--- title: The State of Obama’s Plate description: Inside the burger joints, steakhouses and date night destinations where you can find America's Eater-in-Chief canonical: https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/ author: David Johnson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-20T16:02:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-30T11:41:24.483Z article:section: Politics og:title: The State of Obama’s Plate og:description: Inside the burger joints, steakhouses and date night destinations where you can find America's Eater-in-Chief og:url: https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt48f91a6792fb20a8/69877ac6cd1bba7a0f6f4bd0/social1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: US President Barack Obama eats a "median og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The State of Obama’s Plate twitter:description: Inside the burger joints, steakhouses and date night destinations where you can find America's Eater-in-Chief twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt48f91a6792fb20a8/69877ac6cd1bba7a0f6f4bd0/social1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The State of Obama's Plate > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [David Johnson](https://time.com/author/dave-johnson/) and [Sam Jacobs](https://time.com/author/samuel-p-jacobs/) Jan 20, 2015 4:02 PM UTC  US President Barack Obama eats a "medianoche" sandwich while eating lunch at Kasalta Bakery during a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2011\. The visit marks the first by a US President to the island territory since former US President John F. Kennedy's visit in 1961\. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) US President Barack Obama eats a "medianoche" sandwich while eating lunch at Kasalta Bakery during a visit to San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 14, 2011\. The visit marks the first by a US President to the island territory since former US President John F. Kennedy's visit in 1961\. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) SAUL LOEB—AFP/Getty Images by [David Johnson](https://time.com/author/dave-johnson/) and [Sam Jacobs](https://time.com/author/samuel-p-jacobs/) Jan 20, 2015 4:02 PM UTC Since Barack Obama is preparing to deliver the State of the Union Tuesday, we decided, naturally, to check on the state of the President’s plate. Obama is our first foodie President, and his eating habits say a great deal about what tops America’s tables. After reviewing more than 12,400 reports filed by the White House press pool since Obama took office six years ago, we were able to uncover nearly every one of his dining choices, from enchiladas with chorizo in Colorado to [the best sushi he’s ever had](http://time.com/73570/barack-obama-just-ate-the-best-sushi-in-the-world/) in Tokyo. Our tally shows Obama has left the White House at least 120 times for breakfast, lunch, a snack or dinner, clogging restaurant parking lots with Presidential motorcades everywhere from Honolulu to Martha’s Vineyard. And the results are in: Alan Wong’s of Honolulu is Obama’s favorite restaurant. The First Couple has picked at least 15 places for Date Night. And Obama, who’s eaten in at least 30 states since taking office, is nearly three times as likely to find himself wielding a fork and knife in a place that voted for him than against him. Look below to see just what’s been on the Presidential menu since Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Tap or hover over each picture to see when Obama visited. Starred ratings and images are provided by [Yelp](http://www.yelp.com/). All of Obama’s Burgers Despite the Administration’s efforts to make America eat healthier, when our President goes out for lunch, his go-to meal is a burger. (Not for nothing did the _Washington Post_ call Obama’s relationship with cheeseburgers a [“love story.”](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/05/19/president-obama-and-cheeseburgers-a-love-story/)) The Obama-Approved Steakhouses When the chef [Bobby Flay dropped by the White House to show Obama](http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/bobby-flay-grills-with-obama-0134100.html) his grilling tricks in 2009, Obama spilled the beans on how he likes his meat. “I’m a medium-well guy. People always complain about that but that’s just how I like it.” Here’s where the President is getting his overcooked meat. Obama’s Favorite Restaurant “Every time, it’s a chicken-skin moment,” [says chef Alan Wong](http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Biting-Commentary/December-2010/Cooking-for-the-President-Obama-Dines-at-Alan-Wong-039s/#.VLg0M2TF%5FAV) about the multiple visits from his most famous customer. Wong was talking about his goosebump-inducing nerves—not his menu. Most winters, the Obamas vacation in Hawaii. And when they do, they visit Alan Wong’s restaurant, the place where Obama has eaten more than any other during his presidency. While at the Asian-fusion restaurant, Obama eats soy-braised short ribs, Wong told [Honolulu magazine](http://www.honolulumagazine.com/). Date Night Destinations Early in his presidency, Obama discovered that taking his wife out for a date could become a [political hot potato](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23122.html). The world’s most powerful man somehow manages to secure some of the country’s most coveted tables, including seats at Blue Hill and Estela in New York City and Komi in Washington, D.C. Rumor has it family friend and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett scouts out restaurants before the Obamas give them a try. State by State Want to find a place near you where Obama’s broken bread? The President’s dined in at least 30 states. Who’s Coming to Dinner? Obama’s taken out presidents and pastors. Even Joe Biden. Here’s the breakdown of who’s most often filling out his table. Obama’s Political Plate Thanks to campaign schedules and the heavily Democratic District of Columbia, Obama’s most often eating among folks who have voted for him. Here’s the political breakdown of each Congressional district where he’s had a meal. Districts outlined in black have changed representatives since Obama’s visit. Every Meal Eaten Outside the White House From Inauguration Day in 2009 to today, here’s every single meal eaten outside the White House as captured by the White House pool reports. Did we miss something? Perhaps! We limited the survey to places where the President was observed eating or buying food (swinging by a diner to shake hands doesn’t cut it). If Obama came to your favorite place and grabbed a bite, send us an e-mail at david.johnson@time.com, and we’ll be sure to update the list. _Reporting contributed by Giri Nathan._ _Last updated Jan. 23, 2015_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/"},"headline":"The State of Obama's Plate","datePublished":"2015-01-20T16:02:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-30T11:41:24.483Z","description":"Inside the burger joints, steakhouses and date night destinations where you can find America's Eater-in-Chief","url":"https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/","keywords":[],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt48f91a6792fb20a8/69877ac6cd1bba7a0f6f4bd0/social1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"David Johnson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dave-johnson/"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Jacobs","jobTitle":"Editor in Chief of TIME","url":"https://time.com/author/samuel-p-jacobs/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt48f91a6792fb20a8/69877ac6cd1bba7a0f6f4bd0/social1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US President Barack Obama eats a \"median","caption":"US President Barack Obama eats a \"median","creditText":"SAUL LOEB—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3674553/the-state-of-obamas-plate/","name":"The State of Obama's Plate"}}]}] ```