Chowdown Countdown
2010 American TV series or program
Chowdown Countdown Written by Jeff Rotter, Mike Trainor Starring Mason Pettit (narrator) Theme music composer Ben Zebelman (Octave Music ) Composer Pump Audio Country of origin United States Original language English Executive producers Matt Sharp , Dan AdlerEditors Sherman Lau, Dan Lerner, Jennifer Padham, Barney J. Schmidt, Dave Soloman Running time 60 minutes Production company Sharp Entertainment Network Travel Channel Release January 3 (2010-01-03 ) – (2010-01-31 ) [ 1]
Chowdown Countdown [ 2]
The series premiered as a special in Spring 2010 entitled 101 America's Tastiest Places to Chowdown on the Travel Channel . The second special aired in on March 16, 2014 as 101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown (or Chowdown Countdown 2 ).[ 3]
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
101 Abe's Bar-B-Q Clarksdale, Mississippi Pulled pork sandwich (grilled and pulled Boston pork butt smothered in secret barbecue sauce topped with coleslaw)
100 Denny's Beer Pub Clearfield, Pennsylvania Home of the 50-pound cheeseburger (and burger challenges)
99 Buckhorn Exchange Denver, Colorado State-game steaks (buffalo, ostrich, rattlesnake and alligator); "Rocky Mountain oysters" (deep-fried bull testicles)
98 Bassett's Ice Cream at Reading Terminal Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 148 years making high butterfat (16 1/2%) ice cream. Signature flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip .
97 Five Islands Lobster Co. Georgetown, Maine Freshest steamed Maine lobsters (half-pound to 4+ 1 ⁄2 -pound "Big Boy")
96 Philippe's The Original Los Angeles County, California French dip sandwiches (sliced beef, lamb, pork or turkey on French bread dipped in au jus topped with Creole mustard)
95 Time-Out Chicken Chapel Hill, North Carolina "Chicken Cheddar Biscuit" (fried chicken breast topped with melted cheddar cheese between two buttermilk biscuits)
94 Gaucho's Village Glendale, California Brazilian Steakhouse (Rodízio ) all-you-can-eat different kinds of meat on skewers.
93 Jimmy Buff's East Hanover, New Jersey Italian-style hotdogs (fried hotdogs with onions, peppers and fried potatoes stuffed in a hard roll)
92 Smitty's Market Lockhart, Texas Traditional Texas-style barbecue. Signature dishes: beef brisket and hot sausage links wrapped and served in market paper.
91 Black's Barbecue Lockhart, Texas Texas barbecue featuring secret spiced beef brisket and pork sausage links.
90 The Vortex Bar & Grill Atlanta, Georgia Cheeseburger with three fried eggs and bacon between two grilled cheese sandwiches.
89 Doughnut Plant New York City , New YorkGourmet doughnuts featuring glazed with rose petals or fruit glazed doughnuts.
88 Giordano's Chicago, Illinois Home of the "Stuffed Pizza". Various stuffed crust pizza pies.
87 Hominy Grill Charleston, South Carolina "Low Country Cuisine". Shrimp and grits, "Big Nasty Sandwich" (fried chicken breast topped with cheese and sausage gravy on a buttermilk biscuit)
86 Cattleman's Steakhouse Fabens, Texas Home of the four-pound T-Bone steak.
85 Daichan Kaiten Sushi Los Angeles County, California Conveyor belt sushi specializing in "White Candy Rolls".
84 Cafe Fleuri @ The Langham Hotel Boston Boston, Massachusetts Home of the Chocolate Bar Buffet (September through June).
83 Schmidt's Sausage Haus Columbus, Ohio Bratwurst buffet called "The Autobahn" featuring "Bahama Mama" pork sausage. Signature dessert: giant cream puffs.
82 Willie Mae's Scotch House New Orleans, Louisiana Home to the world-famous fried chicken.
81 Nick Tahou Hots Rochester, New York Home to the "Garbage Plate" (1+ 1 ⁄2 -pound plate: Two cheeseburger patties, macaroni salad and home fries topped with mustard, onions, beans and hot sauce)
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
80 The Brick Pit Mobile, Alabama "Serious Bar-B-Que" (pecan and hickory wood smoked), slow-smoked pulled pork barbecue, pulled pork sandwich, pork ribs and pork butts.
