A fictional town for the foodies? Quoting the wrong song lyrics? Guy
Fieri is more than just the host of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives;
he's somehow created his own lingo, language, and one-liners along the way.
"Hi, I'm Guy Fieri and we're rolling out."
If you have an issue with our inclusion of Guy Fieri's opening line from each episode of "Diners,
Drive-ins and Dives" on this list, we're not really sure what to tell you. True,
it may not be a one-liner, per se — but we make the rules regarding eligibility
and don't see that as a disqualifying factor.
Plus, considering Fieri's been using some variation of this pre-credits spiel
since filming the very first episode back in 2006, we think it's more than merited. Now,
while we were not surprised the host's signature intro has been a part of the
show from the very beginning, we must admit we had forgotten
his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible was not on every episode from the start.
In fact, since Fieri did not yet own the well-known red Camaro when "Diners,
Drive-ins and Dives" first began, the series borrowed classic cars
from automobile clubs in each city it visited, as reported by Food Network.
There is no doubt Guy Fieri was never the same after the "Diners, Drive-ins
and Dives" exploded. But the way he introduces each and every episode has stayed the same.
"Hey there, I'm Guy Fieri and we're rolling out."
So on that note? We're Mashed, and we're rolling out to the remainder of Fieri's best one-liners.
To be perfectly honest, we had only planned on including "winner winner
chicken dinner" when we began this video, since we had not heard the
"Triple D" host describe any other food item as the victor of supper.
Guy Fieri has, indeed, used the line to describe
delightful chicken-centric dishes over the years — so much so that one "Diners,
Drive-ins and Dives" episode was titled "C for (Winner Winner) Chicken Dinner" in tribute.
But while the man has been known to use the iconic phrase with chicken, on both his show and Twitter,
Fieri has not been solely beholden to poultry when describing the winner of an imaginary
dinner contest. In fact, he has used the line when describing delectable hot dogs, as well.
"Mmm dude it's winner winner hot dog dinner."
Now, there are not necessarily a ton of clips of Fieri using the phrase,
whether describing chicken, hot dogs, or any other food item, yet we are still inclined to
include it among his very best one-liners. And when it comes to Food Network hosts and
shows? We would have to declare winner winner Guy Fieri and "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" dinner.
We'd like to thank the guys who wrote "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp,
Bomp)" so many years ago, and we'd like to shake Guy Fieri's hand for
delivering one of his best one-liners while referencing the classic song.
Now, if we were trying to be sticklers around here, we do have to bring attention to one
aspect of this line. After all, if he really was concerned with the accuracy of his reference,
he would have said "rama lama in ding dong" — not "shama lama."
"That puts the shama lama in ding dong."
Of course, since we’re confident no one else is worried about the slight inaccuracy of a
Guy Fieri one-liner, we are willing to let this slightly inaccurate quote slide onto our list.
There is a staggering number of words a person can use in place of "good" in the English
language. In fact, according to Thesaurus.com, there are more than 50 synonyms for the word.
Of course, if you’re Guy Fieri, or just a fan of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives",
you're probably well aware that there is no real limit to the ways
one can positively praise an item. This includes this rather ridiculous phrase,
which Fieri once memorably used to compliment a delicious dish on his show.
"Mmm it's got whiz bang wow in there."
We can't really say we would ever consider using that phrase to describe anything — we're
not fighting villains on a 1960s episode of "Batman," after all. But as one of the many,
many creative ways Fieri's chosen to describe a superbly satisfying bite
of food, it is a phenomenally memorable one-liner.
"This is kinda like liking the volcano in Flavortown."
What exactly is Flavortown? For our part, we tend to picture something akin to the Land
of Chocolate as imagined by Homer during an early episode of "The Simpsons." Now,
we can't really say whether or not Guy Fieri has something similar in mind when
he discusses the fictional place known as Flavortown, but one thing is crystal clear:
When he uses the phrase to describe a food item, you know he’s eaten something particularly tasty.
"Are we in Flavortown right now? I am at customs. I am crossing the border.
That is a dynamite taco. Welcome to Flavortown."
It is one of the "Triple D" host's most common sayings, and the Food Network
clearly recognizes the phrase's connection to Fieri. And the more we think about it,
the more we think the concept of Flavortown doesn't necessarily need to be clearly
defined. Maybe that is the general appeal of the catchphrase. Flavortown is whatever you want it
to be — as long as it is a place brimming with any number of mouth-watering options.
"Mayor, we bring flavor. Flavor. Excuse–whoa. Whoa."
Would you eat something if it were served to you on a flip-flop? It is an honest
question. Frankly, we'd only be willing to do so under very specific circumstances,
including the flip-flop being brand new, never worn, and cleaned and dried ahead of plating.
