I Tried Restaurants From Kitchen Nightmares

Kitchen Nightmares is one of the most popular and iconic food shows [music] to ever exist. And the concept is pretty simple. There's a restaurant that's failing, Gordon shows up, then he saves the day and everyone's happy. I watch it all the time, but there's this one thing that's always bugged me. Over 70% of restaurants featured on the show still shut down. So, in this video, I'm visiting a few restaurants seen on Kitchen Nightmares that are still open to see if Gordon's help actually [music] makes a lasting difference, or is it all just good TV? Good morning, everyone. It's time for breakfast, and what better place to visit than the restaurant featured on Kitchen Nightmares a season 9 finale, Simmer Down Cafe. Located in Georgetown, Texas, this cute little spot was established in 2017 by a man named Chris Marino. What's crazy is that at the time they were featured on the show, not only was Simmer Down Cafe extremely close to shutting down, but Chris's marriage was also in shambles. Luckily, Gordon pulled up and pretty much saved the day, marriage and all, or at least that's what we saw on TV. Since this technically is the most the recent restaurant to be fixed by Kitchen Nightmares, that makes it the perfect place to test [music] whether or not Gordon's changes actually stuck around. So, without further ado, let's head inside. Hi, good morning. Uh just a table for one. >> [music] >> Okay, so I just got seated and I got to say, the inside of this restaurant is actually really, really cute. Right when you walk in, they had a cozy-looking waiting area that just feels like someone's living room. The walls are painted this bright teal color, and they even had this cool, funky record wall. This is super nice to see, especially because I'll be judging each of the restaurants I visit today based on the major issues Gordon faced when he first visited on the show. Now, food-wise, the menu is a fairly simple. They've got all of your classic American [music] breakfast dishes along with some lunch options like burgers and sandwiches. Y'all got the gist. But, personally, what I'm the most interested in is something called their liver and onions. I know that doesn't necessarily sound like the most appetizing thing to eat this early in the morning, but it is what Gordon ordered when he first came here, and uh he had some thoughts on it. So, that's what I got to get. Thank you so much. Mhm. Ladies and gents, my food has finally arrived. Here we have a plate of liver and onions served with mashed potatoes, some fried okra, and a biscuit. What's crazy about this dish is that during the show, I believe Gordon actually made them take [music] it off the menu. Yet, it appears they've added it back. Whether that was a good idea or not, I'm not sure. But, there's only one way to find out. So, um this dish is definitely interesting. It's for sure not my favorite thing in the world, but I do want to be nice since I'm not quite sure what this dish is actually supposed to taste like. I don't know if this is like a good version of it or not. All I can really do is critique it based on my own personal palette, so keep that in mind. If I'm not mistaken, uh Gordon's biggest critique when he tried this dish in the show was that it was too salty. Unfortunately, [music] I will have to agree with that. Not only is it overly salty, but I think the liver itself, along with the caramelized onions, might be a little burnt. It has that like burnt bitter aftertaste, if you know what I'm talking about. I promise, I'm not trying to be mean, but now that I've tried the liver, let's check out the sides. The okra and the mashed potatoes are honestly pretty solid. All right, everyone. So, I'm done eating, and I'm finally ready to give you all my official thoughts on Simmer Down Cafe. Like I said before, the inside of the restaurant is extremely adorable. The service was great, but the food though, yeah, that didn't really wow me. I will say this might not be the fairest critique since liver and onions might not be my ideal dish in the first place. But, with that being said, it is time to answer the question, did the Gordon's [music] changes actually stick? From what I can tell, it seems like most of the physical changes, like the decorations, did, but since food really is the most important part, I'm going to have to say no. But before anyone gets mad, that doesn't mean I think this place is doomed or anything like that. I'm pretty sure liver and onions was added back to the menu at the request [music] of a few regulars, so maybe that's not a bad thing. It is time to head to the next restaurant, which just so happens to be only a 12-minute drive away. But before I start driving, let's see what I'm getting myself into. >> [music] >> All right, everyone. I've now made it to Grumpy George Pub [music] and Grub. I apologize for anyone offended by that terrible accent. I thought it'd fit the vibe. The Grumpy