79 The Cherry Cricket Denver, Colorado Custom-built burgers, 21 toppings. "Cricket Burger" (topped with cream cheese and jalapeños)
78 Kopp's Custard Milwaukee, Wisconsin Frozen custard, 300 flavors and "flavor of the day".
77 Lynn's Paradise Louisville, Kentucky Gourmet Breakfast: "Papaw French Toast" (pawpaw pure over breeduis bread topped with coconut ice cream and drizzled with caramel bourbon glaze)
76 The Olde San Francisco Creamery Co. Walnut Creek, California "The Kitchen Sink" (8 scoops of your choice of ice cream, 8 toppings, whipped cream, bananas, and cherries in a kitchen sink-shaped bowl)
75 The Buffet @ The Bellagio Las Vegas, Nevada 200 stations of international food selections. Signature dishes: Kobe beef and crab legs.
74 Original New York System Providence, Rhode Island Home of "hot weiners" (topped with chili sauce, mustard and onions)
73 Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana vs. Sally's Apizza New Haven, Connecticut Both home to coal-fired brick-oven Neapolitan pizza.
72 GCS Ballpark Sauget, Illinois Home of the Gateway Grizzly's minor league baseball team and the "Krispy Kreme Burger" (hamburger patty topped with 2 strips of bacon, cheese between two glazed Krispy Kreme donuts)
71 The Grill House Allegan, Michigan "Grill-Your-Own-Steaks" (prime rib, porter house, and bacon-wrapped filet minon)
70 El Guero Canelo Tucson, Arizona Home to "Sonoran Hot Dogs" (bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with beans, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño sauce, mustard and mayo)
69 The Cozy Inn Hamburgers Salina, Kansas Old-fashioned sliders cooked with onions, topped with pickles, mustard and ketchup.
68 Iguana's Taqueria San Jose, California "Burrito Zilla" (5-pound, 18-inch monstrous super burrito filled with ground beef, rice, beans, cheese and sour cream)
67 Talkeetna's Roadhouse Talkeetna, Alaska "Rudy in a Parka" (reindeer sausage link stuffed with two cheeses in potato dough)
66 Yoder's Restaurant Sarasota, Florida Amish family-style home cooking. 23 different kinds of homemade pies (pecan, apple, cherry and shoefly pie )
65 Camp Washington Chili Cincinnati, Ohio Home of the "Five-Way Chili" (signature chili served over spaghetti topped with kidney beans, onions, and a mound of shredded cheese)
64 Round Rock Donuts Round Rock, Texas Home of the "Texas Donut" (2-pound, 14-inch glazed dough donut)
63 Chap's Charcoal Restaurant Baltimore, Maryland Home of "Pit Beef". Famous pit beef sandwich with "Tiger Sauce" (horseradish and mayo sauce).
62 Goodson's Cafe Tomball, Texas Signature dish: Chicken Fried Steak with peppered cream gravy.
61 Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Syracuse, New York Barbecue smoked pork, beef, chicken, ribs, brisket and wings.
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
60 Sylvia's Restaurant Harlem, New York The Queen of Soul Food. Signature dishes: spicy barbecue ribs and fried chicken.
59 Munchie's 420 Cafe Sarasota, Florida Home of the "Fat Sammies" (fan favorites: "Fat Dickie", "Fat Morning"). Signature sammy: "Fat Daddy" - sammy with melt cheese, 6 burger patties, 3 cheese steaks with mushrooms, onions and peppers, 22 slices of cheese, 6 chicken fingers, 6 mozzarella sticks, 6 onion rings and fries stuffed in a 2-foot long roll
58 Taqueria La Cumbre San Francisco, California Home of the "Mission-style Burritos" (burrito stuffed with 2-pounds of fillings)
57 Chick and Ruth's Delly Annapolis, Maryland Home of 6-pound milkshakes.
56 Big Mama's Kitchen Omaha, Nebraska Oven-fried chicken served with cornbread salad and sweet potato bread.
55 Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Que Memphis, Tennessee Sauced barbecue pork ribs and barbecue spaghetti.
