The Chicago-style hot dogs served at Hot Doug's have had locals lining up around the block for years. If you're looking for heat, try the Fire Dog, made with hot peppers, or the Atomic Bomb, a spicy sausage mixed with peppers and topped with chipotle mayo, as Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking did.
For a seriously hot drink that might just turn out to be a love potion, head to Mercadito Midtown in Miami and have a Vato Loco. Stay for traditional Mexican food mixed with seasonal and local sensibilities, and you've got a perfect date night.
For the spicy side of Miami, heat seekers Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking head to CVI.CHE 105 where they serve Ceviche Anconero, a popular Peruvian dish made with corvina fish, octopus, calamari and a spicy blend of rocoto and chili peppers. For a cool down, diners love the passion fruit mousse.
Nitally's Thai-Mex Cuisine is the brainchild of a multicultural husband and wife in St. Petersburg. To understand this culinary fusion, imagine Carnitas with Thai spices, Thai Peanut Chicken Tortilla Wraps, Chorizo Fried Rice and Curry Burritos. Willing souls can attempt the Inferno Soup Challenge.
Crabby Bill's has been serving the Gulf Coast everything from blue crab to mahi mahi to steamer buckets for more than 30 years. But when Heat Seekers Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking visited, they turned up the spice with the volcano gator bites that come with a "deadly zing" ghost chili pepper mayo.
Skim EATS! American Grill's menu for classic American dishes using well-loved, well-known recipes. The Tampa restaurant prepares comforting, traditional items like Cheese Fries, Fried Green Tomatoes, Philly Cheesesteak, Maryland Crab Cakes, Apple Pie and so much more, all in a friendly atmosphere.
For a bite of Jamaican heat, Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking trek to Aunt I's, named by the late owner's mother who knew "how to make a wicked jerk chicken." The recipe uses fiery Scotch bonnet peppers and allspice rub in every crevice. But the key to the popular oxtail stew remains a secret.
On Food Network's Heat Seekers, Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking find fiery Mango Pepper Shrimp at Mama Jamaica's in San Diego, CA, a local cafe serving up spicy island classics.
On Food Network's Heat Seekers, chefs Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking travel to San Diego, CA, to check out All-Pro Linebacker Junior Seau's restaurant, and they face a mean Atomic Ahi Poke that sets their taste buds on fire.
In Old Town San Diego, spacious Cafe Coyote boasts Spanish architecture, an outdoor courtyard with a fountain, traditional music, and authentic Mexican food. As a certified Tequila House, the Cantina at Cafe Coyote knows its drinks, and dishes like Carne Asada and Carnitas are big favorites.
Heat lovers shouldn't miss the Mexican-Japanese fusion at this West Coast sushi bar. On Heat Seekers, Aaron Sanchez and Roger Mooking tasted the habanero-and-Sriracha-spiced Five-Star Roll, which arrives dressed with the signature "Shut Up Sauce" made with serranos, Thai chiles and lemon juice.
At this Los Angeles taqueria, tender, slow-cooked meats are piled into freshly pressed corn tortillas, which Aaron Sanchez said "burst with corn flavor." He and Roger Mooking recommend the "spiciest taco on the menu" -- cochinita pibil -- which customers can order on a spiciness scale of 1 to 10.
Try the "legendary" Diablo Burger made with Kobe beef, pepper Jack, bacon and roasted habanero devil hot sauce for what Aaron Sanchez calls "a whole different level of heat." The tavern also serves grilled cheese sandwiches, flatbread pizzas and a monthly rotation of featured wine and craft beer.
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.