Everyone always asks, “What are the best places for this item?” or “What is the best spot to eat in Tallahassee?”
Thanks to a surprise visit to six locally owned restaurants, we finally have some answers – from none other than celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
In his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” the Emmy Award-winning chef and host travels across America in search of unique restaurants that are well-known among locals and other people in the region, and this time around he set his sights on Florida’s capital.
Upon his visits to six eateries here, Fieri met with staff and customers to get thoughts on food and to sample various signature menu items.
Each restaurant shared the news of their moment on the television screens on their social media platforms, and the buzz was instant, reviving a sense of hometown pride for its loyal patrons.
We have one more episode to anticipate on Fieri’s whirlwind visit to the capital, which will feature the island-inspired eatery Pineappetit, slated to air Friday, April 18.
In case you missed which restaurants were featured or you are doing a dining tour of your own, here are the six restaurants the popular chef visited in Tallahassee:
6725 Mahan Drive; 850-765-3753; backwoodscrossing.com
Fieri’s first pit stop was at the farm-to-table restaurant Backwoods Crossing which was featured in the episode titled “Funky Fresh,” in which Fieri refers to the family operation as a “Southern standout.”
No wonder the brothers Jesse and Tyler Rice’s operation at Mahan Drive was featured in the episode about keeping it fresh because around these parts they are widely known for their casual yet fine dining approach. With its seasonal year-round menu and a “farm-to-table” motto they ensure their menu and dining stays fresh.
The family-owned establishment uses its own harvested crops to serve its patrons, a practice many have grown to love.
705 S. Woodward Ave.; 6267 Old Water Oak Road; cooshs.com
Tallahassee’s second feature on the television show featured Coosh’s Bayou Rouge which was in the episode titled “Seafood and Comfort,” in which Fieri refers to it as the “real deal.”
“I’m here for the food. I came to meet the family. Now I want to come stay for the party, ” Fieri told owner Coosh Willis.
Willis and his wife, Margaret Willis, use their Louisiana roots to bring a taste of the bayou to North Florida since opening in 2001. They now operate their two locations on Woodward Avenue and Old Water Oak Road. The business is known for its Louisiana staples, from hearty jambalayas to po’boy sandwiches.
62517 Railroad Square; 850-739-3129; halisiafrica.com
The latest Tallahassee feature was on the episode titled, “African, Sicilian and Sandwiches,” which featured Halisi Africa, operated by mother and son duo Vanessa Byrd and Bryant Shaw.
“The kitchen may be small, but I heard the flavor is big,” Fieri said, struck by the closet-sized kitchen, one he says isn’t like anything he’s seen before in all his episodes.
Fieri left the Halisi Africa team with words of advice in anticipation of the wave of new guests he knew would come after the broadcast. “Guys, you got to get it together,” Fieri told Shaw, after observing how they function in the small space, insinuating it wasn’t enough room to accommodate their anticipated growth.
Since the broadcast, owners have expanded into two next-door spaces in Railroad Square, where they plan to host community-oriented events and enjoy an upgraded kitchen.
1611 N. Monroe St.; 850-895-3880; leonstallahassee.com
In his “tasty world tour,” Fieri visited Leon’s at Lake Ella, operated by Tallahassee’s own celebrity chef, Leon Brunson. The Southern eatery was featured in the episode titled, “World Tour of Flavor,” in which Fieri referred to it as a “tucked away gem.”
“Cranked up comfort” food is offered at the restaurant Fieri teases only serves lunch “for now.” Being greeted by a line of customers has been the norm at Leon’s, but since its DDD debut, the line wrapped around the cottage on Lake Ella often becomes a full-on spectacle.
This isn’t the chef’s first appearance on a national television screen. National TV viewers witnessed his skills on the Hulu Originals’ show “Secret Chef,” along with a number of appearances at events and collaborations.
626 Railroad Square; 850-454-5404; pineappetit.com
The final in the series of Tallahassee dining showcases is the episode titled “Sandwiches, Seafood and Sweets” featuring Pineappétit, owned by chef Sam Burgess in the Railroad Square Food Hall. The episode airs at 9 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2025.
The Food Network’s description says that Fieri is “gettin’ into next-level seafood, sammies and more” with visits to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a Cuban sandwich, an artisan artichoke croissant in Gainesville, and a local soul food spot known for “giving pineapples the spotlight with their signature seafood bowl and outrageous oxtail nachos.”
Owner Sam Burgess has made himself known around Tallahassee in a bright yellow food truck he launched in 2018. His island-inspired fare is known for its colorful, flavor packed bowls, served in a bulky chopped pineapple. The company then settled into an intimate space at 2037 W. Pensacola St. and recently relocated to the Railroad Square Food Hall that offers dine-in and take-out.
824 W Jefferson St.; 850-570-6858; Facebook
Comfort food destination Tally Mac Shack, which Fieri refers to as a “university hotspot,” was the third Tallahassee establishment featured in the episode, “Pizza, Latin and Mac.”
“Mac mixologist” and owner Justin Cruz opened Tally Mac Shack as a pop-up operation in 2017 for local breweries like DEEP, Lake Tribe and Ology. The food truck earned accolades including being named Tallahassee’s Best Food Truck five times, winning the 2020 inaugural Capital City Youth Services’ Tally Award, and being recognized as the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week by then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.
“These students here? They get the lion’s share of great food,” Fieri said as he stood in the establishment’s sole brick-and-mortar location inside the 1851 Food Hall on the Florida State University campus.
Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at ksanford@tallahassee.com. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.
