Rotten Lobster Causes Restaurant To Call An Ambulance | Kitchen Nightmares 

Here is the 2023 update: The restaurant is closed, not due to bad reviews or poor performance but seemingly because John Esposito (the owner) wanted to retire. Which is impressive, survived for a little over 10 years after the episode (better than most) and survived a pandemic and still it was only because the owner wanted to retire that it closed.

Imagine eating at a restaurant and suddenly seeing gordon ramsay walking around picking things up and asking when it was cleaned

3 people you should never lie to: 1. Doctor 2. Mechanic 3. Gordon Ramsey

Anyone from 2024 on the occasional kitchen nightmares binge right now?

“it’s 2012 John” excuse me while i have an existential crisis

I love how Gordon is half chef half psychologist

"You're still treating this business as if mom and dad are here." This made me cry. This man needs help and he is in pain. I am happy that Chef Ramsay went there.

“What the fuck is this” “It’s our menu, what do you think it is” That line is so underrated

John is one of the few owners who I genuinely feel so bad for. We was so driven by grief that he let it blind him to what was happening.

This ep was just sad. He wasn't stubborn because of pride, he was stubborn because it worked in the past with his mum and dad and he wants to carry on their memory in some way :( I'm so happy to learn the restaurant did well after this. He deserves the world.

This guy just hasn't been able to grieve his parents, it breaks my heart : (

“Daddy, Ramsay’s going to fix everything and we’ll get to spend more time together.” My heart shattered into pieces.

Gordon looked absolutely shellshocked when John accepted full responsibility for the mismanagement of the kitchen. No defensive attitude, no hostility, just "it's my fault" and then the most sincere plea for help I've seen on this show. So glad the business is still open and doing well.

"My friend is sick" "Is he a vegetarian?" I'm crying lmao

You got to hand one thing to Joe. He never lies, he never beats around the bush, he never puts the blame on anyone else. That alone puts him way above most of the owners on this show

"They threw me in here, I gave up my education for this." I get him.

"that was the worst lunch i've ever eaten" said gordon ramsay in every single episode

Okay but can we give the chefs some credit, they were amazing workers!! Absolutely no drama in the kitchen, I'm sure that's a first.

By far one of the most emotional episodes. You can see John’s pain, and his will to change. So happy it turned out that way. He’s truly deserves it.

Not the chef saying "I'd rather him throw it at us than us serve it to him" 💀

New title: Gordon Ramsay becomes a therapist

Most of the episodes in kitchen nightmares you see aggressive owners but in this one you see an emotional committed man

"Daddy, Ramsay's going to fix everything, then we can spend more time together." That fucking broke me. Even his kids knew how bad it was

i love how he emphasized that he didn't want John to forget the past, just not to let it control him; all of the memories he incorperated into the remodel instead of erasing them, that made all the difference

This might be the only Kitchen Nightmares episode in which the chefs adapt flawlessly to the new menu, no delays, no subpar quality and no mix-ups and on top of that they didn't cause any drama or fights in the kitchen, they most certainly deserve respect for that

Someone’s dying in his restaurant: Joe: I need VODKAAAAAA

John is not a bad man but rather a person who holds on to the past.

When that girl said she was “starving,” 21:18 . I was going to fall from my chair. Like, do you not see that an ambulance just came and took someone away after eating that food ????

the fact that both restaurants are still open just proves that Gordon is a legend. He totally turned John’s life and mentality around.

This is one of the few episodes where an owner actually listened to Gordon’s advice.

This is probably the best episode of this show. So many of these are about horrible owners with no motivation. Here was a man who wanted to be his best and had a true emotional commitment and I just looked and the place is still open and most of the reviews are very good. Very happy for John

