Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - Season 3 / Year 2009

Guy Fieri checks out places the locals have been loving for decades: In San Francisco, a classic joint that's made fresh-carved hot meat sandwiches for more than 60 years; in Omaha, an 80-year-old tavern turned fish market and in Pittsburgh, a family place making Italian American favorites for more than 40 years.

Guy Fieri discovers real deal dishes born elsewhere: In Norwalk, CT, a small place making authentic Venezuelan fast food; In Minneapolis, a Lebanese restaurant serving all of Moms favorites like lamb tongue; And in Chicago, a pizza joint famous for its thin crust pies.

Guy Fieri uncovers some places the regulars keep piling into: In Santa Fe, a little café serving El Salvadoran specialties; In Salt Lake City, a barbeque joint where folks line up for the house special -- burnt ends. And on the Mississippi coast, a joint on stilts where they re doing Creole favorites.

Guy Fieri rolls back the clock at some joints that feel like they've been there forever; In San Diego, an overgrown coffee shop serving classics like chicken and dumplings for 60 years; a bar-turned-restaurant in Chicago's Little Italy, where the same family's been cranking out their favorites for three generations; and in Atlanta, a diner legendary for southern breakfasts for more than 50 years.

Guy Fieri takes an eastward tour of Route 66: In Flagstaff, Ariz., a family style restaurant serving scratch made southwest favorites; in Albuquerque, N.M., an old gas station turned diner making classics their own way, like chicken-fried ahi tuna; and in Chicago, a joint that's been serving fried chicken on Route 66 since the 30's.

Guy Fieri heads all over the country for barbeque; In Austin, Texas, green mesquite smoked classics. In Northern California, a railroad car turned barbeque shack making Philly Cheese Steaks. And in Connecticut, a regional celebration of barbeque.

Guy Fieri drives in for a taste of what the locals love: In New Orleans, a family restaurant serving specials named after neighborhood streets; In Pittsburgh, a strip mall joint making Polish Haluski and Italian Polenta they call fried mush; And in Albuquerque, N.M., a local dive serving authentic New Mexican cooking, from sopaipilla with shredded pork to burritos with chicharrones.

Guy Fieri tracks down fast food done right: In New Mexico, the fifty-four-year-old drive-in that's legendary for Green Chile Cheeseburgers; In Omaha, the taqueria where they're deep frying tacos -- from homemade tortillas; and in Connecticut, the hot dog joint that started as a truck, where a trained chef is turning out all kinds of scratch made combo dogs.

Guy Fieri takes a seat at the family table; In Glendale, Ariz., a German restaurant making sauerbraten from scratch; in Northern California, an old saloon serving lamb shanks and minestrone that's a meal; and in Fort Worth, Texas, a Texas institution dishing up all the classics from pot roast, to giblet gravy and beef tips.

Guy Fieri chases down some funky joints doing serious cooking: Near Fort Worth, Texas, a gas station with a menu -- where they're making duck l'orange; in Seattle, a cafe where former circus performers are serving up home made pasta with elk; and in Sacramento, Calif., a dive bar doing prime rib -- in a smoker.

Guy Fieri meets cooks doing things their own way: In Flagstaff, Ariz., a family place where the beef stew is made from tenderloin; in San Diego, a restaurant in a fish market where two brothers insist their way is the only way to do fresh fish right; and in Chicago, at a dive bar where a heavy metal fan is turning out nearly two dozen different burgers named for rock bands.

Guy Fieri rolls out to great joints with international favorites including a Sacramento storefront where a French chef is serving home made pate'; Basque specialties at a local place in Idaho; And near Palm Beach, FL, Latin-infused favorites cooked up in a converted truck.

Guy Fieri checks out some places doing America's favorites: Burgers done every which way at a joint run by culinary school grads in Dallas; the Arizona pizza joint where father and son are rollin' out the old family recipes; and the Seattle chili shack where they'll even put their signature item on mac and cheese.

