The Best Man V. Food Restaurants You Should Visit At Least Once
There's an old proverb that reads, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Well, Adam Richman and Casey Webb took that idea and turned it into a hit franchise with "Man v. Food," which ran for more than ten seasons across 14 years, showcasing the two hosts eating just about everything other than an elephant in some of the wildest food challenges ever.
But while those eating challenges led to a lot of funny mishaps, sometimes, when you go to a restaurant, you just want to eat delicious food rather than attempt to ingest an entire cow to win a novelty t-shirt. Luckily, not all of the restaurants showcased on "Man v. Food" are just a pocketful of gluttonous gimmicks. Many offer great dining options in quirky and interesting atmospheres. Others are culinary landmarks chosen by the show to highlight a region's unique style before the host heads off to a different eatery to get their freak on with a 50-pound grinder.
So don't get it twisted: "Man v. Food" is just as much about the "food" part as it is the "v." part. And some of the restaurants featured on the show are downright excellent. Don't believe it? Well, here's your challenge: Try the grub at one of these top spots and see if you don't love it.
Brasa Premium Rotisserie – Minneapolis, Minnesota
When Adam Richman visited Brasa Premium Rotisserie in Minneapolis for the very first season of "Man v. Food" back in 2009, he noted that the restaurant — which was relatively new at the time — was quickly becoming a cornerstone of the city's culinary experience. That observation was spot on. Close to two decades later, Brasa has expanded from its original location inside a converted gas station to a small chain of four restaurants across the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
That expansion has come thanks to the support of the community — support that Brasa returns in kind. Committed to reflecting the city's culinary diversity with a menu that embraces Creole flavors, chef and co-founder Alex Roberts also made the choice to keep prices reasonable in order to be accessible to everyone. "It was this idea that it could be for everybody," he told Lavender magazine. "That when you were there, you would feel very welcome, and then it was more of an eating place than a dining place."
It helps that the food is top-notch, with Richman later citing the restaurant as one of the best in the United States. Customers agree, praising not just the meat but Brasa's gluten-free options, especially the crispy yuca.
Multiple locations
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que – Kansas City, Kansas
Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Kansas, is one of the most legendary barbecue joints in America. Opened by members of the famed Slaughterhouse Five competitive barbecue team, which won dozens of local and national BBQ titles, the restaurant was originally called Oklahoma Joe's. Adam Richman visited that original location, which is housed inside a converted gas station, back in 2010 for a Season 3 episode of "Man v. Food" and discovered that the food lives up to the hype.
Richman got a first-hand demonstration from Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que owner — and Barbecue Hall of Fame member — Jeff Stehney on how to make burnt ends. Richman was transported by the experience of eating the city's signature barbecue dish. "Oh, man. That was awesome. That was awesome!" Richman said, clapping for emphasis (via Tubi). He went on to claim that it reminded him of a marshmallow roasted on a campfire. "Super-duper soft, smoky, and then all of a sudden, all that flavor rushes out. It's like a meat s'more!"
The host called it one of the best barbecue dishes he'd ever had, and according to customers and critics, nothing has changed in the years since his visit. In 2026, Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que landed at number 15 on Yelp's list of the top restaurants in America, driven by reviews from diners proclaiming it the best BBQ anywhere. Man and food, living together in harmony!
Multiple locations
L&B Spumoni Gardens – Brooklyn, New York
L&B Spumoni Gardens is one of the most iconic eateries in Brooklyn, New York. Starting as a horse-drawn food cart by Italian immigrant Ludovico Barbati, L&B Spumoni Gardens opened as a brick-and-mortar restaurant in 1939. But while spumoni, a type of layered gelato, is in the name, it's the restaurant's famous Sicilian-style pizza that made it a household name.
That pizza, which you can get either round or in the restaurant's signature square style, is one of the big reasons Adam Richman visited L&B Spumoni Gardens for a Season 2 episode of "Man v. Food." There, Richman reveled in the restaurant's classic Sicilian technique of adding the cheese first and then the sauce on top. "The cheese not only sort of gets a chance to melt into the really, really soft, doughy center of the slice," Richman said (via YouTube), "but it actually prevents the sauce from making it soggy."
Richman is clearly a devotee, as he later cited L&B Spumoni Gardens as one of his top 12 restaurants in the United States. And native Brooklynites would never argue, as the restaurant's nostalgia factor from feeding generations of New Yorkers elevates what's already an excellent pizza to another plane.
Multiple locations
Handy's Lunch – Burlington, Vermont
Handy's Lunch in Burlington, Vermont, has seen a lot over its long history. Opened on December 7, 1945, just a few months after the end of World War II, Handy's Lunch is still owned and operated by the third generation of the same family that founded it. But over its eight decades of life as a meeting spot for Vermont's hungry workers, Handy's Lunch never saw a day quite like the one when Casey Webb walked through its doors for an episode of "Man v. Food" in 2017.
