On the Road Eats: Comfort Food Across the Country

Take a road trip with Food Network stars to discover their favorite comfort foods, from chili over nachos in Cleveland to chicken and waffles in Las Vegas.

Taste of Europe — Arlington, Texas
Where can you "eat while you shop and shop while you eat"? At this Russian comfort food eatery, of course! Chef Irina Pavlova, a Russian native, served Guy Fieri some potato pancakes with meat inside, which he described as "crispy, creamy and salty." Customers also enjoy the cabbage rolls and Russian sweets.

South City Kitchen — Atlanta
South City Kitchen in Atlanta may be housed in a century-old building, but this restaurant is serving high-class contemporary takes on Southern favorites like hoecakes and shrimp and grits. On FoodNation with Bobby Flay, Bobby loved the fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and red pepper coulis.

Counter Cafe — Austin
A cozy, comfortable diner, Counter Cafe specializes in comfort food like pancakes, burgers, and biscuits and gravy. In addition to the classics, this 26-seat eatery offers up scratch-made curry chicken burgers that Guy calls "juicy as can be" and a one-of-a-kind breakfast combo of quail and eggs.

Jestine's Kitchen — Charleston, SC
On Food Network's $40 a Day, Rachael Ray tucks into Jestine's Kitchen for some old-style Southern comfort food in Charleston.

Palace Grill — Chicago
Jeff Mauro stops by Chicago's Palace Grill — a local diner that has been serving up comfort food classics since 1938 — for a taste of the restaurant's grilled cheese on Food Network's Sandwich King.

Palookaville Chili — Cleveland
The focus here (no surprise) is on chili, or as the folks at Palookaville like to call it, "hot pots o' soul." There are five kinds of chili with a variety of spice levels. You can have your chili in a bowl, over chips ("nacho grande"), on a hot dog, over pasta or in a burrito.

Elmo's Diner — Durham, NC
Rachael visits Elmo's Diner in Durham — a local favorite serving breakfast all day and comfort foods made from scratch — on Food Network's $40 a Day.

The 1770 House — East Hampton, NY
Ina Garten admits on The Best Thing I Ever Ate that her mother's meatloaf does not compare to The 1770 House's rich, luxurious version made with naturally raised beef, veal and Berkshire pork — and neither does anybody else's. For this inn dating back to 1770, it's a historically delicious meal.

Grover's Bar & Grill — East Amherst, NY
Eat your cheeseburger with a spoon — cheeseburger soup, that is — at this funky joint run by a mother-daughter duo. With a menu full of hearty comfort foods, you won't leave hungry, especially if you order the 12-ounce Bruiser Burger with blue cheese.

Central City Cafe — Huntington, W.Va.
Ask a local where to find the best comfort food in Huntington, and you'll be directed to Central City Cafe. A hometown favorite is the white bean chili, which wouldn't be complete without a piece of homemade cornbread — Guy guarantees it'll make you happy.

Hash House a Go Go — Las Vegas
Leave the buffet behind in favor of hearty comfort food from Hash Hash a Go Go, where Rachael says, "You won't find disco balls, but you will find gigantic portions." Indulge in their unique take on chicken and waffles, or try the pork tenderloin sandwich with a kiwi-watermelon lemonade.

Rizzo's Diner — Memphis
At this upscale diner, Chef Michael Patrick is reinventing Southern comfort food. The savory Chorizo Meatloaf juxtaposed with tangy green tomato gravy tantalized Guy's taste buds, while the Lobster Pronto Pups had a light batter and perfectly tender meat.

Good Enough to Eat — New York City
Bobby heads to Good Enough to Eat on the Upper West Side of New York for the ultimate American comfort food on Food Network's Boy Meets Grill.

Colossal Cafe — Minneapolis
Don't let the small 500-square-foot space fool you: They're not skimping on ingredients at the Colossal Cafe. Try the apple, walnut and Brie pancakes or go with the best-selling meatloaf sandwich topped with citrus-infused cranberry compote and served on fresh bread baked daily.

Red Rooster — New York City
Wherever Chopped judge Marcus Samuelsson cooks, you can be sure his flavors will pull from his past and present; Red Rooster is no exception. Marcus serves modern Harlem, N.Y., comfort foods like Fried Yardbird and Mac & Greens. As a nod to his Swedish roots, he's added Helga's Meatballs to the menu.

Aunt Mary's Cafe — Oakland
When Texan native Jack Stewart came to California, he started an artisanal Southern comfort food diner. Guy downed the potato and collard green pancakes topped with potlikker gravy and enjoyed the French toast-like pain perdu. Try the shrimp and grits, and kick it up a notch with Tabasco gravy.

Nic's Grill — Oklahoma City
This neighborhood gem is cranking out comfort food specials, like pork chops on Tuesdays and meatloaf on Fridays. The 15-seat joint became a legend for its mouthwatering half-pound burgers served with an overflowing basket of french fries and a fork.

Seaplane Diner — Providence
On Food Network's Rachael's Vacation, Rachael drops by Seaplane Diner in Providence for classic American comfort foods.

Croaker's Spot Soul Food — Richmond
On FoodNation with Bobby Flay, Bobby stopped by this Southern soul food spot for house specialties such as spicy seafood chili, crispy fried trout and "unbelievable" cornbread with "hot buttered soul." Look for other comfort dishes like shrimp and grits and slow-cooked greens.

The Grove — San Francisco
Owner Kenneth Zankel opened The Grove envisioning a "communal living room" with down-to-earth eats. Hiring Food Network Star contestant Chef Jeffrey Saad was the best idea, as Jeffrey's chicken pot pie and Chinese chicken salad with orange-sesame vinaigrette have become local favorites.

Mac's Fish & Chip Shop — Santa Barbara, Calif.
A British couple visits California and what do they decide to do? Start a British comfort food shop! Guy and his son loved these "real-deal" fish and chips made with wild Alaskan cod. The bangers with a side of mash also garnered praise. Feeling brave? Try the fried haggis balls.

Cricklewood — Santa Rosa, Calif.
Northern California may not be the first place you think of for classic steakhouses, but Cricklewood is just that. They serve up aged Black Angus beef, Sonoma County wines and the best thing Guy Fieri ever ate in a bowl: French onion soup.

Brats Brothers — Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Guy goes inside a 100-year-old building and finds that the comfort food joint is filled with "mean libations and the food's on point." You'll get upscale comfort dishes like stuffed burgers on brioche, truffled cheese-steak empanadas and duck confit pot pie. It's good food, good beer and great staff.

Eva's European Sweets — Syracuse, NY
The authentic home-style Polish comfort food and family atmosphere found at this cafe cause some to feel that they are actually in Poland. The crispy potato pancakes with gravy elicited an "mmm" from Guy as he devoured the dish. Locals recommend the delicious pierogi and the savory kielbasa.

Collucci's 4 Bros. Bistro and Last Resort Lounge — West Yarmouth, Mass.
Four generations of family pride (and some of Cape Cod's best comfort food) grace the tables of 4 Bros. Bistro and Last Resort Lounge. The must-try from brothers Jack and Rocco Collucci? Their Throwdown-championship "tongue-tingling, mouthwatering, super satisfying" meatloaf with brown gravy.

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