The Best Potato Dishes Ever Seen On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

The Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" features Guy Fieri cruising around the States in his Camaro on the hunt for the best comfort food in the country. Fieri has sampled some seriously crave-worthy dishes on the show, from super stacked burgers to loaded burritos and fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs. However, nothing says comfort food like the humble potato. While potatoes often provide a supporting role to meats, some of the potato dishes Fieri has tasted on the show can proudly stand on their own as entire meals.

Triple D proves that one of the great things about potatoes is their versatility. Some classic comfort food potato dishes featured on the show include french fries, pierogies, baked potatoes, and poutine. Fans know that the Mayor of Flavortown doesn't showcase anything run-of-the-mill. His goal is to try dishes that he deems worthy of one of his famous one-liners like "off-the-chain" or "bomb-dot-com-tasty." These are some of the best potato dishes ever seen on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" that earn accolades from Guy Fieri and customers alike.

On a trip to Marathon in the Florida Keys, Fieri visited Herbie's Bar & Chowder House, where he sampled a monster smashed potato topped with fried chicken and smothered in a caramelized onion cream sauce. When Fieri tasted the dish on the Food Network show, he commented on how the chicken was juicy and "layered with flavor." However, it was the gravy that was the "piece de resistance" for the chef. He said, "That's what ties this whole thing together. This is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal."

The preparation for Herbie's Chicken & Smashed Potato is a multi-day affair. The chicken is first brined overnight, then marinated another night in house-made buffalo sauce. When an order comes up, the chicken is dredged in seasoned flour and egg and deep-fried. The potato is also deep-fried, smashed, and topped with the crispy chicken and onion cream sauce. It's a dish that diners can't get enough of. As one Yelp reviewer said, "The chicken was fried to perfection and the sauce it came with? I could have licked it off the plate. So good. This dish alone makes me want to come back here again, again, and again!"

Some of Guy Fieri's favorite foods include Asian dishes, so it should come as no surprise that he was over the moon to try the Kimchi Fries at Hankook Taqueria in Atlanta, Georgia. On the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" episode that featured the dish, he told chef Tomas Lee, "You say kimchi, my mouth waters. It's like Pavlov and the dog." The dish starts with french fries seasoned with sesame oil and salt. The fries are then topped with spicy house-made kimchi and bulgogi made with ribeye marinated in soy sauce, pineapple juice, and sesame oil. The dish gets extra flavor from queso sauce, gochujang, and scallions.

Guy Fieri said simply of the dish, "I mean this is powerhouse, bro." Most customers agree with that sentiment. One diner left a Google review that said, "The bulgogi kimchi fries will make a mark on your memory that will last and keep you craving them." Another Google reviewer said, "Just tried their kimchi bulgogi fries and it was not a disappointment! It definitely fills you up." According to Hankook Taqueria's website, kimchi fries now come with a fried egg and additional protein is optional. 

Perly's Restaurant & Delicatessen earned a spot on our list of the best "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" restaurants in every state, and for good reason. This retro-style restaurant and deli in Richmond, Virginia, serves Jewish dishes with a modern twist. Owners Kevin and Rachelle Roberts take old family recipes and tweak them to make delicious new creations like the potato and duck pierogies that one customer on Triple D described as, "Better than any other pierogies that you could find. Creamy, hearty, moist."

Making the pierogies is no easy feat. Everything is made fresh, from the pierogi dough to the confit duck and the roasted tomato ketchup. The dough is hand-rolled and stuffed with the duck and potato filling. The pierogies are boiled, then fried in duck fat with mushrooms, mirepoix, and the house ketchup. Following that, they're simmered in duck stock and served with a dollop of chive sour cream. According to Fieri, they're well worth the effort. He said, "This is like I've been going to all the movies in black and white, and then today I went to IMAX. Dynamite."

Poutine typically consists of fries topped with cheese curds and beef gravy. Not at Pelican Seafood Market & Grill though. This popular restaurant in Ottawa, Ontario, elevates the French Canadian dish with the addition of fresh lobster. And it's not just a matter of tossing pieces of lobster into the mix. The cooks use a whole steamed lobster topped with fries, cheese curds, and a creamy gravy made with lobster bisque, cream cheese, mascarpone, brandy, and Jägermeister. It's ultra-decadent and earned top marks from Guy Fieri when he visited the restaurant on Triple D.

Fieri was impressed with both the construction and taste of the dish. He said, "I respect the full swing of the bat here. I'm thinking I'm going to get bits of lobster sprinkled inside of the poutine, but when you get it served in the body of a lobster, this is higher-end." He also praised the brandy flavor, called the cheese mixture "next-level," and said the fries were great. Diners are equally enamored with the dish. One Google reviewer said, "I got the Lobster Poutine and it was absolutely the best thing I've tasted in a long time." Another diner said on Yelp, "The poutine was very rich and full of lobster meat. If you're a big poutine lover, don't hesitate to try it."

