America's Best Hole-In-The-Wall Restaurants That Were Featured By Guy Fieri

"Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," or "Triple D," for short, has been a staple of the Food Network since 2007, just a year after celebrity chef Guy Fieri was named the winner of "Next Food Network Star." He was chosen to spearhead the show, venturing around the country — and sometimes beyond — to try the food at locally renowned hole-in-the-wall joints and classic drive-ins. It quickly became a hit, and over the years he has visited more than 1,600 restaurants in nearly 500 cities, sometimes even heading back to the kitchen to get a glimpse of how the sauce is made — literally.

Although a handful of these Triple D stops have since closed, especially given the instability of the restaurant business post-COVID, there are plenty that've remained open for generations, earning a reputation as "America's best." We've pored through Triple D history to find the top "dives," or hole-in-the-wall joints featured on the long-running Food Network show. We prioritized locations with a "blink-and-you-might-miss-it" exterior, or places hidden in unassuming parts of town, maybe nestled between a cell phone repair shop and a nail salon in a strip mall, or located behind a warehouse far from the road.

We also looked for places that Guy himself visited more than once, or somehow deemed one of his favorites, and restaurants that received top ratings on sites like Google, Tripadvisor, and Yelp. After careful research, here are the 10 best hole-in-the-wall restaurants featured by Guy Fieri.

With over 1,000 five-star reviews on Google and even more positive praise on Tripadvisor, The Glass Onion has become a Charleston, South Carolina institution. The restaurant first opened in 2007 — coincidentally, the same year that "Triple D" first aired — and quickly garnered praise for its Southern-style comfort food. The parking lot stays full, which is likely how you'll recognize the pit stop as you drive down Savannah Highway, past chain restaurants and grocery stores. According to one Condé Nast review, it's the type of place that requires a good amount of research to find unless you're a local.

Guy Fieri visited the hole-in-the-wall joint on Season 13, Episode 11, sampling the smoked pork loin po'boy and chicken legs. Although the menu's changed in the decade-plus since season 13 aired, you'll still find an assortment of Cajun and Creole-inspired sandwiches and fried seafood platters worthy of a trip Down South. "The Glass Onion serves delicious locally sourced food that's cooked from scratch," writes one former customer on Google, adding, "Their menu changes daily ... WOW!" Redditors even list it among the best-ever "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" stops of all time.

Beyond The Glass Onion, Charleston, a place that blends a striking European appearance with Southern charm, is certainly worth a visit. Make sure you stop by some of the city's historic sites; Fort Sumter, for instance, is a short drive away from the restaurant's plates of collard greens and fried fish.

Disney World isn't the only must-visit attraction in Orlando, Florida. Se7enBites, a bakery on North Primrose Drive next to the Orlando Executive Airport, has been featured twice on Triple D: Season 26, Episode 10 and Season 32, Episode 5. Clearly, it's a favorite of Guy Fieri himself, who called the restaurant's famous Vanilla Bean Bourbon Bacon Moon Pie "legit," and also tried their chicken pot pie. Beyond its baked goods, this hole-in-the-wall pit stop is specifically known for its breakfast, which is served all day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. On the menu, you'll find buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken and sugary waffles, and tall stacks of pancakes with vanilla bean butter syrup. Typing Se7enBites' address into Google Maps will take you behind a row of big-box stores, far back from the road. In other words, it's easy to miss if you don't know where you're going.

But if Google reviews are any indicator, it's worth going out of your way to find. There are thousands — yes, thousands — of five-star reviews, with several customers noting that they first heard about the bakery on Guy Fieri's show. "We've been to many Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives featured restaurants, and this was probably the best so far," reads one. Sit-down vibes at Se7enBites are casual, and there's also counter service if you want to take a baked good to go as you make your way to Disney World.

Haldi Chowk, which translates to "turmeric marketplace" in Hindi, opened in Middletown, New Jersey, in 2016. It's been serving authentic Indian cuisine and fusion plates to the community ever since. The restaurant is sandwiched in a strip mall next to a European Wax Center and a nail salon. At first glance, you wouldn't know it's received hundreds of five-star reviews from dedicated customers or been praised by Guy Fieri himself, who visited Haldi Chowk on Season 35, Episode 11 of Triple D and called the samosas some of "the best [he's] ever had."

Menu items here are made-to-order and include Indian classics like butter chicken and fun twists like chicken tikka masala lasagna. Portion sizes are large, so you'll be able to easily split dishes with a group. "Dining at Haldi Chowk is nothing short of a revelation," writes one happy customer on Google, adding, "Chef Salil Bhandari, a Delhiite with Chicago-honed culinary training, delivers Indian fusion with sophistication, precision, and joy." Diners recommend the dishes that blend classic Indian flavors with other global cuisines. "Silly me wanting a chicken tikka when Haldi Chowk has so much more to offer!" writes another reviewer, going on to highlight the beet croquettes and the arancini.