54 Steak & Main North East, Maryland Home of the "Great Steak Challenge" ($140 worth of food - 5 cuts of beef: two 13-ounce Delmonico club steak, one 5-ounce strip steak, one 8-ounce filet minon, one 16-ounce flat iron steak and one 13-ounce prime rib)
53 Juan In A Million Austin, Texas "Don Juan Breakfast Taco" (taco stuffed with chorizo sausage, eggs, bacon, potato, and secret spices)
52 Big Lou's Pizza San Antonio, Texas Home of the "Big Lou 42" (3 1/2-foot wide 20-25-pound pizza) and the "Lone Star Special" (pizza topped with beef brisket and barbecue sauce)
51 Max & Mina's Ice Cream Queens, New York "Funky Flavors" of ice cream (corn on the cob ice cream, beer nuts ice cream and donut ice cream)
50 Dinic's Roast Pork @ Reading Terminal Market Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Roast pork and beef sandwiches topped with broccoli rabe.
49 Country Pancake House Ridgewood, New Jersey Colossal pancakes topped with fruit, nine egg omelette.
48 Pappy's Smokehouse St. Louis, Missouri Apple and cherry wood smoked barbecue (beef brisket, full slab of pork ribs) Signature: "The Big Ben" (BBQ beef sandwich, BBQ pork, 1/4-pound BBQ chicken with 4 sides)
47 Superdawg Drive-In Chicago, Illinois Famous Chicago-style hot dogs
46 Matt's Bar Minneapolis, Minnesota Home of the "Jucy Lucy" (two hamburger patties stuffed with cheddar cheese)
45 Cecilia's Cafe Albuquerque, New Mexico Home of the "Fireman's Burrito" (2 1/2 to 3-pound burrito stuffed with sausage, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns topped with red chili, beans, avocado and carne asada, smothered with red and green chili sauces)
44 Doe's Eat Place Greenville, Mississippi Home of the 4-pound porterhouse steak.
43 Big Jud's Country Place Boise, Idaho Home of "Legend Burgers". Signature burger: "Double Big Jud Special" (two 1-pound patties topped with Swiss cheese, bacon and sauteed mushrooms)
42 Soddlak's Original Country Inn Snook, Texas Battered and deep fried bacon strips served with cream gravy.
41 Chino Bandido Phoenix, Arizona Chinese & Mexican Cuisine. Combo plate favorite: "Jade Red Chicken".
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
40 Slow's Bar-B-Que Detroit, Michigan Low & Slow Barbecue, signature dish: "BBQ Brisket Enchilada".
39 Grimaldi's Pizzeria Brooklyn, New York Coal-fire brick oven New York-style pizza (thin crust, tomato sauce, basil and mozzarella cheese)
38 Obrychi's Seafood Market Fells Point , Baltimore, Maryland Secret black pepper seasoned blue claw crabs. Signature dish: "Deviled Crab Balls".
37 Ted Drewes Frozen Custard St. Louis, Missouri Famous Frozen Custard. "The Concrete" (frozen custard thick milk shakes)
36 Markey's Lobster Pool vs. Brown's Lobster Pound Seabrook, New Hampshire Home of the best Lobster Rolls. Markey's uses mayo in lobster salad and a buttered hotdog roll. Brown's has the same but adds paprika on top.
35 The Thurman Cafe Columbus, Ohio Home of the "Thurman Burger" (3+ 1 ⁄4 -pound hamburger patty topped with onions, mushrooms, American cheese and ham)
34 Junior's Cheesecake Brooklyn, New York 15 different New York-style cheesecakes (with buttery cake crust)
33 Paseo Seattle, Washington Cuban sandwiches (roasted pork topped with cilantro, jalapeños, caramelized onions, romaine lettuce, and garlic aioli on a baguette)
32 R U Hungry (food truck) @ Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey Home of the original "Fat Sandwiches" ("Fat Darrell" - stuffed with chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and fries with marinara sauce)
31 Helena's Hawaiian Food Honolulu, Hawaii "Pipikaula" (roasted short ribs and kalua pork soaked in soy sauce), "Laulau" (pork and black cod steamed in a banana leaf)
30 Chipshop Brooklyn, New York Deep fried anything! Fish n' chips, deep fried pizza, deep fried candy bars and deep fried Twinkies .
