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It's been nearly two decades since Guy Fieri appeared with his signature platinum blonde spikes and red 1968 Chevy Camaro SS as the host of Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." In that span, Fieri and his team visited a ton of restaurants in Georgia.

From pizza places to BBQ hot spots, here are 10 restaurants featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" you can visit in the Peach State:

Yakitori Jinbei

2421 Cobb Pkwy SE, Smyrna

Nestled into a humble strip mall outside Marietta is Yakitori Jinbei, the home of well-loved and unique Korean delicacies. Chef Jae Choi started it as a test kitchen, but soon needed to expand so he could make more creative dishes from katsu curry ramen to Korean fried chicken. When it was featured on the "'Round the World Roundup" episode, Fieri brought along another celebrity chef: G. Garvin, executive producer of "City Eats: Atlanta," who was friends with Choi.

"It's got the amazing sushi. It's got ramen, all different kinds of ramen," Garvin said as he walked into the restaurant with Fieri. "The broth is amazing. It's the Asian chicken wings. You got to see what this guy's doing here."

LowCountry Steak

1010 W Peachtree St NW, Atlanta

Garvin has his own restaurant in Atlanta: LowCountry Steak. It's all about "New Southern Cuisine" bringing unique flair to classic southern favorites. There are five different cuts of steak in addition to other main courses, appetizers, and sides. When he visited in the "Smokin' Southern Decadence" episode, Fieri was floored by the flavors of the lobster mac and cheese as well as the doughnut bread pudding. Another big fan and guest on the show was Faizon Love.

Chazito's Latin Cuisine

2224 Bull St, Savannah and 217 US Highway 80 E, Pooler

Chaz Ortiz, owner of Chazito's Latin Cuisine, was not only on Triple D but another hit Guy Fieri show: "Guy's Grocery Games." Fieri said Ortiz appeared on Triple G twice and the "Mayor of Flavortown" promised to check out his Savannah spot next time he was in the area. The "Sloppy, Saucy and Stuffed" episode was the fulfillment of that promise. What Fieri and Iron Chef Stephanie Izard found was a super colorful restaurant making just as colorful and innovative Puerto Rican food. They had fun smashing plantains for the mofongo burger and an even better time taking a big bite out of it.

"It's definitely not missing flavor," Izard said. "You can taste all of those layers."

Wrecking Bar Brewpub

292 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta

Atlanta is home to a ton of restaurants, but not many are housed in a Victorian-style building. Wrecking Bar Brewpub is located in the former home of Victor Hugo Kriegshaber, a major driver for Atlanta's development in the early 20th century. The Wrecking Bar crew cleaned up the old mansion, restoring it to its former glory. They also turned some space in the back into a modern dining room and kitchen pumping out honey-chili roasted chicken, bison frites and more. On the "Finger Lickin' Food," Fieri was head over heels for the pastrami before it could even be made into a sandwich.

"The pastrami bark on that is out of bounds," he said. "Right amount of smoke. I mean, that is legit."

When it's time to wash it down, Wrecking Bar brews its own beers and whiskey from its seven-barrel system offering a variety of drinks and cocktails.

Big Bon Bodega

2011 Bull St, Savannah

Whether it's bagels in the morning or pizzas in the evening, it's all being made in wood-fired ovens at Big Bon Bodega. Fieri brought Izard to this one too on the "Pick-Me-Ups" episode and the two were fighting for a bite after watching chef and owner Kay Heritage go through the detailed process of making a "Korean Mama." It utilized kimchi, cheese and other fixings on a homemade sesame bagel.

"I wouldn't have thought to put American cheese on this with the cream cheese, but it makes that sort of Philly cheese steak sort of flavor, and then those red onions cut through all that richness," Izard said. "It's amazing."

Marietta Diner

306 Cobb Pkwy SE South, Marietta

It's hard to drive by Marietta Diner and not notice it, and not just because the lights are on 24/7. The place screams 50's Americana with its flashy chrome and neon exterior. But it earned its spot on the "A World of Flavors" episode for its menu which has a little bit of everything like Romanian steak, chicken primavera, and fried mac and cheese balls. The Greek cuisine is one of the stars, and Fieri had to have some, giving high praise to the flavor of the souvlaki and the baked pastichio.

