Kitchen Nightmares (2007) s04e13 Episode Script
Zeke's
Tonight on Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsay heads across the bayou to Zeke's A famous neighborhood joint, where the current owners have alienated the community.
That's just terrible.
Everybody here is just kinda waitin' for the place to belly up.
This husband and wife team seem to be only focused on the bottom line.
Your passion's about portion control, measurements.
You don't give a about food.
They have neglected the menu What the hell is that? And their loyal staff.
We are talked down to like we're dirt.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
Tonight, Chef Ramsay faces the most deluded owners he's ever met.
Restaurants don't run like this.
I disagree.
I disagree with that also.
He confronts them with the cold, hard truth.
So how the is that special in your tiny mind? When you start dealing with all this crap, and your name's on that lease, then you tell me what you want to do.
But will they change their ways? It's us against y'all.
That is up.
Or will their stubbornness shut down Zeke's once and for all? You are not a restaurateur.
That's tonight on Kitchen Nightmares.
Located on the Mississippi River not far from the Gulf of Mexico, is the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, a tight-knit community that is home to Zeke's, a neighborhood restaurant opened in 2002 by a charismatic entrepreneur named Zeke Unangst.
Zeke was 6'4", big and goofy, but you know what? The man knew how to have a good time, and he knew how to run a pretty good restaurant.
Everyone came to Zeke's when it first opened because there was just a good vibe in this place.
Good people, food was always good.
We used to do 750 people in here on a Friday night.
But in 2005, Zeke tragically died during Hurricane Katrina, and the ownership and the direction of the restaurant was up in the air.
After Katrina, this place was in limbo until the Cortellos bought it and they pretty much took on the place.
Hi, guys.
How are y'all tonight? Welcome to Zeke's.
When we bought Zeke's, we chose to keep the name, because Zeke's did a very good business.
And that just made business sense to us.
All right, guys, first guests.
When Darryl first took over, pretty much changed everything.
He cut staff.
He cut product.
He went to, uh, a lesser quality.
Wouldn't feed that to your dog.
And then on top of that, he raised the prices.
I feel as though I'm completely handcuffed in the kitchen.
Dude, I'd love to do, like, uh, steamed clams.
That's not us.
I don't think that's us.
You know what I'm saying? Always trying to beg him or plead him, can we try that? Can we do this? And Darryl doesn't allow it.
I'm trying to make chicken salad out of chicken .
I ask myself all the time, why do I even stay here? Unh-unh, no sitting on the job.
Servers here are all talked down to or disrespected.
People just don't feel appreciated.
Darryl cut my pay in the last six months.
I can't afford raises right now.
And he's made me work more hours since he cut my pay.
Darryl, we got three orders of green tomatoes left.
Cuttin' 'em a little thick, too, I can tell you that.
I'm not looking to squeak by.
I'm looking for financial rewards in this business.
That kind of offended a lot of Zeke's regulars, and business just steadily declined.
Meatball's plain and bland.
Unless he's got a pot of gold stashed somewhere, there's no way this restaurant will last, you know, a month.
All right.
Payroll was today.
How'd we do? That's not a good question.
Financially, we are not doing great.
We gotta catch up somewhere.
It's not happenin'.
We're not gonna make it if we don't have Chef Ramsay come in and tell us what he thinks we can do differently to change this, because obviously, what we're doing-- it's not really working.
Physically, emotionally, it's been hard.
I have put everything I can possibly put into Zeke's, but seats aren't full, so something's going on, and we've been killing ourselves trying to find out.
Before heading to Zeke's, Gordon has arranged to meet some Metairie locals Morning.
To gain some insight into the restaurant and the neighborhood.
How we doin' this morning? Very well indeed, thank you.
Morning! Morning.
How are we? Now tell me about the area--Metairie.
What does it, uh, what does it stand for? It's a town on the east bay.
Uh-huh.
They got a lot of people.
They got some good restaurants out there.
And have you heard of a restaurant called Zeke's? I used to go there quite a bit.
I haven't been there in a while, but before Katrina, we used to go there quite a bit.
What was the difference in food? Got pricey and average.
Oh, really? Yeah.
They lost the magic, the feel of the restaurant.
Right.
It just changed.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you.
After hearing unfavorable reviews, Chef Ramsay heads over to Zeke's to continue his investigation, and there is nothing more telling than lunch.
Hello.
Why, hello, Chef Ramsay.
Welcome to Zeke's.
How are you? I'm very happy to be here.
I'm Ellen Cortello.
Nice to meet you.
Definitely.
Come right this way.
All right, guys, I think we got a special guest.
Heard that.
Heard that.
Help me get up to speed.
You are the owner? Yeah.
You run the business with Zeke? My husband--no, my husband is Darryl.
Darryl.
And where is he? He is in the kitchen.
So who's Zeke? Zeke was the original man who opened the restaurant, um, passed away right after Katrina.
Terrible.
And we purchased it from his estate, so we've had it for almost five years.
Okay, what did you change after you bought it? The menu items are similar.
Okay.
Um, we've definitely taken some off and changed some recipes.
And the chef is the same? Emil is the kitchen manager.
Emil? Yes.
Whose decision is it with the new dishes? My husband Darryl.
He's got a couple of his recipes on the menu.
And where did he train as a chef? He's never trained as a chef.
If you're not a chef, why would you put dishes on the menu? Being in the business, I guess, um-- does the chef agree with those dishes, or is it just because he's the owner, that's why he gets them on? I guess talk to him about it.
Okay, let me have a look at the menu.
Okay.
Thank you.
Uh-huh, you're welcome.
Wow.
Hello.
Hi, how are you today? Very well, thank you.
How are you? I'm well, thank you.
I'm so happy to be in Louisiana.
My first time.
Good.
Thank you, and your first name is? Candace.
Candace.
I saw on the menu the oyster-- oysters cortello.
It's an invented dish for our restaurant.
The Cortellos is Darryl and Ellen, so they made-- they made it up.
So the owners have named an oyster after them? Yes, they have.
They bought the restaurant, now you want your name on the menu.
Yes.
Sounds like someone's struggling for power.
I've gotta try one.
Okay.
Yeah, and I must have some boiled shrimp.
Boiled shrimp.
And what special do you have, my darling? We have a chicken fried steak today.
Let's go for it.
We do have, also, traditional bread pudding.
Let's go for that, and I think we're done.
Okay.
Thank you.
Look what I got.
All right, here we go.
When Darryl got here, he kind of implemented his own menu.
It really gets frustrating, because Darryl really has no idea culinary-wise what he's doing.
Candace, you're ready.
I'm gonna take out the boiled shrimp to him.
Chef Ramsay is going to love this food.
It's simple food.
It's basic food.
It's feel-good food, but it's done very well and fresh.
Okay.
Boiled shrimp.
Thanks, darling.
My first Louisiana shrimp.
Yeah, they're really soft.
They should peel easily and sort of pop out of the shell, but I'm struggling to peel them.
Hmm.
I mean, that was nasty.
What I'm struggling for here is the lack of freshness.
They feel and taste slightly mushy, which is a big disappointment.
Candace, were the shrimps fresh? They're fresh frozen.
Fresh frozen.
But you can buy fresh shrimp within a mile from here.
Yes, yes, yes.
The frozen shrimp taste like .
Oh, sorry.
Crap.
He wanted to know why we would get frozen shrimp when you can go to, like, the market and get 'em fresh every day.
Okay.
It's not uncommon to have frozen shrimp because some things are okay frozen.
How we look on the oysters? Comin' right now.
All right.
Wow, that back wall is hideous.
What a mess.
Do you have two seconds, please? Yes.
What's with the, uh, the swamp decor? Whose idea was that? Um, mine and my husband's.
Too eat in a swamp? For--for children or for adults? For both.
For both.
For both.
Oysters cortello.
All right, here we go.
Okay, thank you.
All right.
What the hell is that? These are the oysters cortello.
Oysters cortello.
So I suppose you go like that Wow, they're dreadful.
Oysters named after the owner.
I certainly wouldn't put my name on that.
I wouldn't even put my enemy's name on that.
Take it for you? Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Thank you.
That's depressing, isn't it? They're just Oysters cortello--I don't know what to say about that.
I eat them myself.
I think they're delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
Oysters cortello just ain't workin'.
This is killin' me, not to know what he's saying.
This is the fried chicken steak, right? Correct.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Blander than anything.
No seasoning, no care.
Look at that.
Ugh.
Candace, what the hell is that? Looks like he's just had a giraffe's tongue cut out and deep fat fried.
People complain that the quality of the food here is horrible.
Unbelievable.
Darryl's not listening to the feedback that he gets, and he's gonna do what he wants to do.
Darryl.
Yep.
He said that it looks like somebody cut out a giraffe's tongue, battered and fried it.
I'm not gonna agree with that.
It didn't look that way to me.
I mean, that's what normally goes out.
It's a good product.
Said it looked like we cut out a giraffe's tongue.
Well, well, well.
Thanks, love.
Doesn't look fantastic But it tastes delicious.
