Kitchen Nightmares is my favourite television show ever and here is my round up of the best Kitchen Nightmares episodes that are essential viewing.
Back in 2004, I remember watching the first ever episode of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on Channel 4 with my mum and my love of the show started there.
Amy's Baking Company was definitely one of the most dramatic Kitchen Nightmares episodes featuring owners who actually left me speechless!
Amy stole tips, hoped that a dish she served hurt a customer and is in denial about how bad her food is. She hates Katy and also sacks her for asking a question and Amy also speaks cat.
Samy verbally and physically attacked customers, kicks anyone out if they critique Amy's food and he also takes all of the tips as he believes he is the only one that deserves them.
Mill Street Bistro was one of the best episodes showcasing a stubborn owner who argued with Gordon at every opportunity and made Gordon so angry.
Owner Joe gives Gordon a tour of his ranch and preaches about farm to table despite serving mostly frozen food.
Joe served a French onion soup with raw onion in it, despite being taught by the best Chef's in Europe and threw Gordon out of the kitchen.
In the second part, Gordon throws Joe out of the kitchen after ANOTHER huge argument.
The drama continued after the episode aired with Joe suing the production company and undoing all of Gordon's changes.
Fiesta Sunrise was such a memorable episode. Vic was a restaurant veteran but with a history of failed restaurants rather than successful ones.
Gordon dumped a garbage can of refried beans into the dining room, enough to feed an army and served with a skillet.
There was frustration and revelations as the true nature of the restaurant including the cockroaches was revealed to restaurant financier, Vic's stepdaughter.
Sebastian, the owner of Sebastian's was delusional. There was a menu featuring limitless flavour combinations that neither the waitress or Sebastian could explain to Gordon without him losing the will to live.
He bragged about his pizza but served frozen pizza dough and was convinced was the best pizza around.
So convinced was he in his pizza that he was convinced that it could become a franchise and would sell in supermarkets.
Now Nino's finds it's way onto this list for two main reasons - the cleaning "receipts" and the all so famous "My Name is Ninoooooo" meme.
So Nino was prepared for a Gordon grilling, so prepared that he brought out the receipts when questioned about the cleanliness - actual photographs of himself cleaning. Never before seen before on Kitchen Nightmares.
The iconic moment begins with Michael shaking his head as Nino explains all of the jobs in the restaurant that he does and the hours he puts in but the family call him out on this.
Michael boils over and tells Gordon that he sits down with customers, watches TV all day and doesn't do anything at the restaurant, except running up to every table and saying "Hello, my name is Ninooo".
I'm not sure where to even begin with this one. There was so much going on in this episode.
You know the restaurant is going to be a bad one, when Gordon says a prayer before he samples the food.
Owner Mohammed didn't seem to know what was happening at the restaurant and had hired three managers to oversee the restaurant.
One manager ended up cooking the American dishes on the menu, one was quiet as a mouse lingering in the corner and one was constantly on his prehistoric 2005 flip phone and flirting with the waitresses.
The basement kitchen was a breeding ground for cockroaches that festered on every surface and in every appliance. So it's no surprise that Gordon was batting away flies as he tried to eat his lunch.
The Chef's knew no English so when Gordon asked for a vegetarian starter it was little surprise when he was given meat. They also openly admitted to serving Gordon old meat with nervous laughs.
Downcity can be counted as one of the best Kitchen Nightmares episodes due to the emotional roller coaster both on screen and you go on whilst watching it.
Abby was defensive and in denial from the outset and Rico wanted to save the ship from sinking before it dragged him down with it.
Abby puts herself in time out after Gordon trashes the room service they provide. It does little to calm her as she gives as good as she gets in a HUGE argument with Gordon.
Abby does a full 180 when even the staff tell her that the food is NASTY.
There was plenty of family drama here. Alan casually talks about stealing $250,000 of his son Daniel's inheritance money like he stole a dollar the tooth fairy left.
Daniel's girlfriend Wendy was hilariously over dramatic whenever the camera was anywhere near her.
Chef David Blaine, not the famous magician, is sacked after threatening Daniel but not after he comes for Jen, Alan's wife accusing her of being a pill popper.
