The Craziest Foods Guy Fieri Has Ever Eaten

When you begin planning a getaway, it's an unfortunate realization that no matter how hard you look on a map you won't ever find the illustrious Shangri-la that is Flavortown. Who wouldn't want to venture to a destination filled with amazing restaurants, Hawaiian-shirt wearing dudes with sunglasses hanging off the backs of their heads, and enough blonde hair bleach to make even the Kardashian family cringe? Flavortown is out-of-bounds special, but the population is only one: Guy Fieri.

Fieri made a name for himself on his super popular show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives where he took viewers all across the country to visit local mom-and-pop eateries that slung some super unique dishes. All anyone could do was drool every time the host popped off those shades and took a massive bite into every dish. The best part was Fieri specifically highlighted places that weren't chains or well above the average Joe's tax bracket. These were spots anyone could visit and shell out an affordable amount of money to feast like Fieri. He always had the common man covered, and that's why he's such a draw.

Over the course of the show, Fieri traveled to hundreds of unique places and helped put them on the culinary map. And, as you can imagine, he dove head-first into some pretty wild stuff. The kind of food that leaves you scratching your head, while at the same time working up the appetite to plan a trip ASAP.

There are certain staple burger toppings deserving of a resting place on any burger patty: lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. Of course, people stray from the basics all the time and add their own unique flavor combinations, but usually when you read any list of burger fixings on a menu you nod your head in approval. However, once peanut butter creeps its way into the list you might pause in bewilderment. Wait a second, peanut butter on a burger? Aside from pairing it with jelly (and chocolate, of course), it seems like there are few other uses for it. However, a spot called Sabores International Cuisine in Logan, Utah, thought differently.

The Mexican-born head chef at Sabores knows his way around food. Not only did he run kitchens in his home country but he even cooked for President Ronald Reagan. His resume is rock solid, which is why the addition of peanut butter on his burger means customers should trust that his unconventional pairing actually works. The burger is pretty much a basic bacon cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions, and spicy mayonnaise. But, the peanut butter adds a new level of nutty goodness, that Fieri points out is similar to a "Thai peanut dipping sauce" on satay. Next time you grill burgers, maybe add peanut butter to the collection of table condiments.

Chicken is such a versatile ingredient. It pairs well with so many different sauces and marinades, and you can cook it in more than a dozen different ways. If you find yourself spinning the roulette wheel in Reno, Nevada, however, you should do your appetite — and curiosity — a huge favor and head to Full Belly Deli where you can find chicken done differently. Here, customers rave about the poultry that's baked in a crunchy coating of nacho cheese chips, so Fieri just had to dabble.

Aside from the unique way of frying the chicken, the sandwich itself is pretty standard (although the bread has jalapeños and toasted cheddar baked into it). Romaine lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, pickles, and spicy Southwest sauce already set you on course for a good time, but once that breaded chicken is sliced and gently laid onto the bun, everything changes. It seems like the nacho cheese chips don't exactly take a front seat to the other ingredients, but the intense crunch they offer gives the sandwich an extraordinary mouthfeel. Instead of munching down a bag of chips alongside a sandwich, Full Belly Deli offers diners a two-in-one experience delicious enough to take anyone's mind off that losing bet they made at the casino.

There's something about food you can eat with your hands that appeals to the kid inside all of us. This is what makes tacos so great. Not only can you stuff them full of whatever you want, but picking them up in your hands lets you know you're in control, and everyone wants to take the steering wheel when it comes to their food. Fieri is a guy who loves to get down and dirty with his food, so he had to try the tacos from Extra Virgin when he was in Kansas City, Missouri. But these weren't normal tacos. These things were stuffed with duck tongues.

To say Michael Smith, head chef at Extra Virgin, knows what he's doing is an understatement. Ever heard of the James Beard Award? Yeah, this guy's got one, and he proves why in all the Mediterranean tapas he serves his customers. He took a risk when he put duck tongue tacos on the menu, but alas, the endeavor proved more than fruitful. If customers saw the raw tongues before they were cooked, they might think twice about indulging, but that's why the magic of the kitchen stays in the kitchen. Once the tongues cook for a few hours in a mixture of spices, they look just like any other pulled meat. The tacos are stuffed with the duck, then topped with pickled onions and queso fresco. So simple, yet so unique.

Picture this scenario: You're on the couch binging your favorite Netflix show when suddenly you get a craving. But, not just any craving. One that only a cheeseburger or fried rice can fix. It's a real Sophie's choice, and you're afraid if you make a hasty decision you'll realize the potential mistake too late. What do you do? Well, if you're fortunate enough to live near Red's Chinese in New Orleans, Louisiana, you can pay one price for both. This was something Fieri had to see himself: Cheeseburger Fried Rice.

The very first ingredient Chef Maxwell Darling shows Fieri how to make is a creamy condiment called Awesome Sauce. Right there you know this dish is a winner. The chef then fires up a wok and throws in onions, ground beef, and white rice. He skillfully works the wok side to side ensuring everything cooks perfectly, then he throws in lettuce and tomato — this is cheeseburger fried rice after all. Once the wok work is finished, the whole thing is dumped onto a large plate and topped with nacho cheese sauce, yellow mustard, sesame seeds, pickle chips, and the pièce de résistance, a hefty drizzle of Awesome Sauce. Fieri attacks with chopsticks in hand, and the ear-to-ear smile on his face afterward tells you everything you need to know.

When we see the variety of packaged meat at our grocery stores, we don't think about the animal it came from. We know animals had to die in order for us to take advantage of that two-for-one rib-eye steak sale happening in aisle five, but we don't dwell on it. It's unsettling to remind yourself the burger you're eating once had a face or the chicken wings you're snacking on had a mother. However, Vida Cantina in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, doesn't just want you to think about it. They force you to confront it head-on — literally.

Fieri was on the scene to check out Chef David Vargas' Pig Head Platter. And, it's exactly what it sounds like. For those bold enough to stare their meal in its vacant eye sockets and go about business like usual, they're treated to a delicious pork meal with a variety of housemade salsas and tortillas. Edible flowers are the finishing touch, sprinkled delicately onto the meat. The presentation might feel like it's straight out of a horror film, but pork lovers need to ditch that hangup and embrace the face!