Webb was on hand to attempt a unique eating challenge: The Chuck Norris, a 3 ½-pound breakfast sandwich. Webb was up to the tall task, gobbling down the whole thing to take the belt. The restaurant is much more than just one big sandwich, though. Years after Webb's visit, Handy's Lunch was named by Food Network as one of the top 50 diners in America. And locals agree that if you want a true, classic Vermont diner experience, Handy's Lunch is the only place to be.
If you're not in the mood for The Chuck Norris, Handy's Lunch is recognized for offering some of the best hot dogs in the region. Visitors also cite the corned beef hash as reason enough to make the drive up to Burlington.
(802) 864-5963
74 Maple St, Burlington, VT 05401
The Burger Dive – Billings, Montana
Back in the 19th century, Montana was among the northernmost U.S. destinations for cowboys leading massive herds of cattle north from Texas along the Western Trail. Now that the cows have come home, though, Montana is putting them to good use on a different kind of trail: The Burger Trail, which leads hungry grub rustlers straight to spots like The Burger Dive in Billings.
In 2017, Casey Webb saddled up to ride the trail in search of culinary challenges on "Man v. Food." He had to wait his turn, though, as the devoted patrons who have made The Burger Dive a local hotspot were literally lined up out the door and down the block for a chance to sink their teeth into one of the restaurant's signature burgers. Webb chose to take on arguably the most iconic burger on the menu: I'm Your Huckleberry, which was named the Best Burger at the 2016 World Food Championships.
"Man! Everything you could imagine, in your mouth," Webb said with awe after taking a bite (via YouTube). "The huckleberry, super sweet, it's creamy, it's crunchy, it's spicy. ... This is phenomenal, man." That burger and other award-winning burgers, such as the Date With Jim Beam and Coke burger, are still on the menu and continue to garner praise from satisfied diners. Giddy up!
(406) 281-8292
114 N 27th St, Billings, MT 59101
Los Reyes de la Torta – Phoenix, Arizona
Tortas are a traditional Mexican sandwich made with soft, fluffy bread filled with meats, cheeses, beans, and pretty much anything else you might want to add. So for a restaurant to name itself Los Reyes de la Torta — which translates to "The Kings of the Torta" — it must have confidence that it's serving the best tortas around. But does it?
That's what Adam Richman sought to find out when he visited Los Reyes de la Torta in Phoenix, Arizona, for a 2010 episode of "Man v. Food." Specifically, Richman wanted to dig into the Torta del Rey, a 2-pound sandwich jammed with several kinds of meat, along with various veggies. Owner Enrique De La Torre, who opened the restaurant in 2001, hand-crafted the torta for Richman using traditional recipes he brought from Mexico. The results were spectacular.
"It's amazing, the pork? Oh my gosh," Richman said (via Tubi). "Loads of flavor from all that slow cooking that you do. The avocado and the vegetables on top [are] totally refreshing. And I love the bite of chorizo in the middle. ... Hear ye, hear ye. This is an awesome sandwich." Regular customers are also treated like kings, with many locals considering the restaurant the best Mexican joint in Phoenix. That popularity has allowed the restaurant to open a second location in Tempe. Hail to the king!
Multiple locations
Helena's Hawaiian Food – Honolulu, Hawaii
Just how good does your food have to be in order to be declared the best Hawaiian food in Hawaii? There's an easy way to find out. Head to Helena's Hawaiian Food in Honolulu, which was awarded the title of best Hawaiian restaurant in the state by Honolulu magazine in 2025.
That designation likely came as no surprise to Adam Richman, who visited Helena's Hawaiian Food for a 2009 episode of "Man v. Food." Richman had heard of Helena's reputation for serving the island's most authentic traditional dishes, and he wasn't disappointed, trying both the pipikaula short ribs – a sort of dried beef – and laulau, aka pork and butterfish wrapped in leaves. Richman had nothing but good things to say about the laulau, praising the fat of the pork belly and its overall quality.
It's no surprise that nearly two decades on from Richman's visit, Helena's Hawaiian Food is still serving up some of the best food anywhere. After all, the restaurant opened in 1946 and was already considered iconic when it won a James Beard America's Classics award in 2000. Locals continue to direct visitors to Helena's for a true taste of Hawaii, and those visitors continue to be amazed by the flavors — a tradition that seems unlikely to end anytime soon.
