Guy's in Town!!!

Guy Fieri is in Dallas scouting for future Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

The irrepressible Guy walks among us, Dallas.

Photo by Jay Jerrier

UPDATE: Fieri and crew had dinner at the Deep Ellum branch of Cane Rosso, the Neapolitan pizzeria he spotlighted in 2012. Owner Jay Jerrier posted a photo of himself and Fieri, saying "When Boo says he wants the best pizza in town, you take him to the Roscoe. Happy to be able to host a dinner for Guy, the Food Network and Citizen Pictures in Deep Ellum last night."

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Fans of charismatic TV food personality Guy Fieri already have their calendars marked for October 11, which they've circled with a red heart, as the platinum-coiffed restaurateur is making an appearance at the State Fair of Texas to judge a barbecue contest.

But the true Guy devotee should also be taking the day off on October 10 — and, just to be safe, October 12 — as the Mayor of Flavortown is in Dallas this very minute scouting for possible future locations to feature for his hugely popular Food Network series Diners Drive-ins and Dives.

While no one is officially talking, because tipping off anyone to an appearance by Guy would inevitably result in uncontrollable mobs, Fieri has already been spotted trying out the fare at an area barbecue restaurant with a number in its name. At least one more barbecue restaurant is on his itinerary. He's also checking out our fried chicken scene.

This much is known: Fieri has already popped in at One90 Smoked Meats, the small, smoked-meat spot on Northwest Highway in East Dallas. The restaurant was closed to customers while filming was underway, and his trademark 1968 red Camaro convertible was parked in front.

Customers were also being turned away at Whistle Britches, the fried-chicken-and-biscuit spot in Far North Dallas from chef Omar Flores, where the red Camaro, with its "FLVRTWN" license plate, could be seen parked outside.

Multiple diners say his crew was at Tacos Mariachi at dinnertime on October 9.

Guy was also rumored to be making his way to Deep Ellum later in the day, although the rumors do not extend to which restaurant he'll be featuring. We can say it's not Cane Rosso, Pepe & Mito's, or Twisted Root, because all of those restaurants have already been spotlighted in prior episodes.

Regular watchers know that Diners Drive-ins and Dives likes to spotlight small, independently-owned, slightly quirky eateries. Could it be a newbie like Easy Slider, the food truck-turned slider-restaurant? More fried chicken, at Brick & Bones, the relaxed bar serving a spicy rendition? Or an old-timer like Angry Dog, home to great burgers and wings?

Fieri is at the State Fair to co-host a kids cooking contest, in association with Carnival Cruise Line, for whom he does restaurant concepts that include a barbecue-themed place and a burger joint.

He'll co-host an event called "Carnival's Kids BBQ Challenge with Guy Fieri," taking place on Wednesday, October 11 at 4 pm on the Carnival Lido Deck Stage.

Fieri has some restaurant action happening in Dallas. In 2015, an outlet of his burger concept Guy's Burger Joint opened at Starplex Pavilion, and has signed on to open a "one-of-a-kind" flagship restaurant inside Arlington's Texas Live! development, with the concept still to be determined.

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Steak & Ale News

Local opening of Dallas chain Steak and Ale gets derailed

Steak and Ale

The long-in-the-works return of Steak and Ale in Dallas is being shelved for now: The casual steakhouse chain which in its heyday had nearly 300 locations is no longer opening a location it planned for in Grand Prairie.

According to a May 11 post from company owner Paul Mangiamele, the restaurant is definitely now a no-go.

"After years of very hard and exhausting work for making the Grand Prairie side by side S&A and Bennigan’s happen, the rug has been yanked out from under us," Mangiamele said in his post.

Often referred to as a pioneer in casual dining, Steak and Ale debuted in 1966, offering an affordable steakhouse experience with rustic Tudor design that included wooden beams and stained glass. In addition to steak and a signature salad bar, the menu featured then-fancy items such as steak Oscar, baby back ribs, and Hawaiian chicken with pineapple teriyaki sauce.

The chain remained a buzzy destination throughout the '70s and '80s, but by 2008, the parent company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and the remaining locations closed.

In 2023, businessman Paul Mangiamele, chairman and CEO of Legendary Restaurant Brands (which includes Monte Cristo sandwich purveyor Bennigan’s and Bennigan’s On The Fly, which he has also revived), launched a long-held plan to revive the Steak and Ale concept that included opening a new Steak and Ale in Burnsville, Minnesota, as well as partnering with a franchisee to open a location in Grand Prairie, side-by-side with a Bennigan's.

The Minnesota location opened in August 2024, but Grand Prairie will not be so lucky, and according to Mangiamele, it's due to the shenanigans of the franchisee.

"For years, we were being told by the developer and owner of the land how he was going to be our franchise partner," Mangiamele says. "He shared with me numerous times how he grew up with the brands and wanted to do his part in honoring Norman Brinker and would be a proud franchise owner. Well, after he finally (3 years later) received his money for selling some of his land, instead of being our franchise partner, he changed his tune, and wanted to instead, sell his land to us!!"

According to Mangiamele, not only did the franchisee try to sell back the land, he tried to make a profit.

"Our special deal was a ‘discounted’ price per foot on the land we’d need," Mangiamele says. "After a few due diligence calls, the discounted ’deal’ price was 20% higher than the comparable prices in the same area!! Simply unbelievable!"

Mangiamele says they are still talking to other interested parties in the greater DFW area and should have more news soon.

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