Who made that? Emil makes it.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
I'm just so happy that Chef Ramsay likes the bread pudding.
It feels great to end on a good note.
Loved the bread pudding.
He liked the bread pudding? There we go.
Loved it.
I took full responsibility for the bread pudding.
That is all me.
Darryl doesn't really have influence on that.
Thank God.
Thank God he likes something I did.
I'll take that any day.
Hello.
Hello, chef.
And this is? Darryl Cortello.
The owner? Yes, chef.
Introduce me to your, uh, brigade.
Chef Emil Morcos.
Emil.
Good to see you, buddy.
Jason Carpenter.
Jason, good to see you.
There's a lot of things that--that need changing, and, you know, Darryl is--is one of them.
Can I talk about lunch? Yes.
My God, what a disaster.
The food is below standard.
Why wouldn't you buy fresh shrimp? I simply don't have the time to go to the market.
Excuse me? Where are we? We're in New Orleans.
Come on.
Come on, big boy.
Chicken fried steak-- disaster.
What cuts of meat was that? Not a very good cut.
No.
Are you proud to serve that food? No, sir.
Was that the same quality of steak we were using years ago? No, sir.
Then why have you changed the standards? Um, it's-- it's up to Darryl.
It that a cutting corner method to save money, or-- no, no, no.
Chef Yeah.
But we had diners eating all-- all lunch, full dining room, and nothing sent back.
Do you honestly think just because they don't send it back that your food is amazing? That's good enough for you to continue? Now, you can't be that stupid.
Point taken.
If you want to be that stupid, you've got no chance.
I don't buy the fact that it's bad quality food.
That's .
Hard to believe this was once a great place.
Coming up, while Darryl and Ellen continue to be defensive We don't feel like it puts out an awful product.
You don't give a about food.
The staff goes on the offensive.
You talk to us like dirt.
Then at dinner service, Chef Ramsay makes a shocking discovery.
Oh How the is that special in your tiny mind? I don't have a tiny mind.
I'm telling you, you have a tiny mind.
And makes an announcement that could mean the beginning of the end for Zeke's.
How would you feel if I told you all that After receiving some harsh words from Chef Ramsay The food is below standard.
Darryl has some words of his own.
You know, chef says everything is .
It's embarrassing, there's nothing good about the menu, you know, I don't buy that .
I will never believe the food is .
You're not gonna--I've been eating this food all my life.
Chef Ramsay doesn't know New Orleans food.
That's it.
I mean, cut all the food down you want.
You can't break me.
It's an hour before dinner service, and Chef Ramsay hopes a private meeting with the two chefs, Emil and Jason, can shed some light on the restaurant's main issues.
Okay, so I don't get it.
Some of the things I encountered there today were just awful.
That can't be your wish, to cook with frozen ingredients.
We talk about it every day Yep.
And it just gets swept under the table.
I tell him, the second he starts cutting cost and getting a cheaper product Yeah, yeah.
You know it's gonna taste like .
And trying to explain that to him, you know-- is like talking to this wall right here.
And how long's it been goin' on like that? Since right around the time he took over.
The only thing Darryl and Ellen see is money, and that's what scares me.
Their whole purpose is money, money, money, money, money.
Feel like my hands are so tied as far as ordering goes, everything goes, the only other option was to leave, me and him both go.
Yes.
You know, what do you do, just walk out the place? I mean, we got a lot of personal memories in this place, just to walk out of it.
Granted, I-I get that, but it doesn't stop you from having your voice.
Everybody here is just kind of waiting for the place to belly up and go find a new job somewheres else.
I'm here to help put this frickin' place back on the map.
Yes, sir.
You're absolutely right.
We have only two options-- Chef Ramsay or God, and I don't think the second coming's happening anytime soon.
Thanks for the catch-up.
Thank you.
After gaining some insight from Jason and Emil Hey, I need shrimp portions.
Chef Ramsay is eager to see how this restaurant functions in a dinner service.
Uh, how does this work? Uh, Emil.
When were these done? Um, last night.
Why are they bagged? Really? What's the idea of putting everything in bags? Portion size.
Portion size.
I like to have everything in quantitative perspective.
If I give too much, you get a happy customer here.
You don't get a good customer.
They're happy because they're getting three times what they should be getting.
I'm getting nothing.
I don't make money on that.
Hi, welcome to Zeke's.
How many do you have in the party? Four.
It's Chef Ramsay's first time in Louisiana Come right this way, please.
And not surprisingly, Zeke's is completely booked.
And tonight our special is lasagna.
I got a seafood platter, no oyster, sub shrimp.
I'm at the expo station.
I like to see all the food go out.
Side of new potatoes, Darryl.
I, uh, make sure every dish goes out like I want it to go out.
Can I run anything? No.
Shrimp platter! Can any of that go? I'm waiting on dishes to complete their order.
It doesn't concern you that food's just dying in the window? Well, we're pushing as hard as we can.
Bloody hell.
Expediting's one thing, standing here and saying nothing is another.
Wow, wow.
It's an hour into dinner service, and the first wave of food is finally making its way out to the customers.
Sorry about the wait.
They are backed up.
Let me get, uh, your server.
My apologies.
And the food isn't the only thing that's getting a chilly reception.
May I ask something? Would you mind not standing there like that? It's so dour.
I think you can be more proactive.
I don't want to hover, you know.
But you can make yourself busy.
Okay, I got it.
I'm ready.
Good.
Thank you.
All right, look what I got.
What's that one? Lasagna.
Lasagna.
When was the lasagna made? Last Thursday.
Last Thursday.
And today is Thursday, right? Correct.
Serving them stuff from a week ago.
Help me to understand that, uh, that stupidity.
Made the pan, we didn't sell it all, it's wrapped up in portions, and, uh, frozen.
Not that that's a bad thing.
Lasagna--it's all done fresh cooked, and, uh, we'll wrap the portions up separately, we'll put 'em in the freezer.
It works.
It is the best lasagna you're going to get.
It's the special, right? Yes, it is.
Okay, so how the is that special in your tiny mind, when it's cooked a week ago? I don't have a tiny mind.
I'm telling you, you have a tiny mind.
It can't be that special if you're gonna stand here and tell me that it's special-- this--the product is good.
Darryl runs this kitchen with 90% bravado, and, you know, the other 10%, he just wings it.
This is a good product.
This is good food.
My God.
It's getting worse.
Yeah, he's a tough nut, your, uh, expediter.
So we have a special today-- when do you think that lasagna was made? Today.
Homemade lasagna? Right.
Last Thursday.
How can it be that special when it's from a week ago? Well, you know, it's frozen, so it's not, like, sitting there getting mildew on it, and our customers absolutely love the lasagna.
You're missing the point.
I don't think that's our biggest issue is lasagna.
I mean, that's absolutely incorrect.
What do you think they would feel like if you told them today's special was cooked a week ago, frozen.
I don't know, I mean, uh, I'm sure they would probably be surprised that it was so good and that it was made last week and frozen.
Shall I ask them all? Would you like me to walk with you? I'm not gonna walk, I'm gonna stand up and shout.
Oh, really? Yeah.
When you come out to a restaurant, and you read today's specials, for instance, a beautiful homemade lasagna, would you expect that lasagna to be made today? Yes! All right, ladies and gentlemen, how many of you have ordered lasagna? How would you feel if I told you all that today's lasagna that's being served was made a week ago? This is humiliating.
After making a shocking discovery about today's special When was the lasagna made? Last Thursday.
Chef Ramsay made an announcement Today's lasagna that's being served was made a week ago.
That is not sitting well with customers.
My apologies to those that have ordered the lasagna.
Have a look at the potential other specials.
Bon appétit.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This is humiliating.
It's absolutely better, of course, when it's fresh and served right out of the pan, but it's not horrible.
I've just told the customers that today's lasagna was reheated from a week ago.
The feedback was shock, horror.
Yes, sir.
With Chef Ramsay's announcement fresh in their minds Get the check? Okay.
Customers have seemed to have lost their appetite.
Me.
Did y'all eat already? Yeah, I had the lasagna.
After witnessing a dinner service full of problems Do you have two seconds, please? Yes, absolutely.
Chef Ramsay is anxious to have a chat with the owners.
Oh, dear.
Did you hear the customers tonight when I told them the lasagna was a week old? Did you hear? Here's what happens-- cook the lasagna, and it doesn't sell.
Do you throw it away? No, we don't throw it away.
We wrap it.
I'm here to help, but I'll tell you what, I can't help you when you're standing there and trying to come up with excuses to why the customers paid good money for frozen that cooked a week ago, and you call it a special.
We don't feel like it puts out an awful product.
You don't give a about food.
That's not true.
Your passion's about portion control, measurements, frozen foods reheated in a microwave.
Restaurants don't run like this.
I disagree.
I disagree with that also, definitely.
Trust me, you are not a restaurateur.
You the owner? You paying rent here? When you start dealing with all this crap, and your name's on that lease, then you tell me what you want to do.
