Where to Try Native American Cuisine in the USA

Sustainably living off the land and eating diverse, regional diets sourced from hunting, gathering and farming – these are pillars of Native American and Indigenous cuisine past and present. While the Great Plains tribes depended on bison meat and other game, many coastal tribes centered salmon, oysters and clams. Southwestern tribes often relied on drought-tolerant foods such as tepary beans and cactus. Many of these ingredients are still used in Indigenous dishes today. For example, bison meat is commonly served in burgers, chili and tacos, and plank-roasted salmon is enjoyed alongside succotash, a mixture of sweet corn and lima beans. More recent additions include fry bread, dough deep fried until fluffy and golden; corn cakes, cornmeal flatbread baked or fried; and berry pudding, a sweet spread made by simmering wild berries. Native foods are becoming more popular throughout the USA with chefs emphasizing traditional, local ingredients like bison, wild rice and berries. Read below to discover destinations that offer tastes of Native American cuisine and culture. 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Dakota people have called the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area home for thousands of years, and the city is experiencing an Indigenous cultural renaissance. Make a reservation at the James Beard Award-winning Owamni by The Sioux Chef along the Mississippi River waterfront. This polished restaurant serves exclusively pre-colonial Native American cuisine and sources its ingredients from Indigenous farmers. Visit the American Indian Cultural Corridor along Franklin Avenue for local art, murals and Native-owned businesses. When hungry, stop by Pow Wow Grounds for frybread pizzas and tacos, baked goods and coffee.

Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is located on the ancestral homelands of the O’odham and Piipaash peoples and is a major hub for Arizona’s Indigenous communities today. Start at the Fry Bread House, a James Beard Award-winning eatery known for traditional O’odham tacos, stews and frybreads with sweet and savory options. Nearby, in Chandler, KAI restaurant at the Wild Horse Pass Resort offers an upscale interpretation of Native fare.  Be on the lookout throughout the city and its suburbs for food trucks serving traditional and modern takes on Indigenous cuisine. When you’re not sampling local fare, check out the Heard Museum, home to a vast collection of American Indian art and cultural artifacts presented in a first-person perspective. See jewelry, textiles and pottery, and stroll through the museum’s outdoor courtyards and sculpture garden. Sample Southwest-inspired dishes at the on-site Courtyard Cafe.

Denver, Colorado

Denver has a significant Native American population that represents hundreds of tribes, and the area is located on the traditional territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute nations. Sample Indigenous foods with the signature Posu Bowl at Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery. These customizable bowls feature Native ingredient options like wild rice, bison and fire-roasted corn. At the Denver Art Museum, see a collection of historic and contemporary Indigenous works. The History Colorado Center features educational exhibits detailing Native American history and events as well.

Seattle, Washington

Seattle and the surrounding state of Washington are on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, and the city is even named after Chief Si’ahl (Chief Seattle), a respected leader. Off the Rez, the city’s first Native food truck and cafe, brings Indigenous flavors from Montana’s Blackfeet Reservation to the public. Indulge in handmade frybread served as savory tacos or topped with sweet, locally-grown blackberry jam. Their menu features dishes made with authentic Native, pre-colonial ingredients like braised bison, smoked salmon and wild rice. Stop by the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center in Seattle to learn more about the Duwamish tribe who originally inhabited the city.

Washington, D.C.

The USA’s capital city was built on the ancestral lands of the Anacostan and Piscataway peoples and served as a major trading hub for Algonquian-speaking communities. At the Mitsitam Cafe, located inside the National Museum of the American Indian, sample Native inspired dishes that use traditional ingredients found throughout the Western Hemisphere. The museum’s Espresso Bar offers Indigenous-inspired treats such as Hatch green chile corn muffins and wild rice salad. Explore the museum’s exhibits presented from a Native viewpoint with an emphasis on the contemporary living culture of Native communities. The site also features four distinct outdoor habitats, including traditional Native croplands.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque serves as a cultural hub for over 400 tribal nations, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is the premier museum experience owned and operated by the 19 Indian Pueblos of New Mexico. View permanent and rotating exhibits and experience Native culture through dance performances and artist demonstrations. Don’t miss dining at the on-site Indian Pueblo Kitchen for dishes inspired by Pueblo traditions and featuring fresh, local ingredients like green chiles and blue corn. Try breakfast burritos, Native superfood waffles and elk chili.

Portland, Oregon

Portland rests on the homelands of the Chinook and Multnomah peoples and was historically a bustling center of trade for many tribes. It is now home to the ninth-largest Native population in the USA. Sample unique flavors at Javelina and Inisha, two distinct Native dining concepts housed in the same building. Javelina serves Indigenous comfort foods like ground elk, blue corn tostadas and bison chili, while Inisha offers multi-course tasting menus focusing on First Foods native to the land such as wild boar, rabbit and fresh-caught fish. Stop by the Oregon Historical Society to learn about the region’s history and the Portland Art Museum to see its large collection of Indigenous art.