In 2017, Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Cruise Line won the best burger venue at sea as was voted by you, our readers. The landslide win was no wonder given that Guy’s burgers are some of the best burgers in the world.
Guy’s Burger Joint found its way onto Carnival ships in 2011 when it was debuted on the Carnival Liberty through the FUN 2.0 enhancement program. Carnival found the right “Guy” for the job when they went searching for a burger joint they could add to their long list of specialty dining venues.
They might have thought of it as just a good idea at the time but nothing could have prepared them for the huge success that Guy’s burgers would turn out to be. They hit the jackpot with that decision, as cruisers now even plan their trips around ships that have the venue.
If you haven’t heard an opportunity to try out these burgers then you will want to go through this list of 10 things about Guy’s Burger Joint on Carnival Cruises. To get a picture of why this joint is so beloved and maybe even whet your appetite a little before your next Carnival Cruise. Check them out:
1. Not Always Fieri
The guy behind this popular joint is Guy Fieri, a famous award-winning food network star, restaurateur, and author. Fun fact he was not born named Fieri, but Ferry and only changed his name later in life to its original pronunciation. According to Guy, his ancestors used the latter (Fieri) version of the name.
We’re in the mood for burgers so this Patty Maker could be useful!
His name also has an Italian vibe to it, because of how Fieri is pronounced and it’s probably reminiscent of Guy’s years in Europe, where his passion for food was nurtured.
The foody celebrity known for his iconic looks, always adorning sporty shirts and glasses rocking his signature white spiky haircut. Is a genius when it comes to food, especially burgers. His masculine yet simplistic way of making dishes has earned him mass recognition.
He started winning barbeque contests from a young age and when this Californian food star won the second season of the food network. He started opening up restaurants in California, and many other places in the world. He currently has over 63 restaurants including the ones on Carnival ships and on land.
Guy’s Burger Joints which is named after him, features finger-licking-good, hand-crafted burgers and fresh hand-cut fries, created by Guy himself.
2. Close Enough
The Burger joints are usually strategically located near the pool area on the Lido deck of Carnival ships. So, you never have to go far to get your burger fix. That’s why the most common dress theme at the restaurant is poolside clothing. This increased convenience makes it easy for you to grab a juicy burger and have it on your sun lounger or elsewhere on the ship.
3. Road-Side Eatery
The joint is designed to mimic a roadside eatery in California. With splashes of red and yellow colors strewn all over the place, embodied on the plaques, license plates, road signs and funny sayings that are hung on the wooden panel at the restaurant. Bringing the California roadside eatery vibe to the place. That’s Guy keeping true to his roots.
On one side of the restaurant is the counter, where there are plenty of staff that works exceptionally hard, to keep those amazing treats coming in fast and hot. On the other side is a seating area with a vista view of the ocean.
The good thing about this place is that it’s so close to the pool, that you can leave with your meal and go have it at your sun lounger or the buffet which is usually close by if not right next door.
Speaking of neighbors, the joint is usually neighbor to the RedFrog Rum bar which is another hit on the carnival bar scene. Giving you a chance to pair your burger with a nice Caribbean style cold drink.
Guy who recently embraced his long-time passion for a winery opened one named after his sons and is soon to introduce a smokehouse with a brewery in it on Carnival ships. (More on this below)
4. Guy’s Burger Joint Menu
Enough of the ambiance and unto what you long to know most, the menu. The menu at Guy’s is short and straight to the point, featuring only five items. You won’t miss guy’s personality in his menu either with the menu written in short comical poetic-like descriptions. Check it out:
Plain Jane: The first item on the menu is a plain burger dubbed the plain Jane. This burger features two toasted and buttered buns, a beef patty and optional S.M.C (super melty cheese). This is as simple as it gets. Most people that order this burger either like it simple or customize it to their taste at the toppings bar.
Straight up: A straight up on the other hand features the S.M.C, Guy’s signature (super melty cheese) and the LTOP abbreviated to stand for lettuce, tomatoes onions, and pickles. On top of that, it’s slathered with a secret sauce called the donkey sauce.
Pig Patty: The pig patty is another story altogether. This is your usual straight up with an additional crispy bacon patty. Only found on Guy’s joints on the ships and nowhere else.
Chilius Maximus: Is a straight up that packs a punch. It comes with or without the LTOP, the Rojo ring (crispy spicy onion ring) coupled with S.M.C, donkey sauce and topped off with chili.
The Ringer: Is basically a straight up with the additional condiment that is guy’s bourbon and brown sugar BBQ sauce with S.M.C and the Rojo ring.
5. Toppings Bar
Apart from that, at Guy’s you have the pleasure and opportunity to customize your own burger at the toppings bar. Satisfy your palate by tweaking your burger toppings to your liking. The toppings bar carries fried mushrooms, caramelized onions, LTOP, chopped up bacon and a variety of condiments such as Cajun Ranch, ketchup, and other BBQ sauces
Guy’s Burger Joint also features a vegetarian burger, that is simply delicious. If you don’t do meats, you can have one made for you.
