The St. Paul Sandwich: Missouri’s Chinese-American Creation
Hidden within the Chinese-American restaurants of St. Louis lies one of America’s most unusual sandwich secrets. The St. Paul sandwich was invented in the mid-1900s by a Chinese American chef in St. Louis, featuring an egg foo young patty in between two slices of fluffy white bread. This bizarre-sounding combination actually tells a fascinating story of immigrant ingenuity and cultural fusion that happened decades before “fusion cuisine” became trendy.
The most popular theory declares that the sandwich was invented in the 1940s by Steven Yuen, owner of the Park Chop Suey restaurant in St. Louis. Yuen intended to create something unique yet familiar, in hopes that it would bring more Missourians into his restaurant. And he named the dish after his hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. What makes this sandwich work is its simplicity – the crispy egg foo young patty provides protein and texture, while the familiar American sandwich format made it approachable to Midwestern diners.
The St. Paul Sandwich doesn’t exactly make sense on paper, but it sure makes sense in execution. Egg foo young, a Chinese-American omelet consisting of eggs, mung bean sprouts, and minced white onions, topped with an all-American combo of lettuce, tomato, mayo and onion, is nestled between two slices of white bread. Eight decades after its creation, the St. Paul sandwich is still sold in restaurants all over St. Louis. Some consider it the most iconic sandwich in Missouri history.
The Horseshoe Sandwich: Springfield, Illinois’ Gut-Busting Giant
Picture this: two slices of thick Texas toast, topped with your choice of meat, buried under a mountain of French fries, and smothered in rich cheese sauce. In Springfield, Illinois, that dish is the Horseshoe. In 1928, chef Joe Schweska invented the Horseshoe as a lunch item at Springfield’s Leland Hotel. This isn’t just a sandwich – it’s a full-scale assault on your appetite that requires both hands and serious commitment.
On top, he placed two pieces of bread, lying side by side, and a slice of ham cut directly from the bone in the shape of a horseshoe. Then came his iconic cheese sauce. The original version was far more refined than today’s versions, served on elegant oval plates with potato wedges arranged like horseshoe nails. Both the reputation and the components of the horseshoe have changed in the decades since. Back when the dish was invented, the Red Lion Room was one of the fanciest spots in town, so it debuted with a certain level of sophistication. These days, it’s more of a casual (and excessive) affair, ubiquitous on restaurant menus and representative of Midwestern hospitality.
Modern variations have gotten creative beyond belief. Some of their more colorful creations include a Philly cheesesteak version with chopped steak and sauteed onions and peppers and a “state fair” shoe that is topped with miniature corndogs. The cheese sauce remains the true test of quality, with each restaurant guarding their recipe like a state secret.
The Breaded Pork Tenderloin: Indiana’s Oversized Wonder
Indiana’s state sandwich is impossible to miss – literally. Take the Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich: This Hoosier favorite is made with a breaded pork cutlet so laughably big it often dwarfs the bun it’s perched on! For this memorable sandwich, the pork must be pounded very thin — ¼” or even ⅛ inch thick — making the meat spread out to its trademark eye-popping size. The result is a sandwich that’s as much spectacle as it is sustenance, with pork cutlets often extending six inches beyond the bun in every direction.
The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich—known to some fans as a BPT—isn’t exclusive to Indiana, though it likely originated there in the early 1900s. Iowa has its own Tenderloin Trail, and you’ll see examples from all over the country in lively and occasionally contentious Facebook groups including “Pursuing Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches,” “National Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches Group 24/7,” and “Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, Hoosier Style!” The passion these sandwiches inspire is real – people will drive hours for the perfect tenderloin.
Eating one requires strategy. You can edge it, stack it, or halve it. Edging it is eating around the edges, which is the way I do it. You eat the part of the tenderloin that isn’t under the bun first. Smart diners know to order an extra bun and save half for later, turning one enormous sandwich into two normal-sized meals.
Seattle-Style Teriyaki: The Pacific Northwest’s Unique Take
While teriyaki might seem Japanese, Seattle created its own distinctly American version that’s become a regional obsession. The region’s robust Japanese-American community ushered in plenty of the nation’s food traditions, which is why teriyaki became popularized in the 1970s. What makes Seattle’s version special isn’t just the flavor – it’s the entire experience.
You can typically find the dish served in a three-compartment clamshell container, along with rice and an iceberg lettuce salad. What makes Seattle-style sauce distinct is that it’s “much thinner in consistency than other national brands that are far more thick and sticky,” Keno says. The sauce doubles down on flavor complexity, with chicken marinated first, then grilled and topped with more teriyaki sauce.
