Diners Dives and Drive ins?

I stopped watching the food network many many years ago
I used to really enjoy it when the shows "Food Finds" and "The Best Of" were on
It's no longer enjoyable and it no longer interests me.

Iron Chef Japan...Go Ota!!!

Whenever Ted Allen says a heartfelt "sorry" about being Chopped...after a basket full of Peeps Gefilte Fish & Root Beer Schnapps.

One could stay drunk all day long by taking a shot anytime anyone, anywhere, TV or not, says "Sammie". I blame Rachel Ray.

Fall right into the choup stoup...or whatever.

Thank God for the Cooking Channel. Detox & Rehab.

I've been to many of his recommended places and have seen places that lived up to the hype. I've also seen mediocre food and some that made me question their judgement . I've also been to one in particular that was a  BBQ place in an old gas station in Oklahoma City called Leo's that should be shut down in my opinion. The food was average for Oklahoma BBQ but the place was filthy. I understand that cleanliness issues are somewhat typical for many hole in the wall BBQ joints due to the nature of the product. I run a BBQ trailer myself. The problem was when I received a re-fill for my iced tea I noticed something odd in my tea. I kept looking at it waiting for my eyes to focus. Then I realized there was a dead roach in my tea. Now you can't convince me that the DDD crew did not notice that there was a severe roach problem in that establishment. They spend the better part of a day in an establishment to film. For DDD to recommend a restaurant with a severe roach problem is unacceptable in my book.  

BR


I've been to many of his recommended places and have seen places that lived up to the hype. I've also seen mediocre food and some that made me question their judgement . I've also been to one in particular that was a  BBQ place in an old gas station in Oklahoma City called Leo's that should be shut down in my opinion. The food was average for Oklahoma BBQ but the place was filthy. I understand that cleanliness issues are somewhat typical for many hole in the wall BBQ joints due to the nature of the product. I run a BBQ trailer myself. The problem was when I received a re-fill for my iced tea I noticed something odd in my tea. I kept looking at it waiting for my eyes to focus. Then I realized there was a dead roach in my tea. Now you can't convince me that the DDD crew did not notice that there was a severe roach problem in that establishment. They spend the better part of a day in an establishment to film. For DDD to recommend a restaurant with a severe roach problem is unacceptable in my book.  

You are referring to Leo's BBQ, which was in many of the old Roadfood Books. When I visited back in 2003, I too noticed a problem with flies (t was late May, warm and muggy) but I have to admit the BBQ (at  least at that time) was stellar

I'm not one who complains about his very often, but when I visited the downtown Leo's BBQ location a few years ago, it was very dirty.

ken8038


One could stay drunk all day long by taking a shot anytime anyone, anywhere, TV or not, says "Sammie". I blame Rachel Ray.

 
 
I will never say that word.

Speaking of dirty...
 
Cafe Du Monde
 
The floor is sticky, but that's the nature of having powdered sugar flying about.
 

 
However, the grease and grime hanging from the fans and rafters is disgusting.
 

 

 
Then again, it has never stopped me.

I understand he was once out at Texas Pride BBQ,which is near St.Hedwig and Adkins,Tx.It sits off of Lavernia Road.Looks like it's been there for over 50 or 60 years,but that's not true.The building was built sometime in the 1980s or so.However the folks who run it have been in the bbq business for a long time.
Thursday night it's popular with bikers.Friday nights they have a fish fry and live music,or you can get their bbq.Ate there once,but that was ages ago.
He also I think did the TipTop Cafe on Fredricksburg Road. Now this place has been there in San Antonio since the 1940s,maybe earlier.Both of them have websites.Also ate there once, and the food at the TipTop was good.Just don't get over to that side of San Antonio very often.

At least you didnt eat HERE:
 
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/kentucky-restaurant-shut-down-roadkill-kitchen-160225525.html

Here are the ones that we have visited, have never been disappointed in any of them!

     Jerseys Cafe
13710 N Meridian Street Carmel, IN 46302
ph. (317) 846-7760 

      South Side Soda Shop & Diner
1122 South Main Street Goshen, IN
ph. (574) 534-3790 

       Steer-Inn
5130 E 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46219
ph. (317) 356-0996
 
  
Triple X Family Restaurant
2 North Salisbury Street West Lafayette, IN
ph. (765) 743-5373 
 
      Rosie's Diner (CLOSED)
4500 14 Mile Road Rockford, MI
ph. (616) 866-3663
 
 

I stumbled upon the Jefferson Diner in Jersey last week.  Guy was there, and the owners bought his Camaro.
 

Jersey's Cafe caught my attention when it was featured. It looks marvelous!

http://www.jerseyscafe.com/




If the waitress says "Hmm...so...what's your exit?

It's 14A iight?

joerogo


I stumbled upon the Jefferson Diner in Jersey last week.  Guy was there, and the owners bought his Camaro.

Joe, are you saying the diner owners actually BOUGHT Guy's red Camaro?

CCinNJ


Iron Chef Japan...Go Ota!!!

Whenever Ted Allen says a heartfelt "sorry" about being Chopped...after a basket full of Peeps Gefilte Fish & Root Beer Schnapps.

 

Twinwillow

joerogo


I stumbled upon the Jefferson Diner in Jersey last week.  Guy was there, and the owners bought his Camaro.

Joe, are you saying the diner owners actually BOUGHT Guy's red Camaro?

