You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who is not familiar with Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The reality show, hosted by Guy Fieri, showcases small, "mom and pop" restaurants across the country, and sometimes outside the U.S. Fieri's fun-loving, often boisterous personality is hard not to love and adds a lot to an otherwise run-of-the-mill concept.
With over 450 episodes in nearly 15 years, Guy has traveled every inch of the country, multiple times over, highlighting hundreds of restaurants. Throughout the series, special episodes have highlighted restaurants in Europe, Canada, and Cuba. The series also features special celebrity guests, some of which include Adam Sandler. According to IMDB, these are the 10 strongest episodes of this Food Network cornerstone.
Keepin' It Real (8/10)
In this episode, Guy travels from coast to coast, starting in Miami, Florida, at Sakaya Kitchen. The dishes highlighted include their fried duck sandwich and marinated beef chunk tater tots. In Manhattan, Guy meets up with Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and checks out a Neopolitan pizza t, called Don Antonio.
Their specialty pie is their pistachio and sausage pizza. In California, Fieri visits Bless My Soul Cafe, which serves up Creole fusion soul food. Opened in 2003, Executive Chef Janisse "Sweet Mama" Wilkenson takes her family's secret recipes and adds a unique twist.
Kickin' It In Key West (8/10)
Starting in the Old Town area, Guy hits up Garbo's Grill, a food stand that specializes in fish tacos. However, their Umami Burger is just as famous. Korean BBQ tacos are also featured. Down the street from Garbo's is Bad Boy Burrito, serving up duck quesadillas, hogfish tacos, and other spins on Mexican staples. Their Kobe beef burrito is also featured.
Rounding out his trip, Guy heads to DJ's Clam shack to check out some killer fresh seafood. Simmered in garlic butter, white wine, and lemon juice, their littleneck clams are a favorite dish.
Scratch Made Classics (8.2/10)
In Santa Barbara, California, Guy stops by Lito's Cafe for scratch-made favorites. The carnitas is the go-to dish and are braised for three hours in a traditional copper pot, so tender it falls apart on your plate.
Venturing outside of the United States, Guy takes a trip to Vancouver, Canada. Save-On Meats Diner was once a butcher shop in the 50s, now re-imagined as a four-story bakery, meat market, and diner. Rounding out the episode, Guy visits The Redhead, a neighborhood spot focusing on Southern comfort food.
Southern Staples (8.2/10)
In East Vancouver, Canada, Guy chows down at the Red Wagon Cafe. Owned and operated by Executive Chef Brad Miller, they serve up several favorites, including crispy confit pork belly and pulled pork pancakes.
In South Carolina, Guy hits up Perfectly Franks, where hometown hero Perry Cuda dreams up unique hot dog creations. Also featured is their sweet tea marinated fried pork chop sandwich. Up north, in NYC, Guy stops at Mama's Food Shop. Chef Scott Morris whips up some Southern classics, like fried chicken, peach cobbler, and macaroni and cheese.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (8.2/10)
In San Antonio, Texas, Guy swings by Magnolia Pancake House. The bacon waffles are a favorite amongst the locals. Using home-made batter and apple cider smoked and cured bacon, these waffles are fluffy, sweet, and salty. In Tampa Bay, Florida, The Taco Bus is open 24/7 and has a lot of vegetarian options. The butternut squash tostada is a fan-favorite spin on a classic Mexican dish.
In Virginia Beach, The Beach Pub has been serving up fresh seafood since 1993. For their Oysters Rockefeller, a dozen oysters are shucked and stuffed with spinach, bacon, and cheese. It's a classic dish that never disappoints.
Long-Standing Legacies (8.2/10)
In Brooklyn, New York, Defonte's is a neighborhood tradition. Founded by his grandfather, Nicky Defonte took over the place from his father. Guy learns how to make fresh mozzarella for the steak pizzaiola sandwich. Also featured is the eggplant roast beef sandwich.
Guy heads down south to the Carolinas and swings by The Glass Onion. Their crispy chicken is served with mashed potatoes, collard greens, and topped with sweet red pepper relish. Their smoked pork loin po' boy is also featured. In Annapolis, Maryland, Guy stops by Galway Bay Irish Pub for Irish food with a spin. Their corned beef, for example, is stuffed in cabbage with mashed potatoes and a Guinness mustard seed sauce.
Old School ts (8.2/10)
Delta Diner in Wisconsin serves up some of the best pancakes Guy has ever tasted. Thin and crepe-like, the cakes are topped pickled jalapenos, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. Also featured is the Red-eye gravy and biscuits. In Minnesota, Guy checks out a family-owned (and family-style) Italian t called Ganucci's Italian Market. The lasagna is traditional, no-frills Italian, and never disappoints. Of course, what would an Italian market be without fresh cold cuts?
A first for Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives, Guy visits an all-vegan Diner called Cornbread Cafe, which serves up Southern comfort food. Located in Oregon, owner Sheree Walters took over an old 50's diner and made it her own. Featured on the show is the "Euginewich" sandwich: fried tofu, haystack onions, carrot "bacon," and a house-made vegan mayonnaise barbeque sauce.
Sweet, Savory, & Saucy (8.2/10)
In Bakersfield, California, 24th Street Cafe creates diner classics like Texas chili and pumpkin pancakes. Purchased in 1987, the classic 50's diner attracts hungry travelers far and wide. The owner/chef Mark Huggs came from several generations of restauranteurs and worked for this father at the famous Milt's Diner.
Also in Bakersfield, Guy visits Moo Creamery, owned by husband and wife duo Jessica Pounds and Richard Yoshimura. Although Ice cream is their specialty, they also have delicious burgers, like their peanut butter crunch burger.
Outside The Box (8.4/10)
In Baltimore, Maryland, Joe's Squared Pizza serves up incredibly unique pizza creations and pasta dishes. Joe Edwardsen is known around town as the "mad scientist" of pizza making, and this episode features his famous pie, the Bacon and Clam. Also, he shows Guy how to make his crowd-pleasing fried ravioli.
In Dallas, Pepe and Mito's is a favorite spot for home-made "Mex-Tex" food, a Mexican-forward twist on the fusion cuisine. The Mexican meatball soup and the tacos norteños are highlighted. On the West Coast, Guy checks in on Savoy Cafe and Deli, which was established in 1995. Although the family-owned restaurant went bankrupt a few years later, the family was able to repurchase it and has been going strong ever since. Talk about a feel-good story!
Meat In The Middle (8.5)
Brick House Cafe in Cable, Wisconsin calls their menu "comfort food with elegance." With everything from burgers and espresso barbeque to french toast and home-made ice cream, Brick House Cafe does it all and does it well.
Back in Eugene, Oregon, Guy visits The Sandwich League, owned and operated by Dawn Sellers, who cashed out her 401k and created a superhero-themed sandwich shop. Featured on the show is the "Pork on Pork," which is pulled pork barbeque and bacon smothered in coleslaw.