This isn’t your mall food court teriyaki. The ingredients are simple, but it’s the double dose of marinating the chicken, and then the teriyaki sauce on top of chargrilled chicken that just makes this a flavor overload. The result is a uniquely Seattle creation that locals consider as essential to their food scene as coffee and salmon.
Cheese Frenchees: Nebraska’s Deep-Fried Grilled Cheese
Sometimes the most outrageous food ideas turn out to be pure genius. Nebraska’s cheese frenchee takes the beloved grilled cheese sandwich and asks, “What if we made this even more indulgent?” Imagine a basic grilled cheese with white sandwich bread, American cheese, and maybe a little mayonnaise. The sandwich is cut into triangles, battered, and coated in crushed cornflakes or saltines before hitting the deep fryer. The result is crispy, melty, and decadent.
This creation sounds like something dreamed up by a carnival food vendor, but it actually emerged from Nebraska’s supper club culture. The combination of crispy exterior and molten cheese interior creates a textural experience that’s impossible to replicate any other way. It’s comfort food taken to its logical extreme – if regular grilled cheese is good, then deep-fried grilled cheese must be transcendent.
The cornflake coating adds an unexpected crunch that elevates the whole experience beyond typical bar food. While it might sound ridiculous, one bite converts most skeptics into believers. You may not be able to go to the original King’s Food Host, but you can get great Cheese Frenchees at Don & Millie’s.
Hot Beef Commercial: Minnesota’s Forgotten Comfort Food
Before Minnesota became known for hotdish and lutefisk, there was the hot beef commercial – a sandwich that tells the story of America’s railroad era. The Midwest is the land of meat and potatoes, and few regional specialties capture that spirit quite like Minnesota’s hot beef sandwiches, also known as a hot beef commercial. This diner classic’s origins are purported to be in Minnesota cities, where business travelers would stop by for a hearty meal before hopping on the train home.
This isn’t just any roast beef sandwich. The hot beef commercial demands scratch-made gravy, tender in-house roast beef, and real mashed potatoes. When you’re on the hunt for a hot beef commercial, look for a restaurant with counter service complete with spinning stools. “If the person working the counter isn’t at least 70, find another spot,” Johnson advises. The authenticity lies in both the preparation and the atmosphere.
And if you want to be extra decadent, you can order it the same way she does—with fries instead of mashed potatoes and extra gravy. It’s simple, but unsurprisingly delicious. In an era of complicated fusion dishes, there’s something deeply satisfying about a sandwich that hasn’t changed its formula in nearly a century.
Runza: Nebraska’s German-Russian Hybrid
Some regional dishes become so localized that they spawn their own restaurant chains. The runza is Nebraska’s most famous contribution to American comfort food, even though most Americans have never heard of it. There are numerous locations of the beloved chain Runza in Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa and Kansas. Outside of that you’re simply not going to find their namesake item. Reminiscent of a (much better) Hot Pocket, the runza is a hot stuffed sandwich with Russian and Germanic origins, with the dough completely enveloping the filling.
Think of it as a handheld meat pie that actually tastes good. The original runza is filled with a mixture of ground beef, onions and cabbage, but the chain also sells them in cheese, Swiss mushroom, cheeseburger and barbecue bacon varieties. The bread dough is soft and pillowy, creating a portable meal that’s perfect for Nebraska’s harsh winters.
The runza represents the kind of practical German-Russian immigrant cooking that sustained families through difficult prairie winters. It’s hearty, warming, and designed to be eaten with one hand while working. While the chain has kept the tradition alive, homemade runzas remain a staple at Nebraska family gatherings and church potlucks.
Frito Pie: The Southwest’s Bag-Based Delicacy
Sometimes the most memorable regional dishes challenge every assumption about proper food presentation. The Southwest’s Frito pie isn’t served on a plate – it’s served right in a bag of Fritos corn chips. From Alaskan ice cream made with reindeer fat to a Southwestern ‘pie’ thrown together inside a packet of Fritos, these are the most unusual delicacies you’ll find across the USA. This might sound like college dorm room cooking, but it’s actually a beloved tradition with serious regional pride.
The preparation is elegantly simple: tear open a bag of Fritos, add hot chili, top with cheese and onions, and eat with a spoon directly from the bag. What makes this work is the contrast between the crunchy corn chips and the warm, spicy chili. The chips don’t get soggy immediately, creating different textures in every bite.