(808) 845-8044
1240 N School St, Honolulu, HI 96817
High Life Lounge – Des Moines, Iowa
You want to live the high life? Then head on over to High Life Lounge in Des Moines. One of the top places in Iowa to find the regional specialty known as the rarebit burger — which is a burger topped with rarebit cheese sauce — High Life Lounge was named one of the top dive bars in the United States by Yelp in 2022.
If that sounds like just the type of pedigree that Adam Richman would have loved during his time on "Man v. Food," then ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. But it wasn't just chicken dinner that Richman ordered up when he visited High Life Lounge back in 2010. He also got bacon-wrapped tater tots, one of several old-school comfort foods you can still find on the menu today, with other offerings including gems like Velveeta nachos and Spam, egg, and cheese sandwiches. This simple yet decadent concept supercharged Richman's taste buds into overdrive, especially with the addition of cheese and jalapeño. "The combination of flavor, with that little bit of spice from the jalapeño cutting the richness of the bacon, the tot, and the cheese," Richman gushed (via Tubi). "The quality of the bacon is exceptional."
High Life Lounge serves this all up in an intentionally designed retro venue that, to the delight of visitors, screams 1970s VFW lodge. Locals agree: if you want a dive bar experience done right, High Life Lounge is the place to have it.
(515) 280-1965
200 SW 2nd St, Des Moines, IA 50309
Valter's at the Maennerchor – Columbus, Ohio
In 2026, international food trends are all the rage in America. Indian dishes, Asian and Korean flavors, and Swedish desserts are all on the rise, while mainstays like Italian, Mexican, and Chinese cuisines remain popular. But over in Columbus, Ohio, locals point to a restaurant that's crafting traditional German food as one of the top dining spots around: Valter's at the Maennerchor.
And we do mean traditional. Though Valter's opened in 2016, the Maennerchor itself was founded in 1848 by German immigrants as a way to keep those traditions alive. It obviously worked, as Casey Webb found out firsthand when he visited Valter's at the Maennerchor in 2019 for an episode of "Man v. Food."
The menu at Valter's is packed with classic German dishes including pork schnitzel, schweinshaxe, spätzle, and Bavarian pretzels, all supplemented with robust brunch options to boot. Locals single out Valter's as the most authentic German dining experience you can get in the region, with diners highlighting the quality of the food at both dinner and brunch as well.
(614) 444-3531
976 S High St, Columbus, OH 43206
Matunuck Oyster Bar – Wakefield, Rhode Island
Oysters hold a very special place in "Man v. Food" lore. Back in the very first season of "Man v. Food," host Adam Richman took on a challenge that would haunt him for the rest of his days when he downed 180 oysters in one go. Richman later said that the terrible experience turned him off oysters permanently.
Luckily, the show's second host, Casey Webb, had a very different experience when he hit up Matunuck Oyster Bar in Rhode Island, for a 2019 episode of "Man v. Food." And for good reason, as Matunuck Oyster Bar's commitment to delicious quality food landed it a spot on USA Today's 2025 list of the top restaurants in the United States.
Sadly, Matunuck Oyster Bar was destroyed in a catastrophic fire just months after earning that accolade. But the community rallied around the restaurant, which is considered one of Rhode Island's favorite dining spots. Construction was soon underway on a new brick-and-mortar location. In the meantime, Matunuck Oyster Bar is seasonally open as a new al fresco dining experience under a seaside tent. Diners have praised the new setup for both its ambiance and quality, with some claiming the food is even better than before. Who knows, maybe that's enough to even entice Richman to give oysters another try!
(401) 783-4202
629 Succotash Rd, Wakefield, RI 02879
Miss Worcester Diner – Worcester, Massachusetts
Diners have been around for a long time, but few diners in America have quite the pedigree of the Miss Worcester diner in Worcester, Massachusetts. For decades, the Worcester Lunch Car Company was the nation's primary manufacturer of pre-made diners. In 1948, it built Miss Worcester, which may not have been operated by the company but sat outside its factory as a sort of working showcase.
Nowadays, the Worcester Lunch Car Company is long defunct, but Miss Worcester is still a local icon thanks to its iconic diner food. That includes the restaurant's signature French toast, which was named best in Massachusetts in 2021. According to locals, the quality remains just as high today, with that decadent French toast still singled out as a must-try.
Casey Webb experienced Miss Worcester's legendary French toast firsthand when he visited Worcester in 2018 for an episode of "Man v. Food," opting for the peanut butter treatment. But there are plenty of options available to suit your taste buds. "They have French toast for days and I can't wait to try more of it," wrote one Yelp reviewer. "Had the banana bread French toast which was insane. Obviously sweet but not over the top. It was perfect."
(508) 753-5600
300 Southbridge St, Worcester, MA 01608