National Taco Day: The Best NHL Snacks Ahead of The New Season

Tacos are the most popular NHL snack across the U.S. and Canada
Hot Dogs and Cheesesteaks are most popular in the Northeast
Donairs are most popular in Alberta and British Columbia, whilst Poutine claims Quebec.

As the NHL season launches on October 7^th, on the same week as National Taco day, many fans will be looking forward to engaging game day experiences. And for many, the highlight starts with the food.

With this in mind, a new report from Hard Rock Bet reveals the best NHL snacks in the U.S. and Canada, ahead of the new season. The study analyzed the number of Google searches related to NHL snacks in all the states and provinces who are currently the home of at least one NHL team.

From tacos in Texas to Poutine in Quebec, every state and province brings something unique to the table. Only one question remains: Is your go-to snack on the list?

The Most Popular NHL Snacks in North America

Rank	Food	Search Volume
1	Tacos	1,011,600
2	Wings	616,000
3	Hot Dogs	430,600
4	Popcorn	321,500
5	Poutine	270,600
6	Nachos	165,980
7	Lobster Rolls	143,440
8	Cheesesteaks	139,730
9	Perogies	90,560
10	French Fries	88,480

Tacos rank 1^st as NHL fans’ favorite snack, with over 1 million searches across North America. In fact, Tacos are the most popular NHL snack in 10 out of the 19 U.S. states that host at least one NHL team.

Wings (616K searches) take the second spot in front of Hot Dogs (431K searches). They were found to be most popular in California, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, and Utah.

Despite only having 7 teams in the NHL, Canadian delicacies such as the Poutine and Perogies also make an appearance in the top 10, ranking 4^th and 9^th respectively. Whilst Donairs are the most popular snack in Alberta and British Columbia, Poutine is always a solid second choice.

On the flip side, BBQ sandwiches came in last with only 4,780 searches across the 32 NHL teams.

The Most Popular NHL Snacks in the U.S.

State	Popular Snack	Search volume
New York	Hot Dogs	110,000
New Jersey	Cheesesteaks	33,100
Ohio	Popcorn	27,100
Massachusetts	Lobster Rolls	18,200
Nevada	Tacos	22,200
Pennsylvania	Cheesesteaks	33,100
North Carolina	Tacos	33,100
Florida	Tacos	110,000
Minnesota	Wings	18,100
California	Wings	223,000
Tennessee	Tacos	18,100
Colorado	Tacos	40,500
Illinois	Hot Dogs	74,000
Texas	Tacos	246,000
Utah	Hot Dogs	14,800
Washington	Tacos	40,500
Michigan	Tacos	27,100
Washington D.C.	Tacos	8,100
Missouri	Tacos	14,800

Source

Google Keyword Planner

Methodology

This study aimed to find the best NHL snacks in the U.S. and Canada ahead of the 2025-2026 season. To do so, the number of Google Searches for typical NHL snacks across the following states and provinces was conducted: New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, Ontario, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Quebec, Minnesota, California, Tennessee, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Utah, Washington, Alberta, Michigan, British Columbia, Washington D.C, Manitoba, and Missouri.

The snacks included in the study were: Donairs, Tacos, Poutine, Beavertails, Perogies, Popcorn, Wings, Hot Dogs, Nachos, Butter Tarts, Lobster Rolls, French Fries, Clam Chowder, Cheesesteaks, Pizza, Pretzels, and BBQ Sandwiches. The data is accurate as of 30/09/2025 in regard to the sources.