Not Everything Filmed On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives Makes The Cut — Here's Why

On each episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," we see a tidy half-hour episode of Guy Fieri enthusiastically indulging in over-the-top food. Each featured restaurant gets just a few minutes to tell its story, show off its food, and let customers rave about why they love eating there. Yet there's a lot of chaos that goes on behind the scenes of DDD, and the final cut barely scratches the surface of what's actually filmed.

As is common with most pre-filmed shows, a lot of footage is taken with no intention of using all of it. Much of this supplemental b-roll footage is shots of customers eating, food being served, and the kitchen in action, all of those cuts that paint a picture of the restaurant and don't involve Fieri actively talking. This is no small task – film crews record B-roll for hours. The total filming for a restaurant segment on DDD typically takes two to four days, which includes the cooking process and Fieri interacting in the kitchen, and restaurants must shut down for this. Owners and chefs may have to make every dish on the menu, but only two or three items end up on T.V. 

One of the secrets behind "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is that you might not see every restaurant that gets scouted by the show's production team. On "The Late Late Show with James Corden", Fieri mentioned that, "If I don't like it, I'm not gonna tell you to go there. You won't see the place." Despite intense interviewing and initial b-roll filming, some restaurants still might not make it onto the show. Fieri gets the ultimate say on what makes it into an episode. 

This is also true when it comes to certain dishes. Some of the cringe moments on DDD are when Fieri isn't a huge fan of the food he's served, even if he tries to hide it. To avoid airing these moments as much as possible, menu items he's not a fan of won't appear on the show.  

Researchers and producers take months to perform due diligence on the restaurant and owners to ensure it's a good fit for the show. Even if everything is booked and set to shoot, the production crew could still cancel the rest of filming — but such an instance is extremely rare. The restaurants chosen must have really good, made-from-scratch food to make the cut. A cool concept and great food become even better when a restaurant also has a good story that production can weave into an engaging narrative for DDD's loyal viewership.