Restaurants

Locals can't wait for Magnolia Cafe's giant gingerbread banana pancakes, and lucky for them, they don't have to. Guy loved the menu, packed with everything from chipotle hollandaise sauce on eggs Benedict to jambalaya stuffed in red peppers. As he says, "come back for the food and the funk."

Home Slice draws the Austin crowds with its New York-style pizzas, which have proven to be so popular that the joint sells 1,000 pies daily. Fans include Tim Love, who frequents the spot for its pepperoni and white slices. Home Slice’s pepperoni pie is slathered with a rich layer of tomato sauce, dusted with oregano, then hit with a flurry of Parmesan, provolone and mozzarella cheeses before being finished with perfect rounds of pepperoni. The white pizza features a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheeses studded with chopped garlic, mounds of baked ricotta cheese and heaps of blanched spinach. “It tastes like the most amazing sauteed spinach you’ve ever had in your life,” Love says.

A cozy, comfortable diner, Counter Cafe specializes in comfort food like pancakes, burgers and biscuits and gravy. In addition to the classics, the 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.

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.

This rock-and-roll bar serves up brunch and a chill atmosphere all day long. Try the Meatloaf Sandwich made with a unique layer of crispy Parmesan and horseradish sauce. For the adventurous there’s the Monte Bisco, their take on the Monte Cristo, made with house-made biscuits dusted with powdered sugar, sweet tea-brined turkey, bologna, blackberry-thyme jam and aerated Swiss cheese sauce. “It’s a beacon of funk ... but it’s delicious,” said Guy.

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.

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.

This barbecue joint is making incredible sandwiches in a 90s, hip hop atmosphere. Here Guy finds the very first rib sandwich in the history of DDD. The McDowell is made with their deboned smoked ribs, their Soul-Glo sauce, pickles and onions. “The angels in Flavortown are crying,” said Guy.

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.”

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.

Fernando Marri recreates the food he ate growing up in Brazil at his food truck in Austin. Diners, like Matthew McConaughey and his Brazilian-born wife, swear by the authenticity. Guy loved the classic Feijoada and homemade Pao De Queijo, “I feel transported to Brazil.”

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.

Guy Fieri calls late night spot Casino El Camino home to "the best burger in town." Juicy and tender, the 12-ounce monsters come topped with everything from cheese and thick-cut bacon to roasted Serrano peppers and Texas-hot buffalo sauce. For a spicy side, pair your burger with Verde Chili Fries.

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.

At this food truck, you never know what kind of sandwich you'll get. Guy called the Korean rabbit with rabbit meat, tater tots, kimchi, Sriracha and their secret sauce "the bomb." The shrimp caught Guy's attention with its tasty shrimp patty paired with blue cheese, baby spinach, onions and apples.