Banksia Bakehouse specializes in Australian cuisine and it doesn't get more Aussie than a classic meat pie. Guy Fieri sampled the Beef & Red Wine Pie on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which consists of USDA Prime Angus beef seasoned with a dozen spices and braised in red wine, garlic, and rosemary for five hours. The beef is then tossed with a rich gravy, scooped into shortcrust pastry, and topped with a cheesy potato topping. The pie is sprinkled with poppy seeds and baked until the top is golden.

After just one bite, Fieri was sold. The celebrity chef had nothing but good things to say about the dish, calling the braised beef "out of bounds" and praising the texture, intense flavors, and cheesy potatoes. He said, "The potatoes are delicious. Love the little bit of kick and little bit of extra you're getting from the provolone." Patrons of the Kansas City bakehouse also gush about the pie. As one Google reviewer said, "The beef pie is AMAZING. The balance of beef to gravy to pastry and potato is spot on."

On a trip to Dallas, Texas, Guy Fieri visited the Pecan Lodge to try a signature menu item called The "Hot Mess." This massive, meaty potato dish starts with a jumbo sweet potato crusted with sea salt and baked until tender. The potato is then split open and stuffed with butter, cheese, barbacoa, bacon, green onions, and chipotle cream. Fieri commented on the Food Network show, "It has the sweet with the salty with the tang of the barbacoa. It's a complete meal."

The "Hot Mess" has legions of fans who sing its praise online. Like Fieri, diners love the combination of sweet and savory flavors. People also rave about the massive portion size. As one Google reviewer said, "The hot mess is an experience in and of itself and requires an empty stomach for sure." Another diner left a Google review saying, "As always, the Hot Mess delivers with those ultimate comfort-food, feel-good vibes and a portion that is too big for one but too good to stop eating!" Many say the only downside is that you may have to wait in a long line to get your hands on The "Hot Mess," but as far as Fieri thinks, it's worth it.

Chicago's DMK Burger Bar may be known for its gourmet burgers, but on the episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," Guy Fieri wanted to try the Parmesan Fries with truffle cream. As he noted, "If you're going to have a gourmet burger joint, you better serve up a gourmet fry." The dish didn't disappoint the Food Network star. Fieri commented on the crunchy exterior and tender insides of the fries, adding that the richness of the aioli "melts right into the fries." He summed it up by calling the fries the "real deal."

The secret to DMK's mouthwatering Parmesan fries is using Idaho russet potatoes aged at least three to four months. Chef Michael Kornick and Fieri discussed the advantages of aged potatoes, explaining how they cook better because the sugars don't burn as quickly as with younger potatoes. The restaurant also makes the aioli from scratch with quality ingredients like extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, and white truffle oil. The result is an elegant and utterly satisfying potato dish that one Google reviewer called "deliciously fried and flavored to perfection."

As most Triple D fans know, Guy Fieri hates eggs. But that doesn't mean he's averse to trying breakfast dishes on the show. At Magnolia Pancake Haus in San Antonio, Texas, he ate something so delicious it made the Food Network's Top 5 Insane Breakfasts in DDD History list. The Corned Beef Hash was so good that Guy Fieri was uncharacteristically at a loss for words several times throughout the show.

Magnolia Pancake Haus makes every element of the Corned Beef Hash from scratch, including the corned beef. The restaurant brines certified Black Angus brisket for 14 days in a blend of spices including juniper, ginger, and cloves. The beef is covered in pickling spices, submerged in water, and cooked for four hours in the oven. After sitting in the refrigerator overnight, it's finely chopped and sauteed with potatoes and a garlic onion puree. The final touch to the crispy hash is an egg. When Fieri tried it (without the egg, of course), he said, "There is an orchestra of flavor. It is the way it's supposed to be done."

Mexican tortas are sandwiches that typically feature a crusty bun filled with meat. Güero No.1 Tortas offers several meat-centric tortas on the menu, but the dish that Guy Fieri tried on Triple D was actually a vegetarian creation. The Masa y Papa Torta consists of a crispy masa and potato pancake with tons of toppings like roasted tamarind tomatoes, queso botanero, avocado, cabbage, and pickled onion. It's all sandwiched within a large bun smeared with jalapeño mayo.

The sandwich got a great reaction from Fieri, who said, "That might be one of the best vegetarian Mexican tortas I've ever had. Great crunch. It's creamy, it's spicy, it's tangy, it's rich." He ended by saying, "That's dynamite any way you slice it. I'd order that every day." Patrons of the Portland, Oregon, restaurant also love the Masa y Papa Torta, and many say it's their go-to dish. One diner wrote on Yelp, "I am still in shock at how good this vegetarian torta was. It was the best thing I ate from here. You need to get it, the fried masa and potato pancake were crispy perfection."

