What to order at Guy Fieri's 6 Palm Beach County Triple D stops
From dumplings and barbecue to fried rice and lobster rolls, we revisited Guy Fieri's six Palm Beach County stops to see what was worth ordering beyond the TV spotlight.
- Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" featured six restaurants in Palm Beach County.
- The show highlighted dishes ranging from scratch-made Bolognese to Cajun gator sausage.
Guy Fieri came to Palm Beach County looking for scratch-made specialties, smoked meats, creative seafood dishes and comfort-food classics.
Across six episodes of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," he spotlighted restaurants from Palm Beach Gardens to Boynton Beach, introducing a national audience to some of our most talked-about local kitchens.
But television only tells part of the story.
We revisited the restaurants featured this season to compare the dishes that caught Fieri's attention with the menu items we'd order ourselves.
Here's what Guy ate, plus the other dishes we think deserve a spot on your table when you visit. Restaurants are listed in order of airdate.
Alaina's Bake Shoppe & Cafe, Palm Beach Gardens
Fieri featured Alaina's house-made Bolognese and the roast beef sandwich, highlighting the from-scratch cooking that has helped the Palm Beach Gardens restaurant build a loyal following.
Both are solid orders, readers should consider dishes beyond the television spotlight. Alaina's is one of the few restaurants Diana regularly visits on her own dime and time, thanks largely to its breakfast and lunch offerings, particularly the egg-centric dishes.
If you're there for dinner, ask for a pasta special (it changes). She enjoys this even more than the Bolognese featured on the show.
And whatever you order, don't skip the dumplings. They're among the best anywhere in Palm Beach County.
Details: 4377 Northlake Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561-318-6945, alainasbakeshop.com
NEVS Barbecue, Palm Beach Gardens
Fieri featured Nevs Barbecue's brisket burnt-end sloppy joe and Texas-style chili, a family recipe from owner Tommy Nevill's father that is topped with house-made cornbread croutons. Nevill said Fieri was so taken with the croutons that he suggested selling them separately.
Diana's advice is to start with the brisket, Nevs' top seller and the backbone of the menu. Then order the cornbread. She enjoyed it enough to return and pick up a dozen muffins for her cousins' Memorial Day barbecue.
Details: 9910 Alt. A1A, Palm Beach Gardens, 561-437-6387, nevsbarbecue.com
Driftwood, Boynton Beach
Fieri's Driftwood visit spotlighted two labor-intensive dishes that showcase chef-owner Jimmy Everett's technical chops: chicken oysters and smoked pork jowl fried rice. The Boynton Beach native honed those skills in some of New York City's most acclaimed kitchens, including Eleven Madison Park and Marea, before returning home to open Driftwood with his wife, Ilia Gonzalez-Colon.
While the featured dishes highlight Everett's precision and creativity, Diana encourages readers to dig deeper into the menu. Driftwood is one of her favorite restaurants thanks to its thoughtful cooking, local ingredients and lack of pretension. Steak tartare is a must-order, while longtime menu staples such as Florida lobster or chicken and dumplings offer a more complete picture of why the restaurant enjoys such a loyal following. How Michelin missed listing this top spot as a recommendation remains perplexing.
Details: 2005 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 561-733-4782, driftwoodboynton.com
Tropical Smokehouse, West Palm Beach
During his visit in the series episode titled "Sandwiches, Sausages & Sweet Snacks" on May 22, Guy Fieri sampled the brisket empanada and the Cajun gator sausage. The brisket empanada arrives at your table screaming hot. Yes, it's cooked to a beautiful golden brown, but give it just a minute to rest before diving in. Once you and your empanada are ready to take the plunge, that first bite is a crispy, yet simultaneously tender, mouthful. The filling is exactly as advertised: smoky chunks of tender brisket and pillowy soft pieces of roasted sweet potato along with queso, scallion, and pimento for that perfectly balanced mix of spicey and sweet. Cajun gator sausage might at first put some people off and yield comments like "I've never had alligator" or "ew, I can't eat gator." For all that talk I would say just try it. The sausage has just the right amount of heat. It's a little spicy, but it's a level that works with the flavor and doesn't overpower it at all. The texture is excellent: firm, but tender with that great 'snap.' As far as the 'gator' flavor, to be honest, it seems to meld so perfectly with the spices along with the DemKota brisket and Duroc pork trimmings that you don't so much taste it as a separate, but more a part of a wonderful team.
Details: 3815 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. 561-323-2573; eattropical.com
Don Ramon, West Palm Beach
Going with owner Dina Rubio's recommendations during his visit to Don Ramon Restaurante Cubano in West Palm Beach, Guy Fieri sampled the Rabo de Res (oxtail) and the tostones rellenos. Featured in the series episode titled "Coast to Coast Creations" that aired May 29, the oxtail is seared in garlic to seal in the juices before being slow roasted in spices and a red wine reduction. It is absolutely, fall-apart tender and wonderful. And that red wine reduction sauce that it arrives in still steaming is amazing. The tostones rellenos is a popular appetizer at the beloved West Palm Beach restaurant. Stuffed with shrimp and vegetables it's a great way to kick off your meal.
Details: 7101 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach. 561-547-8704; facebook.com/donramoncubanrestaurant
Wok by the Beach, Riviera Beach
Fieri spotlighted two of chef-owner Kritsada Limpanuwat's signature creations: combo fried rice and a lobster roll made with tempura-fried lobster, spicy blue crab and spicy bluefin tuna. The dishes showcase the approach that helped Limpanuwat turn a casual Singer Island-area restaurant into a Food Network stop.
Fieri's visit highlighted the restaurant's blend of Thai influences, sushi techniques and creative seafood preparations. For first-time visitors, the featured combo fried rice and lobster roll offer a good introduction to the dishes that caught the Food Network host's attention.
Details: 2409 N. Ocean Ave., Riviera Beach, 561-629-7268, wokbythebeach.net
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's food & restaurant writer. Care to share news tips about the local dining scene? Please send them to [email protected] or [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.