The restaurant was a part of three other Triple D episodes including the "Real-Deal Diners" special.

The General Muir

1540 Avenue Pl, Atlanta and 6405 Blue Stone Rd, Sandy Springs

There are some very strong Jewish roots at the General Muir. It was named after the boat that brought the grandparents and mother of co-owner Jennifer Johnson to New York after surviving the Holocaust. The restaurant's aesthetics and menu are modern-American while drawing from the classic New York Jewish Deli model. This spot was another recommendation to Fieri from Garvin. When they visited on the "Beef It Up" episode, they were both blown away by the smoked hash as well as the bagels and lox co-owner Ben Johnson made.

"You guys have not only brought an original taste, but you brought the original attitude about how you do it," Fieri said. "Outstanding!"

Sisters of the New South

2605 Skidaway Rd, Savannah

Those that come to Sisters of the New South don't leave hungry. Inside is a cafeteria-style dining experience with a huge variety of Southern delicacies like oxtail, mac and cheese, okra and pork chops. On the "Seafood, Spice and Soul" episode, Fieri's mouth was watering for just about everything, but one of his favorites was the peach cobbler.

"That is about one of the most honest desserts I've had in the last 10 years on Triple D," he said. "The simple biscuit crust, it's a little bit of sugar, a little bit of vanilla, you're highlighting the peach. Outstanding."

Folk Art

465 North Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta

For those who like a sandwich so thick it could be the whole meal, visit Folk Art. Located in Inman Park and Decatur, it's a popular neighborhood spot in both places with a colorful menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The sandwiches are not for the feint of the heart from the Triple D meatball burger featuring three patties and marinara to the "Bad to the Bone" with pulled pork, cole slaw and provolone. Fieri sampled both on the "Tri-Continent Cuisine" episode and described how unfriendly they are to swimsuit-season (in a good way).

Southern Soul Barbeque

2020 Demere Rd, St Simons Island

Harrison Sapp and Griffin Bufkin took a defunct gas station, about $700, and a smoker and combined them to open Southern Soul Barbeque. They made a name for themselves with their slow-cooked meats, always over wood, and enjoyed in a retro-beach atmosphere. Sapp showed Fieri on the "Old Time Attitude" episode how they learned from Triple D to use a trash bag when mixing up the rub. As Sapp added more sugar and honey to his ribs, Fieri wasn't too sure about all the sweets, until he tasted it.

"It's tender, it's totally cooked right," he told Sapp. "I live in California. I'd weigh a lot more if I lived close to you guys."

Southern Soul was also on Triple D's 2021 "Big-Time Barbecue" special. It and Fox Bros were also among Southern Living's top 50 BBQ joints in the South list in 2023.

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email atmlegoas@gannett.com.

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Have Georgia on your mind this summer?

As lovely as Savannah may be to visit with its timeless European flair, nobody likes to deal with crowds all in search of the same thing.

Georgia has some of America's best hidden gems, but one charming island hideaway was named by U.S. News & World Report as the most underrated destination in the U.S.

Set about halfway between Savannah and the Florida state line lies an expansive barrier island with miles of pristine beaches to enjoy away from the hordes of vacationers you'd find in more mainstream getaways.

There's no competing with Savannah. Whether it be picturesque cobbled streets of bygone eras, old-timey inns, award-winning cuisine, or social media's favorite baseball team, the Savannah Bananas, St. Simon's can't compete.

That being said, you could easily surmise St. Simon's as a “mini Savannah” with its Southern charm, contagious hospitality, and historic elegance.

But the real claim to fame for St. Simon's this summer is its off-path appeal. Despite being named America's most underrated destination as well as Southern Living's ‘best beach town‘, you won't find the same level of busy streets or shores on this laid-back island.

There's no doubt East Beach is St. Simon's most popular, but even so, over the past few weeks beachgoers were so impressed with this slice of paradise, Google reviews were flooded with comments such as “Best beach in St. Simon's” and “Hidden gem”.

Even over busy Memorial Day weekend, a staple for beach gatherings across the U.S., there's not a single mention of unbearable crowds — quite the opposite, actually.