George was established in 2023 and [music] featured on the eighth episode of Kitchen Nightmares season 9. According to the show, the restaurant is supposed to be a classic English pub, but unfortunately, [music] it didn't feel very British. Seeing that Gordon did grow up in England, I'm assuming he was a little offended by this place claiming to be a true British gastro pub, hence why he wanted to fix it so badly. Let's go see if he managed to actually make a difference. Now, what's really interesting about Grumpy George is that unlike most places on Kitchen Nightmares, the restaurant itself actually looked great from the start. Lots of reviews highlight [music] that the inside does take people back to what old pubs in England feel like because of their British style bar, cozy [music] atmosphere, and the fact that they have a dedicated dart room. Apparently, that's a staple. So, instead of being upset about the decor, most of the issues Gordon faced came down to the food. If you take a look at their menu, it definitely feels [music] British, but when Grumpy George first appeared on Kitchen Nightmares, they were serving up something completely [music] different. Even though one of the owners is from England, she didn't have any restaurant experience. Meanwhile, [music] the chef they hired knew nothing about British cooking and was learning how to make the dishes from videos online. If I'm not mistaken, Gordon literally had to do an entire overhaul of the recipes, so [music] we'll see if those flavors stuck around. So, my food's been ordered, and I am very curious how long it'll take to arrive. Not because I'm in like a rush or anything, but because During Gordon's first time watching the restaurant operate, food orders were taking up to 50 minutes just to arrive, causing major issues. Hopefully, that's not still a problem. >> [music] >> The Scotch egg. Awesome, thank you. >> Anything else? Uh that should be it. >> Okay. Ladies and gents, the food has arrived, and according to my timer, it's only been 10 minutes, which I don't know if you can do the math, but that's a lot less than 50. So, here we have a Scotch egg, which happens to be a quintessential [music] British gastro pub dish. And of course, since this place is British, your boy had to get some fish and chips. Now, the first thing I want to try are these Scotch eggs, because when Gordon was served them in the show, they were undercooked, and apparently looked so bad, he took a photo of them and sent it to his mom. That's crazy work. From the looks of things, my Scotch egg is definitely more cooked than the one Gordon got, considering it's not gushing everywhere. So far, so good. Now, let's see how this thing tastes. Cheers. >> [music] >> That is actually pretty good. Like I said, the egg is not undercooked, but the yolk is still [music] jammy, which I do prefer. The pork is seasoned extremely well. There's a good amount of salt, along with some other spices and herbs that I can't quite pinpoint. You'll just have to trust my word for it. I'm going to taste pretty good. I also want to try this with their homemade >> [snorts] >> piccalilli. I'm not entirely sure what that is, but I'm assuming it's acidic. Mhm, I'm still not quite sure what this is, but it definitely brightens up the entire thing. I like it. Pardon the humble flex that I'm about to drop here, but not only have I eaten at pretty much every single Gordon Ramsay fish and chips restaurant in America, I have also been to Gordon's cooking school in the UK and learned how to make proper fish and chips from the teachers that he employed. The reason I'm bringing that up is pretty much to say, I know how this is supposed to taste. First things first, need some lemon. Now, let's cut into it. Mhm, not bad. The inside of the fish still looks juicy, flaky, not dry, which is pretty much all you can ask for based off looks alone. Now, let's taste it. As expected, the fish is nice and flaky. It's cooked very well. Tartar sauce is solid. >> [music] >> Although the exterior isn't super crispy, it is very light, which means after I'm done here, I will not fall into a food coma, which I appreciate. I know technically I should eat this with utensils, but it's kind of falling apart as I cut it, so I'm using my hands. For dessert, I ordered the sticky toffee pudding, which is another British [music] classic, and I will admit it was very yummy. Then I paid the bill, which came out to roughly $53, and of course, I had to use my beautiful Chime card. If you don't know what Chime is, not only are they the sponsor of today's video, they're also America's number one choice for banking, offering a smarter way to manage your money. And with how much I spend making these videos, Chime helps me out a lot. Fun fact, 82% of Americans don't have a high-yield savings account. And if that's you, that means you're losing out on money you could be earning just by having your savings in the right place. With Chime's high-yield [music] savings account, you can earn 3.75% APY, which is nine times the national savings rate. It's super simple, too. All you got to do is set it up, and your money grows automatically. And that's not all. There are no monthly fees, no overdraft [music] fees, and no minimum balance fees when you're banking with Chime. So, considering that the average American [music] pays almost 300 bucks a year on fees with traditional banks, Chime is a no-brainer. Right now, Chime has an amazing offer where if you sign up using my link in the [music] description or by scanning this QR code, then set up qualifying direct deposits, you'll get a $200 bonus. That's actual cash, not points, by the way. Again, that's a $200 [music] bonus, plus you can earn 3.75% APY on your savings just by signing up for Chime using my link or scanning this big old QR [music] code. So, I'm officially done with my meal at Grumpy George, which means I'm going to stop doing this terrible accent now. Anyways, let's get right into things. From what I can tell, it seems like [music] Gordon's changes have obviously stuck around. The food was great. It also came [music] out really, really fast. And although I might not be the most qualified person to say this, I'm going to say it anyways. I think the restaurant felt British. I don't know. It's how I feel about it. >> [music] >> So, I made it to Harrison, New Jersey, and the spot behind me is called the Spanish Pavilion. Appearing on season 4 of Kitchen Nightmares, this spot has been around since [music] 1976, and it's dubbed the first Spanish restaurant in New Jersey. What's [music] crazy is that Spanish Pavilion is only one out of two restaurants from that season that's still standing. Everyone else has since shut down, so let's go see why. Now, upon entering the restaurant, [music] I was honestly a little nervous. In the show, Gordon actually discovered a dead [music] lobster inside their dining room fish tank. Obviously, that was a huge health hazard. So, before I could even think about eating, I had to make sure that situation did not happen to me. >> [bell] >> So, I'm not sure if this place looks exactly like it did after it got its makeover on the show, but I do know that the goal was to make the inside feel brighter and more welcoming, which after looking around, I think they're still doing a good job of. Now, along with updating their decor, Gordon also had them introduce tapas to the menu, which are these small Spanish shareables. Doing so helps [music] differentiate them from the other 40-something Spanish restaurants nearby, which I think was a good idea. Now, as for what I'm going to get, the first thing Gordon ordered when he came here was their paella, and he absolutely hated it. So, what better way to gauge whether Spanish Pavilion has actually improved than to get exactly that? So, I just placed my order, and another issue I want to point out from the show is that apparently the service here [music] sucks. When the show aired, the restaurant was run by two brothers named to Michael and Jerry, who at [music] the time didn't really care about the restaurants, resulting in the staff having no one to lead them. >> [music] >> I do believe that in the reunion episode though, it showed that Jerry ended up taking over, and that does show since the service so far for me has been absolutely fantastic. Along with recommending me some tapas to try, they immediately brought out some bread, and I think this is chicken noodle soup that comes with my meal. It is quite chilly in New Jersey, so chicken noodle soup does sound pretty good. Cheers. You know, that's a pretty good chicken noodle soup. It's very cozy. It's not like the craziest thing I've ever had, but it comes with my meal, which means it's free. Can't complain. Ooh, thank you so much. Can I get you anything else? Uh no, this is fantastic. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, I got some bread in my mouth, but the appetizers have arrived. This right here are some artichoke hearts, and over here we have their braised pork belly. First things first, I'm going to try these artichokes because vegetables. Cheers. Ooh, that was good. Wait, what? You know when you eat something and you really can't control the facial expression you make? That was the vibe that just happened right there. First off, the artichoke itself is super tender. It's cooked extremely extremely [music] well. What I wasn't expecting was that the sauce that's on it, it's kind of tangy, it's really bright. [music] I don't normally eat artichokes, but if I were to eat them more often, this is how I'd want them cooked. Now that the healthy green stuff is out of the way, it's time for some pork belly. Now I know I should probably cut this into a smaller piece, but >> [music] >> Okay, there is no way the food tasted like this before they got on the show. Otherwise, I don't think they would have ever needed to get on Kitchen Nightmares. The pork belly is