The Best Diners, Drive Ins, And Dives Restaurant In Every State, According To Mashed

Editor's note: The restaurant selections in this article are based on the opinions of the Mashed editorial team. They have not been selected by Guy Fieri. 

There's a solid chance any time you turn on Food Network that you're gonna see Guy Fieri and his spiky hair headed to Flavortown on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The show has filmed nearly 40 seasons, and that means visiting more than 1,250 restaurants around the country along the way (via dinersdriveinsandivelocations.com). So it's safe to say that Guy Fieri has seen — and tasted — it all. And you can taste it all too, if you've got a big appetite and you're willing to do some traveling. 

But where to start? A thousand restaurants is a lot to swallow, but what if you aim for, say, 50 of Fieri's best stops? Well, Mashed has done all the work for you. We've gone across the map, state by state, to round up the tastiest and most "funkalicious" food destinations featured on Triple-D. Here are the best Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives restaurants in every state, according to Mashed.

Next time you find yourself in Alaska, escape the cold and grab yourself a treat at The Cookie Jar, a 30-year-old Fairbanks institution. While The Cookie Jar started out as a small bakery, it's beloved for so much more than its sweet treats. Guy Fieri gave the Prime Rib with Au Jus a try (via Food Network), but if you ask us, you can't miss out on the homemade cinnamon rolls. They're made with a secret ingredient (potato flakes), and they're a fan favorite. No matter what you order, you won't be disappointed. 

In Little Rock, Arkansas, Root Cafe is doing more than just serving up good food. The restaurant is committed to sourcing 100 percent of its meat, eggs, and bread, plus much of its produce and other ingredients from small, local farmers and producers — which is one of the reason's we're adding it to this list. Beyond that, Root Cafe is involved in a number of local community organizations. Enjoy the Old World Style Bratwurst, which Guy Fieri tried on the show, or the Pimento Cheeseburger for a little kick, and leave happy knowing you supported a business with a cause.

Serving up understated, outspoken Chinese street food in Boulder and Denver, Colorado is the unassuming eatery known as Zoe Ma Ma. In this star location run by chef and mother Anna Zoe, guests can get their fill on family recipes like Ma Ma's potstickers and Ma Ma's Famous Chicken Noodle Soup. Make sure you try the pork steamed buns and the Za Jiang Mian noodle dish, which are just some of the offerings that Guy Fieri sampled on his stop (via Food Network).

Farmer & the Cow in Wilmington, Delaware has become a local favorite for its over-the-top approach to casual pub fare — and it's our pick for the state, too. The restaurant is known for its fully loaded and very extra gourmet burgers, the creative shakes (like one made with cereal), and an expansive bar menu. And despite its name, Farmer & the Cow is serving up more than just bovine bites. One of the more beloved menu items, and one that was served to Guy Fieri, is a burger called That'll Do Pig (via Food Network). It's piled high with bacon done three different ways, plus cheese, special sauce, and even tater tots. The deep fried Chicken Skins are another hit here. Oh, and did we mention that Farmer & the Cow serves up the only bacon flight in the state of Delaware (via Only in Your State)?

When you think of the best food in Georgia, a lot of southern and soul food probably comes to mind. But when you're in the Peach State, you'll be missing out if you don't check out the barbecue scene. Particularly, you have to try Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. The restaurant is the product of the homesickness of twin brothers from Texas, who missed their native barbecue when they picked up and moved to Atlanta.

Today, Fox Bros. is considered an institution in Atlanta, and a must-visit barbecue destination in the southeast, having gained both local accolades and national attention. And it's such a favorite, it's been featured on several episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Specialties we think you should try out include the Chicken Fried Ribs, served with house-made white BBQ sauce, and the Fox Bros. "Burger," which is essentially a chopped brisket sandwich loaded up with the most incredible toppings, including pimiento cheese and peppered bacon.

If you've never been, you should definitely plan a trip to beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The town is situated on a scenic lake surrounded by forests and mountains on the western edge of the state, and it's home to a plethora of cute shops and good local eats. One of those is long-standing breakfast and lunch spot Jimmy's Down the Street. The restaurant embodies the exact casual, familiar vibe that its name implies, and serves up made-from-scratch comfort food favorites. Standout dishes include the Chicken and Dumplings and a huge, gooey Caramel Pecan Roll – both of which you just can't miss.

