10 Sandwiches Guy Fieri Raved About On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives
While cooking techniques, ingredients, and flavors vary infinitely across the planet (sometimes, within a single country or region), nearly every country and culture can lay claim to some form of sandwich. Mexico has delicious tortas. The bánh mì is prolific in Vietnam. Braaibroodjies are South Africa's take on a grilled cheese. Sandwiches around the world highlight the diverse flavors of their countries of origin, but they all share the same straightforward structure: bread plus fillings.
Yes, there's a beautiful simplicity to the sandwich, whether we're talking about a humble grilled cheese, or a more complex creation like a Croque Monsieur. Travel and food shows often highlight different variations of sandwiches, and with a 56-season run, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" has featured countless sandos throughout the show's nearly 20 years on air. This means Triple D's notorious host, Guy Fieri, has sampled just about every type of sandwich one can dream up.
The restaurateur famously keeps meals off of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" if he doesn't like them, so it's safe to say everything we've seen the Food Network star eat on the show is Fieri-approved — but a handful of sandwiches have stood out, earning truly rave reviews from the Mayor of Flavortown himself. From a simple fish sandwich at a family-owned seaside tavern to a vegetarian collard green melt at a NOLA hotspot, here are the sandwiches Guy Fieri has gushed over on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."
Abalone sandwich at Duarte's Tavern (Pescadero, CA)
Established as a saloon and barbershop in 1894, Duarte's (pronounced DOO-art's) Tavern is nestled in the serene coastal farm town of Pescadero, California, just a stone's throw from the Pacific Coast Highway. On the outside, the restaurant might not look like much, but inside, this kitchen serves up major flavor — making it a perfect fit for "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." A true local hang, Duarte's has been passed down through the Duarte family for four generations, and the family has largely preserved Portuguese immigrant founder Frank Duarte's ethos of homey, seafood-centric country cooking with a dash of Portuguese techniques and flavor.
Fieri was immediately charmed by the family-owned tavern, where he witnessed the owner making Duarte's famous crab cioppino with Dungeness crab before sampling the restaurant's specialty abalone sandwich. The abalone is dredged in an egg wash and covered in cracker meal breading, then cooked on the grill until golden and crispy. The sandwich consists of two humble ingredients: The breaded abalone and two slices of homemade sourdough bread. The Triple D host seemed surprised by the simplicity at first, but upon digging in, realized none of these accompaniments were needed. Abalone is a briny, sweet, and buttery fish that stands on its own, and Fieri raved about the deep, rich flavor of the uncomplicated sandwich.
(650) 879-0464
202 Stage Road, Pescadero, CA 94060
Texas Nail sandwich at Slow Bone BBQ (Dallas, TX)
There's no shortage of barbecue restaurants in Dallas, Texas (or in the whole state, for that matter). Debate over who serves the best 'cue is heated, but if you ask Guy Fieri, he might just appoint Slow Bone BBQ the reigning champion. Slow Bone was established in 2013 by chef-operator Jeffery Hobbs, a veteran of the Dallas barbecue scene. Hobbs takes great pride in his scratch kitchen, with everything from fried chicken to sweet potato praline to cilantro chimichurri sauce made in-house. It was Hobbs who introduced the Mayor of Flavortown to the Texas Nail, a brisket sandwich Fieri called "hillbilly Beef Wellington." Upon biting into the bun in the episode, Fieri exclaimed, "You've got the crust. You've got the duxelle. The brisket is so unbelievably tender. The creaminess of the cheese... It's so succulent, juicy, unctuous. It's a gourmet meal disguised as a brisket barbecue sandwich."
The Texas Nail is not your average brisket sando. In addition to smoked prime brisket, it carries a smoked mushroom duxelle, which likely inspired the Beef Wellington comparison, and is rounded out with roasted green chiles, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, lime crema, and a jalapeño barbecue sauce. Talk about Flavortown. In addition to the Texas Nail, Fieri sampled Slow Bone's "ridiculous" collard greens side and the Porkaholic sandwich, a bacon and pulled pork bun loaded with apple slaw, Swiss cheese, and mustard aioli — both of which earned rave reviews.
(214) 377-7727
2234 Irving Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207
Italian meatball sub at Indy's Historic Steer-In (Indianapolis, IN)
Though it's gone by three different names since its opening in 1960, Indy's Historic Steer-In is a community institution in East Indianapolis. In 2007, the Kehrer family took over and gave the restaurant a much-needed makeover while preserving its retro 60s diner vibes and even some of the most beloved recipes from previous owners, like the Steer-In's famous Twin Steer Burger. However, when Guy Fieri visited in 2011, it was not the Twin Steer he sampled. Rather, the television host was treated to another classic: an Italian meatball sub. Fieri was particularly impressed with the sub's marinara sauce, which incorporates anchovies in addition to the standard Roma tomatoes cooked down with diced onions, garlic, and fresh herbs.