super tendy or tendy? Tendy. The pork belly is super tender, it's rich, it's like super super salty, but the acidity from the diced tomatoes on top really balances it out. Overall, flavor-wise, that was absolutely fantastic. With the tapas being this good, my expectations for the paella are honestly through the roof right now. >> [music] >> Thank you. >> [music] >> Ladies and gentlemen, the paella has arrived. Honestly, when I first saw that it cost $36, I was thinking, "Okay, might be a little expensive." But now that it's in front of me, this looks worth every single dollar. >> [music] >> This is beautiful. So, the one I ordered is the paella Valencia. I was told by my waiter that this is the exact same one [music] that Gordon ordered on the show. So, you know, make sure I'm doing things right. In this skillet, [music] there's chicken, chorizo, shrimp, clams, mussels, scallops, calamari, and langoustines. This is hands-down the best-looking entree I think I've ever ordered in the history of this channel. I don't even want to break into it because that's how pretty the skillet looks. But I'mma do it anyways cuz that's my job. I think I've died and gone to seafood heaven. My brain's malfunctioning. So far, two out of the three major issues Gordon faced when [music] visiting Spanish Pavilion have been cleared. But none of that matters if this paella isn't good. >> [music] >> For all my Kitchen Nightmares fans, you need to visit this place. This paella is absolute perfection. First off, it feels like [music] every single element in it, whether it's the chicken, the chorizo, the the calamari, it feels like all of those items were cooked individually. Nothing is dry. [music] The rice is fluffy and nice. Flavor-wise, there is so much going on. I am genuinely so impressed by this [music] paella, and I haven't even tried every single part of it. Oh yeah, also surprise, Jim's here. He's feeling a little shy today though, so that's why I haven't been filming him, but I really wanted him to try the paella. >> [music] >> Good? That's good. All right, everyone. As you can probably tell by my face, your boy is full. I feel like I cleared a good amount of this paella, even though it doesn't look like I have even made a dent. But, regardless, I got to admit I wasn't expecting too much before walking in here. But, after trying the food, I am thoroughly impressed. When Gordon first walked in, it was indeed a nightmare. But, in my experience, the restaurant was extremely welcoming. The service was absolutely fantastic. And most importantly, this [music] paella was the bomb diggity. This was phenomenal. Taking all that into consideration, I think it's safe to say that Gordon's changes definitely stuck around and made a huge difference. All right, everyone. Things are about to get a little crazy because I've officially made it to sunny Los Angeles, California. And behind me is the one and only Lido >> [music] >> di Manhattan. Featured on season 3, which aired over 15 years ago, this Manhattan Beach [music] staple is often considered the most successful Kitchen Nightmares project ever. But, when Gordon first came to visit, this place was a mess. [music] The owner barely knew how to cook. The kitchen was disgusting. And worst of all, the food was downright terrible. Clearly, the impact Gordon had on this place made a huge difference considering how long they've been open. Not to mention, every single article I could find was extremely positive. However, I want to see for myself if it really lives up to the hype. Okay, now I'll go inside. >> real. >> [music] >> Hello. I had a reservation. Dinner Yeah, just for one. Now, I got to admit, I was a little thrown off when I walked inside here [music] because even though Lido's has a great reputation, this place was completely empty. As I sat down and looked over the menu, unfortunately, I did begin assuming the worst. What if the reviews are all wrong and Lido's actually fell off? But thankfully, in the midst of all my worrying, I'm not sure if you all can hear that, but other customers have arrived. Are we back? I really don't know why the place being empty at first threw me off so much. I'm going to blame it on the fact that I'm extremely hungry and the only thing I've eaten today is a bag of pretzels on the plane right here. Now, I've also finished looking over the menu and I got to say, the food options do sound quite tasty because they are considered the most successful Kitchen Nightmares project ever. I'm going to do things a little differently and order a few items to really put them to the test. So, my food has been ordered and like I said before, when Gordon first visited this place, they had a multitude of issues, but the biggest one had to be with the owner herself. This [music] is Lisa Hemmett. She became the owner of Lido's in 2004 and upon meeting her for the first time, Gordon quickly exposed how [music] inexperienced she was. Not only had she never worked in restaurant