Also Read: Free Carnival Cruise Dining Options
6. Secret Sauce
Well, you probably know that every great recipe ever created has a secret ingredient. Guy’s burgers weren’t left behind either and apart from the freshly prepared contents of the burgers.
And the different way of creating the burgers, like the use of a hard metal smash tool, that is responsible for the perfectly flat crispy patty’s you get in the end. Or the SMC and a bit of water that is used to cook your patty increasing its juiciness.
There is an additional secret ingredient that brings a whole new flavor to your burgers, taking you to flavor town as Guy is popularly saying. Yes, you guessed it right it’s the donkey sauce. The sauce is secret but some of the ingredients it contains include mayonnaise, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and other spices. This makes the burger much juicier and tastier.
7. Service
The lines at Guys Burger Joint form fast and are usually long. But the amazing thing about the place is that the lines move pretty fast. It won’t take you even 10minutes to get served. That’s the beauty of the place.
There are two counters that you get served from. And the cooks and the servers at the joint work like a well-oiled machine keeping things moving quickly. As a result, your burger is prepped fast without skimping on quality either and is always served hot. The toppings bar is manned full time and is replenished as often as possible. The burgers are fresh and exquisite and you will never hear of a stale burger at the place.
Guy’s burger is usually opened around noon and runs up to 6 in the evening. Be quick to grab a burger at the place and enjoy the best of Guy’s.
8. Price
One of the best things about the place is that all those mouthwatering burgers are free and included in your cruise fare. The opportunity that that leaves you with is unlimited. You can have as many burgers as you wish, only risking your health and perfect waistline. But do not fret, that’s what vacations are for. After all you will hit the gym or partake in rigorous excursions to lose the calories anyways.
9. Locations
The joint is found on just about every Carnival cruise ship and the cruise line is constantly rolling out the venue on future vessels and current ones during dry docks. Guy’s Burger Joint can already be found on:
Carnival Breeze, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Dream, Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Elation, Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Fascination, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Glory, Carnival Horizon, Carnival Imagination, Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Legend, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Magic, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Pride, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Sunshine, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Valor, Carnival Victory, Carnival Vista and is coming soon to Carnival Panorama.
10. More from Guy’s
Guy Fieri venues are expanding with the cruise line. Based on Guy’s mainland themed restaurant Guy’s Pig and Anchor. Carnival has already unveiled a new BBQ joint in its new ship Carnival Horizon which joined the fleet in the spring of 2018.
The Carnival eatery is called Guy’s Pig and Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse Brewhouse. Quite a mouthful but it’s worth it considering it will feature Guy’s real-barbeque styled steaks. That has been smoked slow and low. You can expect some finger-licking-good savory steaks at this place.
In fact, when Guy was approached by carnival to bring a steakhouse on board he gave them one condition. That the barbecue should be the real deal, the only way he knows how. And challenged them to get a Hickory burning smoker on the ship, big enough to feed the thousands of cruise guests that are usually onboard Carnival ships. And Carnival said they could do it, and sure enough, they have done it.
Also Read: All About the Carnival Horizon Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse
The 138-seater open-air eatery will feature a savory barbeque menu with a variety of traditional sides. The meals at the place will be served with a selection of handcrafted beers. That will be brewed at a brewhouse in the ship. Guy felt that people should have a real homemade barbeque served with a nice beer to complete the perfect home away from home experience.
The menu will feature items such as smoked beef, andouille sausage, slow smoked brisket, seasoned grilled chicken, a championship pork butt and great sides such as mac n cheese, collard greens, and the old school potato salad.
The restaurant will open from 5 p.m in the evening, offering a la carte dining services. And apart from that, they will be providing a complimentary BBQ lunch from noon to 2. 30 p.m You now have no reason left, to not enjoy your cruise aboard Carnival cruise lines.
Tip: If you plan on being on the new ship, make sure to book this venue in advance as rumors predict it will fill up very fast.
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To Wrap Up
You now probably understand why Guy’s Burger Joint is a free specialty venue that you shouldn’t miss on Carnival ship’s. In fact, most cruisers have become addicted to Guy’s burgers to the point of changing their usual burger joint once back on land, to try out Guy’s venues.
But I will let you in on a little secret the burgers that Guy’s make’s onboard Carnival ships, are exclusive recipes that you might not find in the land venues.
So, enjoy every bite of those delicious burgers that are offered at the joint, it might take you a few several months or a year before tasting them again.
Other than that, it’s also worth noting that there are signature menu items offered on certain home ports such as the Boomerang burger served up at Carnival Spirit, that tours Australia. Or the Big Tex Burger offered from Texas that doubles on everything from patties to SMC, condiments and even the chili salsa added in the burger. So, be on the lookout when departing from such ports.
That’s it folks enjoy a delicious free burger or BBQ lunch on your next cruise with Carnival Cruise Line and tell us what you thought about them. Happy Cruising!!