Visitors and locals alike love being able to bring their dog along, letting Fido run free. Though dogs aren't permitted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day.

A stone's throw from East Beach is the fascinating World War II Home Front Museum, holding equally impressive reviews and giving tourists a small sample size of the island's 300-plus year history.

If want a beachfront stay, there's The Beach Club at St. Simons for spacious vacation rentals rather than traditional hotel rooms.

East Beach visitors rave about taking long walks on the beach, especially to start and end their day. If you need to a lunch break, Barrier Island Brewing is within walking distance to grab a cold one on a humid Georgia day and the Beer Cheese Dip is to die for!

East Beach is the place to be, but if you're the type like me who likes to discover the lesser known, check out these 3 hush-hush spots almost no visitors know about:

Vacation rentals aren't everyone's jam, but who can deny seaside resorts, cozy cottages and historic inns?

St. Simon's may be small, but it's overflowing with comfortable accommodations suiting every preference.

For high-end resorts, you'll want to scope out the following 4 stays:

For cozy cottages, you'll want to check out the following 2 stays:

For historic inns, you'll want to check out these 2 stays:

The lighthouse referenced above is the town's most unmissable attraction, the St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum with admission only costing $12 per person.

Despite being located well into Georgia, St. Simon's is actually a little bit closer to Jacksonville, Florida's airport than Savannah's.

Of course, taking the winding backroads through the scenic South is always an option too, but there are plentiful flights to both Savannah and Jacksonville.

St. Simons Island is approximately 80 miles away from Savannah (SAV), compared to roughly 70 miles from Jacksonville (JAX).

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

Almost 150 miles of canals crisscross Savannah. These manmade drainage systems abound with turtles, wading birds and fish, but they’re also often rife with trash. Styrofoam cups, plastic water bottles, and takeout boxes ride in on the runoff from streets and parking lots every time it rains.

Volunteers clean them out periodically, but litter returns with the next downpour. To provide a longer range solution, the Savannah Riverkeeper recently installed seven litter booms in strategic spots along the canals. There’s one more to come near the Enmarket Arena.

Those booms work passively. As water flows along the canal it carries litter with it until floating litter hits the boom and accumulates behind it. Two booms installed by the Ogeechee Riverkeeper have been quietly collecting trash on Savannah’s southside for several years.

Clöe Lemaire, the Savannah Reuse System Outreach Coordinator for the Savannah Riverkeeper, said her organization will arrange regular trash pickups at these booms.

“About once a month we’ll get out there,” she said, as she checked on a boom installed near the Truman Linear Park Trail at Skidaway Road. “We’ll grab all the trash out. We take about an hour to survey and sweep the trash along the banks as much as we can.”

Each time they clean out a boom they’ll sample the trash and categorize each piece.

“When there’s specific brand names that we can call out, we’ll list those as well, and then we also give it kind of a grade on how deteriorated it is depending on the type of material.”

From past experience, Lemaire anticipates cups from Parker’s, Enmarket and Chick-fil-A will top the list of branded flotsam in these waterways.

The resulting trash catalog will help the Riverkeeper target the next phase of its project, which focuses on reducing the volume of single-use plastics offered at Savannah restaurants and convenience stores. For that work, the Riverkeeper is teaming up with Perpetual, a nonprofit that aims to establish reusable foodware programs in cities including Savannah.

“Thinking about the data we pull from this, we’re going to be sharing it with the city, of course, sharing with the partners and the big brand names that we are identifying as kind of the top contributors,” Lemaire said. “And then we’re hoping to segue that conversation into good alternatives, like reusable cups, replacing all these single use water bottles and cups that we find in here.”

The project is funded by a three-year grant of about $560,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program. The Savannah Riverkeeper purchased the booms, including one that includes a gate to allow kayak passage, from an Alabama-based company, Osprey Initiative. The booms cost about $2,500 – $6,000 depending on their length.

Water-borne litter is not just an eyesore.

“From the stormwater perspective, it is clogging up all our storm water drains,” Lemaire said. “And we already have such an issue with flooding.”

And then there’s the litter’s final destination.

