Soccer may be on the main stage in North Texas during the World Cup, but fans visiting from other countries are treating food as a close second.
Their passion for the culinary offerings in America has led to long lines, empty beer taps and even a steakhouse selling out of steak.
That last one happened at Corrientes 348 in Downtown Dallas.
The assistant manager of the Argentine steakhouse, Emmanuel Tabon, said his restaurant sold through three days of steak in just one.
The fastest to run out was tira de asado — Argentine short rib. He says it's done differently than what you can find at most other spots in Texas.
"We cut them thick and we grill them in charcoal, you know, the Argentinian traditional way," Tobon said. "They love the bone and they love the thick cut, and you know it's fatty cut, so it's lot of flavor that comes to that."
That's why he thinks it sold out when fans from Argentina took over the restaurant Monday, gathering there to watch Messi set the record for most career goals scored at the World Cup (and watch him break his own record less than an hour later).
The restaurant was filled with singing, chants and calls for more meat and potatoes, which also sold out, Tobon said.
Beef was also the top choice for fans from Japan, especially steak, burgers and Texas barbecue.
Shiori Kamakura came from Japan, near Tokyo, with his friend Kesshin Oda, from Wisconsin. They both said the steak and bread at Texas Roadhouse were their favorites.
"It's like juicy and like it's less fat and I like that one like much more than the one in Japan because it has like more fat," Kamakura said.
Oda enjoyed the steak too but said it had unexpected competition: McDonalds.
"It's different than in Japan," he said. "Much bigger than in Japan. And messier, too."
They had plans after Thursday's match between Japan and Sweden to try out Whataburger.
Kei Wakabayashi took his friends to Hurtado in Arlington when they landed in North Texas Wednesday.
Wakabayashi is from the U.S., but his two friends were visiting Texas from Japan for the first time.
He took them to Hurtado because of its reputation for offering unique Tex-Mex style barbecue. It was his first time there, too, and he and his friends said they weren't disappointed.
Masa Takaoka, one of those friends, said Texas barbecue is a world's difference from the Japanese variation.
"I know there are some restaurants serve like that, but I think it's completely different," Takaoka said. "The Japanese one is more modest, more expensive and modest, not so wild."
He liked the way the brisket was seasoned and seemed to melt in his mouth, washed down with an IPA. The ribs were also a favorite for the way they fell off the bone.
They planned to go to Dunkin Donuts for desert after, but their tray at Hurtado still had food on it and they were too full to take another bite by the time the group was ready to leave. They'd have to save it for the next day, he said.
Brandon Hurtado, the owner and namesake of the restaurant, said all the meats he offers are hard to keep in stock at the Arlington location — he's actually cooking at other locations and bringing it to Arlington to keep up with demand — but brisket is definitely the most popular.
"Texas style barbecue is on a huge theme in other cultures, so we're spreading the barbecue gospel with every tray that leaves our line," Hurtado said.
Texas barbecue was an unforgettable experience for Max Linghag, too. But he said the beef at a sit-down restaurant had some unlikely competition for the best food in Texas.
"Raising Canes, they have the best fried chicken," Linghag said. "I want to try all your fast food."
Micah Thomas is Texan by birth but lives in Sweden with his wife Michelle Thomas, who is Swedish, and their children.
For Micah, it was an opportunity to revisit some favorites he can't get in Sweden, like Whataburger and Pizza (which is available at home but isn't the same, he said).
And of course, Tex-Mex was on the menu for them during their stay.
For that, he said they might stop at Loma, a newer Tex-Mex restaurant owned by Brandon Hurtado at Choctaw Stadium.
Executive Chef Christian Fuentes said it's hard to point to a most popular dish because it seems to change almost daily, but a consistent top seller is their wagyu fajitas, cooked in a tableside tequila flambe.
Also, on the list of favorites or must-tries for many fans: Buc-ee's, H-E-B and a real American backyard barbecue.
Got a tip? Email James Hartley at jhartley@kera.org. You can follow James on X @ByJamesHartley.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Copyright 2026 KERA News