“The Weirdest Grilled Cheese We’ve Ever Seen on Triple D”
That’s what Guy Fieri called it, and he wasn’t exaggerating. At Herm’s Inn in Logan, Utah, chef Riley Brown is serving up an INSIDE-OUT Grilled Cheese that flips everything you know about this comfort food classic on its head. Instead of cheese melting between bread, you’ve got crispy, chewy cheese forming the outside shell—stuffed with fresh guacamole and house-made black beans.
A Historic Building Gets a Second Life
The building that houses Herm’s Inn stood for about 70 years and was about to be torn down until someone stepped in, bought it, refurbished it, and turned it into a restaurant. Since the early 1900s, this historic spot has been a place for travelers to sleep, eat, and top off the tank. As Guy put it when he walked in: “This I got a seat. Welcome to Herms, in words out everyone at Logan, it’s about Herms.” People come from out of town specifically to eat here, and once you see what chef Riley is cooking, you’ll understand why.
Building the INSIDE-OUT Grilled Cheese
This dish starts with two seriously flavorful components made from scratch. First up: the salsa. Chef Riley combines roasted Anaheim peppers, roasted red bell pepper, roasted green pepper, and jalapeños with whole stewed tomatoes, green onions, garlic, and toasted ground cumin. A little sugar, chopped red onion, white vinegar, sriracha, cilantro, and the house seasoning bring it all together.
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Next come the black beans. A little olive oil goes in the pan to sweat the peppers and onions, then the salsa gets added along with more of what Riley calls “the magic dust”—salt, garlic salt, and black pepper. The beans cook for about 15 minutes until they’re perfectly tender.
But here’s where it gets wild. For the grilled cheese itself, butter hits the grill, then shredded cheese goes directly down—no bread in sight. A lid covers everything so the cheese on top melts while the cheese on bottom crisps up. That’s the technique that creates what Guy called “the skirt”—a fried, crunchy cheese exterior. Fresh-made guacamole goes on top, followed by a scoop of those sriracha-drizzled black beans, and the whole thing gets folded over like a quesadilla.
Guy’s Verdict
Guy didn’t hold back on this one. “I’ve had a lot of crazy food, dude, but this is taking it,” he said. He broke down exactly what makes it work: “You get this fried crunch—call this the skirt—then you take delicious beans and guacamole, stick them inside of a really thick quesadilla. Dynamite.”
Even the server couldn’t resist hyping it up: “It’s just a really unique flavor. It’s really good, really cheesy. That’s up there in grilled cheese history.”
Tips from the Kitchen
Toast your cumin: Chef Riley uses toasted ground cumin in the salsa—it makes a difference in depth of flavor.
Use a lid: The dual-texture cheese effect comes from covering the pan so steam melts the top while direct heat crisps the bottom.
Layer with intention: Guacamole goes down first, then beans, then a hit of sriracha for heat.
If you’re into creative comfort food that pushes boundaries, this ranks right up there with dishes like “Unbelievable” Texas BBQ Brisket Sandwich or the bold flavors of Argentinean-Style Ribs with Homemade Chimichurri. And for something equally crispy and unexpected, check out the Crispy Pata segment.
Find Herm’s Inn and other Triple D spots in our restaurant directory.