their salads. They usually just dress lettuce with olive oil, vinegar, and maybe some salt.
Is Italian Food Healthy?
Eating Italian food can be healthy. Different Italian dishes have a good amount of vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
Here are 5 reasons why Italian food can be healthy:
1. Many dishes are vegetable-heavy like eggplant parmesan, giving you nutrients.
2. Carbs from pasta and pizza provide your body with energy it needs when eaten reasonably.
3. Not all Italian food is high in calories - there are lighter options like bruschetta.
4. Having a glass of red wine in moderation can actually be heart-healthy.
5. Real Italian cooking uses the freshest, local ingredients - not processed foods.
Italian cuisine promotes health through vegetables, grains, and moderate portions. It's all about balance.
How Authentic Was Italian Food in "The Sopranos"?
The Italian food shown in The Sopranos series was highly authentic to Italian-American cuisine, portraying the culinary traditions of Italian communities in the Northeastern U.S. It mixed classic Italian dishes with some American influences like heavier sauces and more cheese than traditional versions. Staples like baked ziti, lasagna, chicken/veal parm and cured Italian meats like the capicola called "gabagool" were depicted accurately.
The show highlighted how central cooking traditions like the long-simmered Sunday gravy and homemade meatballs are to Italian-American culture and family life. While maybe slightly Americanized at times, the food scenes gave a very realistic portrayal overall.
What is gabagool, and why is it mentioned so often?
Gabagool is how Italian-Americans pronounce the Italian word capicola - a dry-cured, spice-coated pork cold cut that's thinly sliced. It's a staple deli meat in Italian-American households and delis. On The Sopranos, gabagool got mentioned frequently to emphasize the characters' Italian-American heritage and cultural connections to classic Italian foods like this. It symbolized comfort, traditions and identity.
What are Some Traditional Italian-American Dishes That Appear in "The Sopranos"?
Some other iconic Italian-American dishes featured on The Sopranos included braciole (thin sliced meat rolled with a breadcrumb filling), stuffed artichokes, sausage and peppers, antipasti platters, escarole and beans, and minestrone soup. These hearty, homey dishes underscored the importance of culinary traditions to representing Italian-American cultural identity.
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We visited for the first time the food was amazing! On top of that the service was great as well! Will definitely be going again.
Update.. most recent visit was not good. Every dish tastes like it's made exactly the same and heated to truck stop perfection. The tables were extremely wobbly and were child size... sad to say I like it a year ago and it has already went down hill.