29 Tony's I-75 Restaurant Birch Run, Michigan Home of the biggest BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich) with a pile of bacon that equals 1-pound
28 Ben's Chili Bowl Washington D.C. Famous beef chili on anything! "Chili Half Smoke" (1/2 beef 1/2 pork sausage topped with chili, onion and mustard)
27 Heartattack Grill Chandler, Arizona Home of the "Quadruple Bypass Burger" (2-pound burger with four 1/2-pound patties with cheese served with "unlimited fry bar")
26 Beth's Cafe Seattle, Washington Home of the "Southwestern Exposure" (5-pound omelette - 12 eggs with cheese, sour cream, salsa and chili)
25 Acme Oyster House New Orleans, Louisiana Oysters any-style (Rockefeller-style, raw, fried, and grilled)
24 Charles Vergos' Rendezvous Memphis, Tennessee Charcoal grilled pork ribs, pulled pork and chopped chicken.
23 El Tepeyac Cafe Los Angeles County, California Home of the "Manuel's Special" (5-pound burrito topped with chili verde and pork chunks)
22 Lafayette Coney Island vs.American Coney Island Detroit, Michigan Both home of the "Coney Dogs" (hot dogs topped with chili, cheese, and onion)
21 Eagle's Deli Boston, Massachusetts Home of the stacked cheeseburgers. "Eagle's Challenge" (5-pound burger with 10 patties and 20 slices of bacon)
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
20 Voodoo Doughnut Portland, Oregon "Voodoo Doll Doughnut" (voodoo doll-shaped raspberry-jelly filled chocolate-covered donut with a pretzel stick stake), "Memphis Mafia" (fried donut with banana chunks, cinnamon glaze, chocolate and peanut butter frosting), "Triple Chocolate Penetration" (chocolate frosted chocolate cake donut topped with coco-puffs), "Maple Bacon Bar" (with maple frosting topped with bacon)
19 Lambert's Cafe Sikeston, Missouri Super-sized comfort food: ribs, ham, steak. Home of the "throwed dinner rolls" (waiters toss rolls to the patrons)
18 Cotham's Mercantile Little Rock, Arkansas Home of the "Hubcap Burger" (one-pound cheeseburger with 4 patties)
17 Anchor Bar Buffalo, New York Home to the original "Buffalo Wings".
16 The Big Texan Steak Ranch Amarillo, Texas "The Texas King Steak Challenge": 72-ounce (4+ 1 ⁄2 -pound) steak, bread roll with butter, baked potato, ranch beans, shrimp cocktail, and side salad ($72.00).
15 Hillbilly Hot Dogs Lesage, West Virginia Home of "The Homewrecker" (15-inch one-pound hot dog topped with jalapeñoes, onions, peppers, chili, cole slaw, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, ketchup and mustard). Other favorites: "Hound Dog" and "Egg Dog".
14 Arthur Bryant's Barbecue Kansas City, Missouri Half oak/half hickory wood smoked and sauced barbecue with vinegar-based sauce.
13 Jack-n'-Grill Denver, Colorado Massive breakfast burritos (12 eggs, potatoes, one-pound of ham and onions)
12 Gus's Fried Chicken Memphis, Tennessee World Famous Fried Chicken (batter spiced chicken)
11 Al's Beef Chicago, Illinois Italian Beef Sandwich (topped with giardiniera and dipped in au jus)
10 Durgin Park Boston, Massachusetts "Yankee Cooking" (32-ounce steak chop and prime rib)
9 Lulu's Bakery and Cafe San Antonio, Texas Chicken fried steak and giant cinnamon buns (3-pounds).
8 Albano's Pizzeria Cicero, Illinois Home of the "Pizza Puff" (calzone-type turn-over deep fried and stuffed with anything!)
7 The Salt Lick Driftwood, Texas Open-pit charcoal barbecue: beef brisket and sausage.
6 Pat's King of Steaks Geno's Steaks Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philly-style cheesesteaks with Cheese Wiz . Pat's chops up their ribeye meat and Geno's leaves the ribeye sliced.
5 Katz's Delicatessen New York City, New York Hand-sliced piled height pastrami and corn beef on rye sandwiches.
4 Fenton's Creamery Oakland, California Established in 1894. Homemade ice cream, 400 flavors: "Banana Special" (3-pounds banana split), cheesecake ice cream, toasted almond ice cream, "Black and Tan Sundae".
3 Primanti Brothers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 20 different Italian stuffed sandiches (deli meats stuffed with vinegar-based cole salw and handcut fries between thick white bread)
2 Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles Los Angeles County, California World Famous Chicken and Waffles.
1 Louis' Lunch New Haven, Connecticut Home of the Original Hamburger Sandwich (with tomato, cheese on toast)
Note: This special was also nicknamed, "Chowdown Countdown 2" .
