The Most Awkward Moments We All Witnessed On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

Restaurateur and TV personality Guy Fieri and his bleach blonde spiky hair have been a staple on the Food Network since he first won "The Next Food Network Star" in 2006 (via Food Network). And that was just the beginning of his career — as he's gone on to host several shows on Food Network, with the most successful arguably being the light-hearted network mainstay "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." On the show, Fieri explores towns across America to find the country's best-hidden gems for food that's oftentimes comforting, a little outrageous, and always delicious. 

Throughout the show's hundreds of episodes (via IMDb), Fieri and his camera crew have explored the ins and outs of some of the best eats restaurants have to offer. And there's typically a formula to every episode, which usually showcases the establishment's die-hard customers, chef's top-secret recipe techniques, and, of course, Fieri stuffing his face. And while it seems like the Food Network team would now film everything without a hitch, there's always room for some mistakes that range from hilarious to downright awkward. 

We rounded up a few of the most awkward moments we've witnessed throughout the many seasons of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," because it's good to sit back and have a laugh every once in a while. And it's clear from Fieri's over-the-top personality that he's definitely the kind of person who isn't afraid to recognize his own mistakes and laugh at himself, too.

Guy Fieri doesn't just like to eat the meals he features on "Triple D," (the popular nickname for "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," naturally). He also wants to learn the ins and outs of how those dishes all come together. But sometimes, he can get a little too hands-on with his research. Take the episode where he visits Hillbilly Hotdogs in West Virginia and learns how to make their signature chili.

In the "Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives" episode in question, you will eventually be confronted with the unsettling image of him mixing chili with his hands. Thankfully, he's wearing a plastic glove, sure, but it's just a lot to handle. What was wrong with a spoon, after all?

Guy's goofy commentary doesn't exactly make the situation easier to watch by any means. In fact, it makes it even more uncomfortable. That's particularly true when he's making audible groaning noises and comparing the chili texture to "meat pudding." While the restaurant's hot dogs do indeed look fantastic, this cringey mixing moment doesn't exactly help build up your appetite for the chili.

Clearly, Guy Fieri knows what he's doing in the kitchen. He's a successful restaurateur and a businessman, but also a chef who arguably knows how to make a pretty great meal. However, sometimes he puts on his chef's hat when it's uncalled for — like when another food master is trying to show him their recipe. In those situations, Guy seemingly can't help but correct them, though keeping his mouth shut would be a far more polite move.

If you need an example, check out the clip of Fieri visiting an Austin, Texas restaurant to sample a truly delectable-looking chicken fried steak. In the video, chef and owner Tom Davis is explaining his technique for battering the dish. Fieri almost immediately tries to explain that, traditionally, you dip the chicken in flour before dipping it in an egg wash — even though that's not the recipe. "I come from the school where you put the flour on it first and it helps the egg wash stick to the flour," he holds forth. "Yeah, everybody says that," Davis quips back.

He may have seemed unflustered but, given that Davis was simply trying to show off his cooking with cameras in his kitchen, he probably doesn't care to hear what he's doing "wrong" when getting his big moment on Food Network.

It's pretty easy to see the excitement Fieri radiates when he's learning a signature recipe from a chef on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." He clearly loves to watch their signature techniques and special touches that make a dish so beloved. However, sometimes he gets carried away and starts to backseat drive the chef by narrating their every move and cutting them off. And it can get pretty annoying, if not thoroughly cringe-inducing to witness. 

This is seen when Fieri visits the Kansas City Taco Company to try a "Cowboy Junkie Burrito." The chef shows his way of preparing the dish, which starts with smoking some pork. Fieri feels the need to comment on the "makeshift smoker" and the lack of seasoning on the pork, all while the chef is just trying to show it how it's done. Cooking in front of an entire camera crew has surely got to be an entirely new and somewhat nerve-wracking experience for many chefs featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" already. And yet Fieri adds to the pressure by making these little comments that may unintentionally throw them off their game. 

Guy Fieri isn't exactly the epitome of etiquette, sure. But he doesn't try to hold himself forth as the graduate of a finishing school, either. And, really, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" is all about finding hole-in-the-wall places that forgo the white table cloths and fancy schtick for good, authentic food without the fuss. To that end, Fieri's preferred way of eating seems to be in the back of a restaurant's kitchen, standing over a plate and, if the dish allows, using his hands. That sort of down-to-earth accessibility is simply part of what makes him lovable. But we simply must draw the line when he talks with a full mouth.

Guy has a penchant for speaking whenever the mood strikes him, even when his mouth is stuffed with food and he's got sauce all over his face. To be fair, we get the spectacle to a certain extent. It can't be easy to host a show where you're expected to eat food on camera and describe it. There's an art form to the whole setup that can be hard even for seasoned professionals like Fieri to get right. But for some reason, whether it's Fieri's massive bites or method of heartily chowing down, it's off-putting to watch him speak with a full mouth over and over again. It's supremely awkward to watch a grown man talk with his mouth open, disregarding basic manners while cooks and restaurant workers gamely watch on.

We've already established that Fieri isn't exactly known for his table manners when trying out dishes on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." But sometimes, he takes playing with your food to a whole new level that's just unpleasant to watch. That's especially apparent when he doesn't just manhandle the contents of his own meal but sometimes grabs food straight off of the plates of paying customers.

When Fieri visits Springfield, Illinois' Charlie Parker's Diner to check out their breakfast offerings, he's in awe at the massive pancakes that workers are flipping on the grill every day. In one scene, he picks up a diner's massive pancake, one that happens to have a head-sized hole in the middle. He sticks his face in the opening, making for an admittedly great shot at the expense of someone's pancake. It's not clear if the diner was done digging in and Fieri wanted to have some fun with the leftovers. But, if that wasn't the case, Fieri's antics are probably not something that makes you want to keep eating, not least after his face was literally in your food. Hopefully, he ponied up for another pancake to replace his impromptu prop.