The hand-rolled meatballs are a three-meat combo of veal, chuck, and Italian sausage. Italian bread is sliced in half, slathered with sauce, and topped with mozzarella cheese before a light toasting under the salamander — the sandwich is then finished with halved meatballs and doused in more marinara. The Steer-In's meatball sub illustrates that restaurants don't need to do off-the-wall versions of American classics to succeed. When food is prepared with care and quality ingredients, the results speak for themselves.
(317) 356-0996
5130 E 10th St, Indianapolis, IN 46219
Cheesy bologna sandwich at Gralehaus (Louisville, KY)
Guy Fieri invited Damaris Phillips — a Louisville-born celebrity chef — to tag along when he visited the small but burgeoning Kentucky town for a 2016 episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." In the episode, Phillips introduced Fieri to one of her favorite spots, Gralehaus, an upscale-casual haunt situated in an old Victorian-style house in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood. Gralehaus specializes in brunch-forward Southern comfort food, and while most folks don't think of bologna sammies as breakfast fare, the sandwich is considered a brunch staple in the South. At the time, the bologna sandwich was one of Gralehaus's best-known menu items, and the behemoth creation won the heart of both Phillips and the Mayor of Flavortown.
The chefs watched in awe as Chef Andy Myer made the bologna by hand from start to finish, complete with a signature spice blend consisting of nutmeg, dextrose, coriander, black pepper, garlic powder, curing salt, paprika, and dry milk powder, which lent a nuanced, sweet-and-savory profile to the meat. Myer melted New York white cheddar on a Brioche bun before topping it with two slices of fried bologna, a perfectly fried egg, and baby mustard greens to complete the sandwich. Upon digging in, Fieri remarked, "This is kind of a cross between a nice summer sausage and a bologna. The balance is really great, and the texture is the best part about it." Unfortunately, the bologna sandwich does not appear to remain on the menu today, but Gralehaus is still serving delicious breakfast and lunch seven days a week.
(502) 857-7457
1001 Baxter Ave, Louisville, KY 40204
Salt cod sandwich at Bunk Sandwiches (Portland, OR)
Portland is often lauded as a safe haven for the weird and unusual, and at Bunk Sandwiches, the menu follows suit. Bunk is known for off-the-wall sammy creations, and when Guy Fieri rolled up to Bunk Sandwiches for "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," he was treated to a true anomalous masterpiece: A salt cod sandwich the Triple D host quickly pronounced, "funkalicious." In the episode, Fieri tagged along while the chef walked him through the unusual preparation method for the cod — it's first cured in salt in a nod to preservation methods of old, then soaked in water for a few days. The rehydrated cod is then cooked down in milk with garlic and thyme until the fish is flaky, then pureed with mashed potato, cream, olive oil, and more fresh thyme and garlic until a chunky consistency is achieved.
The pureed cod makes up the base of the sando. It's spread over bread and browned in the oven while the chef whips up the "salad" topping (parsley, red onion, cured black olives, sliced and fried Spanish chorizo, olive oil, and vinegar), which rounds out the sandwich. Fieri was immediately enchanted with the spectacular flavor bomb the salt cod sandwich presented, remarking, "the texture and the flavor... the creaminess of the potatoes, sharpness of the vinegar, all of a sudden, chorizo storms through the door!" Sadly, the salt cod sandwich does not appear to be on Bunk Sandwiches' menu anymore, but some folks still credit Fieri's epic Bunk Sandwiches visit with playing a part in putting Portland on the map as a foodie destination.
(503) 328-2865
1028 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Collard green melt at Turkey and the Wolf (New Orleans, LA)
New Orleans is undeniably a foodie's paradise, and there's a lot more to its rich culinary scene than gumbo and beignets. Plenty of the city's restaurants deviate from traditional Southern cooking. Just look at Turkey and the Wolf, a casual sandwich shop that skyrocketed to fame when "Bon Appétit" named it America's best new restaurant of 2017 after its editors sampled Chef Mason Hereford's potato chip-studded bologna sandwich. The bologna sandwich may be T&W's biggest claim to fame, but it's not what Guy Fieri ate when he visited the humble Lower Garden District haunt for a 2018 episode of Triple D. Instead, the Food Network star was treated to Hereford's homemade hog's headcheese tacos and an unassuming collard green melt that turned out to be the star of the show.
Most of us don't think "sandwich" when presented with collard greens, but that kind of out-of-the-box thinking has earned Turkey and the Wolf nationwide acclaim and even a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation in 2025. The veggie-friendly collard melt is perfection in a sandwich: Slow-cooked collard greens, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and a pickled cherry pepper dressing slapped on rye bread. Sweet, creamy, salty, tangy, and umami-rich, it's a one-of-a-kind combination smacking with unforgettable flavors. Fieri went nuts for the collard melt, praising the funky sandwich as one of the best things on the menu. Bologna sandwich, who?
