USA: The Land with at Least 50 Options: A Hilarious and Eye-Opening Tour of America's States, One Grocery Aisle at a Time

by Robert Okine, Kevin Clay (Narrator)

Ever stood frozen in a grocery aisle, paralyzed by 37 types of orange juice or milk options that require a PhD to decode? Welcome to America—the land of freedom, fries, and fifty wildly different grocery store experiences.

In this delightfully quirky road trip, Robert Okine trades tourist traps for frozen food sections and souvenir shops for snack aisles. With the eyes of a global nomad and the wit of your favorite stand-up comic, he journeys state by state—from California’s kale sanctuaries to Texas’ brisket emporiums, from Vermont’s maple-syrup serenity to Florida’s hot mess of sunshine and Spam.

Forget Michelin stars—this is a love letter to the humble grocery store, where culture, identity, and chaos collide under fluorescent lights. It’s anthropology with a shopping cart, humor with heart, and America like you’ve never seen through the absurd abundance of almond milks, the regional pride of ranch dressings, and the soulful confessions of hot bars and deli counters.

Whether you're a curious traveler, a cultural junkie, or just someone who’s ever yelled “WHY are there eight kinds of frozen waffles?”—this book is for you.

Grab your reusable bags, buckle your snack belt, and prepare to laugh, nod, and crave a cheese curd you’ve never tasted.

Because in the U.S.A., one thing’s for sure: you’ll always have options.

Genres: Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published May 8, 2025

About the author

Robert Okine is a keen observer of everyday life, fascinated by the quirks that make people—and places—uniquely human.

With a sharp sense of humor and a love for detail, he writes to explore, laugh, and make readers think twice about the world around them.​

USA The Land With At Least 50 Options™ is his debut book in a growing series that mixes social commentary with travel, culture, and satire—served one grocery aisle at a time.

Reviews

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery

"The humble, beautiful, chaotic places where real food meets real life. Where culture, comfort, convenience, and chaos all live under fluorescent lights."

This book is full of 51 short essays about each of the different grocery personalities in each state of the US (plus DC). This book is part cultural commentary and  part comedic observation of everyday American life.

This is not a book about grocery stores. It’s a love letter, an ode, or an epic poem to the land of choices and dinner opportunities: The United States of America. The diversity of grocery stores in America reflects the diversity of the people and the experiences one might have in America.

Each short, quippy chapter describes a different state. Each state is represented by its grocery store: not just what’s on the shelves, but the vibe, the culture, and the personality. It’s like a travel guide, TL;DR, giving you a snapshot of who and what each state is and who or what the people are like in that state.

Why California first? The list is neither alphabetical nor in order of most outlandish to most 'normal.' It’s as if the author took the country and arranged it by feel, not geography.

Reading this, I felt like I was watching Forrest Gump when Bubba talks about shrimp. There are numerous varieties, much like the types of potatoes in Idaho or the various milk options in California.

Each word is so intentional, so well-placed, and sometimes they are in bold typeface, giving extra emphasis.

Even when the state’s grocery store stereotype leans on the obvious, it never feels lazy because it is so fun and loudly humorous. Like someone who sees America in all its absurd and beautiful forms.

Everyone eats, so everyone shops. This book is for anyone, even if you don't live anywhere in the US but want a snapshot of what it's like to live in any one of the different states. We are a melting pot of flavors - inside and outside of our grocery stores.

You’ll start wondering where you’d want to live, not just by climate or cost of living, but by grocery energy. (I think I identify most with Nevada, which tells you a lot about what kind of person I identify as.)

One of the most fun, funny, and sneakily accurate things I’ve read this year.

[Milo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could say that I’d loved this book, but honestly, it was so so for me. I really like the first 15 to 20 chapters, and then it just got repetitive. I love learning about different cultures and such, but the repetition of the same sort of wording just didn’t really sit with me. Thank you for letting me read this book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Robert Okine, author and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for USA: The land With at Least 50 Options--A Hilarious & Eye-Opening Tour of America's States, One Grocery Aisle at a Time that I won in the Giveaway.

The concept of the book is original and unique. The repetition, overlap of phrases and information for states in the same geographic area killed the humor for the most part. Each state had the same sub-titles that became expectations of what was next.

