Modesto restaurants begin their run on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’

The popular food series “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” begins serving up a slice of Modesto on Friday.

The first of three Modesto eateries will be featured on the Food Network show starting this weekend. An episode featuring the Food Fix Truck will kick off a string of Central Valley inclusive shows. It will premiere at 10 p.m. Friday on the Food Network. That will be followed by episodes including the Bauer’s 66 1/2 Skillet & Grill on April 22 and Commonwealth Gastropub on May 27.

Food Network star and celebrity chef Guy Fieri came to Modesto for a day in mid-January to film. He stopped to shoot at all three restaurants, staying for a couple of hours at each location while taping segments with restaurant staff and diners. The culinary series has Fieri criss-crossing the country, sampling the fare at various local restaurants while following the motto, “If it’s funky, we’ll find it.”

Food Fix Truck owner Chef Hank Olson has posted about his mobile eatery’s pending episode on Facebook and his other social media channels and said, “Can’t wait to watch and see how goofy we look!” The restaurant is described as “a funky food truck putting pastrami on pretzel bread and cooking pulled pork in root beer.” The installment will also feature restaurants in Oakland and Key Largo, Fla., and focus on “succulent sandwiches.”

The following week Bauer’s will be on the show, premiering at 10 p.m. April 22 on the Food Network. The McHenry Village restaurant is described as “a funky spot servin’ up Portuguese sausage and a lights-out lamb burger.” The episode is titled “Hot Meat and Cool Veg” and will include spots in Oakland and Islamorada, Fla.

The final Modesto spot to be featured with be downtown Modesto’s Commonwealth on May 27 in an episode titled “Smoked, Grilled and Fried.” The restaurant is called a “funky joint making monster tacos and a sweet and savory waffle.” It will be paired in an episode that will also highlight places in Miami and Stockton.

Fieri, who is based in Santa Rosa, spent the day in Modesto earlier this year and followed it up with a day filming in Stockton, which will also have restaurants featured on separate shows.

All the restaurant owners and staff were bound by confidentiality agreements during filming but have since begun announcing their show dates to their customers and the public. Bauer’s plans to have a projector linked up to the Food Channel to watch the episode in the restaurant when it airs next week.

“Time to get even busier! Thank you all for the support and love over the years and for help making Bauer’s a special place!” the restaurant posted on its Facebook account.

New episodes of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” now in its 24th season, air at 10 p.m. Fridays on the Food Network.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Modesto restaurants begin their run on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’."