What's more, when you're at Haldi Chowk in Middletown, you're just a few miles away from the Jersey Shore. Head to the boardwalk near Keansburg Beach, or, after filling up on a warm goat curry or palak paneer, drive down the coast towards Atlantic City to visit America's oldest roadside attraction.

For authentic Mexican seafood, there are few better places in Kansas City, Missouri, than Jarocho — at least according to Guy Fieri. The Food Network star visited the Kansas Avenue location (there's a second Jarocho about 20 miles south) on Season 30, Episode 11 of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." He tried the whole fried fish and famously said, "I don't care if this is the only thing on the menu, I will be back," per Food Network.

Jarocho is pretty far back from the road and surrounded by auto dealerships, fast-food joints, and mattress stores — that is to say, you wouldn't expect to find one of the city's top restaurants here. "I always asked myself, 'Can I do this? Can I bring seafood to the Midwest?'" founder Carlos Falcon, who grew up in Veracruz, Mexico, told NPR. He's been on a mission to bring the flavors of his seaside hometown to Missouri since 2014, when Jarocho first opened its doors.

On Google, customers recommend dishes like the ceviche and paella in particular, and they also speak to the top-tier service and the reasonable prices. "Great food for a great price. We learned about this from Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. FABULOUS. Great staff," reads one review. While you're in Kansas City, make sure you check out everything else the city has to offer, from its famous jazz clubs to the steamboat museum, only 5 miles from Jarocho.

In Wheat Ridge, an underrated Denver suburb home to lots of antique malls and family-friendly parks, you'll find old-school Italian pastas and baked goods at Grammy's Goodies. The family-owned restaurant, which is hidden across the street from a Walmart Supercenter, officially opened in 2015 after years of food festival appearances and catering. "This is exactly the kind of lasagna I would expect to get at Grammy's house," Guy Fieri said when he visited the restaurant on Season 31, Episode 6.

It also has thousands of five-star reviews, more than any other restaurant on our list. "This is a wonderful place to eat! It is a hole in the wall that looks like a daycare center as you approach it, even until you open the front door," writes one customer on Google, who mentions that "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is what first led them to Grammy's Goodies.

Beyond the lasagna, you'll find everything from Italian subs and pizzas to cannoli and pizzelles on the menu. "We are truly a family business," owner Vickie Corder told The Denver Post. "You will see the same faces each time you come in and feel like a guest in our home."

About 9 miles from the heart of Oklahoma City in Warr Acres is Travel By Taste, which has been serving authentic Persian food to Oklahomans since the late 1990s. It received national recognition after being featured on Season 31, Episode 13 of Triple D.

The restaurant is small, unassuming, and — like several dives on our list — nestled next to a collection of other businesses in a quiet strip mall. Although you might not look twice if you happen pass it on MacArthur Boulevard, this hole-in-the-wall joint is definitely worth a visit. "Everything is made to order," Mike Rezaian, the son of the restaurant's longtime owner, told The Oklahoma Gazette, adding, "You can come to the same spot and travel around the world and try different types of food."

Some of the most popular menu items include the chelo kebab dinner and gyros made with chicken or lamb. The restaurant is highly reviewed on Tripadvisor, with one customer even writing, "I could live off the food here from now on ..." The hundreds of five-star Google reviews also speak for themselves.

Hidden behind a video arcade and next to a print shop in Tallahassee, Florida, is Halisi Africa, which appeared on Season 41, Episode 4 of Triple D. Like many of the restaurants on our list, this place is difficult to find without an address, especially if you're from out of town. Popular menu items include fufu — starchy dough balls that originate from West Africa — Kenyan goat curry, and egusi stew. Several African countries are represented on the menu: Morocco, Ethiopia, Senegal, and more. In other words, the owners have taken care to honor the continent's unique regions and flavors. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, when Guy Fieri visited the restaurant, he cleaned his plate.

"We want to focus on controlling the narrative around Africa and the African diaspora and getting the opportunity to be on the national stage to talk about that, it reminds us of why we started," owner Bryant Shaw told WCTV, leading up to the show's air date. Halisi Africa was severely damaged after a spring 2024 tornado — thanks to its newfound fame, however, it'll be able to expand.

Reviews from previous customers are also stellar. "This made me long for another trip to Africa ... but until I can make that journey, your restaurant and boutique will be my home away from my home!" reads one on Google, and Yelpers recommend ordering the egusi stew at this "hidden gem," located in an underrated Southern capital near the Gulf Coast.

