In this Kitchen Nightmares episode, Gordon Ramsay visits Max’s Bar and Grill in Long Branch, New Jersey.
Max’s Bar and Grill is owned and run by Jennifer.
She is a third-generation owner as the business has been open for 95 years.
They are known for their hot dogs.
Their standards have fallen as has the customer base.
Jennifer works with her ex-husband Jake, who works in the kitchen.
They still work together as they have children to support.
The staff feel the tension and are uncomfortable.
Jake has a girlfriend called MK, who also works at the business as a server.
Gordon arrives at the restaurant.
He is greeted and taken to his seat.
Gordon orders a coffee while scoping out the space.
He finds the space cold and uninviting.
He sees customers eating hot dogs and the menu has too many items.
The server quickly gives Gordon the lowdown on the owners and their love triangle.
Gordon orders the nachos, chili and the hotdog.
The food comes and he is not impressed.
The chicken in the nachos is raw, the cheese is not melted and the chili is bland.
The dishes all taste frozen.
The hotdogs come out last and the sausage is shriveled and wrinkled.
Gordon has to spit it out as it is too salty.
He finds the food to be very poorly made and it is the worst hot dog he has ever tasted.
It is not going well and Jennifer blames Jake.
MK confronts her and everyone including Gordon hears them.
Gordon sits with Jennifer to find out the history of the business.
Jennifer thinks Jake is the source of the problem as he lacks passion.
She feels like she was forced to hire MK because she had a staffing need.
Jennifer reveals she is in over $1m in debt.
Gordon decides to meet Jake and he also finds that he is lacking in passion.
Gordon wants to observe a lunch service.
He is shocked to find out how long they cook the hotdogs for.
Gordon watches as Jake's lackluster attitude affects the service.
Dishes are forgotten, some are mixed up and sent back to the kitchen.
There is no order and it is a mess with dishes going out in different states.
Orders are backed up in the kitchen and customers are left waiting.
In the front of the house, Gordon gets complaints from the customers.
No one has anything good to say about the restaurant.
MK is also as unresponsive and critical of Jennifer throughout the service.
After the service is over, Gordon sits with the staff giving them feedback.
They have not had a staff meeting in over 2 years and it shows they are not in sync.
The tension is driving them apart with MK, Jennifer and Jake jostling for control.
MK and Jennifer soon start squabbling in front of everyone.
Gordon has to step in and Jennifer breaks down in tears as she is overwhelmed.
Jake requests a meeting alone with Gordon.
He reveals that he feels the tension and is affected by it.
Gordon reminds him he is working there for his children.
Jake meets with Jennifer alone where they try to hash things out and he explains MK is fiery.
They agree to come to a truce for the sake of the restaurant.
Overnight, Gordon’s team have worked on the restaurant space transforming it into a bright space with pops of color.
The menu has also been overhauled, with some new items and a revamp of the hotdog menu.
The staff tries the new menu and they love it all.
They spend a day learning the new menu and locals and celebrities have been invited for the relaunch.
Jake will be supported in the kitchen by Gordon’s sous chef from Hell’s Kitchen.
On relaunch, the customers arrive and orders flow into the kitchen.
Jake finally finds his voice and is in control in the kitchen.
They start to struggle midway through the service.
There are missing orders and ticket times hit 20 mins, keeping customers waiting.
Jake steps up and they work through the orders and work through the backlog quickly.
The customers get their food and they are all happy.
Jennifer has some time to reconcile with MK.
She is happy with Jake stepping up and Jennifer being constructive.
Gordon is happy and promises to be back for their 100th anniversary.
What Happened Next at Max’s Bar and Grill?
Two months later, Max’s is busy and customer numbers are up.
They are still using the new menu.
Jennifer is hopeful for the future of the business and continuing the legacy.
Max’s Bar and Grill is open.
Reviews are very positive after the show.
With most episodes there are often fake negative reviews and it appears that some one star reviews appeared around the time the show aired.
Max’s Bar and Grill was aired on 04 December 2023, the episode was filmed in June 2023 and is Kitchen Nightmares season 8 episode 9.
Read About More Kitchen Nightmares
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Previous episode - South Brooklyn Foundry
This post was last updated in January 2024.
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