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
101 Grinder's Pizza Kansas City, Missouri Speciality pizzas: "Le Hog" (pizza topped with Canadian bacon, sausage and hamburger), "Philly Cheesesteak Pizza" (topped with banana peppers and Cheese Wiz ), "Chili Bomb" (pizza topped with pepperoni, chili, Cheese Wiz , tater tots and scallions)
100 Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage Cambridge, Massachusetts 30 different gourmet burgers: "Tom Brady Burger" (cheeseburger topped with guacamole), "The Celtics Burger" (bacon cheesier topped with lettuce, tomato and onions)
99 Watershed Restaurant Atlanta, Georgia "Tuesday Special Fried Chicken" (buttermilk pan-fried chicken served with mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits; only served on Tuesdays)
98 Idle Spurs Steakhouse Barstow, California Ribeye, filet mignon and their speciality, prime rib with au jus and horseradish.
97 Bunk Sandwiches Portland, Oregon "Cubano" (Cuban-style sandwich with bourbon molasses pork belly (instead of traditional roast pork), ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard)
96 Gilley's Hot Dogs Portsmouth, New Hampshire Steamed spiced hot dogs: "Chili Dog" (hot dog topped with chili con carne, sauerkraut, raw onions, mustard and ketchup)
95 Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn Annapolis, Maryland Steamed and spiced blue claw crabs dumped in a pile on your table.
94 My Brother's Bar Denver, Colorado Home of the "J.C.B." (cheeseburger topped with special cream cheese spread with jalapeño and pimento peppers), "The Johnny Burger" (topped with special cream cheese spread, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and grilled onions)
93 Amy Ruth's New York City, New York "Homestyle Southern Cuisine": "The Rev. Al Sharpton " (chicken and waffles), "The Al Roker " (barbecue short ribs), "The President Barack Obama " (choice of fried, smothered or barbecue chicken served with mac and cheese)
92 Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant Sister Bay, Wisconsin Swedish meatballs (gravy-soaked meatballs made with 100% beef, limpa bread , eggs, salt and pepper)
91 Domilise's Po Boy and Bar New Orleans, Louisiana Domilise's Restaurant 's famous po' boys : roast beef po' boy, fried oyster po' boy and fan favorite: fried shrimp po' boy (Gulf fried shrimp topped with mayo, lettuce, pickles and hot sauce)
90 Skylight Inn BBQ Ayden, North Carolina Whole hog barbecue (oak-fired pig), pulled pork, with hot sauce and vinegar.
89 Johnny's Comet II Santa Rosa, New Mexico "Part Mexican, Native American and Cowboy Chuck Wagon Cuisine": Steak Ranchero (chicken fried steak topped with a choice of five types of chili, cheese, served with a side of fried potatoes and rice and beans)
88 Chimneyville Smokehouse Jackson, Mississippi Low & Slow BBQ (16-hour smoked barbecue with hickory wood): Smoked spiced-rubbed beef brisket injected with beef broth.
87 Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier Madison, Wisconsin Hand-dipped dark chocolate truffles, fan favorites: "Lucille's Vanilla Truffle", "Caramel and Sea Salt Truffle", "Cinnamon Cheyenne Truffle", and "Espresso Truffle".
86 Sammy's L.A. Pastrami Las Vegas, Nevada Drive-thru massive sandwiches (42 sandwiches and 17 burger varieties): "Pastrami Burger" (topped with pastrami, provolone and mustard), "Zombie Burger" (three burger patties topped with cheese, 1/4-pound hot links, bacon, and two onion rings)
85 Datz Delicatessen Tampa, Florida Bacon, mac & cheese-stuffed meatloaf topped with ketchup and served with mashed potatoes and peas.
84 White Knight Diner St. Louis, Missouri Home of the "Super Slinger" (hamburger patty topped with an omelette, American cheese and vegetables topped with chili and hash browns)
83 Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room @ The Wilkes HouseSavannah, Georgia Family-style home cooking: Crispy fried chicken served with collard greens, mac and cheese and cornbread.