Indy's Historic Steer-In was in danger of closing after decades of serving homestyle favorites until the Kehrer family bought the place and kept it alive. It still serves massively portioned, often gravy-slathered Midwestern favorites like beef and noodles, a pork tenderloin sandwich, a hot turkey sandwich, fried chicken, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The Kehrers also perfected some Italian-inspired dishes. Casey Kehrer showed Guy Fieri how a Steer-In meatball sandwich is made: with a veal-chuck-sausage blend, house-made marinara, and lots of cheese. Those same ingredients factor prominently in the ultra-deep-dish stuffed pizza, with tomato sauce, cheese, and meatballs all tucked into a homemade dough. And since the Steer-In remains a diner at heart, pie is on the menu — it's important to save room for a slice of coconut cream. 

Owner and operator Bob Palmgren received formal culinary training in New York and worked in top restaurants there before he realized he wanted to make his barbecue hobby a full-time thing. He moved to Mission, part of the metropolitan Kansas City area, and opened up RJ's Bob-Be-Que Shack after being influenced by its dynamic barbecue tradition. Resembling a roadhouse and standing inside a quiet neighborhood, RJ's offers many regional barbecue standards — thoroughly rubbed, sauced, and long-smoked winners like ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, and even lamb ribs. He also made logical expansions of the barbecue canon, like deep-fried corn on the cob, brisket soup, and spicy jalapeño pork butt sausages smoked in corn husks.

When you're in Louisiana, particularly in New Orleans, by all means, get your fill of gumbo, jambalaya, and other Cajun favorites. But whatever you do, don't leave without stopping at Turkey and the Wolf. This small, unassuming sandwich shop has garnered some major attention for its eclectic menu of out-of-the-box sandwiches and more. 

Guy Fieri tried Tacos Inauthenticos made with hog's headcheese and the Collard Green Melt, which many claim to be the star of the menu. Turkey and the Wolf was named Bon Appétit's "#1 Best New Restaurant in America" in 2017, arguably because of that Collard Green Melt, which the magazine described as "otherworldly."

When it comes to cuisine, Maryland easily lives up to its Southern roots, thanks to award-winning restaurants like Baltimore's Miss Shirley's Cafe. The destination dining spot has been serving up Southern and Soul food classics like chicken and waffles and shrimp and grits, since 2005. And Southern Living dubs it one of the best breakfast spots in the South to boot.

Guy Fieri sampled the Coconut Cream Stuffed French Toast and the Southern Slammer Sandwich, which is loaded with fried green tomato, bacon, avocado and a fried egg. But since you're going to be in Maryland, we also highly recommend the Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict. Basically, you can't go wrong here — whether you try the dishes from the show or not.

The gizzard is a tough and rubbery digestive organ found in chickens, and one can find them battered and fried in numerous gas stations and truck stops. Joe's Gizzard City elevates that very humble morsel, making it the focal point of its menu. Once and still a fried chicken joint, Joe's serves up gizzards in several preparations (including inside of an omelet) with many sauce choices, but with the meat pressure-cooked and spiced to make it melt-in-the-mouth tender and flavorful from the start. With so many deep fryers running to cook so many gizzards, Joe's leans into that cooking style, sending into the hot oil things like Oreos, hot dogs, S'mores, cauliflower, Twinkies, olives, and cheeseburgers.

Who knew that the best of Memphis could be found in Mississippi, but such is the case, thanks to the Memphis Barbecue Company. Located in Horn Lake, a city just near the Mississippi/Tennessee border (and not too far from its namesake town), the barbecue they're serving up is made by World BBQ Champion Melissa Cookston, who's been called the "Winningest Woman in Barbecue." Guy Fieri went all in on the baby back ribs, while the locals love the house-made cheese fritters. Honestly, we don't see the harm in trying both.

Guy Fieri has been to literally hundreds of restaurants around the country for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but this place is one of our favorites. If you're ever anywhere near Bozeman, Montana, you really should stop, solely to get a taste of the Po Campo Chimichanga at Storm Castle Cafe. It's stuffed with carnitas, country potatoes, and cheese, and then deep fried. Have you ever heard of a more mouthwatering breakfast dish? If you're not into deep-fried breakfasts, we'd recommend their farm-to-table take on a Monte Cristo, which uses ham right from their farm.

When in Vegas, you can bet on getting an incredible meal at John Mull's Road Kill Grill. Don't be fooled by the name — this family barbecue business has been smoking high-quality meats for more than three decades, and doing it right. Guy Fieri tried the 16-hour cured, applewood-smoked, house-made sausage hot links, but we really must recommend the pulled pork and mac 'n' cheese.

You can get some delicious, homemade diner classics in New Jersey at Johnny Prince's Bayway Diner in Linden. It's a casual joint serving up well known diner staples, but locals call it "a special place." During your visit, we advise you go big on the Monster Burger, stacked with bacon, cheese, and huge onion rings, or the Philly Cheese Steak.

