The Best Happy Hour Restaurants serving American food. Toronto, Ontario

"It's as American as apple pie!" American cuisine is a conglomeration of different cultures and ethnicities. After years of European colonization and immigration, North American food is difficult to define. It is often defined as "home-cooked," or comfort food. Restaurants often feature carnivorous dishes like pot roast, pork chops, steak, and hamburgers, combined with sides like mashed-potatoes, green beans, and French fries.

American food depends greatly on the location, and each region has their specialties. The Southern states are known for their homegrown vegetables like corn, squash, okra, eggplant, and tomatoes. A popular Southern meal is pan-fried chicken, field peas, and cornbread. The food style is similar to the Midwestern United States, which draws its influences from Eastern European cuisine. The region is most known for the creation of the "Thanksgiving meal"-turkey, stuffing, wild rice, cranberry sauce, and apple pie.

The United States also specializes in seafood and dairy products, thanks to a number of coastal states. Traditional dishes include corn meal johnny cakes, oysters, and clam chowder. Light spices like ground black pepper, parsley, sage, and cinnamon are often used to compliment these items.

Another American tradition is barbecuing. Using fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs, a family gathering would not be complete until food is on the grill. By contrast, there is a large part of America that is influenced by the Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean population. These cuisines are often melded with traditional American foods to create new dishes.

MenuPalace features some of the best examples from all of these influences, as well as traditional American pubs, restaurants, and markets in the GTA.