Try These 18 California Restaurants Guy Fieri Visited On Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives
While the Michelin Guide was known for highlighting the best fine dining restaurants in the world, restaurateur-turned-TV show host Guy Fieri is known for showcasing America's classic greasy spoon joints on his television show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." The show focuses on small and independently-owned eateries that Fieri visits while road-tripping across the United States (and sometimes beyond). The show has been airing since 2007 so most states have been spotlighted on the show, and California is no exception.
Though some of the eateries in The Golden State have closed (it has been over 17 years since the first episode, after all), many great ones are still around. Here are 18 restaurants from Northern to Central to Southern California featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" you should check out.
Bludso's BBQ (Los Angeles)
Guy Fieri visited Bludso's for some Texas-style barbecue in Los Angeles and featured its pork ribs and house-made spicy BBQ sauce. Chef and pitmaster Kevin Bludso was born in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, but he spent his childhood summers in Texas, where he learned the art of Texas barbecue. The show featured Bludso's original location in Compton, which has since closed. But worry not, there are now three LA-area locations you can still visit for some ribs, brisket, and more.
The dinosaur beef rib is another menu item that should not be missed, although you'd need at least two people to finish it. Alternatively, the trays are a great deal if you come with enough people to share them with. Bludso's also offers a happy hour menu on Mondays to Fridays.
609 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-931-2583
Gott's Roadside
Formerly known as Taylor's Automatic Refresher, Gott's Roadside is now a chain with multiple locations in Northern California and a soon-to-open Los Angeles location. Gott's started as a roadside diner in Napa Valley's St. Helena, which is the location that Guy Fieri featured in his show on two separate episodes. It's also the one that received a James Beard award as one of America's Classics.
All of Gott's locations now offer a large menu that includes a kimchi burger and green chile cheeseburger made using Angus beef, as well as salads and an ahi tuna burger. The show featured the Wisconsin burger which is topped with grilled mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar cheese. The soft serve and milkshakes are made using organic milk from Straus Family Creamery.
933 Main St, CA-29, St Helena, CA 94574
707-963-3486
Jitlada (Los Angeles)
Jitlada is one of the best Thai restaurants in Los Angeles and its chef Sarintip "Jazz" Singsanong was a James Beard finalist in 2022. The family-owned restaurant is known for its large menu (with more than 200 dishes) that includes some specialties from southern Thailand which are harder to find and known to be even spicier than the standard Thai fare.
The strip mall restaurant is popular among the Hollywood crowd and you'll find illustrations by Matt Groening as well as photos of celebrities hanging on the wall. Taepo curry with morning glory keeps the spicy lovers returning. But don't worry, there's plenty for those who can't handle the heat, such as the crispy catfish salad and the steamed green mussels in lemongrass.
5233 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-667-9809
Grand Harbor Dim Sum & Seafood (Burlingame)
Grand Harbor is a dim sum restaurant in Burlingame with a view. Located near the San Francisco International Airport, Grand Harbor offers guests a view of the San Francisco Bay and planes landing at the airport. It's certainly likely the only dim sum restaurant with such a view.
Other than the usual dim sum items like har gow and shu mai, Grand Harbor also offers other traditional Chinese dishes. You can find lobster with noodles, kung pao chicken, and more. On the show, Guy Fieri tried the restaurant's chicken feet, pork buns, and lobster in garlic sauce. Like most dim sum restaurants, Grand Harbor gets busy on weekends, so plan to come early.
1492 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame
650-347-9988
Rutt's Hawaiian Cafe (Los Angeles)
A solid Hawaiian restaurant can be a bit hard to find on the mainland, except for those who live near Rutt's Hawaiian Cafe. The restaurant has been serving up Hawaiian food like kalua pork and lau lau since 1976. Rutt's is popular among locals for both its breakfast offerings and plate lunches.
On the show, Guy Fieri visited Rutt's original location on Washington Boulevard and featured the Original Hawaiian Royale. The dish is an open-faced egg scramble over rice topped with Portuguese sausage and Chinese BBQ pork. While the original location is now closed, there is a new location on Washington Place and two other locations in the greater Los Angeles area.
11707 Washington Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90066
310-398-6326
Tahini Street Food (San Diego)
As the name suggests, Tahini Street Food serves up Middle Eastern street eats. During his visit, Guy Fieri tried the chicken shawarma, which is stuffed into a pita with french fries, tomatoes, and cucumber. Falafels are also on the menu. Tahini makes its version of the deep-fried balls using fava beans instead of garbanzo beans, which is the Egyptian way.
