Welcome to Flavortown. Guy Fieri is well known for his hit show Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, on which he travels all over the country to sample out-of-this-world food options from America’s titular diners, drive-ins and dives.
Over the course of the show, he’s visited a variety of restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky and given his stamp of approval to many spots in the Queen City, with the newest season of the show featuring even more Greater Cincinnati diners, drive-ins and dives. We have a list of the still-open local spots featured in the show, including an up-and-coming appearance. And a few more Cincinnati area restaurants will be featured later this season as well, so we’ll update this list as they make their official announcements.
The Pickled Pig
Season 42, Episode 3
The Pickled Pig in Walnut Hills is best known for its smoked meats, made-from-scratch sandwiches, soups and salads, as well as small-batch fermented and pickled goods. The restaurant’s episode aired on The Food Network in August, with an episode description reading, “There’s a husband-and-wife team in Cincinnati specializing in farm-to-table and fermentation, plating a prime-time pork burger with kimchi, plus smoked turkey and sauerkraut on sourdough.” 645 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills.
Cafe Mochiko
Season 41, Episode 12
James Beard-nominated chefs Elaine Uykimpang Bentz and Erik Bentz turned their Japanese-style pop-up into a brick-and-mortar restaurant that specializes in a fusion cuisine known as “yoshoku,” which borrows elements from Asian and Western cooking styles. A pastry chef, Elaine focuses on the daytime baked goods, crafting items including a delicious ube halaya (purple yam) croissant, bao and loaves of shokupan. At night, the dinner menu offers options like the Hokkaido Smashburger, Japanese-style fried chicken (karaage) and a Ramen of the Week. Fieri tried the BBQ Pork Snow Bao Bun, a dish that blends Elaine’s pastry-making skills and Asian flavors, and praised the lightness of the bread and the tenderness and juiciness of the pork. Erik also made Fieri the Cincinnati-style chili ramen, of which Fieri said, “You really figured out how to put that balance in there, and give that umami with that tare (a concentrated sauce used in ramen) and at the same time bring in those Cincinnati flavors. Outstanding.” 1524 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills.
Camporosso
Season 42, Episode 1
Northern Kentucky’s Camporosso was founded by married couple Eric and Amy Redfield, who opened the wood-fired pizzeria and pasta joint in what was previously a 1920s-era gas station in Ft. Mitchell. Camporosso is laid-back yet modern and is best known for its traditional Neapolitan, wood-fired pizzas. Eric whipped up the Bucatini all’Amatriciana for Fieri, as well as the Cincinnati-style chili wood-fired pizza. “This is so toothsome; there’s a great bite to it,” Fieri said of the pizza. “A good chew, but it’s light.” 2475 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell.
Lucius Q
Season 37, Episode 9
Sporting a modern industrial vibe, Lucius Q’s mission of “peace, love & BBQ” aims to bring everyone together with the help of their menu of authentic barbecue, Southern-style sides and a variety of craft beers, cocktails and spirits. The meat is smoked low and slow over oak and cherry wood. Fieri tried the BBQ joint’s Cincinnati-style brisket chili — which made him admit that now whenever he eats chili, he craves pasta with it — and the Pendleton Porker sandwich, piled high with pulled pork, candied bacon, smoked cheddar, bacon-onion jam and Carolina gold. 1131 Broadway St., Pendleton.
Pho Lang Thang
Season 21, Episode 9
Pho Lang Thang is a Vietnamese spot that has moved from its original, cramped Findlay Market location to a larger spot just down the street. The eatery serves up delicious bowls of pho and banh mi sandwiches. The restaurant also features an upbeat vibe where customers, such as Fieri, can easily warm up and feel free to slurp loudly. 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine.
Big Jays Place
Season 38, Episode 1
Big Jays Place in Finneytown offers a menu bursting with flavor from its Caribbean comfort food dishes, like the Soul Food Plate, featuring jerk chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cilantro rice, or the half-pound Jerk Burrito, which comes with a choice of shrimp, jerk chicken or salmon. But what Big Jays is best known for is its oxtail, which Fieri got to try on his visit, saying, “If you don’t like oxtail, then come on down here to the oxtail conversion program.” 930 Hempstead Drive, Finneytown.