Guy Fieri rolls in for some serious scratch cooking: In Portland, Ore., a breakfast joint where they're making buttermilk biscuits with sweet potatoes; in San Anselmo, Calif., a diner where the BLT comes stacked with soft-shell crab; and in Boynton Beach, Fla., a deli making all kinds of east coast classics from bagels to matzoh ball soup.

Guy Fieri uncovers some unexpected joints the locals love: In Boise, Idaho, a 50-year-old drive-in where you can order on the speaker box, and end up with prime rib; in Santa Fe, N.M., a pizza joint where they'll top your pie with green chilies; and all kinds of authentic Jamaican cooking in Fort Worth, at a place the Texas locals have fallen in love with.

Guy Fieri checks out some beloved local places: In San Rafael, Calif., a Puerto Rican restaurant serving an adobo steak sandwich and a kind of lasagna made with plantains; in Connecticut, a pub on a beached barge where bar food means steak au poivre and clams casino; and in Portland, Ore., a family-owned meat market and deli where they're making hot dogs from scratch.

Guy Fieri checks out homestyle cooking in Seattle, where a southern chef is bringing southern classics to the northwest; In Arizona, a classical musician who is serving up native Italian recipes; And in Santa Fe, the adobe diner where corned beef hash gets a southwestern spin.

Guy Fieri checks out some classics from coast to coast: In Portland, Ore., a neighborhood restaurant serving up Southern-style biscuits with everything on them; in Fort Worth, Texas, a roadside joint putting some heat in their standards like green chili lamb stew and rib eye with chipotle; and in North Miami Beach, Fla., a shack in a state park making all kinds of smoked fish.

Guy Fieri rolls in for a world of flavor: In Phoenix, a family-owned joint where five sisters are cranking out authentic Mexican tacos; In Seattle, an auto shop turned Greek restaurant serving gyros and flaming cheese like mom used to make; and in San Francisco, a little Italian place making grandpa's bolognese and clams with linguine.

Guy Fieri checks out some places keeping the feel of the past alive: In Idaho, the local landmark brought back to life, where they're dishing up big plates; In Portland, the old-time lunch counter where folks love the grilled cheese and home made tomato soup; And in Miami, the family joint doing seafood the way their grandparents did back in Cuba.

Guy Fieri rolls out to some joints doing comfort food their way: In Arizona, where a Paris-trained chef is doing ham steak with red eye gravy; in San Francisco, where a trained pastry chef has folks lining up for chili cheddar cornbread and pumpkin oatmeal pancakes; and in Milwaukee, where another trained chef is wrapping bacon around meatloaf, and deep frying a ball of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

Guy Fieri rolls out to some places still doin' it mama's way: In Oklahoma City, a couple doing soul food from family recipes, and folks are packing in for wings and waffles; in Dallas, a family home turned family restaurant, where mom herself is still making tamales; and in Los Angeles, a Polish joint in a strip mall where a couple are serving the favorites they grew up with, from pierogi to stuffed cabbage.

Guy Fieri rolls in for serious sandwiches; In Hollywood, Fla., a second generation hoagie shop where they're making authentic Philly cheese steaks on homemade rolls; in Portland, Ore., a cafe where they're serving house-cured pork belly on the Reubens, and a salt cod sandwich comes with chorizo; and in Chicago, a diner doing open-faced Thanksgiving dinner and Sunday pot roast on a bun.

Guy Fieri samples fast food done right; In Houston, TX a joint in an old grocery store for wild burger toppings; In Milwaukee, a corner café putting a twist on classic; And in Reseda, CA, hot dogs deep fried, wrapped in bacon and even in burritos.

Guy Fieri samples fast food done right; In Houston, TX a joint in an old grocery store for wild burger toppings; In Milwaukee, a corner café putting a twist on classic; And in Reseda, CA, hot dogs deep fried, wrapped in bacon and even in burritos.

Guy Fieri rolls out for great foreign flavors: Scandinavian cooking at a place in Chicago, from meatballs with lingonberries to house-cured gravlax; Middle Eastern favorites at an old drive-in in Arlington, Texas, from falafel to pilaf; and authentic Mexican cooking in Guy's home town, Santa Rosa, Calif., from homemade tacos to sopas.

