Fieri’s Flavortown has such dishes as Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbecue Wings for $13.99, Jalapeno Pig Poppers for $12.99, the “Chicken Guy!” classic for $11.99, and Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Burger for $12.99.įieri is best known for his Food Network shows Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy’s Grocery Games. The menu features Donkey Sauce to go, and has just 19 items available. Three Valley locations, guysflavortownkitchen.California Flavortowns are in Brea, Campbell, Claremont, Carlsbad, Encino, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Roseville, Universal City, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, and two in San Diego. It pains me to say it, but it feels like my salt-of-the-earth hero is capitalizing on his name. It’s better than most fast food, yes, but it is not restaurant-caliber food that in any respect delivers.
That said, I have to admit that from what I’ve tasted so far, the food at Flavortown Kitchen is not gangsta or out of bounds or the. That’s not how most of us live, and his audience is most of us.
No gag-worthy brunches on Manhattan rooftops, no intimate gatherings in impressionistic vineyards at dusk. He’s the Everyman, the guy who isn’t precious or pretentious. He’s funny and irreverent and yet respectful of all the hardworking people and humble places he features on his show. Although I eat every creamy, salty, chocolate-y bite of this thing (dessert should never go to waste, even if the chips are a bit limp), it’s not remotely exceptional and certainly not at that price. Looking back, I wish I’d ordered the chocolate whiskey cake instead of the Cheesecake Challenge ($7.95), described as NY-style cheesecake topped with salted potato chips, crushed pretzels and fudge sauce, but the chips and pretzels just exuded that wacko Triple D vibe I’ve come to love. Bottom line, they’re not worth $4.99 in any fast-food universe. Chunky fries, scored with ridges, are admirably crispy outside and fluffy inside, but they smell like every fast-food French fry you’ve ever eaten, which is to say, greasy. It tastes, more than anything, like a good old-fashioned burger despite the addition of mac and cheese. I like the combo (although more and better tomatoes would be nice), and I would eat it again if I could have it hot. I have to say, it’s a satisfying burger - messy, florid and dripping with Fieri’s signature Donkey Sauce (purportedly a blend of mayo, garlic, yellow mustard and Worcestershire). Love the cute packaging, though.Īfter watching scores of Triple D episodes featuring completely over-the-top food, I figure the best way to capture the no-holds-barred spirit of Fieri’s personality-driven show is to order the Bacon Mac and Cheese Burger ($12.99), described as: “80/20 ground beef, SMC (Super Melty Cheese), mac n’ cheese, LTOP (Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions & Pickles), crispy onions, Donkey Sauce, garlic buttered brioche.” According to the website, it’s an award-winning burger, earning Best Burger in Las Vegas by Seven Magazine and winner of NYC Food and Wine Festival’s Burger Bash. How am I going to dis-assemble this thing to heat it up? I’m not. Okay, no prob, but is it just being driven around as deliveries are made?Īll I know is, the food is just barely warm by the time I get it (which is true of all takeout/delivery food unless you live across the street from the restaurant), so I’m a bit disappointed. About 20 minutes in, I’m informed that my delivery time will now be 10 minutes later than originally scheduled. The virtual restaurant’s website provides a delivery estimate with a 10-minute window, alerting you by phone call or text when your food is almost there and again when it’s actually there. After dithering among 19 florid, possibly funkalicious menu items - think cheesesteak eggrolls, bourbon-brown sugar BBQ wings, jalapeño poppers, fried pickles, Chicken Parm-eroni (with pepperoni red sauce and “crispy pepperoni hay”) and a Cuban sandwich - I spring for a burger, fries and cheesecake.
The catch is, if you want a Triple D-style meal from The Mayor of Flavortown, you have to live in the right zip code for delivery.
In recent months, the spiky-haired, red Camaro-driving reality TV icon has launched Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen in 26 states, opening three virtual operations within Bucca di Beppo restaurants here in metro Phoenix - one in Scottsdale, another in Chandler and a third in Peoria. As the pandemic drags on, resourceful chefs and restaurateurs are opening ghost kitchens (delivery-only restaurants) at a clip this year, and Food Network star Guy Fieri, host of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is right there riding the trend.