Community Corner

Take the Food Network Tour of San Mateo County

Local restaurants have been all over TV. We've got a comprehensive rundown here including seafood, the world's spiciest burger and more.

Television networks have made a habit of featuring San Mateo County on their food-themed shows. By our count, at least nine different local restaurants have made the airwaves with a couple just over the border on the southern tips of SF having been featured as well. 

Want to tour all the restaurants? Here's the rundown:

1. Gorilla Barbecue, 2145 Coast Highway, Pacifica (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives)

Ya know that orange train car you've driven by in Pacifica? It's a classic barbecue restaurant. When you see the owner, it's no wonder where the name came from. Click here to watch the six-minute segment on the eatery.

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2. Duarte's Tavern, 202 Stage Rd., Pescadero (Best Thing I Ever Ate and Diver's Drive-ins and Dives)

There's not a lot in Pescadero, but Duarte's is one of the things most people can name. Guy Fieri is helping make the restaurant famous, having featured it on his show in 2007 and then listing the crab cioppino as one of the best things he's ever eaten. Along with seafood, most customers don't leave without trying the artichoke soup.
Click here to watch the "DDD" segment which shows how the cioppino is made.

3. 7 Mile House, 2800 Bayshore Blvd., Brisbane (United States of Bacon)
The sports bar, located just off the water, is known for cheap eats. Discovery Channel featured its Cow Palace Bacon Burger on the show "United States of Bacon" in early 2013. The burger measures an incredible seven inches tall.
Click here to watch the segment on 7 Mile House. 

4. Taco Bell, 5200 Coast Highway, Pacifica (10 Best Fast Food Restaurants in the World)
If you've seen the Taco Bell, you know why it's on the list. It's not your ordinary drive-through, middle America, chalupa on the go fare. No. It's on the beach. A legitimate surfers' destination. Travel Channel named the sandy eatery the No. 9 best fast food restaurant in the world. 
Click here to watch the Travel Channel's profile of the Pacifica Taco Bell.

5. Creekside Smokehouse, 280 Avenue Alhambra, Half Moon Bay (Chopped)
Back in 2011, Food Network called Creekside to ask if it could feature one of its signature smoked products as a mystery basket item in an episode of "Chopped." Click here to read all the details on how the Half Moon Bay haunt made its national TV debut.

6. Guittard Chocolate Company, 10 Guittard Rd., Burlingame (Crave and Unwrapped)
The oldest family-owned and operated chocolate company in the country is right her in San Mateo County. In late 2011, the Food Network show Crave visited Guittard to check out how the new family generation is running the legendary company. Food Network's "Unwrapped" also featured Guittard products in one of its episodes.
See the clip from "Unwrapped" about Guittard here.

7. The Swingin Door, 106 E 25th Ave., San Mateo (Heat Seekers)
This San Mateo pub reportedly serves the spiciest burger in America. In September of 2011, Food Network brought its show "Heat Seekers" to The Swingin Door to display the Habanero Burger, which made both hosts cry in one bite.
Click here to see the clip about The Swingin Door on "Heat Seekers."

8. Sam's Chowdermobile, roving food truck from Half Moon Bay (Eat Street)
Sam's makes its way from Half Moon Bay all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. An offshoot of Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay, the Chowdermobile got its 15 minutes on "Eat Street" on Food Network. Although it's named for chowder, the lobster roll is actually the most popular dish on the truck.
Watch the five-minute clip from "Eat Street" here.

9. The Refuge, 963 Laurel St., San Carlos (Check Please! Bay Area)
It hasn't yet gotten national acclaim, but the artisan beer pub did earn some local fame when KQED filmed its popular review series there in May.

~~Outliers~~

1. Broken Record, 1166 Geneva Ave., San Francisco (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives)
Located literally blocks outside the San Mateo County border, this San Francisco whiskey bar got national acclaim when Food Network highlighted its Po' Boy with avocado and crab mayo. The Broken Record is known as a fine dining bar with duck confit, burgers, beers and over 300 whiskeys. 
Click here to watch the DDD clip on the almost-San-Mateo-County classic.

2. Molinari and Sons Salame, 1401 Yosemite Ave., San Francisco (The Layover)
Molinari and Sons is just out of San Mateo County by a matter of blocks. Anthony Bourdain brought his show "The Layover" to the salame company in 2012. Molinari has been a San Francisco staple since 1896.

Did we miss any that you remember on the Food Network or anywhere else? Are you a big fan of any of the restaurants above? Tell us in the comments!

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