I've been to all but four of the fifty states and DC, and some of this sounded like research rather than true experiences. For example take North Carolina, if you find a little out of the way dinner that only serves pulled pork (vinegar style) or a guy making it on his BBQ in his front yard and selling then you have had the real Eastern Style Pulled pork. Nothing in the grocery story compares. Same would be for Iowa corn sold at the State Fair cooked in a big pot with a bit of milk added and real butter on a stick. Grocery stores provide ingredients but to get the true food flavor of a state you have to find home cooking of their specialty.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would have ever thought that a grocery store would be unique to each state? Surprisingly true as this engaging book proves.
I enjoyed reading about the differences in grocery stores across the country. My state of Oregon certainly proved that in their description of recycling and bring your own containers.
This is a perfect book for a cross country trip in a car, because you know you will be stopping at a grocery store in each state. Know what to look for and be prepared.
Fun book and you will go back to it time and again.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative but hilarious. I enjoyed this book.

[Andrew Atkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite interesting to compare the different eating habits of the 50 states, although there is quite a lot of overlap. The main problem I had - and I acknowledge that this is meant to be “hilarious” - is the constant reference to the size of food packaging. At a time of concern for obesity and associated pressures on health services it may not be appropriate to talk favourably about industrial-size bags of grits, biscuits or whatever. Apart from that, I discovered plenty of facts about eating and shopping that were new to me. I received a copy of the book through HiddenGems and this is my independent review of the book.

[brenda baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read for those family road trips and travel trivia

This is a quick humorous read with many relatable moments from family cross country trips to Senior bus trips. Something for everyone. From Buc-ee’s to high end grocery stores you will have an opportunity to say “Been There”

[heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Okine’s Tour of America’s States, One Grocery Aisle at a Time is an imaginative and witty cultural travelogue that turns something as mundane as grocery shopping into a mirror of American identity. Through humor, keen observation, and genuine curiosity, Okine transforms the nation’s grocery aisles into stages for exploring consumer habits, local pride, and the chaos of abundance.

His writing blends the sharp humor of modern satire with the insight of cultural anthropology. Each state’s supermarket scene becomes a character study California’s organic aisles, Texas’ smoky barbecue sections, Vermont’s maple purity, and Florida’s wild mix of sunshine and eccentricity. Beneath the laughter, the book raises thoughtful questions about choice, culture, and how Americans define comfort and community.

Tour of America’s States, One Grocery Aisle at a Time is as entertaining as it is revealing, a refreshing spin on travel writing that celebrates diversity, humor, and humanity in equal measure.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

HiddenGems Beta Reader

I read this book and I loved the concept. It's unique, brand-new, and completely original. The contents, though...the humor fell flat for me. The short chapter format made the book very digestible which I appreciated, but the issue for me was how repetitive the humor was. Each chapter gives each state its own sort of "culture" via grocery store descriptions, which I thought was really easy and enjoyable to read. I can't say I'd necessarily recommend this book, but I wouldn't discourage someone curious about it. If you're curious about what makes each state unique, and you enjoy simple albeit low-hanging jokes, this book makes for a light and upbeat read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: This was my first experience with this author's work, and I was surprised by how amusing I thought the document was. Although I've experienced going into a store and being confronted with a confusing and varied array of the same types of foods and drinks, it never occurred to me to actually think about just how extensive America's choices were. I appreciated this thought-provoking dissertation, and I enjoyed it a lot. I was amazed at Kevin Clay's narration as his performance kept my attention and was entertaining. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's proof, we just have too many options. I'm talking about at the grocery store. Robert Okine takes us on a trip to each state plus DC for a look at all their speciality items. Be prepared to be amazed at how accurate he is with each state. I was impressed. I have rv'd in or through all of them except Hawaii. He is right on! Fun and funny. I will be listening to this book again. The narration was great. I felt the author himself was reading it to me. 5 stars for him as well.
I was gifted this book through Story Origin.

[Lois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repetitive and lacking inspiration

While this book had a few funny moments (very few), I found it not interesting and not very inspired. The state foods mentioned were repetitive - like someone Googled a standard list of items from stores in each state and just changed the brand names for the book. I do not recommend this book, despite the fact that I got a free copy from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really funny road trip around America through the shops rather than the tourist spots. A great read to see a country in a very different way. See just how it will all go
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I loved it

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

💯💯💯💯💯