The Oldest, Most Iconic Classic Restaurants of All Time on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’

Snag a stool at the counter, crack open a bottle of Triple XXX root beer and prepare to experience a taste of the past in West Lafayette, Indiana. Open since 1929, Triple XXX Family Restaurant is Indiana’s first and oldest drive-in. It debuted on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives back in Season 1. We’re glad Guy Fieri didn’t waste any time introducing us to this classic all-day drive-in, because that means we can return early and often to feast our way through their comfort food lineup. Fan favorites range from sweet Triple XXX Root Beer Cake to savory suppers named after local sports icons.

A regular pit stop for travelers, locals, Purdue University students and, now, Triple D fans, you can cure your cravings at Triple XXX from dawn until well after dinnertime. (Root beer floats at 9:30 p.m.? Say less.) While Guy was on the fence about the Duane Purvis All-American Burger with peanut butter slathered on the bun, the crew couldn’t get enough of the Ashley Burkhardt. A tribute to a former Purdue softball player, this menu mainstay comes with grilled buttermilk biscuits, saucy chicken tenders and sweet potato fries.

Back in 1950, Al Bergstrom bought what was once called “The Hunky Dory Lunch,” and later “Bill’s Place.” When he took over, he aptly renamed it “Al’s Diner.” From Day 1, this small but mighty Midwestern gem was beloved by folks who worked at factories in the neighborhood, Dinkytown, and was originally open for three meals per day. But on the verge of burnout in 1961, Al decided to simplify and stick to the most popular meal at his Minneapolis restaurant: breakfast. Al’s Breakfast was born.

Al retired in 1973, but his 10-foot-wide, 14-seat diner is in great hands with current owner Alison Kirwin. On the heels of being named a James Beard Foundation Award “America’s Classic” in 2004, Guy popped into Al’s Breakfast during Season 1 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives back in 2007. He deemed the corned beef hash “money,” studied up on how to make their whole-wheat and buttermilk pancakes (blueberries optional, but highly recommended) and chatted with locals, who declared that they eat breakfast exclusively at the cozy comfort-food haven.

“It’s lunchtime, so we’re headed to Hackensack, to a diner that’s a burger joint. And I mean a burger joint,” Guy said as he rolled up to this neon sign during Season 2. A local institution since 1946, White Manna Hamburgers’ menu is delightfully simple. Although you can ask for a steak sandwich, a “chicken steak” or a plant-based burger, the move is to stick with their namesake menu item — plus fries, of course.

This isn’t your everyday burger. It’s a fresh, lean, ground chuck patty smashed into a sizzling pile of onions and served on a Martin’s Potato Roll. (Owner Ronnie Cohen told Guy that they prepare about 800 to 1,000 per day!) Opt for a single or double, add cheese if desired, then finish with your one and only condiment option if you like: ketchup. “Honestly, I could have 18 or 75 of these,” Guy joked.

“Some places call themselves a ‘legend.’ We just show up, crack some eggs, sling some sass and let history speak for itself,” the Franks Diner team explained. Welcoming hungry neighbors and travelers to their Kenosha HQ since 1926, Franks is officially the longest continually running railcar diner in America. The family-owned brand was purchased by longtime fans Chris Schwartz, Lynn Groleau and Kris Derwae in 2001. As Guy witnessed back in Season 2, they barely changed a thing. It’s the same counter, the same jolly vibes and the same overflowing garbage plates and steering wheel-wide pancakes.

“Two school buses stacked up next to a shed” is how Guy described this humble hot dog joint during his pilgrimage to Lesage, West Virginia, back in Season 3. Part of the appeal of husband-and-wife-owned Hillbilly Hot Dogs is that it’s not trying to be anything but itself. Since 1999, Sonny and Sharie Knight have been hootin’, hollerin’ and having a blast slinging burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches with a side of (well-meaning) sass. Case in point: Their veggie burger is called the “Don’t Have a Cow Burger.”

Guy tried his luck with their 15-inch deep-fried dog that weighs in at a pound — and that's before the toppings. The dog gets even more daunting once it’s topped with two pounds of jalapeños, habanero sauce, coleslaw and cheese. Finish the entire “homewrecker” dog in 10 minutes and you earn a T-shirt. The next time Guy visits, he now knows to bring his appetite … and he might want to bring his wife Lori, too. Hillbilly Hot Dogs’ Weddin’ Chapel has been hosting “Weenie Weddin’s” ($75) and “Weenie Renewals” ($35) on their grounds for the past 10 years.

Come to this since-1972 dive for the rustic log cabin atmosphere, the pool table and the pinball machine. Stay for the abundance of beer and unexpected eats. Oh yes, and for the history. After purchasing the Russian River Pub in 2005, Wendy Gause found out her dad had almost done the same 20 years prior. So it’s kismet that she’s steering the ship at this indoor-outdoor restaurant with menu items that start at just $5. Guy has plenty of memories at the Russian River Pub, too. He hosted his 30th birthday there eight years prior to filming a segment of his Triple D pilot here.

Wendy and Co. are renowned for their “famous” chicken wings, their burgers (they’ll make one for your pup, too!) and especially for their prime rib. Whether you opt for it with melted Swiss and sauteed mushrooms or ask for it French dip-style with a side of homemade au jus for dipping, one bite will be all the evidence you need to find out why locals still flock here more than 50 years after opening day.