High School friends Mahmoud Barkawi and Osama Shabaik opened Street Food in 2017, in Pacific Beach, San Diego. It now has a second location on the campus of the University of California San Diego. From online reviews, it seems the students are loving it. After all, it's a fast-casual spot that is affordable and delicious.
9119 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Suite H, San Diego, CA 92123
858-779-3272
Moo Creamery (Bakersfield)
Over-the-top grass-fed burgers, house-made ice creams, and milkshakes are the highlights of Moo Creamery in Bakersfield. The restaurant also offers various salads for those seeking healthier options. Moo Creamery isn't just your typical burger joint either. It sources its ingredients from the best local farms and ranches.
Among the offerings on the menu are a burger with bacon and blue cheese and one with a chile-spiced beef patty and fried jalapenos. You can also get some of the milkshakes spiked with rum. Don't worry about bringing your vegetarian friend here, either as Moo has veggie options as well. In his show, Guy Fieri showcased the restaurant's peanut butter and bacon burger and its bacon ice cream, which is maple syrup-flavored ice cream with bacon bits.
4885 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93309
661-861-1130
Pyrenees Cafe (Bakersfield)
Bakersfield has a big Basque heritage and the largest collection of Basque restaurants in any city in the United States. One of the most famous is the Pyrenees Cafe. The restaurant has been around since 1887 and is still going strong.
Pyrenees Cafe offers lunch and dinner with the full traditional Basque setup, which includes bread, salsa, Basque cabbage soup, Basque pinto beans, salad, vegetables, fries, and pasta with Bolognese sauce. You can even add a pickled tongue for an extra charge. The spread is generous and the entrees are hearty, perfect for sharing. Garlic lovers can't go wrong with the garlic fried chicken, but the oxtail stew, steak, or lamb chops are equally satisfying.
601 Sumner St, Bakersfield, CA 93305
661-323-0053
Falafel's Drive-In (San Jose)
Falafel and Middle Eastern food may not be the first cuisine to come to mind when you're talking about drive-ins in the United States, but Falafel's Drive-In has been serving authentic Middle Eastern food to the San Jose community since 1966. The falafel sandwich, stuffed with freshly made falafels, is the thing to try on your first visit. The restaurant also offers chicken pita sandwiches, gyros, hummus, and tabbouleh.
In addition to Middle Eastern classics, you can also get hamburgers and hot dogs. Don't miss the banana milkshake, which is made with fresh bananas and has a fanbase of its own. The perfect order here is the special combo of a large falafel and a banana milkshake, which costs an affordable $14 as of November 2024.
2301 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128
408-294-7886
Eastside Italian Deli (Los Angeles)
Eastside started as a market in what was once Los Angeles' Italian neighborhood back in 1929. After almost a century of evolution, Eastside now operates as an Italian deli. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is busiest at lunch.
Eastside Italian Deli is sort of a hidden gem thanks to its location in the quieter neighborhood of Victor Heights, but it's a popular lunch spot among the local police force, plus workers from the nearby City Hall and other government offices in downtown. Eastside Deli has both cold-cut sandwiches as well as hot sandwiches. One of the most well-known items is the #7 sandwich which combines roast beef and pastrami.
1013 Alpine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-250-2464
Radio Africa & Kitchen (San Francisco)
Radio Africa & Kitchen was opened by Ethiopian chef Eskender Aseged in 2004. Aseged had worked with a number of celebrated fine-dining chefs like Jeremiah Tower and Daniel Humm, so the menu at Radio Africa isn't really Ethiopian. Instead, Aseged infuses what he's learned while working in the United States.
On the menu, you'll find dishes like prawns with couscous and tamarind. There are green lentils with rice pilau and vegetables for those on the plant-based diet, but there's also chicken jambalaya and baklava, an amalgamation of the different cultures that exist in California. Keep an eye out for the daily special offerings, as well. The restaurant is only open for weekday lunches, so be sure to plan accordingly if you want to visit.
4800 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94124
415-420-2486
Harold & Belle's (Los Angeles)
A long-time staple in Los Angeles, Harold & Belle's has been serving up Lousiana Creole food like gumbo and jambalaya since 1969. Harold & Belle's was originally opened by Harold Legaux Sr. and his wife Mary Belle who came from New Orleans. The restaurant is still family-owned and is now on its third generation owner as one of the few Black-owned restaurants in Los Angeles.
The restaurant offers both file gumbo and okra gumbo, and there is, of course, a selection of po'boys. The Louisiana-style catfish is said to be the most popular thing on the menu, but I have always been partial to the crawfish etouffee. When it comes to Creole food, it's hard to go wrong with the menu here.
