Restaurants

Chef Omar Flores is dishing out comfort food with a Southern spin and making some seriously crispy fried chicken at Whistle Britches. The Hot Dang is their Nashville-style hot chicken served on thick Texas toast, with cool dill ranch and house-made pickles. Their chicken and waffles are served with a drizzle of jalapeno hot honey, house-made sausage gravy and a wedge of watermelon. “That’s wrong in so many ways that it makes it right,” Guy said of the dish.

Chef Jesus Carmona is serving up real-deal Tijuana street tacos and more in Dallas. His grilled octopus tacos are topped with a spicy pesto salsa and cooled with avocado and cheese. The chef was inspired to make his signature Mole Fries by a vendor selling potato chips dipped in mole. His version substitutes crispy fries topped with house-made mole, crema fresca and cotija cheese. “I came here for tacos, I’ll come back for the fritas,” gushed Guy.

At Tutta’s there’s a pizza for every appetite but they’re known for their smoked-meat topped creations. The Texan features smoked brisket topped with their house-made barbeque sauce, red onions, pepperoncini peppers and melted mozzarella cheese.

At this eatery they're serving over 2000 burgers a week with a gourmet twist. The barbecue sauce in the half-pound Western Burger with pepper Jack, bacon, onion strings and jalapenos was the "kicker" according to Guy. He also enjoyed the venison and bison burger with a side of spicy fried pickles.

Owner Jack Perkins is grilling only burgers at his dive, and he is making over 600 a day. The half-pound burger with lettuce, bacon, cheese and jalapenos tantalized Guy's taste buds. Loyal customers enjoy customizing their burgers by adding an extra patty, chili, grilled onions and a fried egg.

Guy couldn't stop himself from taking nibbles of Moroccan Bites' dishes. For starters, the fall-apart lamb served on fluffy couscous was playing a "tune called delicious." And don’t forget the Moroccan sausage sandwich made with an earthy spice mix and totally "out-of-bounds" relish.

After teaching for 25 years, Chef Iris Ornelas followed her passion and opened a restaurant that celebrated her Puerto Rican heritage. Her Caribbean Nachos are made with crispy fried plantains, instead of chips and are topped with roast pork, beans, cheese and chili sauce. Also, try their unique Chuleta Kan-Kan which is an extremely large fried pork chop with the rib attached. Guy had never seen anything like it.

This bakery in San Antonio aims to transport you back to Mexico City circa 1950. The Mexico City-raised owners Jose Cáceres and David Cáceres are cranking out authentic bread and pastries like Guy has never had. Guy’s sons join him to make the bakery’s best seller, the Tequila-Almond Croissants.

At this Puerto Rican eatery, Chef Andre Cerbones is cooking up all the classics. Guy's favorite is the mofongo, which is made with mashed plantains, fried pork and a garlic sauce. According to Guy, "there is no way you can't love" the full-flavored ropa vieja with twice-fried plantains either.

Drop by Louie's to sample the Don, a burger that Guy says is "super-mondo juicy." The fresh-ground Angus patty is basted with a soy-and-garlic-laced secret sauce, layered with Swiss cheese, bacon and jalapeno, then nestled between slices of rye bread. Also try the thin-crust pizza slathered with crushed tomato sauce and topped with Angus beef-and-pork butt sausage, Wisconsin cheese, onions and green peppers.

For a passport to Thailand in Texas head to Jack Nuchjasem’s CrushCraft. Chef Nuchjasem is channeling the flavors he loved growing up near Bangkok into his authentic dishes. “That’s one of the best curries I have ever had,” Guy said after tasting the Green Thai Curry.

To taste the funky and weird side of Austin, Rachael gets a local tip to visit Maria's Taco Xpress with its bright murals and good cheap eats. Rachael ordered the popular migas breakfast tacos, but for dinner, it's all about the pollo guisado chicken tacos made with a smoky chipotle sauce.

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.