Across the Southeast, the kitchens that Guy Fieri visits on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives don’t just sling great food—they craft the house sauces, relishes, and rubs that give the region its unmistakable punch. These stops all bottle or ladle signature condiments that bring the heat, the tang, and the smoke in equal measure. Consider this your roadmap to the best fiery flavor boosters ever to hit “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”.

1. Heirloom Market BBQ — Atlanta, GA

This tiny, Korean-influenced smokehouse hugs the backside of a gas station, yet it turns out some of Atlanta’s most talked-about ‘cue. Owners Cody Taylor and Jiyeon Lee fuse Southern technique with gochujang, kimchi, and their own pepper-packed glaze, giving regulars an ever-evolving lineup of sauces that range from sweet heat to lip-tingling fire. Guy loved how each condiment complements the clean smoke of their meat without masking it.

2. MEAT Eatery & Taproom — Islamorada, FL

Burgers get star billing here, but it’s the rainbow of scratch condiments—mango-habanero ketchup, chipotle mayo, bacon-onion jam—that makes the joint sing. Chef George Patti insists on cooking every sauce in-house, often using local tropical peppers for an extra Keys kick. That DIY attitude impressed Guy, who noted how the heat level builds without steamrolling the flavor of the beef.

3. Southern Soul Barbeque — St. Simons Island, GA

Housed in a converted gas station, Southern Soul bottles four different sauces, but the fiery mustard-vinegar blend steals the spotlight. Island locals swear the pepper bite is just right for cutting through rich oak-smoked pork, and Guy dug the balance of twang and slow burn. With picnic tables, blues on the stereo, and sauce bottles at the ready, this spot feels tailor-made for a leisurely—if spicy—lunch.

4. 400 Degrees Hot Chicken — Nashville, TN

Nashville hot chicken lives and dies by its chile-oil bath, and chef Aqui Simpson mixes hers by hand, scaling the heat from 100 to a blazing 400 degrees. The secret, she told Guy, is in the house cayenne paste that infuses every bite with layered, smoky spice. Even the mild option carries a pleasant burn, proving that fiery flavor doesn’t have to sacrifice nuance.

5. Skylight Inn BBQ — Ayden, NC

Since 1947, the Jones family has finished chopped hog with nothing more than salt, pepper, and their signature vinegar pepper sauce—fiery enough to wake up the palate yet light enough to let the smoke shine. Fieri admired the tradition: rows of wood piles out back, open-pit cooking inside, and that single, time-tested condiment on every table. One taste makes it clear why locals call this “Eastern North Carolina ketchup.”

6. Dat Dog — New Orleans, LA

At this rambunctious Uptown spot, the menu’s dozens of sausages are merely canvases for an even bigger lineup of sauces and toppings. The house-fermented pepper sauce amps up everything from alligator sausage to a classic beef dog, while specialty relishes let diners mix heat with sweet or citrusy flavors. Guy appreciated the build-your-own approach that turns every order into a customizable spice adventure.

7. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q — Decatur, AL

Inventor of Alabama’s iconic white BBQ sauce, Big Bob Gibson’s has been dunking smoked chicken into a pepper-laced mayo-vinegar bath since the 1920s. Today, pitmaster Chris Lilly still guards the exact spice blend, but diners taste plenty of black pepper and cayenne in each tangy bite. When the “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” crew rolled through, Guy was struck by how the sauce cools and heats at the same time—a true Southern paradox.