Guys, Guy Fieri is back in Dallas-Fort Worth. The Food Network star visited an impressive number of North Texas restaurants recently for the 2025 season of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, which is airing now.
A visit from Fieri can be life-changing for a small businessowner, Dallas-area restaurateurs have told The Dallas Morning News.
The Mayor of Flavortown, as Fieri has been called, visited his first Dallas restaurant more than 15 years ago. Pizza shop Louie’s on Henderson Avenue was Dallas’ first feature on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It was 2009, two years after the show was created.
In the dozens of seasons since, Fieri and his film crew have visited North Texas regularly. He hit up the tiny Chef Point Cafe in Watauga in 2009. This fine-dining restaurant in a gas station — a fascinating TV pick — has since closed and moved to Colleyville.
Fieri’s team seemingly chose no boundaries when it came to Dallas-Fort Worth dining over the years. His visits for Triple D in one year ranged from Twisted Root Burger Co. in Deep Ellum to Jamaica Gates Caribbean Cuisine in Arlington to Fred’s Texas Cafe in Fort Worth to the nearly 40-year-old Avila’s in Dallas.
Say what you will about Fieri’s larger-than-life persona, but he visits small restaurants worthy of national attention. Highlights over the years have included the family-owned Pepe’s and Mito’s in Deep Ellum, Maple and Motor near Dallas’ Medical District, Afrah Mediterranean Restaurant in Richardson and barbecue hot spot Pecan Lodge.
Some seasons included no Texas stops at all, like from 2015 through 2017, when DDD watchers went two years without seeing a restaurant in North Texas on screen. Then, Fieri featured Tacos Mariachi in Dallas, One90 Smoked Meats in Lake Highlands, Whistle Britches in Far North Dallas and CrushCraft Thai Street Eats in Uptown.
The show has had so many seasons and airs re-runs so regularly, you’d be forgiven if you stopped counting what season it is. For now, the episodes will just keep coming: Fridays at 8 p.m. on the Food Network.
Check out the Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants featured so far in 2025 on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We’ll keep adding to this list as more episodes air.
Hello Dumpling in East Dallas
The first Texas restaurant Fieri visited in DDD‘s latest season is Hello Dumpling. Dallas resident June Chow opened it in 2017, serving Beijing street food in a comforting and casual East Dallas space. It’s since expanded to a second Dallas location. Chow told Fieri “looming tuition debt” for her kids’ colleges was the reason she opened the restaurant.
Fieri sampled several dishes on the show and also watched Chow make housemade noodles. He described Chow’s rice dumplings as “tender, moist [and] puffy.” The braised beef shank with noodles were “so good,” he said, “I don’t even have ‘big people’ words.” (He then corrected himself and called the broth “silky” and said the noodles have “great bite.”)
“That’s a 10 of 10,” Fieri said of the noodle soup.
Hello Dumpling has restaurants at 1146 Peavy Road and 8041 Walnut Hill Road, both in Dallas. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode premiered Feb. 21, 2025.
Rye in East Dallas
Greenville Avenue restaurant Rye — the one that recently received a Michelin award for its Exceptional Cocktails — is also known for its inventive dishes. Like, have you eaten sauerkraut chocolate cake?
“That sounds like a dare,” Fieri quipped. Then he tried it.
The presentation? “Gorgeous.” The cake? “Funkalicious.” He loved the cherry gastrique on top.
Fieri also sampled Rye’s pork belly lollipops, a staple at the restaurant. He enjoyed the “juicy, tender” pork and raved about the greens decorating the dish.
Rye is at 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode premiered March 7, 2025.
Slow Bone in the Dallas Design District
Why hasn’t Slow Bone been featured on Triple D before? This small barbecue joint tucked among buildings in the Dallas Design District seems just right for TV. The Food Network calls it “big-time Texas barbecue with fine dining flair.”
We’re there on Tuesdays for barbecue baked potatoes, but the special is worthy of a look any day. Newbies could stop in Friday or Saturday for a beef rib, a massive slab of salty, peppery beef worthy of a photo. Or, consider the monster Texas Nail sandwich — brisket, smoked mushroom duxelle, caramelized onions, roasted green chiles, Revolver Blood & Honey cheddar, lime crema and jalapeño barbecue sauce. Hello!
Slow Bone is at 2234 Irving Blvd., Dallas. Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. only. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode premiered April 11, 2025.
El Palote Panaderia in Pleasant Grove
El Palote calls itself the “home of the original vegan taco.” Indeed, the entire menu is plant-based. That’s exciting and rare in North Texas, and it’s no wonder Fieri took interest in it. The network said the Arias family, which owns the restaurant, “knock[ed] it out of the park with meatless gorditas and tamales with a twist.”
El Palote Panaderia is at 2537 S. Buckner Blvd., Dallas. Closed Mondays. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode premiered May 2, 2025.
Smoke’N Ash in Arlington
Michelin-Recommended restaurant Smoke’N Ash will make it to the big screen on May 23, 2025, with its Texas-Ethiopian barbecue. The restaurant uses an Ethiopian sauce made of blended chili peppers. We expect Fieri to be impressed by the restaurant’s “awaze glaze.”
The show will likely feature Smoke’N Ash’s injera nachos, made with a base of spongy flatbread commonly used in Ethiopian cuisine. And we also expect to see him try Smoke‘N Ash’s berbere mac and cheese spiced up with chilis, which the Observer once called “one of the stars of the show.”
Smoke’N Ash is at 5904 S. Cooper St., Arlington. Closed Mondays. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode is expected to premiere May 23, 2025.
Starship Bagel in Dallas and Lewisville
June’s shaping up to be a big month for D-FW bagel shop Starship. On June 6, 2025, owner Oren Salomon’s bagel shop will get the Flavortown treatment from Fieri. And by June 16, 2025, we’ll learn whether Starship wins a James Beard award for outstanding bakery.
If you think North Texas is a surprising place to find bagels, think again: Starship’s plain bagel won Best Bagel in a taste-test at BagelFest in New York in October 2023. It won Schmear of the Year at the same fest in 2024 for its cream cheese with basil and lemon.
A Food Network blurb about the upcoming episode lauds Starship for its “dynamite dough.”
Starship Bagel has shops at 6859 Arapaho Road, Dallas; 1520 Elm St., Dallas; and 1108 W. Main St., Lewisville. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is expected to premiere June 6, 2025.