The best food and drink in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is at a bit of a cultural crossroads. On one hand, you have the backbone of this country, the blue collar workers, chugging along and enjoying a cheap beer at the state’s best dive bar (McGlinchey’s Bar & Grill) and eating the best pretzels in the country at Miller’s Twist. On the other hand, you have the growing metropolises of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The latter is quickly drawing in millennials and developing into what some anticipate will be “the next Brooklyn.” Thus, Philly is a bit of a growing culinary hotspot, thanks in large part to its stellar bars, such as Monk’s Café and world-class restaurants like Barclay Prime and Zahav.

Click here for the Best Food and Drink in Pennsylvania Slideshow.

But don’t think that means Philadelphia or Pennsylvania as a whole are becoming pretentious. You can still kick back with the best cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches in the whole country. To celebrate the breadth of Pennsylvania’s culinary landscape, we rounded up 30 of the state’s best dishes, restaurants, bars, and brews as a part of our first annual guide to the best food and drink in every state.

In fact, Pennsylvania ranks high for both its lowbrow foods and highbrow cuisine again and again as The Daily Meal compiles lists and rankings of the best beers, burgers, doughnuts, restaurants and more throughout the year in our comprehensive and wide-ranging lists and rankings, compiled through extensive research and with input from a wide network of site contributors, bloggers, journalists, and chefs. We’ve compiled these into individual slideshows celebrating the best food and drink in every state, and you can find our Pennsylvania slideshow here.

View slideshow

More Bests in Every State:

• America’s Best Cheesesteaks Gallery
• The Food People Hate the Most in Each State
• The Best Doughnuts in Every State