After being stonewalled by owners in denial Morning.
Good morning, chef.
Chef Ramsay has called a staff meeting Two minutes, please.
Hoping to bring all of the restaurant's issues into the open.
Okay, I want you to tell me the frustrations, the anger, and the things that really upset you the most.
Emil.
Uh I-I just feel as though I'm getting pounded with a mallet constantly when I walk into this place.
I went from working to working about 50, for $400 a week.
That pisses me off.
I feel that we don't get any respect.
I'm here all the time.
I don't get to eat lunch.
I should have a meal.
I should have a shift meal.
This is messed up.
We are talked down to like we're dirt, and it's not right.
Listen, um, I really appreciate the openness and the honesty.
I knew it was bad, but I didn't quite understand it had hit that level of hurt.
I think it's just--it's just sad that we're all sitting here and that we actually even have to be at this point.
I think we all-- the whole group of us here are pretty much struggling.
No one's getting that message across.
I need to get through to them.
Darryl and Ellen are about to arrive.
I want you to tell them.
Everybody was saying what they wanted to say and getting it off their chest, but it's kind of different from telling Chef Ramsay versus telling Darryl.
Don't be nervous.
I don't want you to be afraid.
I've got your back.
Okay? And here they are.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Morning.
I've been here having a staff meeting, um, we've gone through some issues this morning, that's been bothering them, but rather than me trying to tell you how they feel, I think they should speak.
Certainly.
Who's gonna go first? I'll go first.
I don't feel as though we, uh, gain much respect around here.
And I don't think that you, as an owner, have our back.
Candace, Ashley, is that how you feel? You really do talk to us like dirt sometimes.
My intent is not to talk down to somebody.
But that's how it comes out.
Jason, talk to Darryl, please.
My biggest problem that I have is just I don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs.
Me? Yeah.
Wow.
I think that you're so stuck on the numbers, the actual essence of having a restaurant and serving good food and giving customer service and happy employees-- that that's gone.
I-I don't understand.
We hear it every single night and every single day from our customers, what needs to be changed and why they don't come back.
We let you know these things, and you don't give a .
Nothing's done.
You don't care.
Wow.
Pay--pay's just ridiculous here.
I really don't want to break down, 'cause I-I've been here a long time.
Mm-hmm.
And I'm not getting paid Jack .
For somebody to be here that long I've been here since 2006, why haven't I never got a pay raise? Okay, let me say something real quick, since we're all telling the truth-- first of all, Darryl and I have taken thousands and thousands of dollars out of our personal account to pay your paychecks.
So why not just close the place down? We're not giving up.
We don't want to give up.
If you want to give up, that's fine, this isn't your business.
We don't want to leave each other, because we all love each other.
We don't want to leave.
Not at all, but I need to make money to support my family.
You know what? So do we.
Y'all are acting like it's us against y'all, and it's not.
This is a business.
We have costs and expenses.
I asked you to take that pay cut.
It's either that, or labor costs get so high, I'm out.
But you can go on five vacations in the summer.
And you're struggling for money.
Right.
That is up.
Period.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
After Chef Ramsay arranged for the staff to air their grievances I don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs.
The defiant owners are not having any of it.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
If I were piling up money back there, then I could see you being pissed off.
But we're not piling up money back there.
I can't show appreciation in dollars at this point.
They maybe have this picture of me with this pile of money going, "ha ha ha, nobody's gonna get it.
" We don't have the money.
I'm accepting the truth from you guys, accept it from me, please.
Things aren't going well, I understand that, but in terms of morale, there's an air of discontent.
They feel abused.
And I'm not saying the staff are perfect, but you're the owners, and you set an example.
We have to fix what's broken within.
And-- so how about starting over again and turning the page and the beginning of a new chapter? I understand those frustrations.
You are wonderful people, so I want you all here, and you will have my respect, I guarantee that from me.
And there's a lot of love for you guys from Ellen and I, and I truly mean that.
Good.
We did make some progress.
The air is clearer.
Okay, it's a new day here at Zeke's.
I've got some ideas that I need to, uh, put into place to really start putting this place back on the map.
Thank you.
Honestly, I don't think that Darryl and Ellen heard what-- what we were saying.
He was just saying what was right just to get Chef Ramsay off of his back.
We'll see what happens.
After attempting to open Darryl and Ellen's eyes to the staff morale problems, Chef Ramsay has devised a plan to test the chefs and showcase their abilities.
Okay, it's been so obvious that you've been handcuffed by Darryl.
And here's what we need to do-- show Darryl how creative, how inspirational, how exciting you can be with seafood.
There's a grocery store literally 2 miles away from here, okay.
Have a look at the ingredients, get inspired, come back, get creative.
I want to see that on a plate.
Yeah? Thank you, chef.
Good.
Right now I'm pretty jacked up.
Gordon Ramsay said himself, said, "Jason, time for you to be inspired.
Go let it happen.
Let's see what you got.
" All right, let's see what they got fresh.
How may I help you? Redfish fresh? Just put it out hour and a half ago.
That's what we're looking for.
It's extremely liberating to have this freedom to showcase and do what we want to do, cook good food.
Very nice to meet you.
Thanks, guys.
I am, uh, looking for red onions with asparagus.
Red pepper.
This'll be the last thing I'll get, then we're ready to ride.
There it is.
There it is.
Showcase the skills.
So happy? Very happy.
Think of something creative and really let it go, yeah? Yes, sir.
Okay, off you go, guys, yeah? I'm gonna do the chicken fried steak at the same time, okay.
Own it, yeah? Yes, chef.
You gonna put a little lime juice in there? Yes, more lime juice.
I'm not done yet with it.
Okay, good.
Lovely idea, the bacon and-- cheddar grits.
Cheddar, nice.
So in terms of the inspiration, tell me what it is.
Tried to keep it Southern with the grits, fresh with the salmon, and classic with the capers with the onions with the tomatoes.
Good.
Keeping with the New Orleans theme, redfish and then grilled vegetables, fresh rice, fresh ingredients.
Just a fun dish.
Pretty good job.
The difference in night and day, let me tell you that.
Beautiful.
Now you say nothing.
You didn't cook them.
I cooked them.
Do you understand? Yes.
Okay, let's go.
Come over, guys, please.
Wow, look at that.
You think of Louisiana, first thing you think of is freshness, but when I walked into your restaurant, what I didn't expect was frozen seafood.
So I got my team to get some ingredients for me.
I'd like you both just to have a little taste.
Taste the freshness.
A beautiful char-grilled salmon done with grits.
Creamy, tasty, it's absolutely phenomenal.
Then I got ahold of some redfish, marinated zucchini with some rice and a really nice mango salsa.
Mmm.
Oh, my gosh, this redfish is delicious.
It's phenomenal.
It's absolutely phenomenal.
Phenomenal? Absolutely.
Watching them eat my dish and not knowing that it was mine and to say that, you know, it looked like-- it was from their heart.
I'd like you to have a little taste of that chicken fried steak.
I just lightly pounded it and then fried it twice, so it should just melt in your mouth.
It does melt, literally.
Yeah? Literally melted, chef.
I couldn't believe how good it was.
The presentation was beautiful, and it was fresh ingredients, and they tasted wonderful.
They're all absolutely phenomenal.
You can taste the difference? Absolutely.
Now there's something you need to know about the seafood dishes.
I didn't cook them.
The two chefs put those dishes together Wow.
The seafood dishes-- are your boys.
Delicious.
Absolutely-- wow.
They really are.
They're phenomenal.
It really opened my eyes to what I-I-I wasn't letting them do, honestly.
Food is art, and I was not letting them create their art.
These aren't just delicious, they're beautiful, and they come from inside of you.
I know that.
You did a fantastic job.
It feels really good that Darryl and Ellen recognize my potential, and I think that my abilities have been shown, and hopefully, this is the first step forward.
This is the new Zeke's.
I can see that's what we're looking for.
All I could really think to myself was, about time you see it.
Really good job.
Well done.
It's incredible.
Coming up Oh, my gosh! It's the biggest restaurant redesign in the history of Kitchen Nightmares.
This has surpassed anything I could possibly imagine.
But it all could be for nothing if Darryl can't stick with Chef Ramsay's new plan.
How we lookin'? Three chops and alligator? Slow down for one minute, let us catch up.
Everybody, stop! Just stop! After finally having at least a small breakthrough with the owners, Chef Ramsay decides to have his team work through the night on the biggest restaurant makeover they have ever done.
Right, good morning.
Morning, chef.
Excited? Are you ready to see the new Zeke's? Yes.
Let's go.
Welcome to the new Zeke's.
Here we go.
Oh, wow.
Come in, please.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Are you kidding me? In, in, in! Oh, nice.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, that's nice.
Look at that.
Oh, my God.
Let's start with the walls.
Gone is the swamp.
Look at all the-- all the old doors.
Reclaimed doors, they've got that nostalgia, and it's got that comfort feel, right? Feels like home.
Look at this! You've got the most amazing chairs--brand-new chairs.
It just feels authentic.