(504) 218-7428
739 Jackson Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Pepito sandwich at Irazu (Chicago, IL)
Chicago is home to many top-tier eateries, including Irazu, a Midwest restaurant Guy Fieri visited during a 2024 episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Owned and operated by the Cerdas family, Irazu has served up warm, authentic, Costa Rican dishes since 1990. In the episode, Fieri remarked that sampling Costa Rican food "may be a Triple D first" and inquired about the key components of Costa Rican food. Owner Henry Cerdas replied, "vegetables, meat, and chicharrón," with a smile before guiding the TV host through Irazu's process for preparing the restaurant's chicharrón dish – but while there, Fieri also sampled another customer favorite: the Pepito sandwich.
Prep for the Pepito sandwich begins with a traditional Costa Rican black bean paste made in-house daily by Irazu's kitchen staff. The paste is slathered on fresh French bread with melted Muenster cheese, then topped off with grilled steak and onions. The finishing touch is Lizano sauce, a sweet, tangy salsa common in Costa Rica, which is drizzled over the meat before the sandwich gets pressed on the grill panini-style. Fieri gushed over the combination of the bean paste, meat, thick-sliced onions, and Lizano sauce, chuckling that he couldn't stop eating the scrumptious sammy. If Irazu was, indeed, the show's first Costa Rican food showcase, it's clear the Triple D producers made the right choice.
(773) 252-5687
1865 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
109 Chestnut Chicken Sandwich at Copper Penny (Wilmington, NC)
Historic downtown Wilmington is brimming with charm, but it wasn't the stunning architecture or the river walk that brought Guy Fieri to town in 2018. Instead, he came to sample the fare at Copper Penny, a bar and grill owned and operated by husband-and-wife duo Christine and Brian Cadwallader. After working at Christine's family restaurant in Philadelphia, the couple moved to Wilmington in the early 2000s. As Brian told Guy Fieri in the Triple D episode, "We needed a place where my wife could go and get some good food, and I could watch the game and have some wings." Sensing an opportunity, the couple opened up Copper Penny in 2004.
During his visit, the Mayor of Flavortown sampled Copper Penny's signature dish, the 109 Chestnut Chicken Sandwich. The 109 pays homage to the Cadwalladers' PA roots in that it's inspired by the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, but "109 Chestnut" is actually the restaurant's address. There's no steak involved — as the name suggests, this is a chicken-based sammy. It's made with thin-sliced chicken breast and rounded off with sautéed mushrooms, onions, melty Provolone cheese, and chipotle aioli on toasted bread. Fieri praised the bread, which came from a local baker, and delighted in the sandwich's texture and flavors. The Food Network star pronounced the sandwich "very simple, but done very right" before digging into a side of Copper Penny's house-made onion rings.
(910) 762-1373
109 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401
Reuben at Lucky's Cafe (Cleveland, OH)
One could eat out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of their life and still not come close to eating at every restaurant in America. While "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" features new-to-the-show eateries the majority of the time, a handful of spots have earned return visits. One such restaurant is Lucky's Cafe, a hidden gem in Cleveland that Fieri visited in both 2009 and 2020. The 2009 episode saw the host completely charmed by the backyard garden, where much of the restaurant's fresh produce is grown, and highly impressed by owner/chef Heather Haviland's "everything from scratch" philosophy — even more so after getting an up-close view as Haviland prepped the corned beef for Lucky's famous Reuben sandwich.
Nearly every component of Lucky's Reuben is made in-house. There are no tricks or secret ingredients to the sandwich itself: It's a standard Reuben made with corned beef, sauerkraut, rye bread, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese (the cheese appears to be the only element not made in Lucky's kitchen). It's the homemade component that makes this sandwich so special. Fieri couldn't stop chuckling after his first bite, exclaiming, "I don't know that you should accept money for these. Bring us your firstborn." If you ever find yourself in Cleveland, you can still eat the very Reuben that gave Guy Fieri goosebumps at Lucky's Cafe today.
(216) 622-7773
777 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113
Fox Bros 'Burger' at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q (Atlanta, GA)
While many barbecue spots have a burger on the menu, it's not typically what diners actively seek out at such a restaurant. Therefore, it was a bit surprising that twin brothers Justin and Jonathan Fox of Atlanta's Fox Bros Bar-B-Q chose to serve Guy Fieri their "cheeseburger" on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives when the show swung through in 2015. The puzzle pieces start fitting together when the show explains that the Fox Bros burger isn't a burger at all, but rather a chopped brisket sandwich.
It all starts with certified Angus beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, thrown in the massive smoker, and cooked at a low temperature overnight. The twins' pride in their kitchen was evident as they walked Fieri through the making of their homemade signature barbecue sauce and spicy pimiento cheese from scratch. The Fox Bros "Burger" consists of a base of smoked, chopped brisket, a healthy dollop of jalapeño mayo, and a pimiento cheese "patty" on a toasted bun, topped off with peppered bacon, pickles, tomato, and onion. Fieri commended the brothers on their technique of chopping up the brisket, which helps incorporate extra fat, and loved how the cheese and veggie toppings really do lend the sandwich a burger vibe. Perhaps dubbing the hearty brisket sando a burger isn't such a stretch after all.
Multiple locations
Atlanta, GA