Rochester Locals Select the Restaurant Guy Fieri Should Feature

For nearly 20 years, Guy Fieri has been cruising the country in his red Camaro, hunting down the best local eats. And while he’s filmed dozens of episodes across Minnesota, he has never made a stop in Rochester.

I recently saw a post on the Spotted in Rochester Facebook page asking which Med-City restaurant deserves a visit from the Mayor of Flavortown, and I was immediately curious to see which spots locals would pick. Check out the top responses below, along with a full list of every Minnesota spot ever featured on the Food Network.

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Over the years, Guy Fieri has stopped at more than 800 restaurants across the country. I've covered many of his Minnesota favorites, including these recent highlights:

• The National Top 7: In 2025, Guy named the seven best pizzas in the U.S. and two Minnesota pies made the list.
• The 500-Mile Drive: In 2024, I wrote about the Minnesota restaurant Guy says is worth a massive road trip.
• The Award-Winner: I also featured the iconic diner Guy raved about. It might not look like much from the outside, but it has a James Beard Award to prove its legendary status.

Spotted in Rochester: Locals Name the One Spot Guy Fieri MUST Visit

If Guy were to roll into Rochester, which restaurant would he showcase? That was the question on the Spotted in Rochester Facebook group and there were a ton of responses. Here are the top 5 restaurants:

• #5 Grandma’s Kitchen
• #4 First Meeting Noodle
• #3 Cheap Charlie's
• #2 Thai Pop
• #1 John Hardy's BBQ

John Hardy's received the most votes which isn't surprising. The BBQ joint has been around forever and would definitely fit the vibe of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. You can see a list of dozens of Minnesota restaurants that have been featured on the Food Network below, but first here's the 2026 restaurant wish list for Rochester.