Chef and owner Tony Avila and co-owner Axel Beverido have brought all the best bites from an authentic taco truck to a strip mall in Austin. Guy called their Taco Yucateco, with braised pork, black beans, pickled onions and bittersweet onions, the “real deal.”

At Green Mesquite, the BBQ gets its spectacular smoky flavor from the spot's namesake: mesquite wood that is seasoned, or "green." On Triple D, Guy calls the ribs, made with brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, onion and garlic, "awesome." Other faves include brisket, pulled pork and chicken fried steak.

This spot takes its sandwiches seriously, as Guy saw firsthand. He tried the duck pastrami and was pleased with how its fatty and smoky flavors balance each other. Another standout is the Noble Pig, starring house-brined ham, pulled pork, bacon and melty provolone piled on bacon-studded bread.

Valentina's manages to excel at both classic barbecue meats and Mexican staples like carnitas and fajitas. Make it there before 11 a.m. to enjoy The Real Deal Holyfield, one of the city's most-decadent culinary experiences and one that’s likely to knock you out for the rest of your day. The fried egg, beans, potato, bacon and tomato-serrano salsa are a meal unto themselves, but the dish enters a new realm of gluttony with a thick slice of fatty brisket.

At Foreign & Domestic, it's a culinary wedding of flavors. The husband-and-wife duo behind this restaurant have been turning foreign dishes a little domestic and vice versa. The result is a menu with savory, eclectic standouts, like Fideos pasta with eggplant butter or their signature Gruyere Popovers.

Prince Lebanese Grill channels the flavors of the Mediterranean, with familiar classics such as falafel, shawarma and tabbouleh, and some things you may have never tried before. You must get the Middle Eastern Breakfast Pizza made with za'atar — a spice blend pesto pasted on a warmed pita.

Pieous is known for their killer pastrami sandwiches. The meat is cured for 20 days, smoked and then piled high on house-made sour dough bread. “I’ll take three of those to go,” said Guy. He was also floored by the caramel rolls which were made with a labor-intensive buttery croissant dough. “That is what every cinnamon roll wants to be,” he said.

Locals flock to this restaurant for its authentic Jamaican home cooking. Guy enjoyed the "delicious heat" found in the curry goat. The goat head soup was "full flavored" and had tender pieces of goat. The savory and slightly spicy stewed and fried whole red snapper is a fan favorite.

At this burger joint Chef Kenny Mills is cooking up real deal burgers with a twist. The Chop House Burger has a mixed patty of brisket and beef, which Guy claims is "outstanding." Football player Earl Campbell loves the gumbo made with his sausage, crab and crawfish and served over rice.

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 potato pancakes with meat inside, which he described as "crispy, creamy and salty." Customers also enjoy the cabbage rolls and Russian sweets.

At Athens Family Restaurant, owner Adel Elostta aims for the "best quality for the money." As Guy learned, that meant giant bacon lamb burgers (made with their "love spice" blend), gargantuan Greek suzukakia meatballs and kotopita, a tasty chicken turnover Guy called his kind of breakfast.

The "Meat & 3" (entree and three vegetables) at Arnold's Country Kitchen is arguably the best in Nashville, especially with the roast beef. In 2009, they even won a James Beard award. But Guy swung over not for the roast beef but for the plump chicken dumplings and "super tasty”"turnip greens.

You don't normally think about Cajun food in Nashville except when the owners come from Louisiana, like they do at Bro's Cajun Cuisine. Get the gumbo, red beans and rice, crawfish cooked in fiery red spices or the Cajun-style pork chops. If the locals say "it is true Cajun food," then it's gotta be!

This food truck’s gourmet take on comfort food draws the crowds, but regulars say it’s worth the wait. The Pimento Mac & Chee has Guy dreaming of childhood. Served with tomato soup, this best-seller features pimento cheese, cheddar, macaroni, bacon bits and sliced tomato on country white bread.

When Guy visited this Italian eatery on Triple D, he found one-of-a-kind homemade fettuccine that is rolled not with a pasta machine but a broomstick. Also worth a try: any of Savarino's signature sandwiches, of which there are over a dozen, paired with cantaloupe Italian ice for dessert.