Inspired by a similar thread I saw on another message board awhile back.
I’ve been to several places featured on those networks, and while a few were “meh,” I can’t say any were terrible. Probably the only one that stands out for me as less than stellar is The Penguin in Charlotte N.C. (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives). They had good burgers and a cool atmosphere, but their food was no better than what you could get at a thousand other similar greasy spoon joints around the country.
Anyway what are some of the FN or TC places you’ve been to, or even places in your area that have been featured on their shows, that you thought were overrated.
Messed up the thread title. Hopefully the mods can come in here and take the extra “you” out of the title so that it appears as “Restaurants featured on the Food Network or Travel Channel that disappointed you.”
Guy Fieri has been to five places in Omaha. One of them is a fish place specializing in fried carp. The food there is nasty and the place stinks even to drive past it.
I’ve been to a handful of the Diners, Dives & Drive-Ins restaurants and can’t say I was particularly impressed by any of them. Sure, decent neighborhood places but generally not anything worth specifically going out of the way before.
Same thing with Rachel Ray’s old $5 a day show or whatever it was.
Have had much better success with a local (though I think they do versions in several cities) PBS show called Bay Area Check Please, which has three amateur reviewers for each episode who each picks a favorite restaurant and then they all independently go to them and get together to talk over the experiences. Have found a couple great small locations we’d never have otherwise tried.
I’ve lived in Charlotte for 6 years. I’ve never eaten there because most people say, that while it’s a local institution, it’s only OK. I’ll probably try it one day when I’m in that part of town, but it’s not really a “must see” place.
I don’t recall the name, but I was in New Orleans last year and wanted a muffaletta. I was staying on the wrong side of Canal, it was 90 degrees and very humid and I didn’t feel like walking to the Central Grocery. I happened past a place with Guy’s face on a sign in the window, saying he loved the muffaletta. It was only ok. Nowhere near as good as CG.