Let me say this, please-- please.
You have found our identity.
Wonderful.
Wonderful.
This is us.
I'm astonished, I mean, truly.
I didn't really have any expectations, but this has surpassed anything I could possibly imagine.
There is one more thing I'd like to show you.
You're gonna start peeing your pants.
Oh, man, that's it.
Look at that.
There we are-- our boil house.
Oh, my gosh! From shucking your oysters to cooking your shrimp, this is gonna be a substantial part of the menu, and, Emil, it's gonna take so much pressure off you and Jason.
This should just run on its own, and it should almost double the turnover.
Did I see you smile again? That's the second time in 24 hours, huh? They're gonna arrest you for being too happy.
Chef Ramsay has given this staff, this place, my family, our friends, our customers, a new beginning.
It's unbelievable.
Honestly, when people would ask me where I worked, I would never say Zeke's, I'd just say I'm a cook.
Mm-hmm.
Now I-I-I'm proud to say that I work here.
A new beginning and a new identity for Zeke's.
Along with making the décor more inviting, Chef Ramsay has replaced Zeke's outdated stale menu with a modern update of classic New Orleans cuisine.
Oh, my gosh.
My goodness, me.
This is gonna put Zeke's back on the map.
Be careful, it's fresh.
Every dish is absolutely beautiful.
Okay, let's start off, top of the table-- Zeke's house boil, yes-- bucket o' shrimps, yes, bucket o' blue crabs.
A great, sharing, festive, localized bucket.
Push them, okay? Back on the menu, the entrées-- pecan encrusted catfish served with a classic tartar sauce and a herb salad.
Country fried steak-- big hit.
Say no more.
Sausage gravy.
Delicious.
Slightly heated, that gravy.
It's got a nice little burn in the back of your throat.
Blackened alligator, wonderful creole sauce, absolutely delicious.
This has now become, not the old Zeke's, your Zeke's.
Thank you.
You've got your identity.
Now make it yours.
Absolutely incredible.
Beautiful.
Come here.
Yes.
Oh, thank you.
Come here.
The way chef created the menu and the dishes, uh, they don't have a menu like that around here.
Dig in, enjoy.
So not only do we have something great to put on the table, but it's not anywhere around.
Nobody else has it.
Oh, my God, it tastes so good.
The menu is phenomenal.
I'm proud to have it and excited and can't wait for everybody else to come in and try it.
It's delicious.
I feel right now we have the most diverse Louisiana Southern menu, I mean, we very well may have the best menu.
Rich in flavor, rich in texture.
Wow.
Hi, guys, welcome to Zeke's.
The community of Metairie had a love affair with this restaurant that went sour Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Shrimps are amazing.
Chef Ramsay's revamp and tonight's relaunch will be a strong indicator if it's possible for this love affair to resume.
And with so many changes in place, and so many people in the dining room, Chef Ramsay is hoping the boil house will take some of the pressure off the kitchen.
Any, uh, any orders over there in the boil house? No.
Nothing in the boil house, already, so get hold of the waitresses, call them in, and say, "right, start pushing them.
" We've gotta use that place.
Gotta get used to that.
Let's go.
Rachel, sell boil food.
I'm trying.
Sell one, okay.
Sell one to a big table, please? Tonight we have a, um, special, it's boiled lobster for two.
And I don't know if you saw it on the menu, but we sell it by the bucket.
Two comin' right up.
Two buckets of lobster for table five.
Can I get two buckets of lobster, please? Put a little bit of butter on there, give it a nice little glaze, okay.
Good.
That's it.
Two lobsters, let's go.
Look what I have for y'all.
Y'all enjoy.
It looks good.
Wow.
With the boil house now being utilized It's good.
And satisfying customers It's really good.
It's clearly allowed some breathing room for the kitchen.
that's 33.
However, it's now up to Darryl to manage the time wisely.
I worked hard today.
Let's make it happen.
You've gotta focus on that window.
Communicate with these guys.
One table leaving, one table working, so we don't get bogged down, yes? Yes, chef.
I need an alligator.
I need a strip.
Give me three minutes on that.
Let's go! We need to put food up there and cook it as fast as we can.
Green tomatoes, char-grilled oysters, I need it fast.
Let's work one at a time.
It's not a race.
How we lookin'-- three chops and an alligator? Hold on one second, Darryl.
Smothered chop, how we lookin'? Darryl, slow down for one minute, let us catch up.
Hell.
With Darryl calling multiple tickets at the same time Grits, mash, sweet potatoes! And more focused on speed than anything else What ticket is it for? The kitchen is now completely confused.
How's my pecan catfish? Where's my New York strip? It's gotta go.
Just put 'em in the window, and we'll figure out how to plate 'em.
Yes, whatever you've got.
Make sure it's done, huh? I was being told that I need this, this, and this right now, and I just try and move as fast as I can and get the food out.
No garnish? No.
Goes in the window like that.
Darryl has managed to get the cooks producing the food at a much quicker pace Thank you.
But the dishes are not at the level that they should be.
Sorry, is that-- is that cooked? Eh.
It's not, is it? Excuse me.
Can I get you another one, sir? Sure.
Yeah.
Guys, the fish is raw.
Not tonight.
Just--just stop.
Oh, man.
Everybody stop! What a joke.
It's relaunch night at Zeke's Smothered chop, how we lookin'? Darryl, slow down for one minute, let us catch up, huh? And with Darryl pushing the cooks, food is leaving the kitchen quickly Can I get you another one, sir? Sure.
Unfortunately, it's also coming back quickly.
Guys, the fish is raw.
Not tonight.
Just stop.
Oh, man.
Everybody stop! Emil, Jason, come around.
I'd rather be three, four minutes later than rush food out there and the coming back.
Not tonight.
An expediter should definitely set the tone for the rest of the kitchen.
I think Darryl lost control of that.
Uh, it's just a big catastrophe.
What we've got to do is focus on one table at a time.
We've got to communicate.
Darryl, talk to me.
Don't get swamped.
Where you at? Darryl, what table you on? Darryl, take responsibility.
I had to stop, refocus, let's get these tickets out one at a time.
I need to do a better job of communicating, very simply.
All right, guys, let's focus.
Where you at now, Darryl? Pecan catfish and blackened alligator.
In his hand, Darryl.
Table one, let's go.
Move to the next ticket.
I got 33, blackened alligator, pecan catfish.
Comin' right now, Darryl.
Let's go! Following Chef Ramsay's advice of focusing on one table at a time What table you on? All right, table ten.
Mac and cheese, grits is up.
Darryl and the chefs are now in sync.
Please, let's get this to, uh, 31.
Blackened alligator.
Awesome.
Shrimp and grits.
Perfectly cooked dishes are leaving the kitchen That's very good.
And are being enjoyed by thrilled customers.
That's delicious.
Fox news are here.
Now that this restaurant is on its way to a successful relaunch Hi.
Chef Ramsay is ready to spread the word.
What happened with the restaurant before? Why did you come here? This place was legendary, um, it lost its way.
It's now back on the map, and two new owners that are gonna start their own beginning of a new chapter.
What is the feedback you're already getting for tonight? That the food is fantastic.
I mean, the menu-- it's fabulous.
Highly recommend that you come in and try it.
Let's finish, let's finish.
Somebody get this to 14, please.
I will.
No more tickets comin' in.
Let's get this stuff outta here.
Delicious.
That's a wrap, Jack.
The end of the night, the way it ended, made you feel good.
I think Darryl showed more personality tonight than he showed in the last few years.
We still have some improvements to make, but you can see it's on the right track.
Nice job.
Good night, ladies.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Okay, tonight was about establishing a new Zeke's.
And you achieved it.
Yes, yes.
It's my first time in New Orleans.
Me, did you give me a challenge.
Okay? If Chef Ramsay told me a week ago that all these changes were gonna happen Right on, my darling.
I don't think I would have really believed it.
May I just have a quick word with you two? Amazing.
Look at this place.
The potential's huge.
I know.
Fantastic.
It's now your Zeke's.
Run with it.
And, Darryl, you do care.
And you do have a heart-- a big heart.
Show it to your staff.
Indeed, I will.
Don't--don't hide that.
I'm ready to do--do things the right way, ready to get moving.
It's a new--it's a new life.
It's new energy.
Good job.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Good night.
Good night, good night, good night.
Thanks, chef.
Whew.
We had a lot of issues here when I first arrived.
The staff were at war with the owners, the food was miserable, and the restaurant was seriously struggling for an identity.
But what I witnessed was a phenomenal comeback, and how fitting is that? That it took place here, in the most resilient city across America-- New Orleans.
Week-old lasagna, not so special.
In the weeks that followed, a glowing report on the local news How's the family? How's the restaurant? It's back on the map.
Brought a surge of customers to the restaurant.
Hi.
How are you'all.
Darryl and Ellen are doing their best to raise staff morale.
You all did and excellent.
I can't do this without you guys.
And a reaching out to the community We really thank you all for coming.
It means a lot to us.
Thank you.
