It's a Rochester staple and a dish that has put us on the map. We all know that the garbage plate comes with a caloric price. Now, a health web site is talking trash about the garbage plate, but some Rochesterians are challenging the web site to a food fight.

If there are few things more American than apple pie, then there's nothing more Rochester than the garbage plate.

"I love the hamburger plate myself," said Josh Whitcomb.

"A lot of food," said Chris Murphy. "A pretty good deal for what you're getting."

We know the garbage plate is far from healthy. But then we came across Health.com and it's Fifty Fattiest American Foods, one fatty dish to represent each state. Click on New York and up pops the plate.

"Everything's fatty for you nowadays," said Whitcomb. "Nothing is good for you."

"Beautiful," said Delores McDowell. "I love all that bad stuff."

These Rochesterians are sticking up for the city's signature dish, especially when compared to what the other states have to offer.

Like Alabama's bacon wrapped meatloaf.

"Garbage," said Harry Harris. "Straight fat."

"Looks pretty disgusting," said Murphy.

"Um no," said McDowell.

Arizona boasts the Quadruple Bypass Burger.

"Oh my Lord I could barely eat one of those, I mean one of the patties, let alone for of them," said Whitcomb.

"Cholesterol," said Harris. "They should call it the dead burger."

"Yes you're really going to need a bypass after you eat that," said McDowell.

And then there's the Colorado's seven pound breakfast burrito.

"Pain," said Harris. "Absolutely pain."

"Seven pounds," said Whitcomb, who said it could be breakfast for four or five mornings. "My Lord, that's incredible."

All of a sudden the garbage plate doesn't look so bad.

"That stuff you showed me, that's garbage," said Harris.

"The garbage plate compared to any of those is pretty minuscule I think," said Whitcomb.

So calories be darned. Rochesterians are proud of their delicious, messy dish.

"A lot of my friends will come out of state, like Connecticut, Pennsylvania," said Murphy. "They'll say you ever ate a garbage plate before and of course I'll say yes because I'm from Rochester."

That's some food for thought.

Health.com