As the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama was known as a food enthusiast and adventurous eater. He enjoyed regional American specialties like Philly cheesesteaks (with the traditional Cheez Whiz), as well as top-dollar sushi, as when he visited the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. His favorite foods, however, are half-smokes (a spicy sausage that is popular in the D.C. area) and broccoli — a vegetable that once inspired one of Obama’s predecessors, George H. W. Bush, to proclaim “I’m President of the United States. And I’m not gonna eat any more broccoli!”
Every president has had favorite things to eat, and many of them are relatively standard fare. From Ronald Reagan’s notorious addiction to jelly beans to Donald Trump’s obsession with fast food, most presidential tastes can hardly be labeled “gourmet.” (Can you answer these real “Jeopardy” clues about U.S. presidents?)
24/7 Tempo has compiled every president’s favorite foods. More than a few love that definitive American staple apple pie. Variations on corn, be it hoecakes or corn chowder, also pepper the list. Tastes are often representative of regional cuisine from a president’s birthplace. New Englander JFK loved clam chowder, James Madison prefered salt-cured Virginia ham, and Lyndon B. Johnson opted for Texas BBQ.
We used multiple sources, including three books not available online: “The Presidents’ Own White House Cookbook,” edited by Robert Jones; “Favorite Recipes of Our First Ladies,” edited by John Carter and Sharon Carter; and “A Treasury of White House Cooking” by François Rysavy and Frances Spatz Leighton. Online sources included Food and Wine and Food Timeline, as well as numerous president-specific sites, among them Dining at Mount Vernon, Monticello, Lincoln Home, and FDR Library and Museum. The form in which each president’s name is given and his years in office come from the Library of Congress Chronological List of Presidents, First Ladies, and Vice Presidents of the United States.
Squirrel stew, a common preparation in the 19th century, was a favorite of two presidents, including James A. Garfield, who was famously assassinated only a few months into his presidency. (Here are the stories behind the deaths of 39 American presidents.)
Soups, pies, chicken, and various meats are common favorites — revealing that even the most powerful people in the world enjoy comfort food.
George Washington (1789-1797)
> Favorite Food: Hoecakes and honey, roasted meats, hazelnuts, hot chocolate
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John Adams (1797-1801)
> Favorite Food: Codfish cakes, apple pan dowdy
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Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
> Favorite Food: Fried potatoes, macaroni pie
James Madison (1809-1817)
> Favorite Food: Virginia ham, apple pie
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James Monroe (1817-1825)
> Favorite Food: Virginia spoon bread, fried chicken with rice
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
> Favorite Food: Fresh fruit
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Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
> Favorite Food: Cheddar cheese, fried ham with gravy, “leather britches” (string beans with bacon)
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Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
> Favorite Food: Roast boar’s head, apples
William Henry Harrison (1841)
> Favorite Food: Burgoo (squirrel stew), fresh vegetables
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John Tyler (1841-1845)
> Favorite Food: Omelettes, roast game birds, “Tyler’s Pudding-Pie”
James K. Polk (1845-1849)
> Favorite Food: Corn pone, vinegar pie
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Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
> Favorite Food: Cherries, beignets
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
> Favorite Food: Meat stew, “resurrection pie” (savory pie of liver, beef shank, rabbit, etc.)
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
> Favorite Food: Fried apple pie, maple syrup
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James Buchanan (1857-1861)
> Favorite Food: Turtle soup, Pennsylvania Dutch succotash, grape pie
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
> Favorite Food: Chicken fricassee, white almond cake, gingerbread
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Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
> Favorite Food: Hoppin’ John, red rice, sweet potato pudding
Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
> Favorite Food: Rice pudding, roast beef
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
> Favorite Food: Cornmeal pancakes
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James A. Garfield (1881)
> Favorite Food: Squirrel soup, sour apple pie
Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)
> Favorite Food: Mutton chops, turtle steak, macaroni pie with oysters
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Grover Cleveland (1885-1889 and 1893-1897)
> Favorite Food: Corned beef and cabbage, steaks and chops
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
> Favorite Food: Corn chowder, oysters, fig pudding
William McKinley (1897-1901)
> Favorite Food: Omelette casserole, hot lobster salad, red flannel hash
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Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
> Favorite Food: Fried chicken with gravy, roast game birds, “fat rascals” (currant biscuits)
William H. Taft (1909-1913)
> Favorite Food: Steak, hashed brown potatoes
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Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
> Favorite Food: Chicken salad, strawberry ice cream
Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
> Favorite Food: Knockwurst with sauerkraut, chicken pot pie
Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
> Favorite Food: Cornmeal muffins, veal curry
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Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
> Favorite Food: Corn soup, baked Virginia ham
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
> Favorite Food: Grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs
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Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
> Favorite Food: Fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, well-done steak, custard pie
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
> Favorite Food: Beef stew, corn pudding
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
> Favorite Food: Clam chowder, lobster stew
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Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
> Favorite Food: Texas barbecue, black-eyed peas
Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)
> Favorite Food: Cottage cheese with ketchup, meat loaf
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Gerald R. Ford (1974-1977)
> Favorite Food: English muffins, pot roast with red cabbage
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Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
> Favorite Food: Grits, gumbo, red beans and rice
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
> Favorite Food: Jelly beans, monkey bread, fudge brownies
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George Bush (1989-1993)
> Favorite Food: Pork rinds, beef jerky, hot dogs
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
> Favorite Food: Pork rinds, Egg McMuffin, cinnamon rolls
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George W. Bush (2001-2009)
> Favorite Food: Cheeseburger pizza, Texas barbecue, huevos rancheros
Barack Obama (2009-2017)
> Favorite Food: Broccoli, half smokes, nachos, apple pie
Donald J. Trump (2017-2021)
> Favorite Food: Filet-o-Fish, Big Mac, KFC fried chicken
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Joseph R. Biden (2021-)
> Favorite Food: Ice cream, pasta with red sauce
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