Put Zeke's back on the map.
That's just terrible.
Everybody here is just kinda waitin' for the place to belly up.
This husband and wife team seem to be only focused on the bottom line.
Your passion's about portion control, measurements.
You don't give a about food.
They have neglected the menu What the hell is that? And their loyal staff.
We are talked down to like we're dirt.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
Tonight, Chef Ramsay faces the most deluded owners he's ever met.
Restaurants don't run like this.
I disagree.
I disagree with that also.
He confronts them with the cold, hard truth.
So how the is that special in your tiny mind? When you start dealing with all this crap, and your name's on that lease, then you tell me what you want to do.
But will they change their ways? It's us against y'all.
That is up.
Or will their stubbornness shut down Zeke's once and for all? You are not a restaurateur.
That's tonight on Kitchen Nightmares.
Located on the Mississippi River not far from the Gulf of Mexico, is the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, a tight-knit community that is home to Zeke's, a neighborhood restaurant opened in 2002 by a charismatic entrepreneur named Zeke Unangst.
Zeke was 6'4", big and goofy, but you know what? The man knew how to have a good time, and he knew how to run a pretty good restaurant.
Everyone came to Zeke's when it first opened because there was just a good vibe in this place.
Good people, food was always good.
We used to do 750 people in here on a Friday night.
But in 2005, Zeke tragically died during Hurricane Katrina, and the ownership and the direction of the restaurant was up in the air.
After Katrina, this place was in limbo until the Cortellos bought it and they pretty much took on the place.
Hi, guys.
How are y'all tonight? Welcome to Zeke's.
When we bought Zeke's, we chose to keep the name, because Zeke's did a very good business.
And that just made business sense to us.
All right, guys, first guests.
When Darryl first took over, pretty much changed everything.
He cut staff.
He cut product.
He went to, uh, a lesser quality.
Wouldn't feed that to your dog.
And then on top of that, he raised the prices.
I feel as though I'm completely handcuffed in the kitchen.
Dude, I'd love to do, like, uh, steamed clams.
That's not us.
I don't think that's us.
You know what I'm saying? Always trying to beg him or plead him, can we try that? Can we do this? And Darryl doesn't allow it.
I'm trying to make chicken salad out of chicken .
I ask myself all the time, why do I even stay here? Unh-unh, no sitting on the job.
Servers here are all talked down to or disrespected.
People just don't feel appreciated.
Darryl cut my pay in the last six months.
I can't afford raises right now.
And he's made me work more hours since he cut my pay.
Darryl, we got three orders of green tomatoes left.
Cuttin' 'em a little thick, too, I can tell you that.
I'm not looking to squeak by.
I'm looking for financial rewards in this business.
That kind of offended a lot of Zeke's regulars, and business just steadily declined.
Meatball's plain and bland.
Unless he's got a pot of gold stashed somewhere, there's no way this restaurant will last, you know, a month.
All right.
Payroll was today.
How'd we do? That's not a good question.
Financially, we are not doing great.
We gotta catch up somewhere.
It's not happenin'.
We're not gonna make it if we don't have Chef Ramsay come in and tell us what he thinks we can do differently to change this, because obviously, what we're doing-- it's not really working.
Physically, emotionally, it's been hard.
I have put everything I can possibly put into Zeke's, but seats aren't full, so something's going on, and we've been killing ourselves trying to find out.
Before heading to Zeke's, Gordon has arranged to meet some Metairie locals Morning.
To gain some insight into the restaurant and the neighborhood.
How we doin' this morning? Very well indeed, thank you.
Morning! Morning.
How are we? Now tell me about the area--Metairie.
What does it, uh, what does it stand for? It's a town on the east bay.
Uh-huh.
They got a lot of people.
They got some good restaurants out there.
And have you heard of a restaurant called Zeke's? I used to go there quite a bit.
I haven't been there in a while, but before Katrina, we used to go there quite a bit.
What was the difference in food? Got pricey and average.
Oh, really? Yeah.
They lost the magic, the feel of the restaurant.
Right.
It just changed.
Yeah.
Thank you, thank you.
After hearing unfavorable reviews, Chef Ramsay heads over to Zeke's to continue his investigation, and there is nothing more telling than lunch.
Hello.
Why, hello, Chef Ramsay.
Welcome to Zeke's.
How are you? I'm very happy to be here.
I'm Ellen Cortello.
Nice to meet you.
Definitely.
Come right this way.
All right, guys, I think we got a special guest.
Heard that.
Heard that.
Help me get up to speed.
You are the owner? Yeah.
You run the business with Zeke? My husband--no, my husband is Darryl.
Darryl.
And where is he? He is in the kitchen.
So who's Zeke? Zeke was the original man who opened the restaurant, um, passed away right after Katrina.
Terrible.
And we purchased it from his estate, so we've had it for almost five years.
Okay, what did you change after you bought it? The menu items are similar.
Okay.
Um, we've definitely taken some off and changed some recipes.
And the chef is the same? Emil is the kitchen manager.
Emil? Yes.
Whose decision is it with the new dishes? My husband Darryl.
He's got a couple of his recipes on the menu.
And where did he train as a chef? He's never trained as a chef.
If you're not a chef, why would you put dishes on the menu? Being in the business, I guess, um-- does the chef agree with those dishes, or is it just because he's the owner, that's why he gets them on? I guess talk to him about it.
Okay, let me have a look at the menu.
Okay.
Thank you.
Uh-huh, you're welcome.
Wow.
Hello.
Hi, how are you today? Very well, thank you.
How are you? I'm well, thank you.
I'm so happy to be in Louisiana.
My first time.
Good.
Thank you, and your first name is? Candace.
Candace.
I saw on the menu the oyster-- oysters cortello.
It's an invented dish for our restaurant.
The Cortellos is Darryl and Ellen, so they made-- they made it up.
So the owners have named an oyster after them? Yes, they have.
They bought the restaurant, now you want your name on the menu.
Yes.
Sounds like someone's struggling for power.
I've gotta try one.
Okay.
Yeah, and I must have some boiled shrimp.
Boiled shrimp.
And what special do you have, my darling? We have a chicken fried steak today.
Let's go for it.
We do have, also, traditional bread pudding.
Let's go for that, and I think we're done.
Okay.
Thank you.
Look what I got.
All right, here we go.
When Darryl got here, he kind of implemented his own menu.
It really gets frustrating, because Darryl really has no idea culinary-wise what he's doing.
Candace, you're ready.
I'm gonna take out the boiled shrimp to him.
Chef Ramsay is going to love this food.
It's simple food.
It's basic food.
It's feel-good food, but it's done very well and fresh.
Okay.
Boiled shrimp.
Thanks, darling.
My first Louisiana shrimp.
Yeah, they're really soft.
They should peel easily and sort of pop out of the shell, but I'm struggling to peel them.
Hmm.
I mean, that was nasty.
What I'm struggling for here is the lack of freshness.
They feel and taste slightly mushy, which is a big disappointment.
Candace, were the shrimps fresh? They're fresh frozen.
Fresh frozen.
But you can buy fresh shrimp within a mile from here.
Yes, yes, yes.
The frozen shrimp taste like .
Oh, sorry.
Crap.
He wanted to know why we would get frozen shrimp when you can go to, like, the market and get 'em fresh every day.
Okay.
It's not uncommon to have frozen shrimp because some things are okay frozen.
How we look on the oysters? Comin' right now.
All right.
Wow, that back wall is hideous.
What a mess.
Do you have two seconds, please? Yes.
What's with the, uh, the swamp decor? Whose idea was that? Um, mine and my husband's.
Too eat in a swamp? For--for children or for adults? For both.
For both.
For both.
Oysters cortello.
All right, here we go.
Okay, thank you.
All right.
What the hell is that? These are the oysters cortello.
Oysters cortello.
So I suppose you go like that Wow, they're dreadful.
Oysters named after the owner.
I certainly wouldn't put my name on that.
I wouldn't even put my enemy's name on that.
Take it for you? Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Thank you.
That's depressing, isn't it? They're just Oysters cortello--I don't know what to say about that.
I eat them myself.
I think they're delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
Oysters cortello just ain't workin'.
This is killin' me, not to know what he's saying.
This is the fried chicken steak, right? Correct.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Blander than anything.
No seasoning, no care.
Look at that.
Ugh.
Candace, what the hell is that? Looks like he's just had a giraffe's tongue cut out and deep fat fried.
People complain that the quality of the food here is horrible.
Unbelievable.
Darryl's not listening to the feedback that he gets, and he's gonna do what he wants to do.
Darryl.
Yep.
He said that it looks like somebody cut out a giraffe's tongue, battered and fried it.
I'm not gonna agree with that.
It didn't look that way to me.
I mean, that's what normally goes out.
It's a good product.
Said it looked like we cut out a giraffe's tongue.
Well, well, well.
Thanks, love.
Doesn't look fantastic But it tastes delicious.
Who made that? Emil makes it.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
I'm just so happy that Chef Ramsay likes the bread pudding.