“All of these waterways have a connection to the Savannah River, which is why we were interested in this project as well,” Lemaire said. Along with the Savannah River, the Ogeechee also drains the area. Both waterways flow to the Atlantic Ocean. “That has the impact of choking wildlife, and just getting caught in propellers and other issues like that as well, just the physical damage.”

Plastics break down into tiny particles in the ocean. And those particles appear nearly everywhere, including coastal Georgia waters, as studies at UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography have shown.

“Plastics, of course, release these kinds of endocrine disrupting chemicals that we’re just beginning to understand,” Lemaire said. “I’m starting to dive into the plastic world, and it’s scary once you start realizing how much of it is around you, how much of it is not really avoidable right now, because we just don’t have solutions to plastic.”

Plastic production and use has surged worldwide this century. A 2017 paper coauthored by University of Georgia researcher Jenna Jambeck documented that plastic production in the 13 years prior to the study’s publication was equal to that produced in the previous half century. Studies have also shown rising levels of plastics in human brains and other tissues.

The Savannah Riverkeeper is partnering with the Ogeechee Riverkeeper and the City of Savannah to engage the community in the project, including recruiting volunteers to help with the monthly trash roundups at the litter booms. Initial boom cleanouts will probably get a hand from the Friends of Urban Nature group that already organizes canoeists and kayakers to cleanup waterways in the Savannah area, Lemaire said. Eventually, the Riverkeeper will recruit volunteers through its website and Facebook page.

Game cameras are being installed to keep tabs on the sites, especially during severe weather, including hurricanes.

“A lot of the sites, they get overflowed when it’s a really intense event like that, and you lose a lot of the trash,” Lemaire said. “So if you could at least get a visual capture of how much you’re losing, or figure out how it’s getting out, you can maybe address that a little bit.”

Because the booms float and have only a short curtain that hangs into the water, they allow wildlife to pass under them easily.

“From what I’ve heard anecdotally turtles love these things,” Lemaire said. “Turtles will be hanging out at them, and that just creates its own little ecosystem.”

For more information about this project, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse. To learn about Savannah Riverkeeper’s pollution prevention efforts, read this web story.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Tagged: Chatham County, Coastal Georgia, Environment, litter, Ogeechee River, Savannah River

The Georgia-based exhibition baseball team, dubbed the "greatest show in sports" by ESPN, will host two sold-out shows at Great American Ball Park on June 13-14. The upcoming show is part of the team's Banana Ball World Tour, which consists of 48 games across 25 states.

But the novice baseball fan may be wondering: What league are the Savannah Bananas even in? Will the Bananas ever face the Cincinnati Reds? Here's everything you need to know.

What are the Savannah Bananas? Are they a real team?

The Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. Think of them like the Harlem Globetrotters, but for baseball. Their home games are played in Savannah, but they also travel the country, entertaining fans on tour.

The team plays their own version of the game called Banana Ball, which aims to speed the game up and make it more exciting. Savannah Banana games include pregame and postgame parties featuring a pep band, a male cheerleading squad called the Man-Nanas and a Nanas dance team comprised of senior-aged dancers.

There is also entertainment between innings that includes player dance routines, stunt displays and a salute to the Banana Baby of the game, which involves a newborn baby in a banana suit, according to the Savannah Morning News.

What league do the Savannah Bananas play in?

The Bananas originally formed as a collegiate summer league amateur team in 2016.

The team played in the Coastal Plain League, a wood-bat league for college players in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina, until 2022.

During that time, they won three Petit Cup championships, per the Savannah Morning News. But in August 2022, the team announced they were leaving the league to play their own unique version of baseball, called Banana Ball, year-round.

Who do the Savannah Bananas play?

There are four teams within the Bananas' organization: the Savannah Bananas, Party Animals, Firefighters and the Texas Tailgaters.

The Bananas will face the Tailgaters during the team's two-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Will the Savannah Bananas play the Reds?

No, the Savannah Bananas will not play the Cincinnati Reds, as they are an exhibition team and the Reds are a professional baseball team in the MLB.

While the Bananas take over Great American Ball Park this weekend, the Reds are playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park from June 13-15.