World Cup fans are not only cheering on their favorite teams, but also enjoying the local cuisine. From poutine to barbecue, fans are raving about the food they’ve tried in North America.

International Visitors Try Regional Specialties

Many fans are making a point to try regional specialties or chains they can’t find where they live, such as In-N-Out Burger or Buc-ee’s convenience stores. Erling Haaland, a striker for Norway’s World Cup team, posted a photo of himself outside Katz’s Delicatessen in New York.

Harrison Murphy, who was traveling from London with his brother for the knockout rounds, had breakfast at a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta. “Have you had Chick-fil-A? It was fantastic and so cheap. The sauces are free! It was remarkable,” Murphy said.

Host City Restaurants Introduce New Customers to Old Favorites

Restaurant owners are thrilled to introduce new customers to their old favorites. Paul Barker, the principal and founder of Pauli’s, a Boston restaurant known for generously filled sandwiches and comfort foods, said, “Food becomes a natural conversation starter. It’s just been incredible for us to be part of this.”

Some chains are leaning into the World Cup. Waffle House, the all-day breakfast chain with 2,000 restaurants across the South, opened a pop-up shop in downtown Atlanta to sell branded soccer balls, jerseys and patriotic gear.

Terry Black’s Barbecue, a small Texas chain, figured authentic barbecue would be on many fans’ must-try lists. It started sourcing extra meat more than a month ago for its locations in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.