It feels great to end on a good note.
Loved the bread pudding.
He liked the bread pudding? There we go.
Loved it.
I took full responsibility for the bread pudding.
That is all me.
Darryl doesn't really have influence on that.
Thank God.
Thank God he likes something I did.
I'll take that any day.
Hello.
Hello, chef.
And this is? Darryl Cortello.
The owner? Yes, chef.
Introduce me to your, uh, brigade.
Chef Emil Morcos.
Emil.
Good to see you, buddy.
Jason Carpenter.
Jason, good to see you.
There's a lot of things that--that need changing, and, you know, Darryl is--is one of them.
Can I talk about lunch? Yes.
My God, what a disaster.
The food is below standard.
Why wouldn't you buy fresh shrimp? I simply don't have the time to go to the market.
Excuse me? Where are we? We're in New Orleans.
Come on.
Come on, big boy.
Chicken fried steak-- disaster.
What cuts of meat was that? Not a very good cut.
No.
Are you proud to serve that food? No, sir.
Was that the same quality of steak we were using years ago? No, sir.
Then why have you changed the standards? Um, it's-- it's up to Darryl.
It that a cutting corner method to save money, or-- no, no, no.
Chef Yeah.
But we had diners eating all-- all lunch, full dining room, and nothing sent back.
Do you honestly think just because they don't send it back that your food is amazing? That's good enough for you to continue? Now, you can't be that stupid.
Point taken.
If you want to be that stupid, you've got no chance.
I don't buy the fact that it's bad quality food.
That's .
Hard to believe this was once a great place.
Coming up, while Darryl and Ellen continue to be defensive We don't feel like it puts out an awful product.
You don't give a about food.
The staff goes on the offensive.
You talk to us like dirt.
Then at dinner service, Chef Ramsay makes a shocking discovery.
Oh How the is that special in your tiny mind? I don't have a tiny mind.
I'm telling you, you have a tiny mind.
And makes an announcement that could mean the beginning of the end for Zeke's.
How would you feel if I told you all that After receiving some harsh words from Chef Ramsay The food is below standard.
Darryl has some words of his own.
You know, chef says everything is .
It's embarrassing, there's nothing good about the menu, you know, I don't buy that .
I will never believe the food is .
You're not gonna--I've been eating this food all my life.
Chef Ramsay doesn't know New Orleans food.
That's it.
I mean, cut all the food down you want.
You can't break me.
It's an hour before dinner service, and Chef Ramsay hopes a private meeting with the two chefs, Emil and Jason, can shed some light on the restaurant's main issues.
Okay, so I don't get it.
Some of the things I encountered there today were just awful.
That can't be your wish, to cook with frozen ingredients.
We talk about it every day Yep.
And it just gets swept under the table.
I tell him, the second he starts cutting cost and getting a cheaper product Yeah, yeah.
You know it's gonna taste like .
And trying to explain that to him, you know-- is like talking to this wall right here.
And how long's it been goin' on like that? Since right around the time he took over.
The only thing Darryl and Ellen see is money, and that's what scares me.
Their whole purpose is money, money, money, money, money.
Feel like my hands are so tied as far as ordering goes, everything goes, the only other option was to leave, me and him both go.
Yes.
You know, what do you do, just walk out the place? I mean, we got a lot of personal memories in this place, just to walk out of it.
Granted, I-I get that, but it doesn't stop you from having your voice.
Everybody here is just kind of waiting for the place to belly up and go find a new job somewheres else.
I'm here to help put this frickin' place back on the map.
Yes, sir.
You're absolutely right.
We have only two options-- Chef Ramsay or God, and I don't think the second coming's happening anytime soon.
Thanks for the catch-up.
Thank you.
After gaining some insight from Jason and Emil Hey, I need shrimp portions.
Chef Ramsay is eager to see how this restaurant functions in a dinner service.
Uh, how does this work? Uh, Emil.
When were these done? Um, last night.
Why are they bagged? Really? What's the idea of putting everything in bags? Portion size.
Portion size.
I like to have everything in quantitative perspective.
If I give too much, you get a happy customer here.
You don't get a good customer.
They're happy because they're getting three times what they should be getting.
I'm getting nothing.
I don't make money on that.
Hi, welcome to Zeke's.
How many do you have in the party? Four.
It's Chef Ramsay's first time in Louisiana Come right this way, please.
And not surprisingly, Zeke's is completely booked.
And tonight our special is lasagna.
I got a seafood platter, no oyster, sub shrimp.
I'm at the expo station.
I like to see all the food go out.
Side of new potatoes, Darryl.
I, uh, make sure every dish goes out like I want it to go out.
Can I run anything? No.
Shrimp platter! Can any of that go? I'm waiting on dishes to complete their order.
It doesn't concern you that food's just dying in the window? Well, we're pushing as hard as we can.
Bloody hell.
Expediting's one thing, standing here and saying nothing is another.
Wow, wow.
It's an hour into dinner service, and the first wave of food is finally making its way out to the customers.
Sorry about the wait.
They are backed up.
Let me get, uh, your server.
My apologies.
And the food isn't the only thing that's getting a chilly reception.
May I ask something? Would you mind not standing there like that? It's so dour.
I think you can be more proactive.
I don't want to hover, you know.
But you can make yourself busy.
Okay, I got it.
I'm ready.
Good.
Thank you.
All right, look what I got.
What's that one? Lasagna.
Lasagna.
When was the lasagna made? Last Thursday.
Last Thursday.
And today is Thursday, right? Correct.
Serving them stuff from a week ago.
Help me to understand that, uh, that stupidity.
Made the pan, we didn't sell it all, it's wrapped up in portions, and, uh, frozen.
Not that that's a bad thing.
Lasagna--it's all done fresh cooked, and, uh, we'll wrap the portions up separately, we'll put 'em in the freezer.
It works.
It is the best lasagna you're going to get.
It's the special, right? Yes, it is.
Okay, so how the is that special in your tiny mind, when it's cooked a week ago? I don't have a tiny mind.
I'm telling you, you have a tiny mind.
It can't be that special if you're gonna stand here and tell me that it's special-- this--the product is good.
Darryl runs this kitchen with 90% bravado, and, you know, the other 10%, he just wings it.
This is a good product.
This is good food.
My God.
It's getting worse.
Yeah, he's a tough nut, your, uh, expediter.
So we have a special today-- when do you think that lasagna was made? Today.
Homemade lasagna? Right.
Last Thursday.
How can it be that special when it's from a week ago? Well, you know, it's frozen, so it's not, like, sitting there getting mildew on it, and our customers absolutely love the lasagna.
You're missing the point.
I don't think that's our biggest issue is lasagna.
I mean, that's absolutely incorrect.
What do you think they would feel like if you told them today's special was cooked a week ago, frozen.
I don't know, I mean, uh, I'm sure they would probably be surprised that it was so good and that it was made last week and frozen.
Shall I ask them all? Would you like me to walk with you? I'm not gonna walk, I'm gonna stand up and shout.
Oh, really? Yeah.
When you come out to a restaurant, and you read today's specials, for instance, a beautiful homemade lasagna, would you expect that lasagna to be made today? Yes! All right, ladies and gentlemen, how many of you have ordered lasagna? How would you feel if I told you all that today's lasagna that's being served was made a week ago? This is humiliating.
After making a shocking discovery about today's special When was the lasagna made? Last Thursday.
Chef Ramsay made an announcement Today's lasagna that's being served was made a week ago.
That is not sitting well with customers.
My apologies to those that have ordered the lasagna.
Have a look at the potential other specials.
Bon appétit.
Thank you.
Thank you.
This is humiliating.
It's absolutely better, of course, when it's fresh and served right out of the pan, but it's not horrible.
I've just told the customers that today's lasagna was reheated from a week ago.
The feedback was shock, horror.
Yes, sir.
With Chef Ramsay's announcement fresh in their minds Get the check? Okay.
Customers have seemed to have lost their appetite.
Me.
Did y'all eat already? Yeah, I had the lasagna.
After witnessing a dinner service full of problems Do you have two seconds, please? Yes, absolutely.
Chef Ramsay is anxious to have a chat with the owners.
Oh, dear.
Did you hear the customers tonight when I told them the lasagna was a week old? Did you hear? Here's what happens-- cook the lasagna, and it doesn't sell.
Do you throw it away? No, we don't throw it away.
We wrap it.
I'm here to help, but I'll tell you what, I can't help you when you're standing there and trying to come up with excuses to why the customers paid good money for frozen that cooked a week ago, and you call it a special.
We don't feel like it puts out an awful product.
You don't give a about food.
That's not true.
Your passion's about portion control, measurements, frozen foods reheated in a microwave.
Restaurants don't run like this.
I disagree.
I disagree with that also, definitely.
Trust me, you are not a restaurateur.
You the owner? You paying rent here? When you start dealing with all this crap, and your name's on that lease, then you tell me what you want to do.
After being stonewalled by owners in denial Morning.
Good morning, chef.
Chef Ramsay has called a staff meeting Two minutes, please.