management before, she did not know how to cook, couldn't communicate properly with the staff, and if all that wasn't bad enough, she was even dating one of her employees. The good news is, although the episode started off rocky, by the end of Gordon was able to get through to her and supposedly helped turn things around. I'm pretty sure she still is the owner and based off of how things are running so far, despite the fact that the place was like empty when I walked in, things do seem to be going well. Service has been great. They even brought me free bread, which I may have demolished while waiting for my food. Thank you. Ladies and gents, the appetizers have arrived. So, over here we have a Lido's baked eggplant roll and a barbecue chicken flatbread. Now, first things first, I have to try this baked eggplant roll because this dish is also the first thing Gordon ordered when he came here. He wasn't a fan though and said it was weirdly crunchy while also being undercooked. Originally, my plan was to get Gordon's exact order, but it seems like a few of the other items he got aren't available anymore. This is literally the only one left, so I'm assuming they've learned how to do it right, but we'll see. Smells pretty good. Cheers. Mhm. So, right away, I can confirm flavor-wise it's actually very nice. The eggplant has a slight sweetness to it and it pairs really, really well with the tomato sauce. And as for the texture, it's nice and tender, perfectly cooked. Wow. It seems like keeping it on the menu was a good idea after all. Yeah, that hits. Next, let's try this barbecue chicken flatbread, which I did have some very specific reasons for ordering. >> [music] >> The first being that my waiter recommended it and you got to trust your waiter. And secondly, Gordon was the one that made them add flatbreads to the menu in the first place. Cheers. Mhm. This is also quite nice. The chicken is still nice and juicy, it's not dry, which honestly, I wasn't expecting. The flatbread crust is nice and crunchy, while at the same time the inside is still pretty airy for the most part. I think my only critique is that the barbecue sauce might be a little too sweet for my personal taste, but it's not bad. So far, it seems like the items Gordon played a part in quite tasty. But what about a dish he didn't influence? According to the menu, this is Lido's famous spicy vodka pasta. And the reason why I say famous is because that's literally what they put on the menu. Personally, I've never seen it go viral, but as long as it's good, I don't care if it's famous or not. Here goes nothing. Cheers. Hold on a second. I'd like to take one more bite. All right, everyone. I've confirmed my feelings [music] about this pasta. Initially, I thought this would be too good to be true, but Lido's spicy vodka pasta is gas. It's really good. The sauce is a fantastic consistency. It's not too thick, not too watery. It just nicely coats the noodles. Flavor-wise, everything's great. It's exactly what you'd expect out of a spicy vodka pasta. It's got a nice little kick to it. Despite the fact that I am holding them to higher standards than the other Kitchen Nightmare restaurants, it's safe to say they are matching and maybe even exceeding them. I am thoroughly impressed. >> [music] >> Hopefully that transition looked cool. Um I'm filming with my back camera right now, so I can't actually see myself. I don't know if things are lined up properly. As everyone can probably tell, I'm really full. I think the water and bread in the beginning kind of caught up with me. Now, before I pack up and go leave my final review, there is one more thing here that I have to check out. >> During the reunion [music] episode, Lisa actually invited Gordon back to the kitchen to prove how clean it is. [music] So, after asking my waiter, who then had to ask a manager, I somehow was able to get the same opportunity. So, I got up and made my way towards the kitchen curious to see if they really do keep [music] it spotless. Because if they don't, it doesn't matter how good the food is. Ladies and gents, it's looking clean. All right, everyone. So, I'm officially done with my meal and I can honestly say I definitely understand why Lidos is considered Kitchen Nightmares' biggest success story. The kitchen was clean, the service was fantastic, the food was spot-on, and throughout my meal the place did start filling up, which was nice to see. Based on those factors, [music] it's definitely clear that Gordon's changes stuck around. However, despite me having a good time at most of these surviving spots, it's still [music] a fact that over 70% of restaurants featured on the show shut down. So, the real question is, does Gordon Ramsay actually save restaurants? [music] In my opinion, I think he genuinely tries, but at the end of the day it really comes down to what those restaurants do with that opportunity. I'm just glad the ones I visited have [music] made the most of it.