How Many Times Has A New Jersey Restaurant Been On “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”
Guy Fieri must love visiting the Garden State. Moreover, it seems New Jersey is full of flavor town favorites given Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Fieri has visited 36 different restaurants here.
If you really want to go down a rabbit hole of flavor, FlavorTownUSA has a breakdown of all the restaurants that have been on triple D. Furthermore, it breaks it down by state. This shows the number of restaurants that have been tapped by Fieri to be on this popular show. California, Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, and Minnesota round out the top five states that have been showcased here on the Food Network.
Believe it or not, Diners, Drive-In, and Dives is now in its 38th season. In fact, we are currently halfway through season 38, which is currently airing new episodes. It will run through February 2024. Although no New Jersey restaurants have been on yet this year, season 35 was full of Jersey stops. Southern Jersey saw Fieri stop in for DDD upon returning from the pandemic take-out format.
More New Jersey Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives History
The first restaurant to be visited by Diners, Drive-In, and Dives was actually the 11th episode of the show, over 1,000 miles north of Florida. This was the Bayway Diner in Linden, New Jersey. The intriguing story behind this first stop was covered in detail by Mashed back in 2021.
If there is a New Jersey restaurant that is the epitome of what the Food Network and Fieri have looked for in this successful show, it’s White Manna Hamburgers in Hackensack. It’s an old-fashioned, diner-style joint with family history. In addition, they cook up one particular specialty (small, slider-type burgers). White Manna Hamburgers was visited and featured on the show back in 2008 during season two.
Rinconcito Salvadoreño in Port Chester, New York is the latest tri-state area restaurant to be on the show (September 2023).
A 'Definitive' Ranking Of The 5 Fast-Food Restaurants
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) recently shared a study that details the top fast-food chains in the country based on customer satisfaction. While I agree with the top choice, the others are questionable. And hey, taste is subjective. I’m something of a fast-food restaurant connoisseur. So, here I will re-rank the country’s top five fast-food restaurant chains based on personal experience. (Hence, “Definitive” in quotes in the headline.)
First, let’s examine the numbers in this report, as there are certainly some valuable points to consider. It appears as if their customer satisfaction entails 11 important factors. These include areas such as the accuracy of food orders, staff courtesy, and cleanliness. Another important measurement these days is the efficiency of the chain’s app.
The ACSI report is based on 16,250 customers who were surveyed. Their top five looked like this:
- #1 Chick-fil-A
- #2 Jimmy Johns
- #3 KFC
- #4 Papa John
- #5 Domino’s
Technically “other” landed at number three, but for the sake of top brands, that is the top of the list.
Re-Ranking Methodology
While I do like the variety in cuisine displayed in ACSI’s list, I am surprised at many of the names I see there. To create this ranking, I did follow and considered the customer satisfaction criteria previously laid out in the survey. Though I am a drive-thru-first type of person, I will quickly peel out of the parking lot if I detect the joint doesn’t look like it takes cleanliness seriously. Regardless of how much I am craving that chicken sandwich. In other words, those scored questions are legit measurements.
It’s worth mentioning that I travel quite a bit as well. Whether taking my kids to a weekend lacrosse tournament or heading south to visit family, a fast-food meal is often all I have time for. Nonetheless, I don’t just stop for anything, and I do aim for the healthiest option possible (most of the time).
So, imagine I just pulled off a magical interstate exit where all of these fast food restaurants had an open establishment. I’m considering the criteria points ACSI has laid out, and looking for a quality meal. Here is my official re-ranking of the top five fast-food restaurant chains in the country.
*Side-note, the ACSI also includes statistic results on full-service chain restaurants. That is not applicable to my ranking, but Chili’s is the clear number one, with all the rest being second.
Jeff Gorra is a Boston-based writer who has been with Beasley Media Group since the beginning of 2023. He writes about restaurants and food, as well as sports and rock music. His experience also includes show hosting and in-depth creative writing in rock and reggae dub music. Jeff’s an avid surfer, New York Giants, and Pearl Jam fan, however, if you make unforgettable pizza, he is sure to find you.