What Americans Would Choose for Their 'Last Meal' in Each State

If you’ve ever been part of the “Last meal” conversation, you know that it’s something to take seriously. What would be your final meal before you shuffled off this mortal coil? What’s your ultimate comfort grub? 

Choice Mutual put together a report based on a survey they conducted on this very topic, as well as keyword trend data. In the survey, they asked Americans to choose between steak, potatoes, pasta, pizza, vegetables, bread, lobster, fries, mac and cheese, burgers, fried chicken, ice cream, salad, cake, rice, seafood, soup, tacos, fruit, and barbecue, and pick their final meal. Do you agree with your state’s choice? 

Arkansas, Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi (tie), Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, (tie), North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin (tie), West Virginia

Damn. We Americans love our red meat, don’t we? Because the number two choice is potatoes, it looks like this is just one piece of steak on a plate with no sides. For me, that’s the last thing in the world I’m choosing as my final meal. 

Arizona (tie), Delaware, Idaho, Indiana (tie), Louisiana (tie), Maine (tie), Maryland (tie), Mississippi (tie), Missouri, Tennessee

I can’t make heads or tails of this. I’m going to assume this is mashed potatoes, because the idea that so many people in the world want a roasted or boiled potato as their final meal is hard for me to understand. This can’t be fries, either, because fries was its own category. This is a weird country. 

Arizona (tie), Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, (tie), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia 

Huge showing for pasta, here. This makes sense for a last meal, because oftentimes after I eat way too much pasta, I wouldn’t mind shutting my eyes for some sleep. The big sleep, in this case. 

Indiana (tie), Louisiana (tie), Maine (tie), Mississippi (tie), Wisconsin (tie) 

I’m stunned pizza landed this low on the list, and in every instance, it was a tie. You’re telling me that pizza, ooey-gooey, perfect pizza, falls two places behind a bowl of mashed potatoes? I feel like I’m in some sort of asylum reading this information.  

Maine (tie) 

Since fries on their own were also an option included in the survey, I wonder how many people knew this burger would be an a la carte situation. Either way, this should be number one. It’s what I would pick. Specifically, In-N-Out, Double Double, Animal Style, add chopped raw onions, add chopped chilies. 

Maryland (tie) 

Maryland is split between the categories of “vegetables” and “potatoes”, which is silly because as we all know, potatoes are vegetables. Technically it’s a starchy root vegetable, but a vegetable all the same. Maryland’s going out green. 

And not one single state chose tacos or barbecue!? 

Choice Mutual pulled together some data for beverage choices as well, surveying people’s choices between soda, wine, water, tea, beer, juice, coffee, cocktails, and milk. Here’s what each state chose. 

California, Colorado, Connecticut (tie), Florida (tie), Idaho, Indiana (tie), Iowa, Kansas, Maine (tie), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (tie), Nebraska (tie), Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota (tie), Tennessee (tie), Virginia, Washington 

I suppose I can’t be surprised here, but I also wonder how many people are posturing. Do that many people really know their stuff in this department? How many wannabe sommeliers do we have here? 

Connecticut (tie), Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine (tie), Nebraska (tie), New Hampshire, South Dakota (tie), Texas, Tennessee (tie), Utah 

Man oh man, this is so boring. This is the second worst choice on this list (you’ll see the worst at the bottom). Nectar from the gods on a hot day, yes, but this is your final sip, my dudes. You’re going out on a sip of water? If this isn’t a time to treat yourself, I don’t know when is. 

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida (tie), Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee (tie), West Virginia 

As the most commonly consumed drink in the world, I understand why it’s in the top three, but this also feels pretty boring. And it’s gonna take a long time to drink it, which feels like it adds another level of psychological torture to the whole thing. 

Arizona, Florida (tie), Michigan (tie), Maine (tie), Minnesota, Tennessee (tie), Wisconsin 

Since this red-meat craved country stuck steak as number one, this is a drink I would have expected to see at number one. Beats me. 

Indiana (tie), Missouri, Nebraska (tie), Tennessee (tie)

There’s a little icon of an orange next to the graphic in the report, so it looks like this is orange juice. The second best juice for sure (you and I both know the crown belongs to cranberry), but it’s still a strange one to go out on. Missouri didn’t even tie with another beverage, like the other states here did. Missouri freaking loves juice.

Oregon 

How fancy, Oregon! Cheers to you for this one. Bottoms up.

Nebraska (tie)

This feels like a prank. Everything all good over there, Nebraska? Your last sip would be milk? Your last sip ever? Like, forever? This is it after this? And you’re picking milk?? Milk???