11 Best Steak Dishes Guy Fieri Had On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives
What's the first food that comes to mind when you think of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?" Creative burgers, sensational sandwiches, and impeccable hot dogs are probably toward the top of your list, and with good reason — this dive-y bar food is right up Fieri's alley, and easy to find on the show. However, we're highlighting a fancy food group that the Mayor of Flavortown has actually indulged in a number of times on DDD: steak.
The most coveted cuts of meat have made an appearance on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" more than you may think. Sure, they're not all served as solo menu items — several make an appearance in a sandwich, and even on pizza — but they're all steak, and according to Fieri, they're all delicious. We've hunted down some of the best steak menu items to ever appear on the series, and these 11 deserve all the attention they can get.
Cattlemen's Steakhouse: T-Bone Steak & Pepper Steak
We'll start out strong with Cattlemen's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Guy Fieri goes bananas for a good aged, hand-cut steak, and he explained in the episode that this is a big reason why he was stoked to set foot in Cattlemen's, which had been around for 99 years when it made its DDD appearance. Fieri certainly didn't leave disappointed.
Fieri tried the T-Bone Steak (also known as the "Presidential Choice") and the Pepper Steak when visiting Cattlemen's, and he gave rave reviews to both. In the episode, when he was asked to say something about the former, he replied, "You don't need to say anything — it speaks for itself," also calling it tender and perfectly grilled with a fabulous au jus. Fieri was also over the moon with his Pepper Steak, saying, "I'd drink that peppercorn sauce" and calling the steak "Off the hook."
(405) 236-0416
1309 S Agnew Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73108
T-Bone Tom's: Tom's Choice
Guy Fieri didn't hold back when he visited Kemah, Texas' T-Bone Tom's. He tried a whopping seven menu items when he was there, but the one we're featuring today is Tom's Choice, a whole 14 ounces of marinated, perfectly cooked ribeye that had Fieri practically swooning on camera. Should you have the opportunity to head into T-Bone Tom's, this is the dish you should get, hands down.
The marinade is made up of canola oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pineapple juice, granulated garlic, black pepper, and dried mustard powder, and the steaks sit in the mixture overnight. Fieri loved the "nice, quick, simple, easy marinade," and said, "You can't identify just one of the flavors." He also couldn't stop praising the cut itself, stating, "That's a great steak," and "Wow, that's a nice cut of meat" over and over.
(281) 334-2133
707 TX-146, Kemah, TX 77565
Jazz Bistro on 4th: Steak Cuban Churrasco Style
Cuban cuisine takes the helm of Fairbanks', Alaska's Jazz Bistro on 4th, our first stop for a churrasco entree that Guy Fieri fawned over. To make the Steak Cuban Churrasco Style at Jazz Bistro, a London broil is sliced and then cooked with onion, salsa, and green olives. Then, the cooked mixture gets plated and topped off by a generous serving of chimichurri.
The kitchen at Jazz Bistro is fairly small, which Fieri jokingly commented on after he tasted the steak dish, saying, "It's actually dangerous to think of you with a real big kitchen. Then I don't know what would happen, because if this much flavor is coming out of this kitchen, you're like the culinary Tony Montana right now, dude." It's certainly high praise from Fieri, and from the looks of the dish, we can intuit that it was well-deserved.
(907) 328-3663
529 4th Ave, Fairbanks, AK 99701
Butcher's Kitchen Char-B-Que: Filet Mignon Sandwich
Would you believe us if we said that Guy Fieri doesn't actually like filet mignon? That prized cut of meat actually isn't favored by quite a few chefs (like Andrew Zimmern, for example), and Fieri is one of them — or, he was until he tried the Filet Mignon Sandwich at Butcher's Kitchen Char-B-Que.
Marinated in a mixture of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil, oregano, sugar, parsley, mustard powder, thyme, salt, water, and olive oil (whew) and pounded with a multi-blade tool, the filet is cooked medium rare and topped with provolone, peppers, onions, and pepperoncini. Guy took a bite and praised the combination of flavors in the sandwich, ultimately affirming, "This is what you want in a steak sandwich." High praise indeed — we'll take two, please.
(775) 499-5855
7689 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89511
Dirty Water Dough Company: Steak 'n Cola Pizza
Here's an unexpected entry to the steak dish game: a steak pizza at Dirty Water Dough Company. Actually, it's not just a steak pizza — it's a "Steak 'n Cola" pizza, an even more intriguing twist on everyone's favorite bar food. There's no way Guy Fieri could resist trying this one when he headed in, and honestly, we probably couldn't, either.
You might be wondering what's up with the name "Dirty Water." It may have something to do with the unique ingredient added to the spot's pizza dough: beer! Its crust isn't the only standout thing about the Steak 'n Cola pizza, though — we'd have to give that superlative to the "cola" element. The steak that goes on this pizza is actually marinated in cola, Italian dressing, soy sauce, granulated garlic, black pepper, and salt. Mozzarella, provolone, raw marinated steak, and caramelized onions go on the pizza, a combo that had Fieri dubious at first. Upon trying it, though, he changed his tune, declaring, "Bro, you got a pizza here!" He also said the pizza crust is among the best he's ever had.
Multiple locations
The Green Mesquite BBQ & More: Chicken Fried Steak
Residents of Austin, Texas may already be familiar with The Green Mesquite BBQ & More, a local joint serving up some of the best barbecue around. If you're ever in the area, you'd be remiss not to stop by this Triple-D joint, where Guy Fieri indulged in a mouthwateringly crispy chicken fried steak.
