The Best Potato Dishes Ever Seen On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

The Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" features Guy Fieri cruising around the States in his Camaro on the hunt for the best comfort food in the country. Fieri has sampled some seriously crave-worthy dishes on the show, from super stacked burgers to loaded burritos and fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs. However, nothing says comfort food like the humble potato. While potatoes often provide a supporting role to meats, some of the potato dishes Fieri has tasted on the show can proudly stand on their own as entire meals.

Triple D proves that one of the great things about potatoes is their versatility. Some classic comfort food potato dishes featured on the show include french fries, pierogies, baked potatoes, and poutine. Fans know that the Mayor of Flavortown doesn't showcase anything run-of-the-mill. His goal is to try dishes that he deems worthy of one of his famous one-liners like "off-the-chain" or "bomb-dot-com-tasty." These are some of the best potato dishes ever seen on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" that earn accolades from Guy Fieri and customers alike.

Some of Guy Fieri's favorite foods include Asian dishes, so it should come as no surprise that he was over the moon to try the Kimchi Fries at Hankook Taqueria in Atlanta, Georgia. On the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" episode that featured the dish, he told chef Tomas Lee, "You say kimchi, my mouth waters. It's like Pavlov and the dog." The dish starts with french fries seasoned with sesame oil and salt. The fries are then topped with spicy house-made kimchi and bulgogi made with ribeye marinated in soy sauce, pineapple juice, and sesame oil. The dish gets extra flavor from queso sauce, gochujang, and scallions.

Guy Fieri said simply of the dish, "I mean this is powerhouse, bro." Most customers agree with that sentiment. One diner left a Google review that said, "The bulgogi kimchi fries will make a mark on your memory that will last and keep you craving them." Another Google reviewer said, "Just tried their kimchi bulgogi fries and it was not a disappointment! It definitely fills you up." According to Hankook Taqueria's website, kimchi fries now come with a fried egg and additional protein is optional. 

Poutine typically consists of fries topped with cheese curds and beef gravy. Not at Pelican Seafood Market & Grill though. This popular restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario, elevates the French Canadian dish with the addition of fresh lobster. And it's not just a matter of tossing pieces of lobster into the mix. The cooks use a whole steamed lobster topped with fries, cheese curds, and a creamy gravy made with lobster bisque, cream cheese, mascarpone, brandy, and Jägermeister. It's ultra-decadent and earned top marks from Guy Fieri when he visited the restaurant on Triple D.

Fieri was impressed with both the construction and taste of the dish. He said, "I respect the full swing of the bat here. I'm thinking I'm going to get bits of lobster sprinkled inside of the poutine, but when you get it served in the body of a lobster, this is higher-end." He also praised the brandy flavor, called the cheese mixture "next-level," and said the fries were great. Diners are equally enamored with the dish. One Google reviewer said, "I got the Lobster Poutine and it was absolutely the best thing I've tasted in a long time." Another diner said on Yelp, "The poutine was very rich and full of lobster meat. If you're a big poutine lover, don't hesitate to try it."

On a trip to Dallas, Texas, Guy Fieri visited the Pecan Lodge to try a signature menu item called The "Hot Mess." This massive, meaty potato dish starts with a jumbo sweet potato crusted with sea salt and baked until tender. The potato is then split open and stuffed with butter, cheese, barbacoa, bacon, green onions, and chipotle cream. Fieri commented on the Food Network show, "It has the sweet with the salty with the tang of the barbacoa. It's a complete meal."

The "Hot Mess" has legions of fans who sing its praise online. Like Fieri, diners love the combination of sweet and savory flavors. People also rave about the massive portion size. As one Google reviewer said, "The hot mess is an experience in and of itself and requires an empty stomach for sure." Another diner left a Google review saying, "As always, the Hot Mess delivers with those ultimate comfort-food, feel-good vibes and a portion that is too big for one but too good to stop eating!" Many say the only downside is that you may have to wait in a long line to get your hands on The "Hot Mess," but as far as Fieri thinks, it's worth it.

As most Triple D fans know, Guy Fieri hates eggs. But that doesn't mean he's averse to trying breakfast dishes on the show. At Magnolia Pancake Haus in San Antonio, Texas, he ate something so delicious it made the Food Network's Top 5 Insane Breakfasts in DDD History list. The Corned Beef Hash was so good that Guy Fieri was uncharacteristically at a loss for words several times throughout the show.

Magnolia Pancake Haus makes every element of the Corned Beef Hash from scratch, including the corned beef. The restaurant brines certified Black Angus brisket for 14 days in a blend of spices including juniper, ginger, and cloves. The beef is covered in pickling spices, submerged in water, and cooked for four hours in the oven. After sitting in the refrigerator overnight, it's finely chopped and sauteed with potatoes and a garlic onion puree. The final touch to the crispy hash is an egg. When Fieri tried it (without the egg, of course), he said, "There is an orchestra of flavor. It is the way it's supposed to be done."

On an episode of Triple D titled "Thai, Pie and Fries," Guy Fieri visited ACEQ Restaurant in Arroyo, New Mexico, to sample some seriously decadent Bison Red Chile Fries. Chef Elijah Safford showed Fieri how he makes the dish with bison short ribs braised in a vibrant mix of chili powder and peppers. He also makes the gravy from scratch with an equally impressive amount of chiles. To construct the dish, Safford tops shoestring fries with cheese curds and transfers the duo to the oven to melt the cheese. Then he ladles gravy over the fries and tops them with tender, shredded bison meat.

Fieri took a bite and described the combination as "dangerous," adding, "The braise on the short rib is delicious and the shred is great. The cheese curd is stretchy and squeaky. Rich, roasted, smoky." When asked if he liked it, Fieri said, "Oh no — I love it." It's a sentiment that many diners agree with. As one Google reviewer said, "The gravy was perfectly savory without being too heavy, and the shredded meat with cheese was a heavenly combo." Another diner on OpenTable said, "The bison fries with cheese curds starter was meaty and succulent, enough for two to share."

Potatoes and lasagna seem like an unlikely pairing, but Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro in Richland, Washington, makes the combo work with its signature Sweet Potato Lasagna. The dish consists of sliced sweet potatoes layered with beef ragu, fire-roasted tomato marinara, creamy whipped feta, and mozzarella cheese. The lasagna is baked until bubbling and served with pesto toast. It's a hearty, gluten-free dish that many diners love.

When Guy Fieri sampled the dish on the Triple D episode, he said, "The sweet potato holds it together. You got a hearty marinara. That's all of the lasagna you want with none of the guilt of the carbs of the pasta." A Google reviewer had similar thoughts, writing, "The sweet potato lasagna was so cheesy and delicious but didn't leave you with that heavy feeling that comes with eating pasta." Another diner said on Yelp, "Sweet potato lasagna is something you've never had but need in your life."

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that's certainly true of the El Paso Stuffed Potato at Desert Oak Barbecue. Don't let the strip mall location fool you — this barbecue joint makes some insanely good dishes in a smoker fed with oak wood for that authentic barbecue flavor you just can't get from gas. When Guy visited the restaurant on Triple D, he asked for the house specialty and got the massive signature potato piled high with smoked brisket, cheese, sour cream, beans, and a marinated jalapeño.

"There's a lot more going on in this than what most people would call the average stuffed baked potato," said Guy. The Food Network star commented that the brisket was well-seasoned and not too smoky and he thought the beans were delicious. He said, "The whole thing is a package deal man, besides the fact that it's not human-sized. It's like four human sizes." You may not be able to finish this gargantuan stuffed spud on your own, but based on the reviews, you'll be in potato, bean, and brisket heaven while trying.