10 Must-Visit Restaurants From Food Network Stars

Do you love Food Network? We're willing to bet that if you're reading this website, you do. Look, we get it. It's both the most comforting channel around and home to a host of stars that provide quality cooking tips on the regular. The vast majority of these stars are also working chefs in their own right, so you know you can trust their advice — and although some of them can't maintain the longevity of a television career and fade from the spotlight, plenty of them balance their TV appearances with running their own restaurants.

The good news is that these restaurants are a lot more accessible than you might think. The eateries of Food Network stars are dotted all around the country and offer excellent meals at good prices. Stars like Brooke Williamson, Crista Luedtke, and Chris Santos don't just act as the face of their respective restaurants, either; they routinely cook in their kitchens as well. However, it's fair to say that a lot of us have bought into celebrity endorsements, only to find that the item or meal we've purchased is actually pretty poor. So, which Food Network star restaurants are worth a visit? We've got the ones you should head to immediately, right here.

If you've watched Food Network at any point in the last few years, you've probably seen Brooke Williamson. The chef has been a regular on the channel in countless shows, most notably as a titan in "Beat Bobby Flay" and as the inaugural winner of "Tournament of Champions." She's also very busy when she's off our screens too, running Playa Provisions, a beachside restaurant located in Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles.

Williamson had worked in the restaurant industry for decades before she became a TV star, and it really shows in the quality of Playa Provisions' output. The restaurant serves a mix of seafood classics and twists on modern staples like a purple kale caesar salad. It's particularly good as a lunch spot, where you can enjoy a midday meal while staring out to sea. Plus, Williamson isn't just the faceless owner of her restaurant: She actually works there, and invests heavily in her customers' experience. "Chef Brooke came out before each course to talk about her logic behind each dish and how it paired with the flavor of the beer," said one Redditor when recounting their meal at the restaurant, before going on to praise the quality of the food. "Such a lovely night and even met a few Top Chef fans." Sounds like a good time to us!

Geoffrey Zakarian has had an illustrious culinary career, but it's fair to say that his Food Network appearances took him to new levels of recognition. He invested the elevated awareness of his image back into the restaurant business, and one of his ventures, the Point Royal at the Diplomat Beach Resort, is a must-visit if you're ever in South Florida. Opened in 2017, the Point Royal may be located in a hotel, but it has its own distinct identity and feel, boasting classic Florida charm and excellent grub to match. Crucially, too, it's not the kind of place that you'll feel intimidated by walking into: It's got a welcoming vibe to it.

The Pont Royal used to be a dinner destination, but nowadays it focuses exclusively on breakfast. Its breakfast buffet comes in at $39 per head, and boasts all the classics, plus a few elevated dishes for that cheffy touch (and you can also go for the a la carte if you're not feeling too hungry). People who have eaten there have highlighted the corned beef hash as a particular winner, and you may even find options like skirt steak and Chilean sea bass on special occasions. With a 4.3 rating on Opentable, it's evident that it's given a lot of people some happy memories.

"Girl Meets Farm" host Molly Yeh has built an image around her warm persona and rustic, accessible recipes. This vibe has been a hit on screen, and it's also been a winner at her restaurant Bernie's. Located in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, the eatery is named after Yeh and her husband Nick Hagen's daughter, and sits in the rural city that the family calls home. It's located in the former home of Whitey's Wonderbar, an Art Deco restaurant which was famed for its stainless steel horseshoe bar. Yeh and Hagen have retained part of the restaurant's history by repurposing its sign's letters to spell the new name on its exterior.

As for the food, Bernie's serves up a Scandi-inspired menu that goes hard on coziness, with a selection of sandwiches, soups, salads, and breakfast burritos. There's a kids' menu, and separate menus for gluten-free and vegan diners. Its cookies and smoothies are a particular hit, and reviewers have noted how fresh and vibrant the food tastes. What's perhaps most important, though, is that Bernie's feels like a labor of love, and you'll definitely sink into its small-town feel the moment you walk through its doors.

Marcus Samuelsson may be a judge on every Food Network show going, but he isn't just doling out advice without any grounding. The chef has had a lengthy and very successful career and is now spearheading concepts of his own. Hav & Mar is one such concept, and the seafood restaurant is a highly fashionable affair that combines Scandi chic, industrial charm, excellent food, and punchy cocktails. What more could you want?

Located in Chelsea, Hav & Mar blends Samuelsson's dual heritages, with dishes inspired by Swedish and Ethiopian cuisine. A tuna tartare (served with miso, the traditional flatbread injera, and walnut) sits next to dawa dawa salmon, which comes with seared rice and coconut spinach. This innovation has earned Hav & Mar rave reviews, which have also lauded Samuelsson's mission to champion diverse voices in his kitchen. There's no denying that it's a lively experience, either: This is a restaurant that's designed to bring a party atmosphere, with food that's destined to be shared with your friends. Just make sure you book in advance; you don't wanna miss out on this experience.

Brian Malarkey may be best known for being a judge on "Guy's Grocery Games" and the host of "Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out," but he's also a chef in his own right, and a heavy hitter in the hospitality space. Malarkey leads two separate restaurant groups, with Herb & Sea falling under his Puffer Malarkey Collective. Although he has other eateries to his name, this San Diego-based restaurant is the one you want to visit. Since it opened at the end of 2019, Herb & Sea has been making waves due to its combination of Mediterranean and Californian styles and produce, with an emphasis placed on freshness and dynamic flavor combinations.

