What restaurants or regions in the US are piloting cultured meat menu items in late 2025?
Executive summary
A limited but growing number of U.S. restaurants and regions began piloting cultivated (cultured) meat menu items by mid‑2025 after regulatory approvals for some products; Wildtype’s cultivated coho salmon appeared on the menu at Kann in Portland following FDA clearance in May 2025 [1]. Industry reports say more than 300 pilot dishes and 150 fast‑food co‑branded items have been tested worldwide, and the U.S. market is forecast to expand rapidly in the decade ahead [2].
1. Where pilots have been reported: fine dining to fast food
Fine‑dining restaurants have been among the earliest sites for cultivated‑meat tastings and pilots; for example, Wildtype’s FDA‑cleared cultivated coho salmon was placed on the menu at Kann in Portland, Oregon shortly after agency approval in May 2025 [1]. Industry summaries also describe more than 300 pilot dishes served in fine‑dining establishments across three continents and co‑branded menu experiments in about 150 fast‑food outlets, indicating pilots span formats from chefs’ tasting menus to limited‑time fast‑food offers [2].
2. Which companies and products are driving U.S. pilots
Regulatory milestones enabled pilots: Upside Foods and Good Meat received USDA approvals for cultivated chicken in 2023, and Wildtype secured FDA clearance for cultivated coho salmon in May 2025—actions that directly precipitated restaurant placements such as Kann’s menu addition [1]. Market coverage and company sites also highlight Upside Foods and GOOD Meat as leading U.S. players that have aimed to work with restaurants and retailers following agency reviews [3] [4].
3. Geography: concentrated experiments, not nationwide roll‑out
Available reporting shows pilots concentrated in innovation‑forward cities and restaurant scenes rather than broad regional deployment. The concrete U.S. example in the reporting is Portland, Oregon (Kann restaurant serving Wildtype salmon) and earlier limited outings in a small number of venues after the 2023 USDA approvals [1] [5]. Broader, systematic rollouts across multiple U.S. regions are not detailed in the provided sources (not found in current reporting).
4. Scale and consumer exposure: still early but growing
Analysts project a rapidly expanding market (from an estimated USD 800 million in 2025 to over USD 4.1 billion by 2035) and report dozens to hundreds of trial menu items globally, implying consumer exposure will increase as pilots scale [2]. However, those figures describe global pilot activity and market forecasts rather than confirmed widespread U.S. restaurant adoption [2].
5. Legal and political headwinds shaping where pilots happen
State legislation has influenced where cultured‑meat products can be sold; some states (for example Florida and Alabama) enacted bans on sale or production of cell‑cultured meat, which constrains commercial availability and likely channels pilots to friendlier jurisdictions [5]. The political and regulatory patchwork is a key reason pilots cluster in permissive locales and high‑profile restaurant kitchens [5].
6. Industry and culinary motivations — and skepticism
Companies and chefs use tastings and limited menu placements to refine texture and flavor and to build consumer familiarity; market research notes iterative feedback loops with chefs to adjust product profiles [2]. At the same time, some farming communities view cultivated meat as a “slow‑burn” threat and express skepticism that it will replace conventional meat soon—reporting frames this as a potential culture‑war flashpoint in the U.S. [6].
7. What reporters and researchers say is still unclear
Sources document individual placements and pilot counts but do not provide a comprehensive, up‑to‑the‑week list of every U.S. restaurant piloting cultivated meat in late 2025. They do not list a nationwide roster of restaurants or regions beyond the cited Portland example and earlier limited venues (not found in current reporting; [1]; p1_s1). Trade forecasts and NGO snapshots suggest growing activity but stop short of a complete menu‑level roll call [2] [7].
8. What to watch next
Monitor further regulatory approvals and state legislative changes, which will determine where pilots can legally move from tasting events to paid menu items; also watch announcements from lead companies (Upside, GOOD Meat, Wildtype) and high‑profile chefs for new placements, since past FDA/USDA approvals directly preceded restaurant listings [1] [3]. Industry trend pieces predict more tasting events and limited‑time offers as companies attempt to scale consumer trials [6] [2].
Limitations: reporting in the supplied sources gives concrete examples and global pilot counts but does not enumerate all U.S. restaurants or regions running pilots in late 2025; a definitive, up‑to‑date roster is not provided in these sources (not found in current reporting).