Drunk Munchies Exposed: What Are the Most Craved Foods in America and Canada?

That feeling when you have a little too much to drink, and suddenly you’re hit with the hunger pangs; those are the “drunchies.” Only it’s not your typical food craving. It’s usually something greasy, salty, or both that hits the spot. We were curious…how do other people deal with the drunchies?

To find out, we surveyed people across the US and Canada who have at least one drink a week—and probably more—to ask about the drunk munchies: how often they get them, the consequences of indulging, and what foods they specifically turn to in order to satisfy those drunk cravings. We also conducted a Google Trends analysis of the most popular drunchie cravings by state and province.

Favorite Drunk Foods in the U.S. and Canada

The top drunk food craving in the US, by far, was burgers. A classic! A whopping 16 states reported that burgers were their go-to food after a night of drinking. Chicken wings were favored by residents of eight states, and grilled cheese and nachos were the next most popular, each being prefers in four states.

Favorite Drunk Foods in the US and Canada

In Canada, residents can’t seem to agree on which food is best after imbibing, as every province prefers a different delicacy. Of the 21 food options in our survey, the 14 that made the list included pizza, breakfast food, quesadillas, French fries, onion rings, chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, shawarma, kebab, fish and chips, poutine, pierogies, and Chinese food.

Drunchie Habits in the U.S. and Canada

Next, in an effort to make ourselves feel a little more…normal…we wanted to take a look at drunk munchie habits among Americans and Canadians. And, oh boy, were the results entertaining!

Drunchie Habits in the US and Canada

We asked our alcohol-adoring survey participants how often they get the drunchies. In America, 44% said they get them often or every time they imbibe. Surprisingly, Canadians get the drunk munchies even more frequently, as 51% of participants noted that they experience drunk cravings regularly every time they drink.

Now on to the good stuff: the actual food-related drunk habits of Americans and Canadians.

We asked respondents if they had ever woken up the following morning, checked their bank account, and regretted how much they spent on drunk food. About a third of U.S. residents had, and 38% of Canadians commiserated. Tim Hortons thanks you for your continued patronage.

We threw one question in that we assumed no one would own up to: have you ever awoken after a night of drinking to find food IN YOUR BED? We were shocked to hear that 16% of Canadians and 26% of Americans had. That’s more than a quarter of the drinkers in the U.S. downing their burgers in bed and then immediately falling asleep. Incredible. But hey, we respect ya.

Favorite Late-Night Drunchie Stops

We also needed to know: which fast food chain is the most popular one to hit up in the midst of a night out on the town? In the US, Taco Bell takes first place. Probably because we all secretly want Taco Bell at 1 am, but we can’t, in good conscience, be seen in there at that time unless we have alcohol as an excuse.

Since Taco Bell is a drunk American’s go-to place to chow down, it might come as no surprise that 57% of our resident drinkers reported having woken up after a night of drinking and regretted something they ate. That “something” is the Mexican Pizza combo. There’s a reason you don’t get it when you’re sober.

The US’ second pick for drunk fast food was McDonald’s, which was also Canada’s first. That means the Golden Arches seem to be the way to go for most people in the U.S. and Canada combined.

Speaking of Canada, while its citizens share the collective affection for a late-night McDonald’s run, many also find enjoyment in exploring Canadian mobile casinos, a thrilling alternative for night-time entertainment. It’s a different kind of indulgence that combines the thrill of the game with the convenience of accessibility, akin to the immediate gratification of a late-night snack run. Who knew the nocturnal activities of choice could be so diverse across borders?

Weirdest Drunk Food Cravings in the U.S. and Canada

Finally, we had to ask our survey participants what the weirdest foods they had ever craved and eaten while drunk were.

The winner? Dry ramen noodles. We can’t imagine that ever being even remotely appetizing, but alcohol does some crazy things to people.

Some runner-ups that low-key sound pretty appetizing include:

  • French fries with maple syrup (this one HAD to be Canada)
  • Mac and cheese in a taco (restaurant idea?)
  • Spaghetti with ranch dressing (if this is wrong, we don’t want to be right)

And some that we’ll never touch no matter how many drinks in we are:

  • Peanut butter and grilled cheese (you’re ruining both things…c’mon)
  • Pickles in Nutella (okay, curious, but not THAT curious)
  • Pizza with chocolate syrup (just no)

Wrapping Up: The Favorite Drunchies in the U.S. and Canada

So, what did we learn from this analysis? First, burgers are the most popular drunk food in the U.S., but Canadians are totally torn when it comes to their preferred indulgences after drinking. Second, we’re not the only ones that are prone to some pretty embarrassing food behavior when we’re drinking. And finally, there’s seemingly no food combination that’s too mismatched or downright nasty for someone who has been drinking all night.

Methodology

We asked 1,010 people questions about drunk food tendencies for our survey, including just over 700 from the U.S. and just over 300 from Canada. We only chose people for our survey who had at least one drink per week. The participants had an average age of 38, with 55% identifying as male, 43% as female, and 2% as non-binary or other.

We also conducted a Google Trends analysis to determine which drunk foods were most popular in each state and province. We used a list of the 21 most popular drunk foods to see where each was searched for the most often.

Fair Use

Want to use our data or our infographics? Feel free to do so for any noncommercial purpose. Please just link back to this page to credit the site.

Have you enjoyed this article? Then share it with your friends.
Share on Pinterest
Favorite Drunk Foods in the US and Canada

Similar Posts