In this 24 Hours to Hell and Back episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Lowery's Seafood Restaurant.
Lowery's in Tappahannock, Virginia has been a staple in the town after being opened over 80 years ago by the owners grandparents and is located close to the best fishing spot in the area.
The restaurant is owned by Duby Lowery with his brother David Lowery assigned as the manager.
This has caused a rift between the brothers as Duby was given ownership and there are constant fights which has led to a breakdown in communication.
Line Cook Anthony believes the restaurant is only still open due to Arlene and Pam.
Long term staff members Pam, who has worked there close to 30 years and Arlene who has worked there over 40 years.
They worked at the restaurant when the restaurant was busy and doing well and now the restaurant is close to closure.
The restaurant is being supported financially by their parents, who have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars.
They blame Duby for slacking off and not properly running the restaurant which in turn frustrates brother David.
Gordon arrives at the restaurant undercover with a group of local pensioners. Immediately he is put off by the overbearing smell of seafood and is not impressed with the dated decor.
Cook Henry asks David to smell some seafood that has been in about a week.
The group orders crab cakes, rib eye steak, oyster bowl
The crab cakes are full of shell and are spoiled, the steak is overcooked and tough and the oysters are sour and bad.
Gordon asks the diners to stop eating and the staff to come out whilst Gordon removes his disguise.
He brands the experience as dreadful and believes they have lost their passion and excitement.
Gordon asks the customers to watch secret footage of the restaurant that reveals low quality food, expired food and a staff member admitting they had a salmonella outbreak.
The customers are asked if they will return and they say no. Gordon asks the customers to return in 24 hours and the staff call their families as they will be in the restaurant for relaunch.
David and Duby are sent to clean the kitchen whilst the staff discuss the problems. Duby is not often at the restaurant and there is a lack of leadership.
David orders the produce on a daily basis as they don't use suppliers due not being able to pay them. The staff reveal that they are also not paid on time.
Duby is defensive and says he will leave if the staff want him to go but Gordon gives him a dressing down.
Gordon brings in Theresa and Veronica to revamp the dining room and they strip everything out of the restaurant.
In the kitchen Gordon discovers that the kitchen is filthy and the staff never clean it. He scrapes the dust from over the hob, a layer of grime from the grill and a river of grease.
The main walk-in is covered in black mold, nothing is dated and there is raw beef stored with the nine containers of cooked fried chicken. There are thousands of dollars of wasted produce.
In the seafood fridge a tray of slimy oysters are discovered and they were those that were served to Gordon's table. Gordon is furious as they could have poisoned someone with those oysters.
In another fridge Gordon discovers mushy, rotten apples and annoyed at his excuse he throws it at Duby, who walks out.
The kitchen staff are told to give the kitchen a deep clean whilst the renovation gets underway. They are unsurprisingly going for a nautical theme.
After the clean the staff are taken to Gordon's Hell on Wheels truck to work on the new menu, a range of new and updated dishes and fresh seafood.
Anthony is promoted to Head Chef and David will be trained on how to step up as a kitchen manager.
Gordon sits down for a heart to heart with both Duby and David and he works on repairing their relationship by bringing in their mother Sharon.
The staff love the new food but Gordon cuts open the chicken and it is pink inside. He gives Anthony a pep talk as he senses the knock to his confidence.
On relaunch night, the brothers commit to working together and the customers love the new decor and how happy the staff look.
The customers love the new food but Anthony struggles and serves ice cold chicken before walking out of the kitchen.
He returns after a switch around in the kitchen where Chuck will cook the kitchen and he will cook the fish, the first fish he cooks is burnt and he goes outside for a break before deciding to leave for good.
What Happened Next at Lowery's Seafood Restaurant?
Three months later, customers numbers are up and they are seeing new faces.
Chuck has stepped up in the kitchen and Duby and Dave are working together well.
Lowery's Seafood Restaurant closed in August 2020 after they filed for bankruptcy.
Yelp Reviews are mostly positive with compliments to the decor and service. It appears they have reduced the menu further since Gordon's visit and some customers aren't happy with the higher prices. Some customers have also complained that the food wasn't hot enough.
Trip Advisor reviews are also mostly positive with the same complaints as above on higher prices, the overly short menu and food being cold.
Lowery's Seafood Restaurant was aired on January 07 2020, the episode was filmed in October 2019 and is 24 Hours to Hell and Back season 3 episode 1.
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Gordon made a mistake when he put Anthony as the head chef. I knew when he did it that it wasn’t going to work. I don’t understand why someone that makes a living judging peoples character couldn’t see that he wasn’t more than a line cook if not a dishwasher.
ReplyDeleteAnthony left them so I guess it didn't really have anything to do with him.
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