A litany of comfort food favorites with a Southern lilt has earned Gralehaus a legion of loyal fans, with Damaris Phillips among them. She brought Guy Fieri to her hometown haunt, where he was won over by two indulgent menu items: a cheesy bologna sandwich and a meaty grits dish. “Dynamite,” Guy declared of the sandwich, which features two fried slices of housemade bologna perched on a cheese-smothered brioche bun. A sunny-side up egg, mustard greens and splash of hot sauce finish the creation.

Owners Liz and Jesse Huot started off serving grass-fed beef burgers from a tiny trailer, but demand soon grew to the point that they were able to open a brick-and-mortar spot. In addition to the beef patties, they offer a veggie option that left Guy impressed. “Such phenomenal texture,” he said of the patty, which is made from a well-seasoned blend of roasted vegetables, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and more. It’s slathered with smoked tomato ketchup, dressed with lettuce and tomato, and placed on a fluffy bun.

Each of the 150,000 tamales made each year at The Tamale Place are handmade and hand-tied. As Guy learned on DDD, that means the masa for the tamales is made with freshly ground corn every day. It's also used for everything from tacos to tortilla chips to the just-like-grandma's apple pecan tamale.

At The Barking Dog, you can feed yourself a hearty plate of cherry pie or the signature "Bark Lard" BLT with special tomato jam. But you can also feed your dog. As Guy discovered on Triple D, just tell them your dog's name and they'll make a special platter for your favorite barker.

This 1896 Victorian house serves both vegetarians and meat lovers alike with a Southern spin. The ham-and-cheese sandwich stuffed with wilted kale and bacon has been deemed "outstanding" by Guy. And don’t sleep on the housemade desserts: Guy recommends both the raspberry lemon corn cakes and the blueberry goat cheese pie.

This community establishment was about to disappear before a mother and son bought and revived it. Guy enjoyed the meatball sandwich with homemade marinara sauce. The noodles are made fresh for the stick-to-your-ribs beef and noodles. Feeling hungry? Try the stuffed pizza made to order.

This spot has been slinging burgers since original owner Helen "Bebe" Hackney served them with brews on her back porch during the Prohibition era. A standout is The Famous Hackneyburger, served on dark rye with a brick (yes, a brick) of onion rings on the side. As Guy proclaimed, ''It's all-American, baby.''

At Paradise Pup the "big mess of a burger" is traditional Chicago fast food the way it should be. Folks line up outside the 800-square-foot joint for the one-and-only Char Cheddar burger -- what Guy calls the "mac daddy of all burgers." As for the Italian beef sandwich, it’s "oh, so good."

Drive-in restaurants may not be as commonplace as they used to be, but that hasn't stopped Bobo's Drive-In from attracting customers with the same recipes they've had for over 50 years. Their classic cheeseburger is often served with their signature Spanish sauce; as Guy says, ''that's good eats.''

Woodyard had been supplying wood to Kansas City BBQ restaurants since 1913, when in 2005, owner Frank Schloegel decided that if it's good enough for everybody else, he'd start cooking on it, too. Now the Smoked Chicken and BurntEnds Sandwich are local faves, and Guy calls the Pork Ribs "a knockout."

Chef-owner Carlos Falcon grew up living right next to the ocean in Mexico, so when he decided to open a restaurant in landlocked Kansas City, he figured out how to bring in fresh fish daily to recreate the flavors of his childhood. The standout dish is the whole fried sea bass, which is salt brined for 24 hours before it’s fried to give it a crisp, salty exterior. It’s served with a side of fresh cabbage slaw and a drizzle of chipotle sauce, and is so incredibly simple. “I don’t care if this is the only thing on the menu, I will be back,” Guy said after his first bite.

According to Guy, Johnny's Bar-B-Q "just screams tradition." With a handmade pit, over three decades of happy customers and an owner who's been making BBQ since he was 14 that comes as no surprise. Try the nice and crispy, super-juicy smoked-and-deep-fried chicken with award-winning mild BBQ rub.

Chef Bob Palmgreen spent years in high-end NYC restaurants, entering BBQ competitions on the side, until after receiving dozens of awards he decided to take his hobby full time with RJ's Bob-Be-Que Shack. Guy calls their Jalapeno Sausage "tremendous," and the Lamb Ribs are a bonafide top seller.

On Triple D's road trip across Route 66, Guy discovered Cafe on the Route and their killer crusted catfish. As for the legendary kicks — they've got that, too. How about Aztec chicken with a rum glaze, avocado and chiles? For a decadent dessert, enjoy deep-fried cheesecake.

Brint's Diner in Wichita may have been remodeled recently, but it hasn't lost the warm and down-to-earth atmosphere (no big-screen TV, just food and folks) that's kept locals coming back for more. Guy was particularly impressed with the scrambled eggs, which were light, fluffy and not oily.