The twelfth season of Food Paradise, an American food reality television series narrated by Jess Blaze Snider on the Travel Channel, premiered on August 27, 2017. First-run episodes of the series aired in the United States on the Travel Channel on Mondays at 10:00 p.m. EDT. The season contained 13 episodes and concluded airing on November 12, 2017.

Food Paradise features the best places to find various cuisines at food locations across America. Each episode focuses on a certain type of restaurant, such as "Diners", "Bars", "Drive-Thrus" or "Breakfast" places that people go to find a certain food specialty.

Episodes Note: These episodes aired from August 27, 2017 November 12, 2017.

Big Easy Eats Restaurant Location Specialty(s) Galliano Southern Casual Dining Warehouse District, New Orleans, Louisiana "LaPlace" – thick-cut pork chop stuffed with andouille sausage (brined in saltwater, dark beer, brown sugar, cane syrup, bay leaves, and creole mustard), seasoned with olive oil and creole seasoning, seared on a char-grill, bone crowned with onion rings and served on top of creole 'dressing' (cornbread stuffing made with celerly, onion, bell peppers, garlic, creole seasoning, chicken stock, ham-hock stock and a whole ham hock) and a side of red beans, drizzled with 'tiger sauce' (a sweet and sour sauce). "Crawfish Pasta Monica" – fresh fettuccine tossed in a cream sauce (made with local crawfish tails, sautéed onions, garlic, white wine and heavy cream, and braised trinity of onions, celery, and green peppers), creole seasoning, parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese, served with mozzarella cheese-topped toasted garlic butter French bread. Maison Frenchmen Street, New Orleans "Cochon de Lait Po'boy" – pork butt (seasoned with creole spices, carrots, onions, celery, and ginger beer), baked in oven, pulled, and tossed in homemade barbecue sauce (made with ketchup, creole mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, and honey), topped with jalapeño coleslaw, served on toasted French bread with sweet potato fries. Elizabeth's Restaurant Bywater, New Orleans 'Real Food Done Real Good': "Sweet Potato and Duck Hash on a Cornbread Waffle" – hash (made with sweet potato chunks, confit duck leg meat, scallions, creole seasoning, and diced red, yellow and green bell peppers) a top a cornbread waffle (made with white flour, cornmeal, corn flour, baking powder, and sugar), topped with pepper jelly (made from habaneros, jalapenos, sugar, and liquid pectin). "Brandy Milk Punch" – brandy and milk shaken and served in a short glass with a sprinkle of cinnamon. "Bananas Foster stuffed French Toast" – French toast (la pain perdu or 'lost bread'—day-old French rolls dipped in eggs and milk) stuffed with bananas foster and cream cheese filling (banana slices sautéed in butter, brown sugar, rum and Grand Marnier), garnished with sliced bananas and powdered sugar. Neyow's Creole Café Mid-City, New Orleans "Fried Chicken & Red Beans" – chicken pieces (rubbed with salt and pepper, dipped in egg-wash of egg, water and ice, dredged in flour), deep-fried in grease, served with a side of red beans (made with red beans, ham hocks, smoked sausage, butter, onions, celery and green bell peppers), topped with raw white onions. "Neyow’s Gumbo" – fresh shrimp stewed in a seafood stock (made with seasoned ham, smoked sausage, bay leaves, roux, browning sauce, and filé—sassafras seasoning), topped with white rice. Hansen's Sno-Bliz Tchoupitoulas Street, Uptown, New Orleans Making Sno-balls since 1939 (created sno-bliz custom shaved ice machine): "Senior Atomic Sno-Ball" – fine shaved ice powder topped with cream of nectar (made with simple syrup, cream and secret nectar), crushed pineapple, marshmallow fluff, vanilla ice cream and a cherry on top, garnished with a cocktail umbrella. Middendorf's Seafood Restaurant Manchac, Louisiana 'Home of the original world-famous thin fried catfish': "Thin Fried Catfish" – local lake-fresh catfish (sliced thin, marinated in salt brine, battered in cornmeal, corn flour, salt and water), deep-fried and served with classic hush puppies (made with flour, baking powder, cornmeal, salt and cayenne pepper, diced onion and green onions), scooped into small balls and deep-fried; fish drizzled with hot sauce. "Barbecued Oysters" – fresh-caught oysters on the half-shell, broiled and topped with homemade secret barbecue sauce. Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 French Quarter, New Orleans Tiki Bar serving 1960s-style tiki cocktails: "Snake Versus Mongoose" – two drinks in one (the snake is Latitude 29’s “King Cobra”—gin, cherry brandy, pomegranate syrup, allspice liqueur, served inside a cocktail glass encased in shaved ice; the mongoose is made with rum, bourbon, bitters and fruit juices), served inside a tiki bowl. "Sambal and grits" – local shrimp marinated in Indonesian sambal chili sauce, and grilled, served atop grits and gravy (made with Portuguese ground sausage, flour, heavy cream, and miso), garnished with homemade bacon marmalade and fresh basil. Café Giovanni Creole Italian French Quarter, New Orleans "Pasta Jambalaya" – penne pasta tossed in a sauce (made from trinity of onion, celery and green peppers, diced tasso and andouille sausages, chicken thigh meat, local shrimp, vermouth, marinara sauce, brown sauce, fresh rosemary, Cajun blackening spices, Worcestershire sauce and lots of butter).