Hoping to bring all of the restaurant's issues into the open.
Okay, I want you to tell me the frustrations, the anger, and the things that really upset you the most.
Emil.
Uh I-I just feel as though I'm getting pounded with a mallet constantly when I walk into this place.
I went from working to working about 50, for $400 a week.
That pisses me off.
I feel that we don't get any respect.
I'm here all the time.
I don't get to eat lunch.
I should have a meal.
I should have a shift meal.
This is messed up.
We are talked down to like we're dirt, and it's not right.
Listen, um, I really appreciate the openness and the honesty.
I knew it was bad, but I didn't quite understand it had hit that level of hurt.
I think it's just--it's just sad that we're all sitting here and that we actually even have to be at this point.
I think we all-- the whole group of us here are pretty much struggling.
No one's getting that message across.
I need to get through to them.
Darryl and Ellen are about to arrive.
I want you to tell them.
Everybody was saying what they wanted to say and getting it off their chest, but it's kind of different from telling Chef Ramsay versus telling Darryl.
Don't be nervous.
I don't want you to be afraid.
I've got your back.
Okay? And here they are.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Morning.
I've been here having a staff meeting, um, we've gone through some issues this morning, that's been bothering them, but rather than me trying to tell you how they feel, I think they should speak.
Certainly.
Who's gonna go first? I'll go first.
I don't feel as though we, uh, gain much respect around here.
And I don't think that you, as an owner, have our back.
Candace, Ashley, is that how you feel? You really do talk to us like dirt sometimes.
My intent is not to talk down to somebody.
But that's how it comes out.
Jason, talk to Darryl, please.
My biggest problem that I have is just I don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs.
Me? Yeah.
Wow.
I think that you're so stuck on the numbers, the actual essence of having a restaurant and serving good food and giving customer service and happy employees-- that that's gone.
I-I don't understand.
We hear it every single night and every single day from our customers, what needs to be changed and why they don't come back.
We let you know these things, and you don't give a .
Nothing's done.
You don't care.
Wow.
Pay--pay's just ridiculous here.
I really don't want to break down, 'cause I-I've been here a long time.
Mm-hmm.
And I'm not getting paid Jack .
For somebody to be here that long I've been here since 2006, why haven't I never got a pay raise? Okay, let me say something real quick, since we're all telling the truth-- first of all, Darryl and I have taken thousands and thousands of dollars out of our personal account to pay your paychecks.
So why not just close the place down? We're not giving up.
We don't want to give up.
If you want to give up, that's fine, this isn't your business.
We don't want to leave each other, because we all love each other.
We don't want to leave.
Not at all, but I need to make money to support my family.
You know what? So do we.
Y'all are acting like it's us against y'all, and it's not.
This is a business.
We have costs and expenses.
I asked you to take that pay cut.
It's either that, or labor costs get so high, I'm out.
But you can go on five vacations in the summer.
And you're struggling for money.
Right.
That is up.
Period.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
After Chef Ramsay arranged for the staff to air their grievances I don't think you have a clue as to how this place runs.
The defiant owners are not having any of it.
If you don't want to be here, don't be here.
If I were piling up money back there, then I could see you being pissed off.
But we're not piling up money back there.
I can't show appreciation in dollars at this point.
They maybe have this picture of me with this pile of money going, "ha ha ha, nobody's gonna get it.
" We don't have the money.
I'm accepting the truth from you guys, accept it from me, please.
Things aren't going well, I understand that, but in terms of morale, there's an air of discontent.
They feel abused.
And I'm not saying the staff are perfect, but you're the owners, and you set an example.
We have to fix what's broken within.
And-- so how about starting over again and turning the page and the beginning of a new chapter? I understand those frustrations.
You are wonderful people, so I want you all here, and you will have my respect, I guarantee that from me.
And there's a lot of love for you guys from Ellen and I, and I truly mean that.
Good.
We did make some progress.
The air is clearer.
Okay, it's a new day here at Zeke's.
I've got some ideas that I need to, uh, put into place to really start putting this place back on the map.
Thank you.
Honestly, I don't think that Darryl and Ellen heard what-- what we were saying.
He was just saying what was right just to get Chef Ramsay off of his back.
We'll see what happens.
After attempting to open Darryl and Ellen's eyes to the staff morale problems, Chef Ramsay has devised a plan to test the chefs and showcase their abilities.
Okay, it's been so obvious that you've been handcuffed by Darryl.
And here's what we need to do-- show Darryl how creative, how inspirational, how exciting you can be with seafood.
There's a grocery store literally 2 miles away from here, okay.
Have a look at the ingredients, get inspired, come back, get creative.
I want to see that on a plate.
Yeah? Thank you, chef.
Good.
Right now I'm pretty jacked up.
Gordon Ramsay said himself, said, "Jason, time for you to be inspired.
Go let it happen.
Let's see what you got.
" All right, let's see what they got fresh.
How may I help you? Redfish fresh? Just put it out hour and a half ago.
That's what we're looking for.
It's extremely liberating to have this freedom to showcase and do what we want to do, cook good food.
Very nice to meet you.
Thanks, guys.
I am, uh, looking for red onions with asparagus.
Red pepper.
This'll be the last thing I'll get, then we're ready to ride.
There it is.
There it is.
Showcase the skills.
So happy? Very happy.
Think of something creative and really let it go, yeah? Yes, sir.
Okay, off you go, guys, yeah? I'm gonna do the chicken fried steak at the same time, okay.
Own it, yeah? Yes, chef.
You gonna put a little lime juice in there? Yes, more lime juice.
I'm not done yet with it.
Okay, good.
Lovely idea, the bacon and-- cheddar grits.
Cheddar, nice.
So in terms of the inspiration, tell me what it is.
Tried to keep it Southern with the grits, fresh with the salmon, and classic with the capers with the onions with the tomatoes.
Good.
Keeping with the New Orleans theme, redfish and then grilled vegetables, fresh rice, fresh ingredients.
Just a fun dish.
Pretty good job.
The difference in night and day, let me tell you that.
Beautiful.
Now you say nothing.
You didn't cook them.
I cooked them.
Do you understand? Yes.
Okay, let's go.
Come over, guys, please.
Wow, look at that.
You think of Louisiana, first thing you think of is freshness, but when I walked into your restaurant, what I didn't expect was frozen seafood.
So I got my team to get some ingredients for me.
I'd like you both just to have a little taste.
Taste the freshness.
A beautiful char-grilled salmon done with grits.
Creamy, tasty, it's absolutely phenomenal.
Then I got ahold of some redfish, marinated zucchini with some rice and a really nice mango salsa.
Mmm.
Oh, my gosh, this redfish is delicious.
It's phenomenal.
It's absolutely phenomenal.
Phenomenal? Absolutely.
Watching them eat my dish and not knowing that it was mine and to say that, you know, it looked like-- it was from their heart.
I'd like you to have a little taste of that chicken fried steak.
I just lightly pounded it and then fried it twice, so it should just melt in your mouth.
It does melt, literally.
Yeah? Literally melted, chef.
I couldn't believe how good it was.
The presentation was beautiful, and it was fresh ingredients, and they tasted wonderful.
They're all absolutely phenomenal.
You can taste the difference? Absolutely.
Now there's something you need to know about the seafood dishes.
I didn't cook them.
The two chefs put those dishes together Wow.
The seafood dishes-- are your boys.
Delicious.
Absolutely-- wow.
They really are.
They're phenomenal.
It really opened my eyes to what I-I-I wasn't letting them do, honestly.
Food is art, and I was not letting them create their art.
These aren't just delicious, they're beautiful, and they come from inside of you.
I know that.
You did a fantastic job.
It feels really good that Darryl and Ellen recognize my potential, and I think that my abilities have been shown, and hopefully, this is the first step forward.
This is the new Zeke's.
I can see that's what we're looking for.
All I could really think to myself was, about time you see it.
Really good job.
Well done.
It's incredible.
Coming up Oh, my gosh! It's the biggest restaurant redesign in the history of Kitchen Nightmares.
This has surpassed anything I could possibly imagine.
But it all could be for nothing if Darryl can't stick with Chef Ramsay's new plan.
How we lookin'? Three chops and alligator? Slow down for one minute, let us catch up.
Everybody, stop! Just stop! After finally having at least a small breakthrough with the owners, Chef Ramsay decides to have his team work through the night on the biggest restaurant makeover they have ever done.
Right, good morning.
Morning, chef.
Excited? Are you ready to see the new Zeke's? Yes.
Let's go.
Welcome to the new Zeke's.
Here we go.
Oh, wow.
Come in, please.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Are you kidding me? In, in, in! Oh, nice.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, that's nice.
Look at that.
Oh, my God.
Let's start with the walls.
Gone is the swamp.
Look at all the-- all the old doors.
Reclaimed doors, they've got that nostalgia, and it's got that comfort feel, right? Feels like home.
Look at this! You've got the most amazing chairs--brand-new chairs.
It just feels authentic.
Let me say this, please-- please.
