15 Favorite Foods of US Presidents
The leaders of the free world have to make countless tough decisions, but when it comes to their dinner plates, presidents are just like the rest of us—they have comfort foods, guilty pleasures, and dishes that remind them of home. From simple cornmeal pancakes to elaborate French cuisine, presidential palates have reflected both personal tastes and the eras in which they lived.
These culinary preferences offer a fascinating glimpse into the personalities behind the Oval Office, revealing that even commanders-in-chief need their favorite snacks and comfort meals. Here are 15 favorite foods that have graced presidential tables throughout American history.
George Washington’s Hoecakes
America’s first president kept things surprisingly simple at the dinner table. Washington’s favorite dish was hoecakes—cornmeal pancakes that he preferred ‘swimming in butter and honey’. These griddle cakes, cooked in beef suet, reflected his Virginia farming roots and were a regular feature at his Mount Vernon breakfast table. The dish was so beloved that his step-granddaughter Nelly Custis specifically mentioned how much he enjoyed them with generous amounts of butter drizzled on top.
Thomas Jefferson’s Macaroni and Cheese
Long before boxed mac and cheese became a college dorm staple, Thomas Jefferson was already obsessed with this creamy combination. After spending time in France, Jefferson brought back his love for what he called ‘nouilly á maccaroni’ and is credited with popularizing macaroni and cheese in America. This founding father was essentially America’s first foodie, introducing the country to French fries, waffles, and ice cream along the way. His sophisticated palate helped elevate American dining beyond simple Colonial fare.
Abraham Lincoln’s Corn Cakes
The Great Emancipator had a surprisingly sweet tooth when it came to his favorite meal. According to historical accounts, Lincoln’s favorite food was corn cakes, which he first discovered during his courting days with future wife Mary Todd. Lincoln once famously said, ‘I can eat corn cakes as fast as two women can make them’. This simple, down-home dish perfectly matched his humble personality and Midwestern roots.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Fried Chicken
The outdoorsman president who later inspired the teddy bear had an appetite to match his larger-than-life personality. Roosevelt was very fond of fried chicken with white gravy, just the way his mother used to make it. He was even known to eat an entire chicken in one meal, which seems fitting for someone who spent his post-presidency years hunting big game in Africa. His love for hearty, traditional American food reflected his robust, energetic character.
William Howard Taft’s Steak and Potatoes
At over 300 pounds, Taft earned the distinction of being America’s heaviest president—and his favorite foods help explain why. According to White House housekeeper Elizabeth Jaffray, Taft loved steak most of all and reportedly ate steak for breakfast because he hated eggs. His obsession with steak and potatoes may have been one reason he had to install a bigger bathtub in the White House. Taft’s hearty appetite matched his substantial frame and jovial personality.
Calvin Coolidge’s Pork Apple Pie
Silent Cal had some unusual taste preferences that might raise eyebrows today. Coolidge’s favorite dessert was pork apple pie, a recipe his mother used to make that he claimed he had never eaten anything as good as. This New England delicacy combined sweet apples with savory pork in a pastry crust—a combination that sounds strange now but was perfectly normal in the 1920s. Coolidge was reportedly a big eater in general who also enjoyed roast beef, pickles, and hot cereal.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Even during the Great Depression, FDR found comfort in a classic American staple. Despite the White House being known for serving terrible food during his administration, Roosevelt very much enjoyed classic grilled cheese sandwiches. He also liked hot dogs, which were infamously served to the visiting king and queen of England. This choice reflected both his down-to-earth personality and his desire to show solidarity with regular Americans during tough economic times.
Harry Truman’s Well-Done Steak
The man from Missouri had very specific opinions about how his beef should be prepared. Truman once said that ‘only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef,’ preferring his steaks very well-done. His absolute favorite meal, however, was his mother’s fried chicken served with buttermilk. Truman’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach to food mirrored his direct leadership style and small-town values.
John F. Kennedy’s New England Clam Chowder
JFK never forgot his Boston roots, even while living in the White House. Kennedy favored the Boston clam chowder that he loved as a boy growing up in Massachusetts. In 1961, when a young girl named Lynn Jennings wrote asking what he liked to eat, Kennedy promptly replied and passed along his preferred fish chowder recipe. Boston’s Oyster House was a favorite dining spot, where he regularly ate at booth 18, which now bears a dedication plaque in his name.
Lyndon B. Johnson’s Texas Barbecue
LBJ brought the Lone Star State’s flavors straight to the White House lawn. Johnson’s love of barbecue was legendary, and in the 1950s and ’60s, he and Lady Bird hosted large Texas-style barbecues at their ranch along the Pedernales River. The president served brisket, ribs, and his favorite Texas-style chili to hundreds of guests from around the world. Johnson also had a Fresca machine installed in the Oval Office because he loved the carbonated beverage so much.
Richard Nixon’s Cottage Cheese and Ketchup
Perhaps the strangest presidential food combination in history belonged to our 37th president. Nixon was a cottage cheese devotee who ate it on a daily basis, often alongside fresh fruit, wheat germ, and coffee. In one of the stranger presidential food combos, he also enjoyed his cottage cheese topped with ketchup and black pepper. What started as part of a diet regimen became a genuine preference that White House staff had to accommodate regularly.
Ronald Reagan’s Jelly Beans
The Gipper’s favorite snack helped him kick a habit and became a White House tradition. While attempting to give up nicotine, Reagan started eating jelly beans, and they eventually became his favorite food. He loved them so much that at his 1981 inauguration, he treated guests to three-and-a-half tons of jelly beans, with licorice being his favorite flavor. The candy became so associated with Reagan that jars of jelly beans were placed in Cabinet meeting rooms and on Air Force One during his presidency.
George H.W. Bush’s Hatred of Broccoli
Sometimes what a president doesn’t eat is just as telling as what they do. Bush Sr. famously hated broccoli ‘with the fire of Hades’, making national news when he banned it from Air Force One and the White House. Despite his vegetable aversion, Bush loved pork rinds and chicken enchiladas. His public broccoli stance resonated with kids across America who suddenly had a presidential ally in their dinner table battles.
Barack Obama’s Chili
The 44th president was reportedly America’s first true foodie commander-in-chief. Obama revealed that he still uses his favorite college chili recipe, the same one he perfected during his student days. While Obama once claimed his favorite food was broccoli, those who worked with him will attest that it’s actually cheeseburgers—though he typically prefers higher quality burgers than fast food joints offer. His other favorites included guacamole and tortilla chips, Planters trail mix, and exactly ‘seven lightly salted almonds’ each night.
Joe Biden’s Ice Cream
America’s current president has never been shy about his frozen dessert obsession. As Biden once told a crowd of Jeni’s Ice Cream fans in 2016, ‘My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream,’ with his favorite flavor reportedly being Cincinnati-based Graeter’s chocolate chip. His aides know to always keep the White House freezer stocked with plenty of chocolate chip ice cream. When he’s not indulging in frozen treats, Biden was known to enjoy classic PB&J sandwiches and orange Gatorade.
From Simple to Sophisticated
These presidential food preferences tell the story of America itself—from Washington’s simple hoecakes reflecting our agricultural beginnings to Obama’s foodie adventures representing our diverse, modern palate. Whether it was Reagan’s jelly beans helping him through tough negotiations or LBJ’s barbecues bringing world leaders together over Texas brisket, food has always played a surprisingly important role in presidential life. These culinary choices remind us that even the most powerful people in the world need comfort food, and sometimes the simplest pleasures—like a perfectly grilled cheese sandwich or a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream—matter most.
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