Amanda Lee Myers
USA TODAY
Europeans visiting the United States for the World Cup are discovering American food staples such as Waffle House. JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
As soccer fans from around the world descend on American cities for the World Cup, they’re falling in love with a huge part of U.S. culture: Crunchwrap Supremes, Big Macs, Triple Dippers and the condiment beloved by even the snobbiest American gourmand, ranch dressing.
Visitors from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany and more are documenting their whirlwind food tours of the U.S. in social media posts that are going viral and injecting U.S. viewers with a healthy dose of American pride, just in time for the nation’s 250th birthday.
“I’m an English girl in In-and-Out and trying the Double Double cheeseburger for the first time,” Leah Ray said in a post on X that has more than 100,000 views. “Look how cute, it comes in this little tray.”
“It is massive,” Ray said of the cheeseburger before sharing her official review. “It’s crispy, salty, fluffy. Everything in one.”
Ray has been thoroughly documenting her American travel to the delight of her many new followers. She thought Chipotle was “soooo good” and enjoyed chicken and waffles and ranch dressing for the first time at IHOP, where she initially thought a side of butter was ice cream, much to the amusement of American commenters who are still teasing her about it.
One German whose handle is @FreddyLA7 has gotten so much attention documenting his love of Waffle House and Taco Bell that he’s gained more than half a million followers, including NFL great J.J. Watt, who apparently just hooked him up with a luxury hotel room in Houston ahead of the Sunday, June 14, match between Germany and Curacao. “Welcome to Houston Freddy,”Watt posted on June 14