Overlooking the beautiful marina, Tiki Bar is not your typical Mexican restaurant. It’s serving up some of the best sushi in Cabo. Guy can’t get enough of the Heavy Nagasaki featuring layers of fresh fish inside a butterflied shrimp roll, which is fried and then drizzled with homemade eel sauce.
This outdoor oasis serves seafood caught straight from San Lucas Bay. Guy sampled the stuffed fish drenched in a rich lobster reduction, whose freshness factor left him impressed. Stopping by for breakfast? Try the chilaquiles: a tasty mix of tortilla chips, cheese, shredded chicken and salsa.
The crowds pack in to Guy’s Playa del Carmen joint to sample his comforting (and creative) bites that bring together Mexican and American flavors. The towering Trash Can Nachos are a menu mainstay. Layer upon layer of crisp tortilla chips are smothered in a silky cheese sauce and black beans, then heaped with cheddar cheese and smoky, succulent pulled pork. A flavorful flourish of salsa, sour cream, Cotija cheese, pickled red onions, jalapeno slices and cilantro leaves complete this sky-high, shareable snack.
Chef-Owner Cory McKay left behind his native Canada to start his burrito-making business in Cancun, Mexico. Head to this 24-hour spot and you’ll find McKay and his team churning out massive, tortilla-wrapped creations bursting with a blend of fillings and sauces. “That’s real deal,” Guy said after taking a bite of the Mahi Shrimp Burrito. This beauty comes stuffed with succulent morsels of fresh shrimp and marinated cubes of mahi-mahi, along with onions, tomatoes, green peppers and corn. Before folding the tortilla around the fillings, McKay douses his creation with a blend of different sauces.
With so many taco spots vying for customers in Cancun, this spot has set itself apart with creative flavor combinations. “This taco is out of bounds!” exclaimed Guy after biting into the restaurant’s signature creation. The Pinchez Taco comes piled with chopped pork and chorizo bursting with smoky flavors, along with a layer of crisp pork rinds and grilled onions that have been drenched in honey and mustard. Another popular pick is the Pio Pio Taco, which comes heaped with grilled chicken and a vibrant mango salsa.
Located inside two school buses stacked up to a shed, Hillbilly's Hot Dogs is home to a menu of wild, crazy dogs, including the Egg Dog made with scrambled eggs and Pizza Dog smothered in pizza sauce. Guy's mission? Finish the famous Home Wrecker made with "15 inches of pure beef weenie."
Ask a local where to find the best comfort food in Huntington, W.Va., and they'll direct you to the 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.
For more than 60 years, politicians and hungry tourists have ventured to DC's Tune Inn for classic, greasy dive food. Guy raved about the Bon Ton sauce used generously for such specials as Joe's West Virginia sandwich made with American cheese and the beer-battered burger, dripping with flavor.
Guy calls Kounty Quarthouse’s Chef Beth Cherny “gangster” for her no-fuss way of cooking. Don’t miss her chipotle brisket, which is stacked on top of cheddar biscuits and served with chipotle sauce made from scratch. The pork belly sandwich with slaw and Asian barbecue sauce is another standout.
On Triple D, Guy takes a heaping mouthful of the famous Garbage Plate at Franks Diner. The signature dish made of hash and eggs (and everything in between) has made the Kenosha diner an institution since 1926. The French Toast Cinnamon Rolls and Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes don't hurt either.
Stop by this self-proclaimed dive bar for some huge burgers at dirt-cheap prices. Triple-D fans love the Gally Buster, which is a 1-pound triple cheeseburger for only $6. If you don’t mind spicy, try the Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger with extra bacon or go crunchy with the Cashew Burger.
Shorty’s dishes are inspired by Montreal’s obsession with smoked meat, like the Meat Lover’s pizza topped with sausage, pepperoni and bacon. Guy knows to order the hidden dish not listed on the menu – the hunter’s chicken, featuring a signature sauce that’s their take on a red wine reduction.
This diner is in the middle of nowhere, but it’s worth the trip. Traditional dishes get funky twists, like the red-eye gravy made with ground espresso beans. Served over buttermilk biscuits, it has the locals hooked. Guy loves the Norwegian Pancake with jalapeno, declaring it “a crepe gone wild.”
For Guy, the standout at The Brick House Cafe is the espresso BBQ pulled pork sandwich. Prepared with a homemade dry rub and then marinated, the pork is topped with a delicious barbecue sauce that gives it a smoky flavor. Another favorite is the French toast with a caramel-toffee brulee drizzle.
Oohhs & Aahhs Restaurant will make you do exactly that — go “ooh” and “aah.” This joint is the real deal when it comes to soul food, as they use classic recipes passed down from the two owners’ grandmothers. Guy can’t get enough of the shrimp and grits or the spicy Buffalo wings with fries.
Make restaurant favorites at home with copycat recipes from FN Magazine.
Let Guy take you on a coast-to-coast tour Friday at 9|8c.