 
Yep, That's what it says on the front of the menu.  The owners two sons bought it for her.  
 
http://www.jeffersondiner...ive-ins-and-Dives.html
 
BTW, the food....so so.

I read once that Guy has a number of Camaros and that they are shipped, not driven to the different locations. He just drives them a block of two for filming.

Nothing on the website showed the front of the menu or was anything said on their website validating their purchase of Guy's Camaro. However, I know he has more than one. 
 
The Camaro shown on Guy's earliest shows actually belonged to his partner and is slightly different than the one on current shows.
 
That family sure is getting their 15 minutes worth of fame, though!

I think the guy from United States of Bacon would get more social media followers if he had a sweet ride like the Camaro.

While Guy remains insufferable, we should all agree that the production team and their researchers do a really good job finding places.  I've been to the following sixteen places that have appeared on Triple-D, and there's a lot of crossover between places that are featured here at Roadfood.com and/or Chopped Onion, a site which, if you don't know it, you'll love it:
 
Bar-B-Q King, Charlotte NC
The Beacon, Spartanburg SC
Blue Ash Chili, Cincinnati OH
Blue Moon Cafe, Baltimore MD
The Colonnade, Atlanta GA
Leonard's Pit Bar-B-Que, Memphis TN
Marietta Diner, Marietta GA
Martin's BBQ Pit, Nolensville TN
Matthews Cafeteria, Tucker GA
Metro Diner, Jacksonville FL
Parkette Drive-In, Lexington KY
Pawley's Front Porch, Columbia SC
Pizza Palace, Knoxville TN
Red Arrow Diner, Manchester NH
Silver Skillet, Atlanta GA
Southern Soul Barbeque, St Simons Island GA
 
Some were better than others - and all were better than the burger at Parkette - but that's a great batting average for restaurants worth the trip.

Here's the list of locations visited by DD&D...

http://www.flavortownusa.com/

Way back when, I was contacted about my review on the Gaffey Street Diner. I gave them some more info on the place and it wound up being episode 3. Whenever the episode runs, it becomes next to impossible to get in on that weekend. The good news is, after going there last Monday, Gaffey Street's food is as good as ever!

I don't quite understand the decision process when the one featured establishment in <<<Hoboken>>> has been... La Isla. La Isla is a great place...but when I think <<<Hoboken>>> Italian is the first thing that comes to mind. The second and third as well.

Union City (a mile up the hill) has the second largest Cuban population in America...with countless excellent authentic Cuban food choices....that are much more of the fabric of the neighborhood vs. <<<Hoboken>>>.

Maybe next time.

Expect a line at your favorite Phoenix Dive.

This happened at the Noble Pig here in Austin right after he was there.

Darn.  So much for getting in easily at Curry Corner in Tempe...

***fantastic
**great
*really good
 
Metro29 Diner, Arlington, VA ***
Chef Pointe Cafe, Watauga, TX (NE of Ft. Worth) ***
Tune Inn, Capitol Hill, WDC**
Twisted Root Burger Company, Dallas, TX *
Pecan Lodge BBQ, Dallas, TX *
 
 

La Isla must have been selected because they won (of course) the stuffed French toast Throwdown.


Castle Point was featured on a (gasp!) BBQ program. Televisions must have been smoking in some areas.

I looked at the list you posted CC. Maybe it was for just one season???? I know he has hit the Brick Pit BBQ in Mobile and Moonlite BBQ and (former) Lynns Paradise Cafe in L-ville, but they are not included on the list.

Missing BBQ! Uh oh!

This is a really fun place with many different locations visited/showcased and mapped for several different show...

http://www.tvfoodmaps.com/

Fresh mozzarella in <<<Hoboken>>> made it to The Best Thing I Ever Ate! Thank you Ted Allen! Your check is in the mail!

Not a fan of Guy's but I enjoy watching people in those roadhouses making amazing things from scratch rather than order from Sysco..and cracking open a can.
 
I have been to two of the places he featured in Syracuse, neither of which are diners Drive-ins or Dives: Kitty Hoynes and Pastabilities. These are actually pretty upscale and well renowned for their food. My wife an I had breakfast at Kitty Hoynes a few weeks back and quite enjoyed it. Their Irish breakfast was great..black and white pudding (blood sausage and a sort of boudin), Irish sausage, eggs and soda bread. The sausages were fantastic.
 
We then went to Pastabilities for my birthday dinner a couple weeks ago. We hadn't been there since shortly after they  opened, almost 20 years ago. We did try the duck bacon pizza and the stretch bread with hot tomato oil dip and they were awesome. Wife had pink vodka sauce on penne with scallops, I had fettuccine with pesto. All great stuff.

Yeah, I saw that episode (syracuse) and was thinking," these aren't diner's drive in or dives!?!"
Maybe a few of the surrounding bars, but Kitty Hoynes and Pastabilities?
 
And, Syracuse HAS diners, drive-ins and dives!
 
If he goes back to Syracuse, where next? Coleman's and Scotch and Sirloin?
 
 
 
 

There are a lot of good diners he could go to but I don't think I'd want to tell him about them as the resulting crush of customers would mess it all up for me.  The whole "DDD" moniker really is just a template and there are many "square pegs" that don't easily fit into that "round hole".  Man v. Food already covered Mother's Cupboard, Dinosaur and Heid's.