Route 66 Restaurant Location Specialty(s) The Berghoff Restaurant Chicago, Illinois Established in 1898, one of the oldest restaurants in the city: "Classic Reuben Sandwich" – five-ounces of sliced-thin corned beef topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut (made with sautéed chunks of Applewood-smoked bacon and caraway seeds, de-glaze with house lager), and homemade Thousand Island dressing in between freshly baked and panini-pressed caraway seed rye bread, served with potato chips and a dill pickle. Missouri Hick Bar-B-Q Cuba, Missouri "St. Louis Style Pork Ribs" – a whole pound rack of spare ribs (rubbed with cumin, paprika, sugar, chili powder, black pepper and salt), slow-smoked with cherrywood for 4 hours, sliced and slathered with original barbecue sauce 'sweet n' smoky' (made with ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and their signature smoked IPA beer). "Ory's Spud" – a pound baked potato topped with smoky beer baked beans, pulled pork, two kinds of shredded cheese, bacon bits, chives, special seasoning and a cherry pepper. Woody's Wood-Fire Pizza Bar & Oven Joplin, Missouri "The Mutha’" – par-baked crust topped with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, Canadian bacon, Italian & American style ground sausage, beef meatballs, mushrooms, onions, olives, roasted garlic, red & bell green peppers, pepperoni, and four cheeses: mozzarella, provolone, Asiago and parmesan, cooked in a custom built wood fire brick oven with red and white oak. "Greek Chicken Pizza" – topped with Alfredo sauce, fresh spinach, garlic, grilled chicken and artichoke hearts, gorgonzola, feta and quad blend of cheese. Tucker's Onion Burgers Oklahoma City, Oklahoma "Mother Tucker Burger" – triple-decker onion burger made with locally sourced beef patties, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, grilled on the flattop, fresh thinly sliced grilled Spanish yellow onions smashed into the patties, and topped with six slices of American cheese, grilled jalapeños, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup and yellow mustard on a toasted bun, served with fries. "The Cobb Burger" – onion-smashed beef patty topped with a special sauce (made with blue cheese, bacon, mayonnaise, lemon juice, black pepper and green onions), two slices of fried green tomatoes, avocado, and cheddar cheese on a toasted bun. Yellow City Street Food Amarillo, Texas "French Chick" – fried chicken breast (dipped in buttermilk, eggs, and sriracha, dry-dredged in panko crumbs, Cajun spice and ancho chili)), topped with melted white cheddar and drizzled with a honey-sriracha glaze, served between two slices of French toast (thin-sliced brioche bread in a batter of eggs, cinnamon, sugar, salt and mocha-almond infused balsamic vinaigrette, garnished with powdered sugar. "Animal Fries" – thick-cut fries topped with house-made remoulade sauce (made with mayo, sriracha, garlic and special blend of spring onions, pickles and soy sauce), and bacon-caramelized red onion marmalade. Sazon New World Cuisine Santa Fe, New Mexico "New Mexican Lamb Molé" – bone-in lamb chops sautéed with oil, salt and pepper, finished in oven and topped with a molé (made from roasted pecans and pinon nuts, apricots, dried chili peppers, chicken consommé, sautéed in butter in a cazuela (Mexican clay pot), served with mashed butternut squash and microgreens. "Shrimp Enchilada" – shrimp tossed in a sauce (made with sautéed onions, poblano peppers, zucchini blossoms, and cream), blended and layered between two flour tortillas. 66 Diner Sycamore, Albuquerque, New Mexico "The Pile Up" – deep-fried potato chunks, topped with bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, jalapeños, two over-easy eggs, green chili sauce (made with chopped roasted green chili, onions, tomatoes, seasoned salt, granulated garlic, sage, cumin, thyme, black pepper, and roux), and drizzled with red chili sauce. "Pink Cadillac Milkshake" – locally made strawberry ice cream, crushed chocolate & cream cookies, and milk, blended and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. The Albright Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California "Spicy Seafood Soup" – clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, langoustine, and cod fish sautéed with zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes in a seafood broth (made with onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery, jalapeños, bird's eye chili, lobster shells, guajillo chili paste), finished off with cilantro and jalapeños. "Fish and Chips" – three pieces of local cod fish (dipped in flour and beer batter from local ale), deep-fried and served with homemade coleslaw and fries sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning.

BBQ Bragging Rights