You have found our identity.
Wonderful.
Wonderful.
This is us.
I'm astonished, I mean, truly.
I didn't really have any expectations, but this has surpassed anything I could possibly imagine.
There is one more thing I'd like to show you.
You're gonna start peeing your pants.
Oh, man, that's it.
Look at that.
There we are-- our boil house.
Oh, my gosh! From shucking your oysters to cooking your shrimp, this is gonna be a substantial part of the menu, and, Emil, it's gonna take so much pressure off you and Jason.
This should just run on its own, and it should almost double the turnover.
Did I see you smile again? That's the second time in 24 hours, huh? They're gonna arrest you for being too happy.
Chef Ramsay has given this staff, this place, my family, our friends, our customers, a new beginning.
It's unbelievable.
Honestly, when people would ask me where I worked, I would never say Zeke's, I'd just say I'm a cook.
Mm-hmm.
Now I-I-I'm proud to say that I work here.
A new beginning and a new identity for Zeke's.
Along with making the décor more inviting, Chef Ramsay has replaced Zeke's outdated stale menu with a modern update of classic New Orleans cuisine.
Oh, my gosh.
My goodness, me.
This is gonna put Zeke's back on the map.
Be careful, it's fresh.
Every dish is absolutely beautiful.
Okay, let's start off, top of the table-- Zeke's house boil, yes-- bucket o' shrimps, yes, bucket o' blue crabs.
A great, sharing, festive, localized bucket.
Push them, okay? Back on the menu, the entrées-- pecan encrusted catfish served with a classic tartar sauce and a herb salad.
Country fried steak-- big hit.
Say no more.
Sausage gravy.
Delicious.
Slightly heated, that gravy.
It's got a nice little burn in the back of your throat.
Blackened alligator, wonderful creole sauce, absolutely delicious.
This has now become, not the old Zeke's, your Zeke's.
Thank you.
You've got your identity.
Now make it yours.
Absolutely incredible.
Beautiful.
Come here.
Yes.
Oh, thank you.
Come here.
The way chef created the menu and the dishes, uh, they don't have a menu like that around here.
Dig in, enjoy.
So not only do we have something great to put on the table, but it's not anywhere around.
Nobody else has it.
Oh, my God, it tastes so good.
The menu is phenomenal.
I'm proud to have it and excited and can't wait for everybody else to come in and try it.
It's delicious.
I feel right now we have the most diverse Louisiana Southern menu, I mean, we very well may have the best menu.
Rich in flavor, rich in texture.
Wow.
Hi, guys, welcome to Zeke's.
The community of Metairie had a love affair with this restaurant that went sour Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
Shrimps are amazing.
Chef Ramsay's revamp and tonight's relaunch will be a strong indicator if it's possible for this love affair to resume.
And with so many changes in place, and so many people in the dining room, Chef Ramsay is hoping the boil house will take some of the pressure off the kitchen.
Any, uh, any orders over there in the boil house? No.
Nothing in the boil house, already, so get hold of the waitresses, call them in, and say, "right, start pushing them.
" We've gotta use that place.
Gotta get used to that.
Let's go.
Rachel, sell boil food.
I'm trying.
Sell one, okay.
Sell one to a big table, please? Tonight we have a, um, special, it's boiled lobster for two.
And I don't know if you saw it on the menu, but we sell it by the bucket.
Two comin' right up.
Two buckets of lobster for table five.
Can I get two buckets of lobster, please? Put a little bit of butter on there, give it a nice little glaze, okay.
Good.
That's it.
Two lobsters, let's go.
Look what I have for y'all.
Y'all enjoy.
It looks good.
Wow.
With the boil house now being utilized It's good.
And satisfying customers It's really good.
It's clearly allowed some breathing room for the kitchen.
that's 33.
However, it's now up to Darryl to manage the time wisely.
I worked hard today.
Let's make it happen.
You've gotta focus on that window.
Communicate with these guys.
One table leaving, one table working, so we don't get bogged down, yes? Yes, chef.
I need an alligator.
I need a strip.
Give me three minutes on that.
Let's go! We need to put food up there and cook it as fast as we can.
Green tomatoes, char-grilled oysters, I need it fast.
Let's work one at a time.
It's not a race.
How we lookin'-- three chops and an alligator? Hold on one second, Darryl.
Smothered chop, how we lookin'? Darryl, slow down for one minute, let us catch up.
Hell.
With Darryl calling multiple tickets at the same time Grits, mash, sweet potatoes! And more focused on speed than anything else What ticket is it for? The kitchen is now completely confused.
How's my pecan catfish? Where's my New York strip? It's gotta go.
Just put 'em in the window, and we'll figure out how to plate 'em.
Yes, whatever you've got.
Make sure it's done, huh? I was being told that I need this, this, and this right now, and I just try and move as fast as I can and get the food out.
No garnish? No.
Goes in the window like that.
Darryl has managed to get the cooks producing the food at a much quicker pace Thank you.
But the dishes are not at the level that they should be.
Sorry, is that-- is that cooked? Eh.
It's not, is it? Excuse me.
Can I get you another one, sir? Sure.
Yeah.
Guys, the fish is raw.
Not tonight.
Just--just stop.
Oh, man.
Everybody stop! What a joke.
It's relaunch night at Zeke's Smothered chop, how we lookin'? Darryl, slow down for one minute, let us catch up, huh? And with Darryl pushing the cooks, food is leaving the kitchen quickly Can I get you another one, sir? Sure.
Unfortunately, it's also coming back quickly.
Guys, the fish is raw.
Not tonight.
Just stop.
Oh, man.
Everybody stop! Emil, Jason, come around.
I'd rather be three, four minutes later than rush food out there and the coming back.
Not tonight.
An expediter should definitely set the tone for the rest of the kitchen.
I think Darryl lost control of that.
Uh, it's just a big catastrophe.
What we've got to do is focus on one table at a time.
We've got to communicate.
Darryl, talk to me.
Don't get swamped.
Where you at? Darryl, what table you on? Darryl, take responsibility.
I had to stop, refocus, let's get these tickets out one at a time.
I need to do a better job of communicating, very simply.
All right, guys, let's focus.
Where you at now, Darryl? Pecan catfish and blackened alligator.
In his hand, Darryl.
Table one, let's go.
Move to the next ticket.
I got 33, blackened alligator, pecan catfish.
Comin' right now, Darryl.
Let's go! Following Chef Ramsay's advice of focusing on one table at a time What table you on? All right, table ten.
Mac and cheese, grits is up.
Darryl and the chefs are now in sync.
Please, let's get this to, uh, 31.
Blackened alligator.
Awesome.
Shrimp and grits.
Perfectly cooked dishes are leaving the kitchen That's very good.
And are being enjoyed by thrilled customers.
That's delicious.
Fox news are here.
Now that this restaurant is on its way to a successful relaunch Hi.
Chef Ramsay is ready to spread the word.
What happened with the restaurant before? Why did you come here? This place was legendary, um, it lost its way.
It's now back on the map, and two new owners that are gonna start their own beginning of a new chapter.
What is the feedback you're already getting for tonight? That the food is fantastic.
I mean, the menu-- it's fabulous.
Highly recommend that you come in and try it.
Let's finish, let's finish.
Somebody get this to 14, please.
I will.
No more tickets comin' in.
Let's get this stuff outta here.
Delicious.
That's a wrap, Jack.
The end of the night, the way it ended, made you feel good.
I think Darryl showed more personality tonight than he showed in the last few years.
We still have some improvements to make, but you can see it's on the right track.
Nice job.
Good night, ladies.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Okay, tonight was about establishing a new Zeke's.
And you achieved it.
Yes, yes.
It's my first time in New Orleans.
Me, did you give me a challenge.
Okay? If Chef Ramsay told me a week ago that all these changes were gonna happen Right on, my darling.
I don't think I would have really believed it.
May I just have a quick word with you two? Amazing.
Look at this place.
The potential's huge.
I know.
Fantastic.
It's now your Zeke's.
Run with it.
And, Darryl, you do care.
And you do have a heart-- a big heart.
Show it to your staff.
Indeed, I will.
Don't--don't hide that.
I'm ready to do--do things the right way, ready to get moving.
It's a new--it's a new life.
It's new energy.
Good job.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Good night.
Good night, good night, good night.
Thanks, chef.
Whew.
We had a lot of issues here when I first arrived.
The staff were at war with the owners, the food was miserable, and the restaurant was seriously struggling for an identity.
But what I witnessed was a phenomenal comeback, and how fitting is that? That it took place here, in the most resilient city across America-- New Orleans.
Week-old lasagna, not so special.
In the weeks that followed, a glowing report on the local news How's the family? How's the restaurant? It's back on the map.
Brought a surge of customers to the restaurant.
Hi.
How are you'all.
Darryl and Ellen are doing their best to raise staff morale.
You all did and excellent.
I can't do this without you guys.
And a reaching out to the community We really thank you all for coming.
It means a lot to us.
Thank you.
Put Zeke's back on the map.