82 White Rabbit Fusion Cafe Los Angeles, California Food Truck that serves Filipino cuisine: "White Rabbit Burrito Challenge" (Chicken, beef, pork adobo burrito in a garlic sauce)
81 Paddy Long's Chicago, Illinois "Bacon Bonanza" (tasting plate of different kinds of bacon: Danish bacon, Irish bacon, jowl bacon and peppered bacon) and the "Bacon Bomb" (five-pound meatloaf made with beef, pork sausage, beer and barbecue sauce wrapped in a "bacon weave")
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
80 Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse Dallas, Texas Brisket sandwich (9-hours smoked beef brisket with homemade barbecue sauce on a hamburger bun)
79 Hot Doug's Chicago, Illinois 21 kings of exotic sausage: Antelope, buffalo, kangaroo, rattlesnake. Most popular: Chicago-style hot dog.
78 Johnson's Corner (truck stop)Johnstown, Colorado Top 10 breakfast in the world (breakfast burritos, omelettes), world-famous cinnamon rolls (massive-size and seasonal flavors)
77 The Daily Catch Restaurant Boston, Massachusetts Homemade Italian and Sicilian specialities (only 10 tables), Lobster Fra Diavolo (fresh lobster, little necks, muscles, squid, and shrimp in a secret tomato sauce)
76 Tom + Chee Cincinnati, Ohio Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Restaurant: "The Armagoetta" (pepper jack cheese, fried onions, cherry peppers and goetta sausage with hot mustard between sourdough rye bread), Grilled Cheese Donut (cheddar cheese between a glazed donut)
75 The Blind Mule Bar & Restaurant Mobile, Alabama "Chili Cheeseburger" (half-pound patty topped with black bean chili topped with jalapeño queso and fried onion straws)
74 Gumbo Shop New Orleans, Louisiana Creole Cuisine: Chicken and Andouille Gumbo (with chicken, andouille sausage and rice)
73 The Rex Billings, Montana Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Bison (topped with crumbled blue cheese, rosemary demi-glace and onion crisps)
72 La Fonda Boricua Spanish Harlem , New York City, New York Puerto Rican Food: "El Mofongaso" (10-pound massive mofongo: Mashed plantains and pork with rice in "escabeche," a garlic sauce)
71 Kegel's Inn Milwaukee, Wisconsin German Cuisine: Weiner Schnitzel (breaded veal), Hasenpfeffer (rabbit stew in a sweet and sour gravy over noodles)
70 Martha's Lou's Kitchen Charleston, South Carolina Fried chicken served with red rice (super crispy skin, double-dipped deep-fried chicken)
69 Jethro's BBQ Des Moines, Iowa "Sizzling Wings" (dry-rubbed chicken wings), "Adam Emmenecker Sandwich" (challenge sandwich: breaded pork tenderloin, chicken fingers, bacon cheeseburger, brisket fried cheese all topped with cheese sauce)
68 Moonlite Bar-B-Que Owensboro, Kentucky Barbecue Buffet (includes barbecue mutton)
67 The Church Brew Works Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania "Pagan Pierogi" (pierogi dough filled with rattlesnake meat, southwest cactus and poblano peppers topped with a chipotle corn sauce)
66 Adam's Grub Truck San Francisco, California Asian Fusion food truck: "The Kraken" (2 jumbo deep-fried soft shell crabs with Asian slaw, bacon topped with avocado wasabi and roasted seaweed), "Ultimate Adam Bomb Challenge" (sandwich filled with fried chicken, pulled pork, jalapeño, eggs, Asian slaw, Spam
65 Double Dogs Bowling Green, Kentucky "Dog Bowl Nachos" (tortilla chips topped with melted cheese, refried beans, black Angus chili, sausage, queso sauce, jalapeños and lime sour cream served in a huge dog bowl)
64 Tomasita's Santa Fe, New Mexico "Burrito Grande" (large burrito filled with hatch peppers chili and topped with "Christmas"—half red and half green chili sauces)
