Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the choice of top restaurant in each state was made by Mashed.com’s editorial team.
(NEXSTAR) – One Chicago burger was apparently so good, Guy Fieri said it was among the best he’s ever tasted – and it’s safe to say Fieri has eaten quite a few burgers in his life
Known for his spiked hair, sunglasses and catchphrases, many have put their trust in Fieri when it comes to home style cooking, cheap eats and comfort food. It is estimated that Fieri has visited over 1,250 restaurants for his popular Food Network television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
The show, which is in its 42nd season, focuses on finding the best local food spots around the country.
After reviewing thousands of restaurants, Mashed, a food news and recipe site, went across the map and compiled a list of their food destinations Fieri visited in his show.
According to Mashed, the best spot in Illinois was Kuma’s Corner in Chicago.
Kuma’s is both famous – and infamous – for its creative burger concoctions. One menu item, the “Ghost,” outraged some diners who said it mocked religion. The burger was topped with a red wine reduction and communion wafer. (It’s no longer seen on the restaurant’s menu posted online.)
Other burgers at the metal music-themed restaurant have equally wild toppings, minus the controversy. The “Plague Bringer” has garlic, hot sauce, pepperjack, jalapeños, tortilla strips and garlic mayo.
The Slayer doesn’t even have a bun. It’s a choice of protein sat on a bed of fries, which is then absolutely smothered in chili, sausage, onions, cheese and peppers (plus “anger,” according to the menu). “I recommend wearing a bib,” one person advised on the Food Network.
The “Mastodon” has an extra fatty 10-ounce beef patty, fried onion, melted cheddar cheese, bourbon barbecue sauce and bacon. “This isn’t a dainty little burger, this isn’t a cute little slider. This is something you eat when you want to take out all your anger on a burger,” said chef and TV personality Graham Elliot.
Then there’s the “Black Sabbath” burger, topped with chili, pepperjack cheese, onion and blackening spices. When he visited for an episode of his show, Fieri reportedly called it “up there in the top five burgers on ‘Triple-D.'”
Fieri visited the restaurant all the way back in 2009, and since then it has gotten even more media attention, featured several times on the Food Network and WGN.
Kuma’s has three Illinois locations, plus one in Indianapolis.
