Where To Find The Best Soft Pretzels In The US

No matter how you roll it, knead it, or knot it, few amongst us can resist a pretzel. No, not the hard variety readily available in your grocery aisle. Instead, we're talking about the soft pretzel, the one that sits proudly atop many a restaurant's menus as the ultimate break-bread appetizer and can be found at any amusement park or ball game. When done well, a truly good soft pretzel has a golden brown, crispy exterior that opens to a pillowy, yet ever so slightly chewy interior.

Don't get it twisted, though. The pretzel's origins may lie centuries ago in Europe, according to Taste. But here in America, we took it upon ourselves to really get creative with the form. We've forged a new path for the carb that you can now find in bites, knots, sticks, and even larger-than-life versions that accompany little dishes of mustard varieties and pretty much all the cheese dips. Let's just say it's come a long way since 7^th century Italy.

Buckle up (and get ready for a whole lot of pretzel puns), because we're headed across the country to discover the best soft pretzels in the U.S. Our list is comprised of a little of everything — there are neighborhood pubs, an actual pretzel factory, and even a roadside shack in here. And don't get salty if your favorite is missing, as we all know that true beauty is in the eye of the pretzel beholder.

With its inherent high carb count ready to coat the stomach, there perhaps may be no better pairing for a beer than a good soft pretzel. Florida's bubbling craft brew scene has catapulted the sunshine state to the national arena, at least in terms of beer and, for a few spots, really great pretzels. Just north of Miami in downtown Fort Lauderdale, you'll find Tarpon River Brewing. This unique gastropub is outfitted with industrial-sleek décor and allows visitors to peek into the brewing process first-hand as their beer is brewed on-site and in plain viewing of guests.

The vibey space doles out some incredible craft beers, like the cleverly named IPA Hopsta La Vista, but they also serve an impressive food selection worthy alone of a visit. Standout wings and burgers aside, we're visiting the local spot for the appropriately named Big *ss Pretzel. They brush the huge pretzel up with butter as it's cooking and finish the surface off with a sprinkling of salt before serving. The accompanying homemade spicy mustard is delicious, but we'll always upgrade to add their house-made IPA cheese sauce.

Our next stop may be found clear across the country within driving distance of the Atlantic Ocean, but it still fully embraces the sips, sounds, and bites of the West Coast. Don't let its location in a theme park — Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, to be exact — throw you off. BaseLine Tap House impresses us not only for their standout selection of Cali brews and on-tap wines and cocktails, but their small yet still mighty food menu. This indoor-outdoor bar meets lounge will seriously have you rethinking the whole concept of theme park food.

Maybe you're visiting here for their cheese and charcuterie board or their coffee-rubbed rib-eye beef puff, but the Bavarian pretzel is our preferred way to satiate our appetite on those marathon park days. Made for sharing, this jumbo-sized pretzel is served with spicy mustard and a so-good-you'll-want-to-lick-the-bowl beer cheese fondue. It also pairs nicely with their Ace Space Blood Orange Hard Cider on tap. Mickey pretzels be darned.

Just south of the Canadian border you'll find the coastal town of Bellingham, Washington. The hip town is known for its standout foodie scene consisting of quite a few bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. Here, you'll also find Ralf's Bavarian Pretzels. An ode to the traditional bakeries baker Ralf Sigl visited as a child while growing up in southern Germany, this place does pretzels extremely well indeed.

Sigl's secret is in using all organic ingredients and, rather than using a machine to make the signature treat, bakers here form each and every pretzel by hand. The result is an absolute melt-in-your-mouth, cathartic carb experience. If you're "knot" into a classic pretzel, they also made standout pretzel buns and unique pretzel sticks of both savory and sweet varieties, including flavors like chocolate, turkey, and havarti. Don't be shocked if the line is well out the door for this small town hot spot.

We find ourselves once again in a theme park. This time, we're headed to Hersheypark, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, just west of pretzel's humble roots in America. You may have come here for the chocolate bars but you'd be wrong to pursue only that treat. As you're strolling the sweetest place on Earth, we insist that you grab a hand-rolled pretzel from the park's aptly named Pretzel House. Other theme parks will be left to bow down to their superiority and you'll soon see why.

The Pretzel House dishes out the traditional Pennsylvania Dutch style recipe and in near-perfect execution, which you might not expect or find at such a high-volume location. The flavor is buttery and the chewy-to-pillowy ratio is pretzel perfection. While we love the classic salted version you can also grab unique varieties that include a dusting of parmesan or garlic as well as cinnamon sugar, cinnamon raisin, and even jalapeño. If that wasn't enough, they not only serve classic cheese dip but vanilla buttercream icing, honey mustard, and of course, chocolate!

Nashville has its claims to fame for many things. The well-visited tourist locale is home to country music, hot chicken, and ultra-popular bachelorette spots. What a resume! If you pull back the curtain and step away from the obvious tourist traps, there's an incredible restaurant and bar scene of hidden gems. Do as the locals do and head to Craft Brewed, located in the city's Melrose neighborhood.

Just over a mile from downtown, you'll feel far removed from the honky-tonks and sheer pandemonium of Broadway here. Craft Brewed, a taproom meets bottle shop, serves an extensive beer list in a laid-back welcoming space with plenty of seating indoors and outdoors on their beer garden patio deck. They don't serve much in the ways of food, but they do have likely one of the best pub-style pretzels in the city. This savory homemade pretzel is massive and the perfect accompaniment to your beer. It's served with a generously portioned bowl of beer cheese, too, fully completing your taste experience.

You may have come to Boston for the excellent seafood, but we've arrived in one of America's oldest cities on a mission — a pretzel mission, that is. Located in the seaport district, Harpoon Brewery is a massive German-style beer hall with copious amounts of indoor and outdoor seating where you can sip on their signature beer selection or also try some limited edition patched and hard ciders. The Harpoon Brewery kitchen dishes out the usual pub offerings, like sandwiches and pizza, as well as soft pretzels that blow the standard bar bite out of the water.

Handmade every day, their pretzels are super doughy and the ideal yin to the yang of your beer. They also dish out an estimated 3,000 of these pretzels a week, according to MassLive. As if the salted version wasn't already perfection on its own (its infused with beer after all), you can bring your pretzel game to the next level with their house-made sauces (some of which are also infused with beer). These include the ale mustard, IPA cheese, garlic parmesan butter, and a bacon ranch sauce. If you're in the market for something of the sweet variety, they also have a cinnamon sugar version that'll be sure to delight your sweet tooth.

We've saved what may be the best, if not the most unique by far, for last. If you're cruising through the rolling hills of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the heart of Amish Country, you might completely miss this next spot. At first glance, Busy Bee's Farm Market looks like any other property along the long stretch of road. You'll see a standard farming house, barn, and garage. Upon further inspection, however, this roadside hidden gem is actually a garage converted into a small market. Family-owned and operated, they sell a selection of handmade goods, Amish trinkets, and fresh produce.

They also sell a perfectly executed, hand-twisted Pennsylvania Dutch style soft pretzel. Baked on-site, this pretzel is so good it's been said to bring many to tears (okay, we're exaggerating a bit). It's soft with a subtle crisp to the exterior and has basically everything you're looking for in a soft pretzel. Oh, and did we mention it's literally dripping in butter? Yep. Italian monks may have invented it, but the Amish have certainly perfected the soft pretzel. Mic drop.