The fact they hid camera's and microphones outside means a lot of what was recorded like that was most likely not fake. With this show you can easily tell when something feels forced or fake A LOT of what is shown in this episode in particular does not at all seem fake. Also, something about the re-decorations. I feel like I have not once really seen Ramsey actually go all out like he did with this place. He gave them new tables and walls as he usually does. But he even gives them a new board rather than cover. He gives him a special custom made artwork piece for the back wall. Photo's of the restaurant from years back. Table covers in the form of newspapers of old with the old headlines and even wordings, photo's of his dad, himself, and even his mother. The amount of love that went into the redesign is absolutely unbelievably heartfelt. Also giving him a new shirt as well, specifically and specially made for him. Not only that but Ramsey even uncharacteristically went from his usual strict, stern British douchey self. To someone who clearly knew that that method wouldn't work here, that this isn't a business failing because of a stupid, poor, or general owner who could give less than two shits. It was an owner who gave too much of a shit, who loved everything he grew up with, who had such a strong attachment to everything it became so unbearably hard for him to let it go. I am pretty sure that resonated within Gordon himself. Since from what I know about Gordon, he absolutely loves his mother, although his tastes for her food has declined, he still eats it out of the love and respect he has for her. Lastly, the fact he eventually retired, and didn't give his business to HIS kids, really shows he finally learned to let go. To give his kids the choice to do and make themselves what he wasn't able to. And honestly, unlike many of the businesses on the show, this was one of the very few I've seen that deserved a comeback. I am honestly glad that it lasted another 10 years before he closed it down, and the fact it even survived a pandemic as well.

This restaurant is still going in 2022 and is getting glowing reviews. Fantastic to see as so many places Gordon helped went under due to the owners being idiots who reverted to type.

I think the kitchen staff deserve a shout out on this one, they never falter, and fking smash the new menu

"Help me change"... Those words man, those words got me in tears. It must've taken great strength to utter the words but it shows that in the end he understands that he can't go on like this but simply doesn't know or have the strength to pull himself out of the past. But he made the first step, the hardest step

Customer eats bad lobster and needs the paramedics Fabio "that lobster was for presentation only"

I really hope John is doing okay. He seems like a really sweet, hardworking guy who's been burned out by a life of adversity.

John is one of the handful owners that are actually honest about their current conditions, actually admits their problems and does not run away with problems and more importantly did NOT blame others for his own problems. Although he has post-power syndrome before, he is a better owner now. Respect. Also, shout out to all chefs on this episode for making the food professionally and did not have any problems on this episode :) (UPDATE: Sal’s pizzeria IS STILL ON BUSINESS! Not only that, THEY HAVE GOOD REVIEWS! 4.5 Stars! :D)

I feel really bad for this guy, i can’t imagine losing both my parents… one of the most emotional episode for sure

"Ramsey is gunna fix everything so we can spend more time togeather" that was the point tears started rolling down

“It’s for presentation only” “It’s for presentation only” “It’s for presentation only” “It’s for presentation only” *this is what insanity feels like*

It’s nice to see that his restaurant is of the few that are still open today after a visit from kitchen nightmares. it looks like he really followed Gordon’s advice until now, and it looks like his restaurant is going well even during the pandemic. I hope that his restaurant will be open for the years to come since he really looks passionate about it. 😁

"We don't have a cleaning crew." Yes you do, it's called the staff! Working at Steak 'n Shake, Pasta House, even Burger King, we were required to clean our stations after every shift.

Had the pleasure to eat at the pizzeria during Fleet Week 2017 . Great pizza, happy to hear the place survived until Jon decided to retire

My heart breaks for this man. Didn’t put the blame on anyone but himself. That’s a true man. It’s hard to let go, but you have to move with the times. I wish him nothing but success for his mental health, his heart and his family and employees

WHERE ARE THEY NOW UPDATE: Mama Marias and Sals Pizzeria is still open and going strong. They currenly boast very good ratings on most websites including 4/5 stars on Trip Advisor, and 4.7/5 stars on google reviews. People seem to love the food, atmosphere, history and service to this day. The pizza seems to be a highlight. Overall the restaurant has survived the worst of their rough days, Covid and seem to be doing good. Some reviews didnt love the italian food, some didnt love the slices but overall the majority of reviews are amazing. Its noted that the seafood is still frozen. According to Kitchen Nightmares website, old customers have returned, some tweaks were made to Gordons recipes and overall business is up 10% as of 2019 (pre-covid)

9:33 I love how Gordon got bored and searched for something to do, found a massive vase, and poured dirty water over himself and on the restaurant floor and on a customer

I really like seeing the compassionate side of Gordon coming through in these shows. He is critical when appropriate, but when the owner is open to trying, he shows how much he is rooting for good people to succeed.

"I love my family, this is the only way I can provide to them" "But do you think that they enjoy watching you kill yourself in there?" Truly heartbreaking... this proves that Gordon is a great teacher and he does his best to help.

i love how gordon is flabbergasted by the owner's acceptance of fault and responsibility.

Frankly as a chef, The Head Chef is so good. He execute the new menu perfectly, control everything in kitchen. The Owner would not need Gordon, If he was just listen to the chef.

