TRACK DOWN A UNIQUE EAT
Plan a Unique Eats restaurant road trip, starting with breakfast at VooDoo Doughnut.
FEAST YOUR EYES 31 Photos
See the best Unique Eats from across the country. Warning: pictures will induce hunger.
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See Episode GuideHot & Spicy
We're visiting hot spots around the country that are literally spicing it up in the kitchen. From dishes that will set your mouth on fire to plates with just enough heat to make your eyes water, find out why people keep coming back for more.
Cheese
Everything is better with cheese, and these restaurants will show you why. Take a tour of a cheese cave and enjoy a world-renowned fondue and cheesecake in New York. Find out how many cheeses can fit into one macaroni and cheese dish in Connecticut. And enjoy some of the most unique and sought-after grilled cheese sandwiches in San Francisco.
Houston Weekend
Spend 36 hours in Houston with us for a unique culinary tour of the most innovative restaurants. Whether it's big Texas beef plates or spicy Tex-Mex mashups, this is a feast that will have you booking your ticket to the Lone Star State right away.
Dirt Cheap & Delicious
You don't need to sacrifice taste to eat cheap at these joints. We're off to Cleveland for a pulled pork PBLT and squash dumplings, Brooklyn for an outdoor food market with a bevy of satisfying barbecue and biscuits, Washington, DC, for spicy Asian fare and finally Austin, Texas, where the weird tastes wonderful.
Craving Comfort
Dive into the most unique variations of your favorite comfort foods. Double the fun with a pie filled with macaroni and cheese, crunch on nachos with a Japanese twist, indulge in doughnuts filled with jelly and foie gras or end your meal with a good old-fashioned chocolate cupcake -- with bacon.
Between the Bun
Forget the traditional hamburger, these meals between with bun are truly unique. Get a taste of gourmet hotdogs and sausages made from almost anything you can imagine, sandwiches with the most unusually tasty combinations, biscuits stuffed with ooey goodness and that all-time favorite, the burger.
Burgers
Come see what's between the buns at these burger joints that are taking the American classic to the next level. Whether it's with foie gras in Philly, pimento cheese in Atlanta, umami in Los Angeles or truffles in New York, these burgers will blow your culinary mind!
Ice Cream
If you like ice cream, you will be wowed by these unique treats. How about bourbon and corn flake flavored scoops at Humphry Slocombe? Or the sweets at Sweet Rose Creamery where everything from the cones to the chocolate chips are made from scratch? And don't forget to visit the Dairy Godmother for unique ice pop flavors like grilled pineapple and pink peppercorn.
Innovators
These innovative chefs are creating uniquely modern food across the country. In Austin, Chef Paul Qui is keeping it weird and uniquely delicious at East Side King. In New York City's Atera, Chef Matt Lightner and his kitchen are the stars of this jewel-like culinary theater. A well-known Philadelphia innovator keeps it kosher while wowing the crowds, and in Los Angeles, a couple has gone from illegal dinners in their apartment to a full-fledged restaurant serving irresistible Pan-Asian fare.
Reinvention
We love classic dishes, but appreciate when they're uniquely reinvented. The Wakin' and Bakin' Brunch at Eating House in Miami, Florida, has something new for both savory and sweet lovers. Lucy's Fried Chicken in Austin, Texas, spruces up the traditional fried chicken dinner with lots of creative fixings and sides, while Josh's Deli in Surfside, Florida, brings the traditional Jewish deli to a whole new level by reinventing the ubiquitous matzoh ball into gnocchi. And Easy Tiger in Austin combines an artisanal bakery with a beer hall.
New Asian
We've found the most unique new Asian eats across the country. In Austin, Texas, an authentic ramen house is taking classic broths and adding intense flavors. At Pubbelly in Miami, Florida, the pig is big and served at this gastropub in unique Asian-inspired ways. Traditional Thai food has reached the people of Austin, and they couldn't be happier with Sway. And in Brooklyn, Dassara is transforming brunch favorites into an Asian noodle dish.
Brooklyn Rising
The borough of Brooklyn is the new rival to Manhattan on New York's dining scene. Celebrated chef Elizabeth Falkner makes her New York debut with her pizzeria Krescendo, which has grabbed the city's attention with creations like Finoccio Flower Power Pizza. Court Street Grocers takes the deli sandwich and raises it to new heights. La Vara is owned by a husband-and-wife team who turned to Brooklyn to open their most imaginative take yet on Spanish food. And Brooklyn's diversity even makes room for Southern hospitality at Pies-n-Thighs, a down-home fried chicken joint in the shadows of the Williamsburg Bridge.