2920 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles
323-735-9023
Wilma & Frieda (Palm Desert)
A popular brunch spot in the Palm Springs area, Wilma & Frieda's draws crowds thanks to its comforting breakfast and brunch food that is served with a twist. The restaurant is known for its biscuits and gravy and colorful pop tarts. There are plenty of other brunch classics on offer, too, from eggs benedict to French toast to the signature meatloaf and eggs.
Wilma and Frieda's original location is in Palm Desert although it opened a second location in downtown Palm Springs in 2017. Both locations are usually only open for breakfast and lunch. However, the Palm Springs location will occasionally open for dinner to host special events like drag queen bingo.
73575 El Paseo #2310, Palm Desert, CA 92260
760-773-2807
The Banshee (Chico)
Downtown Chico pub The Banshee is a local staple and popular hangout. The exterior of The Banshee might be that of a classic English pub, but the food is anything but. The chef at The Banshee hails from Boston but has also spent time in Southeast Asia so the menu takes on a lot of international influences with dishes like pho French dip sandwiches, cod po'boys, and fish tacos.
On the show, Guy Fieri tried the pho French dip. The beef sandwich is topped with carrots, pickled cucumbers, and spicy mayo similar to a banh mi, then dipped in a spicy pho broth. Of course, being a pub, there's a good rotating list of beers on tap and you can still get classic British pub food like fish and chips.
134 W 2nd St, Chico, CA 95928
530-895-9670
Scolari's Good Eats (Alameda)
This Alameda restaurant has a small but solid menu and is known for its burgers and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. When he visited, Gut Fieri tried the blueberry bacon blue cheese burger au poivre. The special burger is made with a pepper-crusted beef patty, blueberry sauce, blue cheese, bacon, and arugula.
Most of the burgers at Scolari's are loaded high with all the toppings, but there's also a smaller one cheekily called the "wimpy burger." It's not at all wimpy, though, it's a quarter-pounder. Be sure to get some garlic scampi fries on the side. Scolari's is counter service only, but you can always enjoy the burgers at the Lucky 13 bar next door. In addition to the original location on Park Street, Scolari's also has a food truck at Almanac Beer Company that's open daily.
1303 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501
510-521-2400
Pizzeria Luigi (San Diego)
Pizzeria Luigi's owner Luigi Agostini grew up near Milan and later worked at various restaurants and pizzeria in the United States. Agostini eventually settled in San Diego and opened the first Pizzeria Luigi in the Golden Hill neighborhood in 2004. Despite being Italian-owned, Pizzeria Luigi actually slices up New York-style thin-crust pizza which is considered to be some of the best in the area.
According to Pizzeria Luigi's menu, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" featured the Mona Lisa pizza which is topped with pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and olives. The menu also features classic pastas and Italian sandwiches. The pizzeria became popular after it was featured on Guy Fieri's show in 2008 and was able to expand considerably. Pizzeria Luigi now has four locations around the San Diego area.
1137 25th St, San Diego, CA 92102
619-233-3309
OB Noodle House (San Diego)
OB Noodle House in San Diego offers pho and other Vietnamese noodles alongside dishes like Korean beef short ribs and spicy garlic wings. Plus, unlike most pho restaurants, OB Noodle House has a full bar and serves cocktails. The drink menu has a surprising section dedicated to peanut butter whisky as the popularity of the peanut butter shot here actually led the owner to launch a spirit company called Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey.
It's not just about the noodles at OB Noodle House. The house special fried rice is another popular dish made with beef, shrimp, and Chinese sausage. The original OB Noodle House opened in 2006, but thanks to the popularity driven by the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" feature, the restaurant opened a second location in 2014.
2218 Cable St, San Diego, CA 92107
619-450-6868
Hank's Creekside (Santa Rosa)
Some people already know that Guy Fieri actually lives in Santa Rosa. Naturally, he's showcased some of his favorite local spots there, including Hank's Creekside, a family-owned restaurant that has been serving breakfast and lunch classics since 1992. Hank's Creekside was popular even before the show, and it's even more so now.
Locals and travelers alike flock to Hank's for traditional American breakfast items like corned beef hash, hot cakes, biscuits and gravy, and more. Eggs benedict, huevos rancheros, and cinnamon walnut French toast round out the menu. The portions are generous and the food makes for a good hangover cure, so the wait time for breakfast at this Sonoma Valley joint can be rather long, but it's worth it.
2800 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95405
707-575-8839