Alan was convinced that there was a Yelp conspiracy and Yelp were deleting all of the restaurants positive reviews.
Three owners and three completely different personalities.
How they came into business together no one knows? How did they ever think it would be a good idea to own a restaurant together?
So Adele retired, got bored after a few days and dragged her husband back out of retirement to open a restaurant.
I got the sense he wanted to be enjoying a quiet retirement in Florida, which he eventually got *SPOILER* when they later closed the restaurant.
Their daughter Cheryl, who lived at home took a liking to Gordon but I get the impression she would have eaten him alive.
Gordon hates the decor so much that he burns every piece of tat in the restaurant. The cheap tat burns so ferociously that the Fire Department swing by to control the fire.
The decor was terrible but after Gordon revamped the decor with a new blue colour scheme Adele told Gordon she detested the colour blue. But not enough to not wear a blue shirt during the episode?
Adele also hated the new food. Gordon had to nag her to try the food and she pulled a face or complained about most dishes on offer.
Momma Cherri's was the best episode that came from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, the original UK version of the show.
And not because of a terrible owner or an unclean kitchen as in many others but because the owner was passionate and hard working and the kitchen was clean.
When Gordon ate every piece of food he was served I knew this was going to be a different type of episode.
Gordon REALLY wanted Cherri to succeed, that was clear from the episode and there were many heartwarming moments in the episode.
When you name a restaurant after your brother you sort of expect a bit of an ego to emerge but boy did Peter have an inflated ego!
We got to meet members of the "mob", there were debt collectors interrupting Gordon in the kitchen and a full blown street fight that saw his father pushed onto the floor.
Peter took money from the till whenever he wanted and let the kitchen decline into disrepair.
But the burning question we all still have is whether he named his first born son after Gordon as he promised?
Capri earns a place on this list due to the incredible transformation of twins during the episode.
At the beginning of the episode it was frustrating to see how little effort the owners were putting in to their restaurant.
Open for lunch? Na. Clean the restaurant? Na. Cry and cry? Ya.
The turn around by the end was what the show is all about. The twins were invigorated and were fully invested in the success of the restaurant.
I think we all expected this one to be closed by the end of the episode, admit it you thought they would go back to their old ways.
But they didn't! They remained open for 8 years with great success.
Is it just me who thinks they probably had enough material for a whole season at La Galleria 33?
The owners blame the font on the menu for the failure of the restaurant, or maybe it's the weather or it could have been the tablecloths?
Rita smokes too much and Lisa drinks heavily in front of the customers. They have kept the same special on the menu for more than two years and regularly sell out of the only dessert they serve.
In a very nutty shell, they were clueless about running a restaurant and it showed.
Chef Doug hates cooking Italian food and drops chicken on the floor before continuing to cook it. Bus Boy Pat believes he is the manager but he has been fired many times and bugs them until they rehire him.
Throw in Sara, my favourite passive aggressive waitress ever, who knows what exactly what food is gnarly and suggests Gordon orders the worst dish on the menu.
Sara later rage quits after being called out for being a tips hog and wanting all of the money.
This episode lands on this list mainly due to owner Rishi's antics. She was one of the most hilariously clueless owners that featured on Kitchen Nightmares.
How can anyone not know what Soup of the Day is, yet serve it on their menu? Thinking it is the same soup that you serve every day and on that day is just hilarity.
I just don't know how any restaurant owner would think it is a good idea for them to do a belly dance during dinner service. Like why would you want to see that halfway through your dinner?
And then be served by the owner shortly afterwards when she has more clothes on? Fine if it is a themed evening and it is expected but the diners were not expecting it.
More Kitchen Nightmares posts
Kitchen Nightmares open or closed?
Has Gordon Ramsay Ever Liked The Food on Kitchen Nightmares?
The Worst Kitchens on Kitchen Nightmares
Similar Shows to Kitchen Nightmares
Hotel Hell | 24 Hours to Hell and Back
Restaurant Impossible | Bar Rescue
The best episodes are from the UK series. Episodes in this series addressed issues with running a restaurant business, with aa empathies on passion. I actually felt I learned something while watching these.
ReplyDeleteThe American versions are too formulated.