If you know anything about restaurateur and TV personality Guy Fieri, you know he’s got a taste for big flavors that won’t break the bank. The self-proclaimed “Mayor of Flavortown” has ventured to Portland many times for his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” to give his flamin'-hot seal of approval to local restaurants.
At home (or on the road) there’s always more “DDD” to explore , but now we’re leading the tour. Here are five of our favorite local spots that Fieri visited.
You’ll find friendly faces behind the counter and often on the grill out front.
Photo by @ottossausagekitchen
Otto’s Sausage Kitchen & Meat Market
All the way back in the “Go-To Joints” episode of Season 6, Fieri paid a visit to this family-owned Woodstock restaurant that’s been crafting sausages and bratwursts for nearly five generations. He tried the “tender and creamy” old-fashioned hot dogs and crushed a pastrami sandwich.
Dishes are made with lamian, a soft wheat flour Chinese noodle.
Photo by @franksnoodlehouse
Frank’s Noodle House
Fieri got a lesson in hand pulling noodles from chef Frank Fong in “Aces of Authenticity,” Season 18, before slurping down a plate with marinated chicken. You can find a second location in Beaverton.
The Smoked & Fried Chicken Thigh Sandwich comes with pimento cheese and Mama Lil’s relish.
Photo by @psandqsmarket
P’s & Q’s Market
“Top-notch” were the words Fieri used to describe the tomato gravy slathered on homemade buttermilk biscuits at this homey spot in the Woodlawn neighborhood. See the vibe on “From Port to Port” during Season 25.
There’s always room on the tray for sides at Matt’s BBQ.
Photo by @mattsbbqpdx
Matt’s BBQ
Your stomach will go pitter platter for the oak-smoked, Texas-style meats served up at this food truck off of North Mississippi Avenue. On “Mega Mouthfuls” in Season 26, Fieri tried the onion and garlic glazed spare ribs which he called “pull-apart tender.”
Co-owners Megan Walhood and Jeremy Daniels expanded with a Woodstock brick-and-mortar location in 2022.
Photo by @vikingsoulfood
Viking Soul Food
Savory Scandinavian flavors brought Fieri to The Bite on Belmont food carts in “From Vikings to Wings,” Season 32. There, he dug into a meatball lefse wrap topped with surkal (pickled purple cabbage) and a gravy made with gjetost, a Norwegian caramelized cheese. True to claim, it’s “fuel for the champions of Valhalla.”