Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

10 Best Episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - Season 18

Host Guy Fieri travels across America in search of the best diners, drive-ins and dives. He visits classic "greasy spoon" restaurants and talks to staff and customers about the food. Episodes often feature eateries linked by a common theme, such as burgers or comfort food.

Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 06, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

Advertisement
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E12

#13 - Family Time (Season 18 - Episode 12)

Guy visits several family-owned restaurants. Included: A husband and wife in Nashville run a gourmet food truck specializing in grilled cheese; and a nearby Italian spot serves grandma's recipes for lasagna and lamb shanks. Also: Siblings in Kansas City embrace their Chinese heritage by making firebird chicken and chili pepper wontons.

The episode was rated 7.60 from 20 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E5

#12 - Aces of Authenticity (Season 18 - Episode 5)

Advertisement

This trip, Guy's hittin' up some joints that are authentic to the bone. In Santa Fe, N.M., the farm-raised Chimayan owner turnin' out traditional dishes like blue corn enchiladas with red chile sauce and chile en nogada. In Portland, Ore., the noodle house cranking out mom's recipes for all kinds of authentic Chinese dishes like won ton soup. And in Albuquerque, N.M., the Italian joint with a native Frenchman at the helm, serving up totally fresh pastas like beef cheek manicotti and squid ink black pasta with calamari.

The episode was rated 7.61 from 18 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E2

#11 - Meat Lover's Paradise (Season 18 - Episode 2)

This trip, Guy's signing up for a meat-crazed master class. In Portland, Ore., the craft-cooking family joint with a chef who butchers, cures, preserves and smokes everything in-house, from headcheese to great-grandma's fried chicken recipe. In San Carlos, Calif., the pastrami-crazed neighborhood spot crankin' out burgers, cheesesteaks and signature sammies.

The episode was rated 7.64 from 25 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E7

#10 - All Kinds of Gobble Gobble (Season 18 - Episode 7)

Advertisement

This trip, Guy's gettin' a variety of Thanksgiving tastes and treasures. From traditional turkey wild rice soup and pumpkin pie in Santa Fe, N.M., to a totally unique take on the Thanksgiving bird, this is the kind of holiday food extravaganza only a dude in a red Camaro could drum up.

The episode was rated 7.69 from 16 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E13

#9 - Soup, Salad and Seafood (Season 18 - Episode 13)

This trip, Guy's diving into all kinds of classic comfort foods. In Kansas City, Mo., the real deal chef serving up his dressed-up version of comfort food with dishes like chicken pot pie and steamed mussels. In Franklin, Tenn., the southern spot crankin' out comfort food favorites like jambalaya, chargrilled oysters and the regional favorite hot chicken. And near the airport in Nashville, the food truck turned deli keepin' it funky with all kinds of homemade soups, salads and even some graffiti.

The episode was rated 7.71 from 14 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E1

#8 - Neighborhood Knockouts (Season 18 - Episode 1)

Advertisement

This trip, Guy's traveling up and down the west coast in search of funky neighborhood joints. In San Diego, the "everybody knows your name" all-day breakfast joint servin' up a decadent creme brulee French toast. In Portland, Ore., a husband and wife team are cranking out good ol' Americana with dishes like corned beef hash and chipped beef. And in San Francisco, the hot dog spot holding the block down with unique selections like the lamb merguez dog and fried chicken sandwich.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 18 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E4

#7 - Cannoli, Fritters and Wings (Season 18 - Episode 4)

This trip, Guy's rollin' out for a festival of flavors. In Portland, Ore., the Guamanian food truck serving up righteous shrimp fritters and a unique spin on chicken salad. In Wheat Ridge, Colo., the family-run comfort food joint crankin' out killer cannoli and kraut burgers. And in San Francisco, the fusion food truck combining Filipino and Latin traditions in adobo buffalo wings and grandpa's recipe for pork tacos.

The episode was rated 7.74 from 23 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E11

#6 - Tennessee Holiday Traditions (Season 18 - Episode 11)

Advertisement

This trip, Guy's digging into the unique holiday traditions in Tennessee. In Hendersonville, the barbecue joint with a storied past serving up the traditional shoulder pull and a holiday ham with a fiery finish. And in Nashville, the tiny taco joint wrappin' up traditional Mexican tamales and unique quinoa sweet potato tacos.

The episode was rated 7.80 from 20 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E8

#5 - Comfort and Soul (Season 18 - Episode 8)

This trip, Guy's hittin' up some joints that'll warm the palate and the soul. In Portland, Ore., the funky neighborhood cafe cranking out comfort foods like the heartless artichoke sandwich and a curried lentil dish that hits all the right notes. In Albuquerque, N.M., a double duty brewery is serving up soul food with a New Mexico twist, like southern fried chicken and crackling cornbread. And in Kansas City, Mo., the barbecue and blues joint with a die-hard barbecue competitor dishing up regional favorites like burnt ends and battered fries and a local NASCAR hero to boot.

The episode was rated 7.88 from 17 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E10

#4 - South of the Border (Season 18 - Episode 10)

Advertisement

Guy travels to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and visits a taco joint that serves octopus and Guadalajara-style sauces. Also: stuffed fish with lobster sauce and a unique take on French toast; taquito trifecta and a Mexican twist on sushi.

The episode was rated 7.95 from 22 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E3

#3 - Servin' Up San Francisco (Season 18 - Episode 3)

This trip, Guy's cruisin' the San Francisco coast for a diverse culinary road trip. First, Guy swings by the repurposed garage in the Mission District for some southern hospitality served up in braised beef short ribs and spicy shrimp and gravy. Then he's off to the NY-style deli crankin' out old-fashioned chicken noodle with matzo ball soup and potato latkes. And the food extravaganza ends at San Fran's food truck park, where the reinvented Japanese/Korean truck hooks Guy up with a totally unique take on Asian-fusion in the pork belly and short rib kojas.

The episode was rated 7.96 from 27 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E9

#2 - Pork, Pasta and Barbecue (Season 18 - Episode 9)

Advertisement

This trip, Guy's checking out some tried and true local faves. In Kansas City, Mo., the neighborhood favorite killin' it with their scratch-made standouts like pork hash with black beans. Down the road in Kansas City, right on the Missouri/Kansas border, the former chef to the President of Italy dishing up authentic homemade pastas straight out of the family recipe book. And in Albuquerque, N.M., the southern pride joint situated on Route 66, serving up a smorgasbord of dishes from smoked barbecue chicken to specialty hot dogs.

The episode was rated 8.04 from 23 votes.

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - S18E6

#1 - Sammies and Stew (Season 18 - Episode 6)

This trip, Guy's diggin' into some super sandwiches and savory stew. In Santa Fe, N.M., the cafe with a native Kenyan in the kitchen serving up totally fresh fish, like island spiced banana leaf mahi mahi and a killer Caribbean goat stew. And in Albuquerque, N.M., the school lunch maven crankin' out creative sammies like turkey avocado with green apple chile chutney and a totally unique Duke City reuben.

The episode was rated 8.27 from 11 votes.

Search for TV shows...

About Series with Sophie

Welcome to our community!

We are a community of women who are passionate about our favorite series and want to share that passion with others.

Our mission is to create a space where women can discover new content, connect with like-minded individuals, and engage in meaningful discussions about the series we love.

We believe that everyone should have access to reliable and trustworthy information about their favorite shows, and we strive to be the premier destination for women seeking that information. Whether you're looking for recaps, fan theories, or just want to connect with other fans, we've got you covered.

So join us and be a part of our growing community of series enthusiasts!