As you might expect, seafood is one of the star attractions of Herb & Sea, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing on offer. Appetizers include lamb meatballs and a caesar salad made with crispy chicken skin, and you can also grab an entrée of prime filet or peri peri chicken. If pizza's more your thing, you can also get a chorizo-topped pie finished off with green apple and hot honey. It's a restaurant that's been praised by Food Network fans who have visited it (which is really the highest accolade possible), and while it's not the cheapest place around, it's worth checking out.

Crista Luedtke has appeared on Food Network plenty of times as a judge, chef, and contestant in shows like "Tournament of Champions" – so you know she knows a thing or two about food. She brings all of that expertise to boon (stylized in lower-case), her Guerneville, California bistro that boasts a neighborhood vibe. This farm-to-table concept may only be open five hours a day, but it's worth planning your whole week around. It manages to balance both a sense of rustic eating with a chef-like flair that makes its dishes like braised pork shoulder, vegan red curry, and pan-seared halibut with corn succotash feel both recognizable and new.

Don't take our word for it, either: The reviews speak for themselves. Boon boasts a 4.6 rating on TripAdvisor, with customers routinely praising the service, food, and atmosphere. "I've eaten at Christa Leudke's restaurant Boon. It was amazing," said one person on Reddit, and others have stated that it's the best restaurant in Guerneville. Its wine list is also pretty extensive for such an intimate place. Luedtke has put a love of love into her restaurant, and it shows.

Food Network regular Richard Blais hasn't just been busy on your screens in recent years: He's also been busy behind the scenes. In 2023, the chef opened Four Flamingos in Key West, Florida, and in the short time it's been open it's won a string of accolades. The restaurant has been recommended by the Michelin guide three years in a row, and both Opentable and Time Out have named it as a top destination. It isn't just the officials who are saying that it's worth your time, either: Reviewers have pointed out how much they love the restaurant's atmosphere, the service, and of course the excellent food (including that all-important key lime pie – hey, it is in Florida, after all).

Blais could have gone down a seriously fussy route with his food here, but thankfully his dishes are real crowdpleasers. Start with a bowl of lobster mac and some crab cakes to share, before moving on to a plate of Florida grouper or some shrimp pasta. Vegetarians can try the cauliflower roast, while gluten-free diners will be pleased to see that most of the entrées are accessible. It is slightly on the expensive side, so be prepared to spend a bit of cash — but we don't think you'll regret it.

It's common for Food Network stars to bring their newfound fame to restaurant ventures, but most people know that the culinary world can be unpredictable at best: Even a celebrity endorsement might not be enough to keep an eatery in business. What does make a restaurant successful, though, is its food. That's something that Food Network alum Stephanie Izard knows well and has proved with her restaurant Girl & The Goat. Based in Chicago, Girl & The Goat has been serving the local community since 2010, and has made a name by offering a rotating menu of seasonal dishes and quality craft beers. This, combined with a warm and cozy ambience, has made it a staple of the Chicago food scene, and it has a 4.7 rating on Opentable to show for it.

While the restaurant landscape in Chicago has developed a fair bit since 2010, Girl & The Goat still retains a loyal core fanbase. "GatG still really great! There are now lots of great options but I still like GatG a ton!" said one person on Reddit. Another commenter (again on Reddit) said, "I went there in January (with a visiting friend who loves Top Chef lol) and it was still excellent." That same person did note that the menu is a little more static in recent years, but hey, if that's the price you pay for consistent quality, then we're all for it.

Sometimes, one celebrity chef isn't enough: You need two, and they need to be related to each other. We'd imagine this was the conversation that Bryan & Michael Voltaggio had before they opened the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Both brothers have been regulars on Food Network, and they bring their combined skills and experience judging and competing on its shows to their steakhouse concept, where excellence is the standard required for its food and ambience.

Although restaurants located in casinos can often be pretty hit and miss, Voltaggio Brothers Steak House gets things right. The restaurant takes big swings with its innovations, with a wedge salad dusted with "gorgonzola snow" and topped with tomato jam and a blue crab cake made with a shishito emulsion. The dining experience is far from gaudy, too, and seeks to emulate a sense of homeliness, with a cozy dining space decked out in shades of blue. A 4.6 rating on Opentable drives home how well the Voltaggio brothers have done here, with diners raving about the playfulness of the food and the excellent service. If you ever find yourself near the MGM National Harbor, it's worth making a stop.

If you want to feel like a celebrity, there are few better places to go than Las Vegas, where it feels like at any moment you could rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Now and again, you may well get to do that — especially if you go to a restaurant owned by a well-known chef like Chris Santos. Beauty & Essex is the "Chopped" judge's restaurant venture, and in the ultra-competitive restaurant landscape of Sin City, he somehow manages to make it stand out. Located in The Cosmopolitan, it boasts a unique feel that combines a pawn shop with a speakeasy. The whole thing feels very Vegas, and very cool.

The thing is, though, that it's not just one big gimmick: Beauty & Essex is actually really good. The restaurant boasts an endless string of five-star reviews on websites like Opentable, where it has a 4.8 rating overall, and people are especially quick to name the service as top-notch. The food has also won warm words for being generous, flavorful, and distinctive. "We had the roasted bone marrow and OMG," stated a customer on Reddit. "It was so decadent and amazing. The whole speakeasy vibe is great!" We're sold.