On an episode of Triple D titled "Thai, Pie and Fries," Guy Fieri visited ACEQ Restaurant in Arroyo, New Mexico, to sample some seriously decadent Bison Red Chile Fries. Chef Elijah Safford showed Fieri how he makes the dish with bison short ribs braised in a vibrant mix of chili powder and peppers. He also makes the gravy from scratch with an equally impressive amount of chiles. To construct the dish, Safford tops shoestring fries with cheese curds and transfers the duo to the oven to melt the cheese. Then he ladles gravy over the fries and tops them with tender, shredded bison meat.

Fieri took a bite and described the combination as "dangerous," adding, "The braise on the short rib is delicious and the shred is great. The cheese curd is stretchy and squeaky. Rich, roasted, smoky." When asked if he liked it, Fieri said, "Oh no — I love it." It's a sentiment that many diners agree with. As one Google reviewer said, "The gravy was perfectly savory without being too heavy, and the shredded meat with cheese was a heavenly combo." Another diner on OpenTable said, "The bison fries with cheese curds starter was meaty and succulent, enough for two to share."

The Parmageddon sandwich from Melt Bar & Grilled in Ohio may just be one of the craziest foods Guy Fieri has ever eaten. The monster grilled cheese sandwich is stuffed with giant cheese and potato pierogies, house-made vodka sauerkraut, sauteed onions, and cheddar cheese. On the Triple D episode chef and owner Matt Fish said, "I think we can stick anything inside of it and still consider it a grilled cheese sandwich." Fieri seems to agree. He said of the Parmageddon, "It's over-the-top and around again over-the-top. That is one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had."

Melt Bar & Grilled has tons of grilled cheese sandwiches with fillings that are just as creative as the Parmageddon. Options include the Deep Fried Peanut Butter and Banana with cream cheese, the Lake Erie Monster with crispy jumbo cod filets and American cheese, and the Big Popper with cheese-stuffed, deep-fried jalapeño peppers. For many diners though, the Parmageddon is at the top. USA Today even named it the best ballpark food in its 10 Best Readers' Choice awards in 2016.

Potatoes and lasagna seem like an unlikely pairing, but Frost Me Sweet Bakery & Bistro in Richland, Washington, makes the combo work with its signature Sweet Potato Lasagna. The dish consists of sliced sweet potatoes layered with beef ragu, fire-roasted tomato marinara, creamy whipped feta, and mozzarella cheese. The lasagna is baked until bubbling and served with pesto toast. It's a hearty, gluten-free dish that many diners love.

When Guy Fieri sampled the dish on the Triple D episode, he said, "The sweet potato holds it together. You got a hearty marinara. That's all of the lasagna you want with none of the guilt of the carbs of the pasta." A Google reviewer had similar thoughts, writing, "The sweet potato lasagna was so cheesy and delicious but didn't leave you with that heavy feeling that comes with eating pasta." Another diner said on Yelp, "Sweet potato lasagna is something you've never had but need in your life."

You won't find too many restaurants that center their entire menus around potatoes, but that's exactly what Mrs. Potato does. The Orlando restaurant specializes in Brazilian cuisine, particularly potato dishes. When Guy Fieri visited what he calls "The Potato Institute" on an episode of Triple D, he tried the house specialty — the Carne Seca Rosti. Rosti typically consists of grated or shredded potatoes fried until golden and crispy, and Mrs. Potato takes it one step further by adding a hearty cured beef filling and tangy cream cheese topping.

The restaurant has a huge fan following, with many diners coming specifically for the Carne Seca Rosti. One diner left a Google review saying, "The hype is real. Got the Carne Seca rosti. This thing is amazing. Delicious and full of flavor. Not greasy whatsoever ... Guy Fieri knew what he was doing when he recommended this place." Another Diner said on Yelp, "I can't even describe how great it was, I've never had something so unique before. It was flavorful and filling." As for Guy, he raved, "I want like ten of these to go."

They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and that's certainly true of the El Paso Stuffed Potato at Desert Oak Barbecue. Don't let the strip mall location fool you — this barbecue joint makes some insanely good dishes in a smoker fed with oak wood for that authentic barbecue flavor you just can't get from gas. When Guy visited the restaurant on Triple D, he asked for the house specialty and got the massive signature potato piled high with smoked brisket, cheese, sour cream, beans, and a marinated jalapeño.

"There's a lot more going on in this than what most people would call the average stuffed baked potato," said Guy. The Food Network star commented that the brisket was well-seasoned and not too smoky and he thought the beans were delicious. He said, "The whole thing is a package deal man, besides the fact that it's not human-sized. It's like four human sizes." You may not be able to finish this gargantuan stuffed spud on your own, but based on the reviews, you'll be in potato, bean, and brisket heaven while trying.