A million customers per year can’t be wrong — and neither can a double chili cheeseburger with bacon. Unless you forget to add a glass of Beacon Drive-In’s famous lemon sweet tea to wash it down with. (They sell more tea than any other single restaurant in America.) This Spartanburg, South Carolina, landmark is a true drive-in, offering curbside service via a carhop since 1946. While the format has stayed consistent, Beacon has changed hands a bit over the years. It’s now co-owned and operated by Steve Duncan, Sam Maw and Mark McManus.

Guy stopped by during his very first episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and applauded their efficiency and the dishes served “a-plenty,” or piled high with onion rings and french fries. It’s certainly tempting to fill up on entrees like the beef hash sandwich with slaw and barbecue sauce. All of the portions are, as you might guess, a-plenty. But be sure to save room for dessert. They’re not shy with the serving size here, either. The Beacon banana split comes loaded with two scoops each of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream, plus whipped cream, nuts, chocolate sauce and three cherries for good measure.

What was once a coffee shop is now a breakfast and lunch bistro that Guy celebrated back in Season 9, circa 2009. For more than 20 years, Lucky’s Cafe has been more than farm-to-table; it’s backyard-to-table. Mere steps away from the kitchen of this Cleveland, Ohio, icon, you’ll find the garden where owner Heather Havilland and team plant, care for and harvest a good portion of the produce found on their small but satisfying brunch menu. If you’re on the fence about what to order, try the locally loved mac and cheese. Technically made with penne, the sauce is infused with cheddar, Brie, Parmesan and mozzarella. This from-scratch dish is topped with brioche breadcrumbs and served with applesauce. Sweet!

“People around these parts know that Red Arrow is the 24/7 go-to spot for great diner food that’s totally worth the wait,” Guy explained as he rolled into town back in 2007 to film Season 1. The ultra-popular spot couldn’t expand their hours, so to help accommodate demand, Red Arrow Diner expanded to four locations across the state. Now, you can try to beat the rush to score a stool in Manchester, Concord, Londonderry and Nashua. Open since 1922, current owner Carol Lawrence has determined that the restaurant will only be closed 16 hours per year: 2 p.m. Christmas Eve until 6 a.m. Christmas Day. The latter just so happens to be “the busiest day of the year,” Lawrence confirmed.

The menu is massive and diverse, and no matter what time you visit, you’ll walk away satisfied. “It’s like being home,” one regular swore. Red Arrow introduced Guy to a concept he wasn’t privy to until his tour here: American chop suey. This Wednesday blue plate special is a blend of elbow macaroni with a beefy tomato sauce scented with onions, green bell peppers, garlic and herbs. Besides that robust pasta, Red Arrow Diner is known for its pork pie. The generational recipe has been a carefully guarded secret for decades. Guy was able to get the tea about one key ingredient, though. It’s poultry seasoning, which the staff swears makes it different from other ground meat pies.

Since 1958, in the heart of Hollywood, Florida, the family at Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies (the “a” in hoagies is omitted on purpose) has been serving massive sandwiches on pillowy homemade bread. That origin story tracks once you learn that this diner was founded by Sam “Sonny” Nigro, who started his culinary career as a baker in Philadelphia before flying south. Now owned by Sonny’s son John, the sliced steak sub with onions is a signature, and it’s stuffed with enough protein to keep you full for hours … maybe all day. It’s ultra juicy because the beef is sliced to order, then seared on a flat top in a bed of sliced onions.

You’ll want to polish off every last crumb of that hoagie (ahem, “hogie”). However, we highly recommend saving at least a corner of your stomach real estate for a few bites of the cheesy garlic roll with red sauce. “It’s the fresh herbs on the outside that just crush that," Guy said of this Sonny’s sleeper hit, which he tried during a 2021 edition of DDD Takeout: Real Deal Delivery.

Pizza joints don’t come much more playful than Washington, DC’s Comet Ping Pong. By the name of the place, you can probably guess how you can keep busy while owner James Alefantis and his team build and bake your creative wood-fired pie. During Guy’s initial visit during Season 9, Alefantis challenged Guy to a match of table tennis. (He politely passed, knowing that he was sure to lose!) Guy did take him up on his offer to try a slice of The Softy, a soft-shell crab pizza built atop a malty yeast dough.

“It’s as farm-to-table as you can get it,” Guy explained of the practices at this 20-year-strong bistro. They harvest 4,000 pounds of organic tomatoes each year to blitz into their sauce and showcase as toppings. In an effort to be sustainable and intentional, they make nearly every Comet menu component from scratch. That includes each and every crust, as well as the duck confit and pickled onions that crown the Barbequack pizza. Guy was blown away, and we’re pretty certain this pie would impress even a five-star French chef.

Reportedly home to the world’s first ice cream cone machine, it’s fitting that Guy piqued our interest in Doumar’s Cones & Barbecue during Season 1 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He didn’t forget about it, and neither did we, as Guy returned 10 years later to film the first season of Triple D Nation. We don’t blame him for being a regular at this 120-year-old-plus Norfolk, Virginia, mainstay, which is known for its limeade, its ice cream (the move is to order it scooped in a cone, of course) and its tender minced pork barbecue sandwiches saturated with slaw and sauce.

Poke can be purchased by the pound all across the Hawaiian Islands. Still, folks flock to Fresh Catch — sometimes every single day — to savor specialties from this Fieri favorite. Reno Henriques is the chef and owner of this not-so-divey destination that he pegs as a “poke picnic and tailgating deli.” Henriques grew up near the ocean, quickly fell in love with diving and fishing, and felt called to reel in the real estate to open Fresh Catch in 2008.