The Governor
Season 37, Episode 10
Milford’s The Governor diner feels like a bit of Over-the-Rhine out in the suburbs. With subway tile, industrial decor and a walk-up window — where you can grab a boozy slushie to-go to enjoy in the DORA district — the menu offers modern fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are salads, soups, a fun invention called the fromelette (basically a giant frittata) and sandwiches, like the Asian-inspired chicken, the Governor Tso, which got the approval of Fieri. The sandwich features five-spice-seasoned chicken, apricot slaw, lemon mayo and sesame cucumber piled on a griddled brioche bun. 231 Main St., Milford.
Senate
Season 21, Episode 6
Senate features delicious, glammed-up hot dog creations, plus appetizers like oysters, poutine and roasted marrow bones. While Fieri visited the former Over-the-Rhine location, you can still get much of the menu at the restaurant’s newer location in Summit Park, or at the walk-up window in OTR bar Holiday Spirits. 1100 Summit Place, Blue Ash; 1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine (inside Holiday Spirits).
Sago
Season 38, Episode 2
Sago serves up delicious, authentic Malaysian eats, with influences from Cantonese, French and Asian cuisine. The menu features a list of favorites, like the Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang and roasted duck — both of which Fieri tried — alongside special seasonal dishes, all made with fresh, quality ingredients sourced locally. 1004 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout.
Kiki
Season 37, Episode 11
Kiki features a menu of not-your-typical Japanese cuisine crafted by chefs Hideki and Yuko Harada. The menu features favorites like the seafood ramen, house-made kimchi, a poke bowl and chicken karaage (fried chicken). But Fieri got to try the pork gyoza, which he called “fantastic.” 358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton.
Melt Revival
Season 21, Episode 2
Formerly known as “Melt Eclectic Cafe,” this funky little eatery moved down the street on Hamilton Avenue. The eclectic cafe serves healthier food options, such as salads and sandwiches with plenty of vegan options. Fieri particularly enjoyed their creative spin on vegan chili and barbecue chicken. 4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside.
The Schoolhouse Restaurant
Season 37, Episode 12
Built in the 1860s, this former Hamilton County schoolhouse was bought and saved from demolition by Donald and Phyllis Miller, who turned it into the Schoolhouse Restaurant. Keeping the schoolhouse theme, the restaurant features windows, yellow oak floors and blackboards, on which the menu is written, from the late 1800s. The menu features American comfort food like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, smoked ham, country-fried steak and homemade meatloaf. The Schoolhouse whipped up some of their sides — country-style green beans and cornbread — and fried chicken for Fieri, as well as their famous Peanut Butter Pie for dessert. 8031 Glendale Milford Road, Camp Dennison.
Blue Ash Chili
Season 9, Episode 7
Blue Ash Chili offers a variety of Cincinnati-style chili combinations and double-decker sandwiches. On the show, Fieri described the Blue Ash location as a chili parlor that takes customer favorites to the next level. 9525 Kenwood Road, Suite 5, Blue Ash; 11711 Princeton Pike, Springdale.
Taste of Belgium
Season 21, Episode 6
Fieri and a few of his family members visited Taste of Belgium’s Vine Street location in 2014. The eatery offers authentic Belgian-style dishes with an American twist, but it’s best known for its signature Belgian waffle, which Fieri truly loved. 1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 3825 Edwards Road, Norwood; 16 W. Freedom Way, The Banks; 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine (Findlay Market).
Bakersfield
Season 21, Episode 6
Bakersfield started in Cincinnati and now has locations in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit and Indianapolis, among others. The restaurant serves up tacos and other Mexican-style dishes with lots of margaritas to go along with them. On the show, Fieri especially loved their killer short rib tacos and chicken torta. 1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine.
The Turf Club
Season 9, Episode 6
This East End burger joint is known for its stacked burgers and diner vibe. When Fieri visited, the exterior of the eatery was bathed in vintage neon signs — one of the restaurant’s signature features, along with their famous over-the-top burgers loaded with adventurous toppings. Fieri seemed to especially enjoy the burger with burgundy mushrooms and mango curry sauces. 4618 Eastern Ave., East End.
