This Extravagant Salad On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives Stunned Guy Fieri

Say what you will about Guy Fieri, he has become a major figure among celebrity chefs and in the American foodie zeitgeist. When you're making a dining show for two decades, you must know a thing or two about good food. Sure, there are some cringe-worthy moments on "Diner's Drive-Ins, and Dives," and Fieri certainly wasn't democratically elected as the Mayor of Flavortown, but he should be lauded for highlighting downhome establishments that would not otherwise appear on his viewers' dining radar. "Diner's Drive-Ins, and Dives" is probably mostly known for over-the-top flavor bombs and greasy fried foods, so it may come as a bit of a surprise to see Fieri highlight a salad on the show. But the Pittsburgh steak salad from Metro Diner in Jacksonville, FL is decidedly over-the-top and DDD worthy, for sure.

"This thing is ridiculous," Fieri says about the salad on the Metro Diner segment from the episode (which can be viewed on YouTube). "Calling this a salad is like calling my diesel four-wheel-drive, lifted, four-door crew cab, yellow monster truck a commuter car." While nowhere near one of the craziest foods Guy Fieri has eaten, it could undoubtedly be called extravagant. The salad comes covered in fries, blue cheese, and steak, and it appears to take Fieri's breath away as he samples it. But is it worth trying, and can you even get it these days?

Metro Diner's eye-popping Pittsburgh steak salad is creation of chef and owner, Mark Davoli, and a return to his Pittsburgh roots. It starts out "salad" enough with a bed of lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, and radish, but is topped with 6- to 7 ounces of prime rib that's been seasoned and seared to order on the flattop grill. From there comes a hero's helping of French fries, Metro's housemade semi-spicy blue cheese dressing, and crumble of fresh blue cheese. 

It's pure "Diner's Drive-Ins and Dives" fare, more like a whole steakhouse order piled atop the side salad, than your typical diner salad bowl, and Fieri is a fan. "The steak is mega-super tender," he said on the episode. "You get the cool, crisp lettuce, the nice tangy dressing, then you get a crunchy salty french fry... That's the new definition of salad."

Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh steak salad last appeared at Metro Diner for National French Fry Day and isn't currently on the menu, but it is definitely indicative of Chef Davoli's other DDD-worthy offerings on the menu. The Metro Diner episode featured another customer favorite and menu staple, the Iron City meatloaf. It's a substantial, juicy slice of housemade meatloaf that's seared on the griddle, then topped with thick brown gravy for the perfect diner bite. Metro Diner also runs deep on French toast, pancakes, and omelets, so you can get your Fieri-approved brunch favorites all day long. While you may have to wait for the next National French Fry Day if the steak salad is to ever return, with over 60 locations in 12 states, it's easier than ever to enjoy something else on the menu that's bound to be straight out of Flavortown.