63 Tally's Cafe Tulsa, Oklahoma Famous Chicken Fried Steak (topped white gravy, served with eggs and hash browns)
62 Morrison Hotel Bar Portland, Oregon "Cheesy Pig Fries" (cheese fries topped with barbecue pulled pork and scallions)
61 PYT Philadelphia, Pennsylvania "Crazy Burgers": "Chocolate Bacon Donut Burger", "Deep-Fried Twinkie
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
60 Sweatman's BBQ Holly Hill, South Carolina Whole-hog BBQ pork cooked over hand-split hardwood coals.
59 La Taqueria San Francisco, California
58 Melt Bar & Grill Cleveland, Ohio
57 Cafe Coyote San Diego, California
56 Goldberg's Deli Bellevue, Washington
55 This Is It Houston, Texas
54 Squeeze Inn Sacramento, California
53 Marabella's Meatball Company Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
52 Frontier Restaurant Albuquerque, New Mexico
51 Wagner's Pharmacy Louisville, Kentucky
50 The Pancake Pantry Nashville, Tennessee
49 Casa Orinda Orinda, California
48 The Spudder Tulsa, Oklahoma
47 Rack Shack St. Paul, Minnesota
46 Truck Yard Dallas, Texas
45 Poe's Tavern Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
44 Kloby's Smokehouse Laurel, Maryland
43 Phil's Last Stand Chicago, Illinois
42 Mama Carolla's Indianapolis, Indiana
41 Arthur's Tavern Morris Plains, New Jersey
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
40 Meat and Potatoes Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Steakhouse. Specialty dishes: Leg of Beast, Meat and Potatoes for Two
39 The Varsity Atlanta, Georgia Cafeteria style food, largest hot dog stand in the world
38 Jamie's Broadway Castle Sacramento, California Specialty dish: Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwich
37 Gate's BBQ Kansas City, Missouri Specialty dish: Baby Back Ribs
36 The Hungry Owl Mobile, Alabama Southern comfort food, Specialty dish: The Stuffed Tony Burger
35 Chi'lantro Austin, Texas Korean-Mexican fusion food truck, Specialty dish: Kimchee fries
34 Benji's Deli Milwaukee, Wisconsin Jewish food, Specialty dish: Hero Israel Sandwich
33 The Donut Man Glendora, California Donuts, Specialty: The Strawberry Donut
32 Vesta Dipping Grill Denver, Colorado Steakhouse, Signature dish: 3-Pepper Grilled Flat-Iron Steak with Manilla Clams
31 Leo's BBQ Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Signature dish: Leo's Special (ribs, brisket, hot links, bologna, potato salad and coleslaw)
30 Sadie's Albuquerque, New Mexico Tex-Mex, Signature dish: Sopaipilla (6 1/2 lbs of pork, chicken, beef, potatoes, beans, green and red chili and cheese)
29 D Spot Maplewood, Minnesota 80 different types of chicken wings
28 Cowgirl BBQ Santa Fe, New Mexico Signature dishes: Diablo Nachos, Green Chili Cheeseburger
27 Linger Lodge Bradenton, Florida BBQ, Signature dishes: Gator Bites, Alligator Ribs, Gator Chowder
26 Homeroom Mac + Cheese Oakland, California Signature dish: Trailer Mac (macaroni with a hot dog, 2 cheeses, bechamel sauce and potato chips)
25 Bacon Mania Orange County, California Food truck, Signature dish: The Jack Back Sammy (egg bread stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese and hickory smoked bacon)
24 Gino's East Chicago, Illinois Pizzeria, Signature dish: The Meaty Legend (deep dish pizza with mozzarella, Italian sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, bacon and sauce)
23 Pepperfire Nashville, Tennessee Country fried chicken with 6 different heat levels to choose from
22 Ted's Restaurant Meriden, Connecticut Steamed cheeseburgers
21 Big-Ass Sandwiches Portland, Oregon Food truck, Signature dish: The Big-Ass Roast Beef (roast beef, bacon, onions, cheddar cheese sauce, hot sauce and french fries)
Rank #
Restaurant
Location
Specialty(s)
20 Lexie's Joint Portsmouth, New Hampshire
19 Beau Jo's Idaho Springs, Colorado
18 Lardo Portland, Oregon
17 Vitek's BBQ Waco, Texas
16 Kravings Los Angeles, California
15 Two Sister's Kitchen Jackson, Mississippi
14 Suppenkuche San Francisco, California
13 Glorioso's Italian Market Milwaukee, Wisconsin
12 Pink's Hot Dogs Los Angeles, California
11 Mother's New Orleans, Louisiana
10 Grizzly Manor Cafe Big Bear Lake, California
9 KnockBack Nat's Sports Bar Cincinnati, Ohio
8 Carnegie Deli New York, New York
7 Faidley Seafood Baltimore, Maryland
6 Tony Luke's Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5 The Fifty/50 Chicago, Illinois
4 Peter Luger Steak House New York, New York
3 Prince's Hot Chicken Shack Nashville, Tennessee
2 Franklin Barbecue Austin, Texas
1 5-8 Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
References
External links