Nostalgic Noshes
Join us for a trip down memory lane as we discover restaurants serving dishes that are reminiscent of the old days but with a deliciously modern twist. A renowned chef updates the Asian dishes from his childhood. Another takes good old British pub fare and throws in a curveball. And then there are savory pies brought to a whole new level and American barbecue that will reawaken your taste buds.
Ethnic Eats
Authentic global flavors can be savored right here in America. Folks craving Mediterranean and Israeli food flock to charming Balaboosta in New York. Popular Nashville food truck Riff's Fine Street Food marries Caribbean and Asian flavors. At Cook's Torta in Los Angeles, there's always a crowd for their Latin-style sandwiches, while Pecking Order in Chicago serves Filipino-style chicken that comes roasted, grilled or fried.
Small Bites
It's easy to sample everything on the menu when it comes in the form of small bites. My Ceviche in Miami Beach, Florida, keeps it light with the freshest local fish and zesty dressings that define the traditionally Latin-American ceviche dishes. Barley Swine in Austin, Texas, features 13-15 small plates a day, each highlighting ingredients from the local farmers' market. Amis in Philadelphia puts a twist on classic Roman trattoria food where diners are encouraged to order several dishes to share, and Momo Sushi Shack in Bushwick, Brooklyn, serves sushi and dumplings that have Manhattanites crawling through the tunnel to try.
Old School
We're looking for the most unique old-school eats across America. Yardbird in Miami gives a taste of the true South with its fried chicken and fried green tomatoes. Dinic's in Philadelphia's Reading Terminal has been serving up some of the best old-school sandwiches to crowds for decades. In New York, old school meets new school at Quality Meats steakhouse, while La Camaronera in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami honors a family seafood tradition.
Chi-Town
Chicago continues to draw hungry foodies from all corners of the country with their innovative restaurants. Publican Quality Meats sells farm-raised meats and housemade charcuterie from their butcher counter, but the real draw is the hearty, meat-filled sandwiches. Yusho creates a buzz with their creative Asian-inspired street food. Antique Taco in Wicker Park offers authentic Mexican tacos and classic American comforts foods with a Mexican twist. Familiar brunch dishes get a fine-dining makeover at the Trenchermen.
Wine Country Weekend
Excite your palate with a gastronomical weekend in California Wine Country. Indulge in fried chicken at the more casual sister restaurant of a local legend, twirl your fork through unique pasta dishes, make room for amazing Mexican fare done right and find out how a "Truckstop Deluxe" fits right in, even in Napa Valley.
Guilty Pleasures
We feature restaurants that are pushing the envelope on some of America's beloved comfort foods. Plan Check in Los Angeles offers the most indulgent burgers, fried chicken and pastrami sandwiches, plus a unique towering doughnut dessert. A food truck in Nashville uses big, fat biscuits for hearty sweet and savory sandwiches. Cold fried chicken and baked potatoes are transformed into imaginative pizzas at Pete Zaaz in Brooklyn. And, in Atlanta, guilty pleasures can be found in creative hot dogs, sausages and fries at HD1.
Modern Italian
These restaurants are putting their modern spin on some Italian classics. Parm in New York's Little Italy dishes out classic Italian-American sandwiches and brings out the kid in all of us with their colorful ice cream sandwich cake. Italian comfort food is paired with beer at gastropub Alla Spina in Philadelphia, while Superba Snack Bar in Venice, California, crafts their own pastas using unusual ingredients and cooking techniques. City House in Nashville puts a Southern twist on Italian sausages and seafood and uses leftover pizza dough to create gnocchi.
Swine
Americans continue to pine over all things swine. Korean restaurant Palsaik in Los Angeles serves bacon in eight different flavors. Martin's Bar-B-Q in Nashville smokes whole hog right in the center of their dining room. At Cemitas Puebla in Chicago, diners sink their teeth on quesadillas stuffed with chicharones or their signature Mexican sandwich stuffed with sliced deli ham, fried pork and grilled pork. New York's The Cannibal celebrates nose-to-tail eating with their whole slow-roasted half pig's head, whipped lardo toast and boudin noir sausages.
