What Memphis restaurants has Guy Fieri visited on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'? See the list

After a long hiatus from the Memphis dining scene, Guy Fieri returned to the area in force in 2024.

Fieri's long-running Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" had not covered a Memphis restaurant since 2012, when six area restaurants were featured.

Now, six more restaurants have been visited by the Mayor of Flavortown since December 2023.

Here are the 19 restaurants Fieri has visited in the Memphis area for his show. Of these, four have since shut down, while 15 continue to thrive.

Note: The most recent episodes do not have reviews posted on the "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: website.

Alcenia's

• Location: 317 N. Main St.

• Episode air date: Nov. 3, 2008

• Season 4: Episode 12 "Traditional Dishes"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"If you're from Memphis, you may have already heard of  Alcenia's  famous 'Cha Cha' cabbage relish or the sweet potato cobbler. Guy swooped in on this mother-daughter operation for Triple D (as did the Neelys). Locals claim it's true Memphis cooking and Guy had this to say: 'Mmm, that's good.'"

Note:  Alcenia's is owned and operated by BJ Chester-Tamayo using recipes passed down from her mother Alcenia Clark Chester.

Cozy Corner

• Location: 735 N. Parkway

• Episode air date: May 26, 2008

• Season 3: Episode 7 "The Memphis Barbecue Tour"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:" Cozy Corner  knows its Tennessee barbecue and locals come in droves for their ribs, wings and smoked sausage. But Guy was caught off-guard by their equally tasty whole chickens and bologna barbecue sandwiches. The real kicker?  Cornish hens . Guy says you'll just have to come over and get your own."

The Farmer (formerly Elegant Farmer)

• Location: 2158 Central Ave.

• Episode air date: Oct. 15, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 9 "Handcrafted"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"At this farm-to-table eatery Chef Mac Edwards buys his ingredients directly from the source. The pan-seared catfish with mac 'n' cheese and greens as well as the banh mi Guy called 'outstanding.' Guy got messy with the sloppy joe full of 'big flavor.' Locals love the country fried pork chops."

Note:  When Guy visited  The Farmer , the restaurant was located at 262 S. Highland St. In December 2021, Edwards "passed the torch" to  Railgarten  owner Jack Phillips who  reopened the restaurant  at its current Midtown Memphis location.

Good Fortune Co.

• Location:361 S. Main St.

• Episode air date:Jan. 5, 2024

• Season 38:Episode 11 "From Noodle to Strudel"

During Guy's trip to the Downtown noodle shop, he sampled the Crawfish Dumplings and Big City Ramen. Owners Sarah Cai and Arturo Leighton also showed him the process by which they hand-make their noodles from scratch daily. "Everything right down to the sauce is dynamite," Fieri said.

Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana

• Two locations:6300 Poplar Ave. and 1215 S. Germantown Road, Germantown

• Episode air date:Feb. 23, 2024

• Season 38:Episode 16 "Bird, Belly and Beef"

Fieri tried an Al Pastor and a Pork Belly Tortuga, topped with jalapeño, house-made guacamole and pomegranate. Both were cooked by chef and owner Pepe Magallanes. "It's creamy and it's rich," Fieri said of the Tortuga. "The key is the pomegranate. They're little jewels when you get that bite in there."

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Leonard's Pit Barbecue

• Location: 1100 N. Germantown Parkway

• Episode air date: May 26, 2008

• Season 3: Episode 7 "The Memphis Barbecue Tour"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:" Leonard's Pit Barbecue  owner Dan Brown says if you visit for dinner you'll experience the same delicious recipes passed down from 'last century' to 'last week.' Open since 1922, this iconic Memphis, Tenn., eatery has loads of fans, like Guy, who called the chopped pork sandwich 'all-star barbecue.'"

Note: Dan Brown sold the 100-plus-year-old restaurant  to  Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken  owner Wendy McCrory in June 2021. The restaurant has since moved from its previous location at the time of Guy's review to 5465 Fox Plaza Drive .

Little Bettie Pizza & Snack Bar

• Location: 398 S. B.B. King Blvd.

• Episode air date: Jan. 12, 2024

• Season 38:Episode 12 "Hearty Handfuls"

This pizza shop inside WISEACRE Brewing Co.'s Downtown taproom served Guy two of their favorites — The Thud Butt Pizza, made with mortadella, ricotta cream, black pepper honey, pistachios and stracciatella cheese, and their Imagine the Future Wings. "The dough is legit," Fieri said. "It's a different dimension of pizza. It's a dynamite pie."

Loaf

• Location:Online only

• Episode air date:Jan. 26, 2024

• Season 38:Episode 13 "Great Taste, Surprising Place"

Fieri tried three items — Loaf's signature Sichuan Pepperjelly Fried Chicken Sandwich, the Chickpea Salad Sandwich and the Black Eyed Pea Falafel. "This has what I want chili crisp to have — great heat," Fieri said while trying the chicken sandwich. "That's lights out!" The buttermilk-brined halal chicken thigh is fried until crispy, tossed in an apricot jelly spiced with Sichuan peppercorns, tien tsin chiles, three-year aged soy sauce and six-year aged Zhenjiang vinegar, before finally being topped with a house-made chili crisp.

Note: Loaf is no longer inside the Brooks Museum of Art. The museum ended its contract with Loaf  after the restaurant announced some proceeds from an event would be sent to a charity providing humanitarian aid for children affected by the ongoing violence in Gaza. The Brooks said on-site fundraisers must exclusively support the museum. Loaf's catering service remains available.

Marlowe's Ribs

• Location: 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd.

