# Chowdown Countdown

Chowdown Countdown is an American television special series that features 101 places to find the tastiest and most amazing food at various locations across America. Each episode counts down to the number one spot and features all different types of establishments such as restaurants, diners, drive-ins, bars, burger joints, bakeries, drivethrus, delicatessens, ice cream parlors, pubs, sandwich shops, food markets and even food trucks that make the countdown list with their original food specialty or signature dish.
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).

## America's 101 Tastiest Places to Chowdown (2010)
### Episode 1: #101-81

| 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 York | Gourmet 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) |

### Episode 2: #80-61

| 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. |

### Episode 3 #60-41

| 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". |

### Episode 4 #40-21

| 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) |

### Episode 5 #20-1

| 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 jalapeños, 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 vs. 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) |

## 101 More Amazing Places to Chowdown (2014)

Note: This special was also nicknamed, "Chowdown Countdown 2".

### Episode 1 #101-81

| 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 House | Savannah, 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") |

### Episode 2 #80-61

| 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, bacon on two grilled cheese buns) |
| 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 Burger" with bacon. |

### Episode 3 #60-41

| 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 | |

### Episode 4 #40-21

| 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) |

### Episode 5 #20-1

| Rank # | Restaurant | Location |
| 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 |