Restaurant Stakeout

Last updated
Restaurant Stakeout
Restaurant stakeout foodn logo.png
Genre Reality
Presented by Willie Degel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes58
Production
Executive producers
  • Alex Campbell
  • Jay Blumenfield
  • Joe Devito
  • Jon Beyer
  • Mike Colon
  • Tony Marsh
Original release
Network Food Network
ReleaseMarch 11, 2012 (2012-03-11) 
September 10, 2014 (2014-09-10)

Restaurant Stakeout is a scripted American reality television series on the Food Network. The series debuted on March 12, 2012, with the second season premiering on August 29, 2012. [1] It is one of the first non-studio shows attempted on Food Network. [2]

Contents

Plot

The series follows William Jack "Willie" Degel, the owner of New York City restaurant Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, who goes behind the scenes of various restaurants across the country at the request of their owner(s). He takes the keys and installs hidden cameras to examine their service problems. [3]

Willie and the owner(s) observe the restaurant's operation from a control room, and Willie comments about what he sees. Once Willie has assembled a list of key issues, the owner(s) calls a staff meeting. Willie appears at the meeting and confronts the staff with his findings. After that takes place, Willie returns the next day to help correct the problems. Some time later, Willie returns (now dressed in casual clothes) to get a status report.

The show differs from other similar shows in that its primary focus is on identifying ways to provide better customer service. Unlike Kitchen Nightmares and Restaurant: Impossible , there is rarely a problem with the cuisine, restaurant cleanliness, menu, or decor. The owner's main fault is being much too easy on the staff. Mystery Diners is also scripted, but usually about determining who is actively undermining the restaurant and getting them fired (although occasionally, a few employees have been fired on this show).

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6March 11, 2012 (2012-03-11)April 11, 2012 (2012-04-11)
2 13August 29, 2012 (2012-08-29)December 12, 2012 (2012-12-12)
3 13March 13, 2013 (2013-03-13)June 26, 2013 (2013-06-26)
4 13September 11, 2013 (2013-09-11)January 8, 2014 (2014-01-08)
5 13June 4, 2014 (2014-06-04)September 10, 2014 (2014-09-10)

Season 1 (2012)

No. in
series
No. in
season
TitleRestaurantLocationOriginal air date
11"From the Top Down"Firefly Restaurant Las Vegas, NV March 11, 2012 (2012-03-11)
22"Party All the Time"Lexington Grille & Pub Bardonia, NY March 14, 2012 (2012-03-14)
33"Find the Leader to Follow"Mt. Ivy Café Pomona, NY March 21, 2012 (2012-03-21)
44"The Son and the Father"Agnello's Pizzeria New City, NY March 28, 2012 (2012-03-28)
55"Paint by Numbers"Bar + Bistro Las Vegas, NV April 4, 2012 (2012-04-04)
66"Oh, Brother"Willy Parkers American Bar & Grill Williston Park, NY April 11, 2012 (2012-04-11)

Season 2 (2012)

No. in
series
No. in
season
TitleRestaurantLocationOriginal air date
71"Nobody's Runnin' the Store"Trends Restaurant Staten Island, NY August 29, 2012 (2012-08-29)
82"When the Cat's Away"Nauna's Bella Casa Montclair, NJ September 5, 2012 (2012-09-05)
93"The Customer's Always Wrong"Oakwood Diner Staten Island, NY September 12, 2012 (2012-09-12)
104"Damsel in Distress"PepperJack Grill Staten Island, NY September 19, 2012 (2012-09-19)
115"Who Hires These People?"Pita Grill Hoboken, NJ September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)
126"Act Like the Boss"Liberty Bar & Grill Hoboken, NJ October 10, 2012 (2012-10-10)
137"That Money's Out the Door"Anna Maria's Italian Restaurant Larchmont, NY October 17, 2012 (2012-10-17)
148"This Place Is a Circus"Serata Oyster Bay, NY October 24, 2012 (2012-10-24)
159"You Can't Fire Family"Ariana Restaurant Huntington, NY November 14, 2012 (2012-11-14)
1610"On Its Last Leg"Haven Grill BBQ Port Washington, NY November 21, 2012 (2012-11-21)
1711"Little Place, Lotsa Drama"Taqueria Autentica Bloomfield, NJ November 28, 2012 (2012-11-28)
1812"My Big Fat Greek Nightmare"Athena Mediterranean Cuisine Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY December 5, 2012 (2012-12-05)
1913"A Bunch of Spoiled Brats"Joey D's Pizzeria & Restaurant Metuchen, NJ December 12, 2012 (2012-12-12)

Season 3 (2013)