• Episode air date: May 26, 2008

• Season 3: Episode 7 "The Memphis Barbecue Tour"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"You might not see locals at Graceland, but you'll definitely see them at  Marlowe's Ribs . Like Guy, locals know they can call Marlowe's for a free pink-limo ride to the restaurant. Good thing too because Guy couldn't wait to try the  Elvis favorite : ribs smothered in Marlowe's tangy barbecue sauce."

Memphis Barbecue Co.

• Location: 709 Desoto Cove, Horn Lake

• Episode air date: Aug. 27, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 4 "Surf N' Turf Jackpot"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"Pit master  Melissa Cookston  is the only female to be a world BBQ champion. Guy got messy with the deliciously tender baby back ribs and he loved the crunch burger with pork rinds and juke sauce. The cheese fritters, pulled pork and brisket are local favorites."

South of Beale (SOB)

• Three locations: 345 S. Main St., 5040 Sanderlin Ave. and 1329 W. Poplar Ave., Collierville

• Episode air date: Oct. 1, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 7 "Flavortown Medley"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"The food at this gastropub is cheap and in some cases free, but it all tastes great. One of the signature dishes is the duck fried rice, which Guy was crazy about and it costs only $5. Guy also liked the free and addictive house seasoned popcorn. Try the Jack and Coke bread pudding too."

Note:  Fieri visited the original  South of Beale  at 361 S. Main St. The restaurant has expanded into a larger location in the South Main Arts District and opened a second location in East Memphis, and a third in Collierville.

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StickEm

• Location:1788 Madison Ave.

• Episode air date:Feb. 16, 2024

• Season 38:Episode 15 "Flavor World"

A taste of an Ethiopean-style Lamb Shank and Chicken Steak Kabob was on the menu for Fieri, cooked by owner Ermyias Shiberou. Shiberou used to work at Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken, another iconic Memphis restaurant boosted by a visit from Fieri. The kabobs were topped with Shiberou's "mother sauce," a blended combo of pineapple, garlic and various spices. "When I tasted the mother sauce, I'm like, yeah OK," Fieri said. "But what it does to the meat, that's a dynamite kabob right there."

Tom's Bar-B-Q

• Location: 4087 New Getwell Road

• Episode air date: May 26, 2008

• Season 3: Episode 7 "The Memphis Barbecue Tour"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:" Tom's  draws the crowds with a special Mediterranean twist on barbecue. They slather a Greek-inspired spice rub featuring thyme, oregano, pickling spice, celery salt and more on everything from brisket to turkey, including the signature rib tips, which Guy calls 'some of the best barbecue' around."

Trap Fusion

• Two locations:4637 Boeingshire Drive and 670 N. Germantown Parkway

• Episode air date:Dec. 15, 2023

• Season 38:Episode 10 "Southern, Western and North of the Border"

Caribbean lamb chops and oxtails, two of the Whitehaven restaurant's most popular items, were the dishes Trap Fusion owners Jason Gardner and Markeith McCoy cooked for Fieri in their Carribean-Cajun fusion style. "The one thing this lamb is not missing is flavor," Fieri said of the lamb chops. "You have packed it in there, my friend. It's like 10 buddies going to a concert in a Honda."

Uncle Lou's Fried Chicken

• Location: 3633 Millbranch Road

• Episode air date: Aug. 4, 2008

• Season 4: Episode 5 "Where the Locals Eat"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"The saying goes that if Colonel Sanders had  Uncle Lou's fried chicken  recipe, he'd be a general. On The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Guy loved Lou's 'crazy' fried chicken that's dipped into a sauce once called 'Corruption.' Now, thanks to Guy, it has been rechristened Sweet Spicy Love."

Featured Memphis restaurants that are now closed:

Little Tea Shop

• Location: 69 Monroe Ave.

• Episode air date: May 12, 2008

• Season 3: Episode 9 "American Classics"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"Chef Suhair may be from Jerusalem, but she can cook Southern food 'like no other.' Her fried chicken, which Guy describes as light and crispy, has a secret Middle Eastern twist. The menu rotates during the week, but crowd-pleasers like corn sticks and poppin' Johns are served fresh daily."

Note: The Little Tea Shop closed in March 2020  during the COVID-19 pandemic and has never reopened.

Memphis Street Underground Cafe

• Location: 2476 Memphis St., Hernando

• Episode air date: Aug. 6, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 1 "Unconventional Comforts"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"At  this underground cafe , scratch-made Southern food is prepared fresh daily. Guy recommends the banana bread French toast smothered with caramelized bananas spiked with cognac and topped off with two scoops of vanilla-bean-and-fresh-ginger ice cream. The shrimp with grits is a local favorite."

Note: Underground Cafe closed on Nov. 5, 2024. The restaurant said they had "exhausted our resources."

Rizzo's Diner

• Location: 106 E. G.E. Patterson Ave.

• Episode air date: Aug. 20, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 3 "Savory Standouts"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"At this upscale diner, Chef Michael Patrick is reinventing Southern comfort food. The savory chorizo meatloaf juxtaposed with tangy green tomato gravy tantalized Guy's taste buds, while the lobster pronto pups had a light batter and perfectly tender meat."

Note: Chef Michael Patrick closed Rizzo's Diner  in March 2022. Today  he is the executive chef  of Magnolia Bend Grill in Nesbit.

Three Angels Diner

• Location: 2617 Broad Ave.

• Episode air date: Oct. 22, 2012

• Season 15: Episode 4 "All Family, All the Time"

According to the "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" review:"At this kid-friendly diner the mom-and-pop duo are putting a fresh spin on American classics. The fried chicken with corn on the cob and turnip greens impressed Guy. Diners also like to order the adult grilled cheese with smoked Gouda, goat and cheddar cheese."

Note:  Three Angels Diner closed in September 2015. Owners Amy and Julio Zuniga have opened Non-Vintage wine bar in the former Maximo's on Broad .

Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis restaurants on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Check out the list