Guy Fieri checks out joints doing one-of-a-kind favorites from coast to coast. In Portland, Ore., a BBQ place smoking trout and lamb ribs; in Deerfield Beach, Fla., a beach town pub doing a new twist on Oysters Rockefeller; and in Boise, Idaho, a tire store turned diner where they'll put just about anything on their mac and cheese.

Guy Fieri heads out for some great places viewers asked him to visit. In Okarche, Okla., a family restaurant serving fried chicken the exact same way for more than 40 years, dozens of you wrote in about that one; a viewer's favorite in downtown Los Angeles, a Mexican joint doing 500 handmade tamales a day; and a favorite suggested by viewers in Houston, a deli in a strip mall making corned beef and kreplach like they do back in New York.

Guy Fieri hits three joints with the same name twice -- Pok Pok, Tap Tap and Niko Nikos. In Houston, an old gas station serving up authentic Greek specialties including moussaka, gyros and honey-drenched donut holes called loukoumades; In Miami Beach, Fla., a Haitian restaurant doing a classic marinated pork and a one-of-a kind watercress sauce -- all from scratch; and in Portland, Ore., a walk-up or dine-in place where they're making all kinds of Asian, from Thai marinated boar to Vietnamese chicken wings.

Guy Fieri finds three local joints doing scratch cooking their way. In Boise, Idaho, a family restaurant doing this trifecta: brick oven pizza, remarkable salads and roasted chicken; in Cleveland, a coffee shop turned restaurant where the bread's from scratch, the corned beef is house-brined and veggies are grown out back; and in Chicago, a barbecue joint doing Memphis style dry rub for everything from brisket to beef tips and ribs.

Guy Fieri checks out some joints where things are still done the old-fashioned way. In Oklahoma City, a steak house that's been serving the same steaks, desserts and even salad dressing for more than 80 years; In Los Angeles, a 1940s diner brought back to life by a chef doing mac and cheese, fried catfish, and donuts her way; And in Boston, three brothers carry on 40-year-old family tradition -- making clam chowder like Dad -- and chipotle/pastrami sandwiches.

Guy Fieri hunts down some killer dives. In between Chicago and Milwaukee, a joint topping bacon-wrapped filet mignon with a hot conch salsa; in Cleveland, an old nightclub fresh smoking salmon -- for a salmon BLT; And in East Amherst, N.Y., a local favorite doing all kinds of burgers -- even cheeseburger soup.

Guy Fieri rolls in for real family cooking. In Providence, Rhode Island, an old family place where a couple of brothers are putting a spin on the family tradition, like stuffing Dad's ravioli with barbequed chicken. In Houston, Texas, a joint in a strip mall where a couple of guys from Bosnia are serving the classics their moms made them; And in Glendale, California, a joint where one family's making their own Cuban favorites, from pork to ceviche.

Guy Fieri hits nothing but diners on this trip. In Santa Cruz, Calif., where east coast diner meets Vietnamese cooking for everything from Reubens to spring rolls; In Peabody, Mass., an old lunch car turned diner where the locals pile in for home made favorites like Boston Baked Beans; And in Norman, Okla., a beloved local landmark serving award winning chili on everything from fries to burgers and hot dogs.

Guy Fieri checks out some longtime favorites. In Cleveland, an Italian joint where the same family has been making pizza, meatballs and chicken parmesan for more than 50 years; In Buffalo, a 50-year-old diner where they're smoking their own bacon and making ham and red-eye gravy from scratch; and in Attleboro, Mass., a local landmark since 1911, serving New England classics like French meat pie and Fisherman's stew.

Guy Fieri rolls out for medium rare done right. In San Francisco, a dive bar cranking out high-end, homemade dishes like apricot relish on a double pork chop; in Cambridge, Mass., a Harvard Square institution serving burgers piled high; and in Kemah, Texas, a meat market turned restaurant grilling up great house-cut steaks.