Frito pie represents Southwestern practicality at its finest – it’s portable, requires no dishes, and can be assembled anywhere you can heat chili. High school football games, county fairs, and roadside stands across New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona have been perfecting their Frito pie recipes for decades, each adding their own regional touches to this humble masterpiece.
Chocolate Gravy: Arkansas’s Sweet Morning Surprise
Breakfast gets a sweet twist in the Arkansas Ozarks, where chocolate gravy transforms ordinary biscuits into dessert-worthy morning meals. But in the Arkansas Ozarks, one sweet riff distinguishes itself from the rest. Chocolate gravy, a rich and redolent spin on the breakfast tradition, is a little-known specialty that is said to have originated in Arkansas’ mountainous region, potentially the creative result of trade between the Tennessee Valley and Spanish settlers in Louisiana. Some of said settlers brought chocolate with them, prompting some gravy-makers to get crafty with newly available ingredients.
Most recipes are made with flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and milk, with butter and bacon grease used interchangeably as the fat. Chocolate gravy, while sweet and decadent, has most commonly been eaten as a breakfast food, poured over biscuits or pancakes. This isn’t a dessert masquerading as breakfast – it’s a legitimate morning meal that happens to taste like chocolate heaven.
The tradition speaks to Appalachian resourcefulness and the way immigrant influences blend with local customs. What started as making the most of available ingredients has evolved into a cherished regional specialty. Diners across Arkansas still serve chocolate gravy alongside traditional sausage gravy, giving customers the best of both worlds – savory and sweet options for their morning biscuits.
Goetta: Cincinnati’s German Breakfast Sausage
While Cincinnati is famous for its unusual chili, the city’s other signature dish remains largely unknown outside Ohio. Cincinnati-style chili is the more well-known export, as seen at fast-food chains like Skyline Chili, but for a deeper dive into Midwestern foodways, you gotta try goetta. Another tradition brought by German immigrants, goetta is a sausage-like item, often made with a blend of ground pork or beef, oats, onions, and spices — shaped into a patty, and typically fried and eaten for breakfast. Similar to the origins of onion burgers, goetta emerged out of economic necessity, when German immigrants stocked up on meat scraps from local butcher shops, to hobble together a snack that could replicate comfort food back home.
Goetta isn’t just breakfast sausage – it’s German-American ingenuity in edible form. The combination of meat and steel-cut oats creates a unique texture that’s both hearty and surprisingly light. When fried properly, it develops a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender interior that’s unlike any other breakfast meat.
Today, goetta can be found in all manner of shapes and styles across the Cincinnati region. The iconic Findlay Market is a great place to find it straight from the butchers, while local restaurants put their own stamp on tradition. Modern Cincinnati chefs have begun incorporating goetta into everything from pizza toppings to burger patties, proving that good regional food never goes out of style.
Oklahoma Onion Burgers: Depression-Era Innovation
Some of America’s best regional dishes were born from necessity, and Oklahoma’s onion burgers tell a story of culinary creativity during hard times. Oklahoma-style onion burgers first emerged in the 1920s in El Reno, a western suburb of Oklahoma City. Here, savvy grill cooks started to make thin beef patties smashed with a heap of slivered onions, as a way to save money and bulk up their products with more affordable ingredients during the Great Depression. The result proved not only to be economical, but delicious, and El Reno remains a pilgrimage destination for burger connoisseurs.
What started as cost-cutting became a distinctive cooking technique that creates incredible flavor. The onions caramelize against the hot griddle while the beef develops a crispy crust, creating layers of taste and texture that regular burgers can’t match. Robert’s Grill is a modest diner that’s been serving onion burgers since 1926, while Sid’s Diner and Johnnie’s Hamburgers & Coneys sport their own dedicated fan bases. At each institution, the familiar sizzle of onions on the griddle is all a part of the lore, and burgers are served sparsely with a drizzle of mustard and maybe a couple pickle slices.
The beauty of the Oklahoma onion burger lies in its simplicity and history. These aren’t gourmet burgers with artisanal toppings – they’re honest, working-class food that turned economic hardship into culinary gold. The technique has influenced burger culture far beyond Oklahoma, proving that sometimes the best innovations come from making do with less.
Every region of America has developed its own unique food traditions, shaped by geography, immigration, and local ingenuity. These seven dishes represent just a fraction of the culinary treasures waiting to be discovered in small towns and local restaurants across the country. From Missouri’s unlikely Chinese-American fusion to Arkansas’s sweet breakfast innovation, these foods tell the real story of American cuisine – one that’s far more diverse and interesting than any chain restaurant menu. The next time you’re traveling, skip the familiar options and ask locals about their regional specialties.
