re: Why aren't brats more popular in the South?

I was in elementary school in the late 80s. I don't remember how it came up but I vividly remember one of my teachers mentioning that he never heard of brats while growing up in Ohio. So it's not just a southern thing. A lot of Germans settled the Great Lakes and brought with them a lot of traditions/foods. Milwaukee is ground zero for brats and beer in America. From my time at State I came away with the impression that a lot of common foods are the results of French, Irish, and "slave" influences. With those 3 influences there wasn't a chance for brats (and similar sausages) to gain a foothold.

At the turn of this century McDonalds sold the McBrat in the fall. It was in partnership with Johnsonville. (The brats used are now sold in their precooked packages.) I don't recall if it was a national or regional thing. If it was national, it could explain how people outside of the upper Midwest first tried them.

We're doing brats for supper tonight. There's nothing better than a beer brat (both the beer brat type AND creating a beer sauna for them). My wife is from the south so she's all about funky things like Dr Pepper brats and using mayo ( ) on the buns.

Brats are popular at my house.

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I'm not talking about johnsonville brats

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I am. They’re delicious. And available everywhere.

Aldi had good brats and sausage in general as well as good prices in their meat section. But like the earlier poster, the Midwest has better options especially in Wisconsin and Michigan. Texas is so big it has a lot of every type.