This Ohio Restaurant That Guy Fieri Loves Has Been Featured On Triple D 4 Times

Guy Fieri is known for traveling the country and finding unique and interesting foods to eat and recommend to the masses. While this has led to plenty of dishes that the chef would rather never have to eat again — like the cow brain and egg breakfast Fieri sampled in Oklahoma City — there are plenty of others that he could (and has) eaten over and over again throughout the years. One instance of the latter is none other than Momocho, a modern Mexican restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, that has been featured on Guy's hit show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," four times throughout its nearly 20 years on the air.

Now, to be more specific, Fieri has only visited Momocho at its sole location in Cleveland twice on "Triple D" — once in the 2010 episode "Twists And Traditions" and again in the 2014 episode "Real Deal Mexican" — but featured the restaurant on the show two additional times during the COVID-19 pandemic. These two special episodes, titled "Triple D Nation: From Pork to Po' Boys" and "Takeout: Dinner and Dessert That Delivers," included even more praise for Momocho from the West Coast chef. Considering that many restaurants Fieri has visited haven't made it on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" for one reason or another over the years, Momocho's four appearances are all the more impressive for the Cleveland staple.

The reason why Momocho is so beloved by Guy Fieri and many others ultimately comes down to his love for the unique, modern take on classic Mexican food, one that the restaurant fittingly refers to as "Mod-Mex." This sub-genre of Mexican food is an innovative, slightly more globalized take on classic Mexican dishes — but retains many of the ingredients and methods that make the dishes authentic. Momocho — which specializes in dishes like Goat Cheese Guacamole and Carrot Elote — is frequently praised as one of the most reliable Mexican restaurants in Cleveland (though some argue it's not the best Mexican restaurant in the state).

Fieri likely fell in love with Momocho when he got the chance to witness the making of several signature Momocho dishes upon his first visit to the restaurant. During the season 8 episode, Fieri called attention to the Momocho version of Machaca Taquitos, in particular, as a remarkably crafted dish. He referred to Momocho owner Eric Williams as a "mad scientist" as he watched him craft the food. This dish, a unique spin on Williams' 2006 recipe, features beef brisket rubbed with Guatemalan coffee, salt, and ancho chili powder. It's then caramelized on the grill, braised with a bevy of other ingredients for three hours, and eventually topped with a splash of juice to make it a truly one-of-a-kind dish.