The dish had been on the menu for 20 years when the episode was filmed, and there's a reason it's such a mainstay. The breading is made from a mix of flour, salt, sugar, pepper, dried bell peppers, and dry ranch dressing mix. Even better, the steak is double-battered before being fried and topped with gravy. In the episode, Fieri loved that he could cut the steak with just a fork, and he claimed the breading gave "the crunchiest, the biggest batter I've found on one."
(512) 479-0485
1400 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Sonny's Famous Steak Hoagies: Cheesesteak
Are you craving a killer cheesesteak, but you're nowhere near Philadelphia? Well, if you're in the vicinity of Hollywood, Florida, Guy Fieri has a recommendation for you — just head on down to Sonny's Famous Steak Hoagies, a local mainstay since 1958. This spot serves up enviable cheesesteaks on homemade rolls — at the time of filming, it was churning out 30-50 dozen rolls daily!
Shaved ribeye makes up the meat of this sandwich, and it's sautéed with yellow onions, salt, and butter before being topped with provolone and loaded into a roll. Fieri took a bite and proceeded to give it garbled praise with his mouth full — then he fondly noted all the flavor that the butter gives the sandwich, finally admitting that it "should make some folks nervous in Philly."
(954) 989-0561
1857 N 66th Ave, Hollywood, FL 33024
Wario's Beef and Pork: The Steak Wario's Way
Here's another cheesesteak, and this time, we're headed up North — not to Philadelphia, but to the not-too-far-away city of Columbus, Ohio (apparently, you can actually get some of the best cheesesteaks in the country outside of Philly). Wario's Beef and Pork is adamant that its cheesesteaks are unique from Philly cheesesteaks, though, and we'll give them that — we've certainly never seen anything quite like the sandwich that Guy Fieri indulged in when he visited this spot.
Obviously, this joint makes its own rolls, and its cheese sauce is a house recipe as well — the latter is made with milk, cheddar, Monterey Jack, sheep's milk pecorino, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, black pepper, and sodium citrate to bind the sauce. On top of the cheese sauce, the sandwich Fieri has gets hit with "Wario's sauce," a blend of spices and mayo. Add in ribeye, two kinds of cheese (sharp cheddar and provolone), and caramelized onions, and you get a sandwich that sent Fieri somewhere out of this world. Oh, and he said he could bathe in the cheese sauce — do with that what you will.
(614) 914-8338
111 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215
Rincon Argentino: Milanesa Napolitana
It's not often that we get to see Guy Fieri try a dish he's never had before, but that's exactly what happened on one episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which saw the famous food personality eating at Rincon Argentino in Boulder, Colorado. The Argentinian spot is a hit among locals, and Fieri loved it, too — especially the Milanesa Napolitana.
After being tenderized, the steak that makes up this dish is dipped in a mixture of eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley, before being coated in Italian breadcrumbs. It's double-coated in this mixture and then oven-baked on a plancha and topped with house-made marinara sauce, ham slices, and mozzarella. Fieri was surprised to find that the dish wasn't at all heavy, despite all the meat and cheese it came with, calling it "outstanding" in between bites.
(303) 442-4133
2525 Arapahoe Ave A-5, Boulder, CO 80302
Murphy's Bar & Grill: Gaelic Steak
An Irish pub in Hawaii? That's exactly what you'll find if you head into Honolulu's Murphy's Bar & Grill, which Guy Fieri had to try when he was on the islands. There's plenty of history to be found here — the building has been around for over a century, but there's nothing antiquated about its food.
The Gaelic Steak at Murphy's is served up with a green peppercorn sauce made from heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, and green peppercorns — that's it! The steak itself is a New York strip, and Fieri insisted it be practically drowned in the sauce. He loved that the peppercorns pop open in the mouth and noted that the steak was cooked perfectly, but he said that the kicker was the Worcestershire sauce. The dish was so good, he had to give his cameraman a bite.
(808) 531-0422
2 Merchant St, Honolulu, HI 96813
Yumbii: Yumbii Bulgogi Cheesesteak
Last but certainly not least is Yumbii, the first restaurant with a Deaf head chef to appear on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." This spot's twist on the standard Philly cheesesteak is notable and singular — this cheesesteak is bulgogi-inspired, and the steak itself is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, green onions, sugar, water, and pineapple juice. The spot also makes its own sriracha queso sauce and cucumber kimchi.
All of this gets piled on a hoagie-style bun, and watching Guy Fieri dig in is certainly a sight to be seen. In the episode, he explained how he loved the juxtaposition of the tender meat, "refreshing" cucumber kimchi, and rich cheese sauce. As expected, he lauded the sandwich for being "packed with flavor" and "delicious" — praise Fieri certainly doesn't always give out lightly. The next time you're craving both cheesesteaks and bulgogi in Atlanta, you have to give Yumbii a try.
Multiple locations
Methodology
To earn a spot on this list, a restaurant had to meet a few requirements. Obviously, it needed to make an appearance on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," and Guy Fieri must have tried a steak dish while visiting the spot. We excluded any restaurant that's since closed; though Fieri had some incredible steak dishes at now-defunct joints, we chose not to tease you with menu items that aren't currently available. All of the above were enjoyed by the Mayor of Flavortown himself, and he had rave remarks to give each of them.