Walking down Figueroa Street in Santa Barbara, you might miss Norton's unassuming awning. If you take a moment to step inside, however, you'll be met with Guy Fieri-approved pastrami sandwiches. The small restaurant has been serving East Coast-style deli fare to the community for several decades. "People like our old school way of making sandwiches ... Every meat is top quality," Norton's owner told Noozhawk in a 2019 interview, also explaining that the restaurant has figured out how to "make it work" despite their small size — 600 square feet, to be exact.

On the recommendation of comedian Dennis Miller, Guy Fieri visited Norton's on Season 13, Episode 10, and tried the fan-favorite PLT sandwich. As depicted on the show, the pastrami is crisped up like bacon, then served on sourdough with chipotle mayo, lettuce, and tomato; it's like a BLT, but with even more meat. Other items on the menu include the pastrami dog, cheesesteaks, and classic ham and Swiss sandwiches. So, next time you're in the so-called "America Riviera," named for its Spanish-style beauty, take Guy's advice — and the advice of hundreds of Google reviewers — and swing by Norton's.

In Season 4, Episode 3 of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," Guy Fieri heads to Blawnox, Pennsylvania, to try the old-school Polish food at Starlite Lounge. The hole-in-the-wall joint, which is easy to miss if you're driving down Freeport Road, is certainly worth pulling over for — at least according to Guy Fieri and the hundreds of reviewers on Google who've given it five stars. It's also telling that the celebrity chef came back for a second helping on another episode in 2021, over a decade after his first visit, per CBS News.

"I'm just thankful for their professionalism and kindness," said owner Ron Esser in an interview with the Post-Gazette after the celebrity chef's second trip out, adding, "Guy was really great. Very, very personable. Hung out with my customers, took pictures. He didn't run in and act like a big star." If you head to Starlite Lounge yourself, make sure to try the pierogies, which are famously "half a pound" and "fantastic," according to one customer on Tripadvisor, who adds that Starlite is "Definitely a dive-bar type of place,  but if you're looking for Pittsburgh pierogies, this is the place."

The restaurant also hosts local bands and open mics several nights a week, so you can enjoy some live bluegrass or rock 'n' roll while sampling the Polish Platter or biting into your fried fish sandwich, which Starlite has been serving since 1947.

Although The Nook in St. Paul, Minnesota, might look unassuming on the outside, there's certainly a lot going on once you walk through the door. The restaurant is attached to a bowling alley, so you'll be able to refuel with a burger and milkshake after you aim for a strike. Tables look out onto the lanes, and dollar bills decorate the walls — and ceiling — around the bar. In other words, it's a classic dive. The Nook was even named one of the best places in the Twin Cities to enjoy a Juicy Lucy, a burger patty stuffed with cheese.

The restaurant has been featured a total of three times on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," first on Season 2, Episode 12, then on Season 14, Episode 9, and also in Guy Fieri's "Top 10 Burgers" episode. It's no secret that the celebrity chef is a big fan — "The Nook is off the Hook," he famously said, per KROC. The dive even paid homage to Fieri in burger form, designing "Guy's Big Bite," a patty stuffed with pepperjack cheese and topped with roast beef, cheddar, and bacon. It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

The long-running restaurant has also accumulated hundreds of fans on sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp, with one recent customer writing, "I've been wanting to try a real Juicy Lucy for years. So when I asked around the Twin Cities where to go, every single person said 'The Nook.' They weren't wrong." While you're in the Twin Cities, make sure to check out the area's natural beauty, from berry picking and kayaking in the summer to snowshoeing and skating in the winter, when you'll need a hearty Juicy Lucy to keep you warm.

Given the dozens of seasons of Triple D and the hundreds of restaurants featured on the show, it was no small feat to identify the best of the best. We looked to reviews on forums like Reddit, Tripadvisor, and Yelp to determine if customer reviews were in line with Guy Fieri's take — we also made sure each restaurant was still open, given how many restaurant closings resulted from the pandemic. All of the dives featured on our list have at least a few hundred five-star reviews on Google. We also considered rankings in regional magazines, newspapers, or accounts from local food bloggers.

Sticking to places that could be considered "holes-in-the-wall" or classic "dives" was also important to us. Each restaurant listed above is either out-of-the-way, hidden in a shopping plaza, or unassuming on the outside, so much so that you might miss it if you don't know where to look. We also prioritized restaurants with only one location. Of course, there are always more dives that deserve a feature, like this hole-in-the-wall biscuit haven featured by Guy Fieri. Or this Dallas burger destination with colorful menu options — there's really no shortage of places to try in Flavortown.