We're certainly not alone in our general apprehension towards potentially eating
food off of a dirty, disgusting sandal — which actually sort of explains why Guy Fieri's praising
one-liner, that he could eat something "on a flip-flop" and still enjoy it, was so memorable.
"I think I could put this on a flip-flop it would taste good."
Interestingly enough, the combination of Guy Fieri, flip-flops, and "Triple D" earned the
show's host an endorsement deal with OOFOS to promote the brand's sandals in 2021.
Of course, while we found this fact fairly fascinating, we can't say it was unexpected.
After all, what company wouldn't want to go into business with the beloved Food Network star?
"Mmm. You could put that in a flip flop it would taste good."
The notion that someone can love another person so much that they wish to inflict harm on their
so-called beloved isn't acceptable — nor should it be. On the other hand,
hyperbolizing the horrid things that can happen in life in the
name of making a point through exaggeration isn't the same as glorifying those things.
In other words, there is nothing untoward about Guy Fieri declaring he might prefer
to "kidnap" the man responsible for an incredible batch of lobster ravioli.
“I don't know if I should hug you or kidnap you."
In fact, threatening to commit a felony in lieu of a simple gesture of affection
is arguably the ultimate compliment. After all, the only reason Fieri would want to
kidnap the chef is to eat his food as much as possible. We're almost certainly reading
too deeply into specific wording of this phrase — so we'll just let its status as
one of his best one-liners from "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" speak for itself.
We're not sure we're interested in playing favorites, or coming up with any sort of
ranking order, when it comes to Guy Fieri's best one-liners from "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." But
if we were forced to choose our personal favorite one-liner, we'd go with this memorable quote,
which includes the hysterical left turn he takes from speechless to total shill.
'I want my mommy ... to come to Logan, Utah, and try that burger!'
It is always fun to see Fieri thoroughly enjoying an item on "Triple D," and the way he can barely
squeak out the words "I want my mommy" might have been enough to earn inclusion on our list.
But the unexpectedly gleeful way he regains his composure to offer a playful pitch for
the burger in question is simply wonderful. We may not be Guy Fieri's mommy. Yet we're oddly
compelled to follow his advice, which says everything about the greatness of this line.
“Part of me right now is dying to just take a taste of it and the other part of me is
just praying that the bun and the burger and all the apparatus will cool it down enough."
Guy Fieri doesn't do "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" for himself. Ok, well, he does,
we suppose, since he is not sharing the $80 million dollar contract extension he
signed with Food Network in 2021 with his fans, per Variety. But we’re not looking
to criticize someone for cashing in on their professional worth here.
In fact, we are here to praise Fieri for the pain he has suffered on his show — including the time
he willingly consumed an exorbitantly spicy sauce from Lankford Grocery in Houston, Texas.
"That is going to kill my mouth."
Frankly, the look of fear in his eyes while muttering the three-pepper firehouse sauce
will "kill [his] mouth" is priceless. It’s impossible not to smile upon hearing Fieri
deliver the line. And the fact that his tongue becomes numb after sampling the burger? The
perfect capper to an all-time one-liner from the man with eternally frosted tips.
"Oh, that is hot. That is really good. Oh gosh. Nice hot. And you
still get flavor. My mouth is like literally on fire at this point."
We clearly know a whole lot about Guy Fieri in 2023, including the not-so-secret fact he is
immensely fond of joyriding around the country in his 1968 Chevy Camaro. In other words,
the fact he once described a dish in a way that evoked him "cruising" around town — in a
slick set of wheels, no doubt — is eminently expected from the bona fide car enthusiast.
"I was cruising down boring avenue, hooked a right onto delicious boulevard."
Now, if we're being honest, we were a bit unsure why Guy only
described himself taking a turn onto "delicious boulevard" — as opposed to,
say, taking a straight shot towards Flavortown. Was the omission on Fieri's
part an intentional slight towards Shorty's Pizza in Superior, Wisconsin? We would assume
not. There is very little evidence to suggest any malicious intent would be found from Fieri.
"You navigated this into a really dynamite sandwich."
Look, there is literally no end to the different ways Guy Fieri can describe a
food item as delicious. The man's ability to come up with truly outrageous descriptions
to praise a restaurant or chef is impressively adept. Frankly, then,
it’s easy to see why we would choose to include some of the more amusing ways
he has found to offer compliments on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" — like calling a burrito
a "ski bum delight 101" during a stop at the Full Belly Deli in Rochester, New York.
"This is a ski bum delight 101."
Now, having never spent any time on the mountain, we're not entirely sure what a ski bum is. But
given Fieri makes the comment while excitedly devouring a gravy-soaked breakfast burrito,
we don't think it's too hard to connect the dots from the context. We understood what the "Diners,
Drive-ins and Dives" host was getting at — and since we are jonesing for one of those burritos,
it seems clear this quote belongs among Guy Fieri's best one-liners.