Yelp Reviews For Kitchen Nightmares' Bel Aire Diner Are Keeping It Real
In season 8 of "Kitchen Nightmares," esteemed Chef Gordon Ramsay took on Bel Aire Restaurant — a family-owned eatery located in Astoria, New York. The episode was filmed back in May 2023, and now that Ramsay's visit is several months in the past, guests have been checking in to see whether it was successful. And they've been leaving their honest reviews on Yelp, which reveal that it might not have been as successful as anyone had hoped.
Despite Ramsay's advice and the changes made since the show, it seems that things haven't gotten much better. Most Yelp reviewers were negative with their feedback. One person ordered take-out from the diner to celebrate the airing of the "Kitchen Nightmares" episode. The customer was unable to eat pork but was served bacon anyway, and the restaurant allegedly told them to "be happy to have gotten a side of bacon for free." Another cited a health concern, stating the restaurant served them uncooked chicken. "It was pink inside," they said. This reviewer mentioned their former frequency of visiting the diner until things got "worse and worse throughout the years."
Some customers stated they visited the restaurant after seeing the "Kitchen Nightmares" episode. "It appears they learned nothing from the experience," a reviewer wrote. If the Yelp reviews are any indication, Bel Aire Diner seemed to continue to struggle even after Ramsay's visit.
The diner was plagued with issues
Chef Gordon Ramsay had a lot of work to do when visiting Bel Aire Diner. From the start, he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of items on the menu. A menu this intricate can result in quality issues and unnecessary difficulties for the kitchen staff. "It's like an encyclopedia, this thing!" he exclaimed in a clip posted on his official Instagram page. Upon counting the options, he claimed to have "lost count at 270, and [he was] only halfway through." Furthermore, Ramsay wasn't impressed with the food, and personal issues within the family led to a hostile work environment.
After the "Kitchen Nightmares" episode concluded, an Instagram video revealed how the Bel Aire Diner's owners felt while watching it. "Since we filmed in May, we have made, and are continuing to make, significant changes to keep Bel Aire the beloved neighborhood institution it has always been," the post read. Brothers Peter and Kal share in another Instagram video that the whole experience of filming the show did "bring us closer together and make us better business owners." According to Yelp reviews, the restaurant hasn't improved that much just yet, but locals seem to still be rooting for them, responding to the video with comments like, "Appreciate the update (and your humility)."