No. in
series
No. in
season
TitleRestaurantLocationOriginal air date
201"Barbecue with Attitude"Hot Rods BBQ Wharton, NJ March 13, 2013 (2013-03-13)
212"Mamma's Boy"Latin Kitchen Bronx, NY March 20, 2013 (2013-03-20)
223"You Can't Be Everything"AJ's Burgers New Rochelle, NY March 27, 2013 (2013-03-27)
234"Three Strikes and You're Out!"Shiraz Persian Restaurant Elmsford, NY April 3, 2013 (2013-04-03)
245"The Big, Not So, Easy"The Bayou North Bellmore, NY April 15, 2013 (2013-04-15)
256"To Catch a 'Restaurant' Thief"Danny's Grill & Wine Bar Red Bank, NJ April 24, 2013 (2013-04-24)
267"Giving Away the House"Gus's Franklin Park Restaurant Harrison, NY May 1, 2013 (2013-05-01)
278"Kitchen Mafia"Dock's Clam Bar Staten Island, NY May 8, 2013 (2013-05-08)
289"Your Smokehouse Is a JOKEhouse"Smokehouse Barbecue Somerville, NJ May 29, 2013 (2013-05-29)
2910"The Place Is a Ghost Town"Roasted Peppers Mamaroneck, NY June 5, 2013 (2013-06-05)
3011"Tuscan Tumbleweeds"The Venetian Grille Somerville, NJ June 12, 2013 (2013-06-12)
3112"What Would Your Father Do?"Michael's Roscommon House Belleville, NJ June 19, 2013 (2013-06-19)
3213"What Are You Servin' Here?"Barzola Flushing, Queens, NY June 26, 2013 (2013-06-26)

Season 4 (2013–14)

No. in
series
No. in
season
TitleRestaurantLocationOriginal air date
331"Joe Broadway's or Bust"Joe Broadway's Staten Island, NY September 11, 2013 (2013-09-11)
342"Your Mom's Gotta Go"Sugo Café Long Beach, NY September 18, 2013 (2013-09-18)
353"Blonde Ambition"BlonDee's Bistro & Bar Huntington, NY September 25, 2013 (2013-09-25)
364"Complete Pushover"90 Park North Bergen, NJ October 2, 2013 (2013-10-02)
375"Kiss Beso Goodbye"Beso Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, NY October 9, 2013 (2013-10-09)
386"Family Style Failure"The Original Mama Angelo's North Arlington, NJ October 16, 2013 (2013-10-16)
397"Bad News Bistro"PK's Restaurant & Lounge Staten Island, NY October 23, 2013 (2013-10-23)
408"Clueless Cousins"VB3 Jersey City, NJ October 30, 2013 (2013-10-30)
419"Starving for Customers"A Plate of Soul Jamaica, Queens, NY November 27, 2013 (2013-11-27)
4210"Whine Bar"12 Grapes Peekskill, NY December 4, 2013 (2013-12-04)
4311"Somers Almost Over"Somers 202 Yorktown Heights, NY December 11, 2013 (2013-12-11)
4412"Division Street Disaster"Division Street Grill Peekskill, NY December 18, 2013 (2013-12-18)
4513"Dysfunction Junction"Junction 46 Ledgewood, NJ January 8, 2014 (2014-01-08)

Season 5 (2014)

No. in
series
No. in
season
TitleRestaurantLocationOriginal air date
461"Las Vegas Stakeout"Buon Gusto Italian Restaurant Las Vegas, NV June 4, 2014 (2014-06-04)
472"Sushi on the Strip"Osaka's Japanese Cuisine Las Vegas, NV June 11, 2014 (2014-06-11)
483"Hoover Dam'd Pizza"Vinny's Pizzeria Boulder City, NV June 18, 2014 (2014-06-18)
494"Unlucky in Vegas"Sonrisa Grill Las Vegas, NV June 25, 2014 (2014-06-25)
505"Hammered in Vegas"Hammers Grill & Bar Henderson, NV July 2, 2014 (2014-07-02)
516"Ciao, Vegas!"Gina's Bistro Las Vegas, NV July 16, 2014 (2014-07-16)
527"Golf Course Stakeout"Oh' Brian's On the Green Clark, NJ July 23, 2014 (2014-07-23)
538"Fuggedabout Mario"Mario's Tutto Bene Union, NJ July 30, 2014 (2014-07-30)
549"Willie Shuts It Down"Red Room New Rochelle, NY August 6, 2014 (2014-08-06)
Willie comes to the aid of the owners of a restaurant that has previously suffered a money theft that has prevented the owner's mother from retiring. For the first time in show history, Willie does not try to help revive the restaurant after seeing too many key issues with the restaurant. The owner and his wife decide to shut down after Willie meets with the staff where Willie ends up calling in an associate that specializes in restaurant auctions to help the owners raise money for the owner's mother to finally retire.
5510"Father Daughter Stakeout"Villa Monaco Restaurant West Islip, NY August 13, 2014 (2014-08-13)
5611"Standup Stakeout"Stress Factory Comedy Club New Brunswick, NJ August 20, 2014 (2014-08-20)
5712"Grand Opening Stakeout"Brookside Grill Highland Mills, NY September 3, 2014 (2014-09-03)
5813"Million Dollar Stakeout"Trovato's Due Oakland, NJ September 10, 2014 (2014-09-10)

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References

  1. "What to Watch: Restaurant Stakeout" . Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  2. "Food Network's Restaurant Stakeout: as fake and staged as it seems » reality blurred". reality blurred. 27 March 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. "About the Show" . Retrieved 9 December 2012.