In all honesty, it was harder for us to choose the best featured restaurant in New York compared to several other states. There's just a lot of good food to be found, especially in New York City. But one restaurant in particular stood out among the rest, and not just for its catchy name, but also its scratch-made, Southern food done right.

Time Out New York says "Pies 'n' Thighs in Brooklyn feels as authentic as any venerable Dixieland food shack." The unique creations at Pies 'N' Thighs have been featured by numerous foodie publications, including Eater, Bon Appétit, and more. And they are racking up accolades along the way, already having been awarded Best Donuts and Best Biscuits in New York, along with recognition for some of the Best Apple Pie and Best Fried Chicken in the country. If you want to order what Guy Fieri did, try the chicken and waffles, pulled pork sandwich, or Pecan Crunch donut.

Your cross-country Diners, Drive-ins and Dives road trip might slow down a little bit when you reach the state of North Dakota, where Guy Fieri has only made it to two restaurants. But don't let that fool you — there is delicious food to be had, especially if you make it to Fargo. That's where you'll find local hangout Pounds doing its own thing, and doing it well. The Pounds menu is an eclectic blend of burgers and bar food plus loaded mac and cheese combos, alongside healthy superfood bowls. Indulge on the BBQ Porker loaded mac and cheese.

If you want to get your hands on what's been dubbed the best burger in Oklahoma City, and maybe even the whole state, then head over to Nic's Grill and get in the inevitable line that will be spilling out the door of this tiny, no-frills joint. Once you do get up to the counter, do yourself a favor and try out the Onion Burger, a local favorite in Oklahoma. Nic's version starts with a whopping half pound of beef, which is piled up with onions and served with a basket of fries — and a fork. 

In the middle of bustling downtown Philly, a husband-and-wife duo are making a name for themselves with their quirky, signature, "Southern Jewish" cooking style at Honey's Sit 'N Eat. With a menu offering classics like chicken and waffles and biscuits and gravy alongside traditional matzo ball soup and challah french toast, there's something for everyone here. 

When Guy Fieri rolled through in 2011, they decided to serve him their next-level take on old-school frito pie, two ways — and we were seriously impressed. There was the brisket Frito pie, made with meat cooked for five hours before it's sliced and pan fried. And one of their former legendary top sellers was a chicken chili Frito pie. It's no longer a permanent menu fixture, but it seems like they bring it back sometimes, so keep an eye on their Facebook page.

You probably already know you can expect great comfort food in South Carolina. Might we suggest getting it at Early Bird Diner in Charleston? You'll want to try out their version of chicken and waffles first. It may not be the most original dish, but it's something you won't want to miss. Another top seller on the menu is the fried pork chop with a homemade pepper jelly.

Nashville, Tennessee may be known for its hot chicken, but it's also home to some amazing Mexican food. Mas Tacos Por Favor has been serving up tacos and more since the 1970s, and the dish to go for is the tamales. Locals love them, but if you do want to go for tacos, try going vegetarian — the quinoa and sweet potato taco is unexpected, but delicious. 

You know a restaurant that has been around for 90 years has to be delicious. Ruth's Diner, which holds the title of second oldest restaurant in the state of Utah. It's named for the woman who ran it for nearly 60 of those years. The huge menu offers all kinds of comfort food and diner favorites, including "Ruth's Famous Mile High Biscuits." Diners can enjoy it all, along with canyon views and weekly live music (via Zagat).

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen in Richmond, Virginia is not like every other Jewish deli you'll find. And yet locals have been loving it for nearly 60 years (via Lonely Planet). They make everything totally from scratch, and offer menu items featuring traditional flavors with unique twists, like their potato and duck pierogis, or the Jewish egg rolls stuffed with corned beef and sauerkraut.

Perhaps one of the most unique eateries on this entire list is Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, West Virginia. Originally founded by husband and wife Sonny and Sharie Knight from the inside of old school buses in the middle of a makeshift junkyard, Hillbilly Hot Dogs serves seriously outrageous and delicious hot dog combos, like Pine-Appalachian Dog with BBQ sauce, country ham, and crushed pineapple or the Motham Dog, which is deep fried and topped with chili sauce, thousand islands dressing and onion rings. And don't forget the almost one-pound Homewrecker, a deep-fried treat that Guy Fieri tried on the show.

At the foot of The Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, Jackson, Wyoming is a growing destination town in America, thanks to its proximity to nature and its destination-worthy food. It's where you'll find Cafe Genevieve, a quaint and cozy spot serving up refined American fare, like Bison Chili, Tiger Shrimp Hush Puppies, and their now infamous Pig Candy (house-made candied bacon) — perfect for filling up after a long day visiting Old Faithful.