10 great places for tasty takeout

Some of the best food comes served in Styrofoam cartons and paper bags, says Daymon "Daym" Patterson, host of a new Travel Channel show, Best Daym Takeout, which premieres Wednesday on the cable channel. Patterson, who rose to restaurant reviewing fame on YouTube, always eats the food in his car. "I have to attack it the moment I get to the front seat." He shares some favorite spots with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

Sammy's Fish Box

Bronx, N.Y.

Patterson's mother introduced him to this City Island eatery, but he keeps coming back for the huge portions. He loves the shrimp cocktail, the cod and his favorite, the fried shrimp. "It's crispy and soft inside and I'm a happy camper." 718-885-0920; sammysfishbox.com

Positive Pie

Montpelier, Vt.

Patterson, a committed carnivore, was skeptical when the owner of this restaurant suggested he try a margherita pizza, made with just tomato sauce, cheese, basil and olive oil served on a thin crust. "I would be scared to do it just anywhere, but I put my trust in that pie." And he wasn't disappointed. "He was able to make magic happen with the thinnest dough ever. I took one bite of the crust and I skyrocketed." 802-229-0453; positivepie.com

Dino's Chicken and Burgers

Los Angeles

This family-run shop cranks out incredible chicken, prepared with a Greek marinade, and served with a tortilla and coleslaw. "It's one extremely juicy situation," Patterson says. "You're licking your fingers. Don't bother with the napkin." He also likes the family atmosphere, with father and daughters working the counter side by side. 213-380-3554; dinoschickenandburgers.com

Willie Mae's Scotch House

New Orleans

Patterson has had plenty of fried chicken in his life, but he was impressed with the spicy golden-brown coating at this Mid-City eatery. And the sides were just as memorable. "You can't do your fried chicken without your greens, and those were extra-spicy. And the cornbread was soft and extra buttery. Hard cornbread throws the game off. It's terrible." 504-822-9503

Sammy's Famous Pieshakes

Provo, Utah

The name says it all. Patterson was astonished by the milkshake this restaurant makes with a slice of pie, milk and ice cream. "They throw it in a blender and pour it in a big glass. You could literally pick up pieces of the pie out of the shake. It was apple pie à la mode extreme." 801-805-9208; sammyspieshake.com

Pok Pok

Portland, Ore.

Though Patterson usually sticks to familiar dishes, he was completely won over by muu sateh, a grilled chicken skewer served at this popular Thai restaurant. "I was addicted. I was supposed to be trying other things. I was a made man over muu sateh at Pok Pok." 503-232-1387; pokpokpdx.com

Plan B Burger Bar

Glastonbury, Conn.

Patterson's future wife took him to this neighborhood spot on their third date. He ordered his standard: a double cheeseburger with bacon — "I call that my base model" — and was impressed. "The burger was half the size of my face. I didn't know how to handle it. They just turned my world upside down." Other favorites include the lobster mac and cheese. 203-713-8700; planbburger.com

Ike's Place

San Francisco

With hundreds of options, including one recently named after Patterson, this is no ordinary sandwich joint. Bread is baked to order, and sandwiches include a special "dirty secret sauce." Patterson got a chance to assemble a few meals with owner Ike Shehadeh. "He doesn't count slices. He loads the sandwiches up for you." 415-553-6888; ilikeikesplace.com

Pequod's Pizza

Chicago

Patterson was astonished when he saw the deep-dish pizza with a caramelized crust served at this Lincoln Park spot. "This was the thickest pizza I've ever seen. You have to put up a fight with this slice to get it out. That's a beautiful thing — that string of mozzarella you have to wind up with a fork. It's like catching a big fish." 773-327-1512; pequodspizza.com

Fat Matt's Rib Shack

Atlanta

Patterson knew he was in for a treat before his first bite at this restaurant. "You pick up the rib and the meat falls right off the bone. That's a good rib," he says. Other highlights included the mac and cheese made with three cheeses, and the collard greens. "That's a mean rib shack." 404-607-1622; fatmattsribshack.com