Im always surprised with how many people on these shows don't understand why frozen food is different from fresh. Freezing creates ice crystals which destroy the structure of the food. when you thaw it and the ice melts, the structure collapses. Some foods can be frozen without this happening, but most can't.

I felt that man's pain.. he clearly misses his mum and dad and felt he couldn't do it without their guidance.. he was still the pizza boy they made him... Great to see him step up his mum and dad would be proud.. I hope he is still making a success of his place.. Good luck.

One of the things I think people are underappreciating regarding John's resistance to change is that when he's told he's doing it wrong and needs to do it differently, that he's trying to do everything like his parents did. Meaning, when he's told "you're doing things wrong," he's probably hearing "your parents were doing it wrong."

People always thought Gordon Ramsey is a dickhead, but this man is a true teacher. The more you watch him the more you understand that he’s not trying to be aggressive, he’s just trying to provide guidance Shoutout to Kitchen Nightmares and shoutout to John and Mamma Maria’s team 👏🏽

Gordon is like a therapist which sounds weird but he legit heals people with his harshness

*Ambulance comes in* John: Kill the cameras Cameramen: I missed the part where that's my problem

29:04 “since my parents died” omg i did not expect it to get emotional so suddenly.. that hit me

This episode is so touching, 'How long has that been here, since my parents died.' My tears suddenly fall down like a fountain, I can see the owner really loves his family.

Imagine being a chicken, getting killed for food, going to be served to people, but instead you go to this place, get put in a freezer for 5 years and then thrown in the trash while Gordon Ramsay whispers “fucking hell.” I’d haunt that freezer.

This episode is so heartwarming. I loved how Gordon didn’t let John throw away the specials board but rather told him to bring it home, it was honestly surprising and showed how much respect Gordon truly had for his grief. He didn’t want John to “get over it”, he wanted him to carry on his parents’ legacy through a thriving business rather than memorabilia and pain. Not to mention the pictures and the tables he used to renovate, he truly felt for John and honored his grief.

The owner is another person I love on this episode. He doesn't sit in denial. He doesn't make excuses. He doesn't become defensive over every little thing he's been holding onto. He acknowledges it. He explains it. He takes accountability and he embraces the way he feels for his parents and their legacy left behind in his hands.

14:30 "You're in love with the memories, John!" You can tell that hit him like a train.

36:20 “don’t tell me who they are, cuz i’ll get nervous” 😂

I almost came to tears when the owner told Gordon he sacrificed his education to work at the restaurant along side he's late parents.....ok after the heart to heart sit-down Gordon had with him, "I cried"😭

At 20:58 The way the manager struggles to ask how to tell the customers and Gordon just explaining so clearly and nicely. Gordon is truly the hero we deserve

Gordon: The food is disgusting, the fridge is contaminated, the decor is hideous That guy: *It is for presentation only*

Nooo, not Gordon pouring water all over those two customers, holy hell 😭💀

So basically his parents pulled him out of school and got him to work in the family business because they didn't want to pay someone else? No wonder he didn't have much passion for it, it wasn't his choice, really. Glad to hear he's doing well, one of the few owners who didn't seem to be an intolerable arsehole.

"It worked before, why cant it work now?" Poor guy. He just couldnt let go from the time his parents were still there. He didnt wanted to feel like his parents would be forgotten and reafirm: Its over. They are gone. Im glad Gordon managed to help him.

The way he remodeled the restaurant was perfect. Kept the owners memories intact, while making the place new and his own. Fuck this episode was such a roller coaster of emotions

The conversation at 29:45 had me tearing up man. You can tell John has a heart unlike most of the other owners on this show.

The fact that the chef was the one who sent out the rotten lobster and smelt the uncooked one and claimed "oh yeah, ammonia, that will kill someone" but never received any shite for it and in any other episode would have been ripped to shreds by Gordon still upsets me 4 years later. Like regardless of an owners negligence, the chef sent it out!

When Gordon pours the smelly plant water over himself and the two people sat there I nearly died 😂😭💀 I love that man 😂

Gordon's capability to read people and adjust his own behaviour to the situation is quite extraordinary. Chefs in Hell's Kitchen and his own places looking for absolute perfection? Kick their asses because they need to be tough to survive in a cuthroat business. A guy hurting over the loss of his parents, trying to keep his small restaurant together? Firm, forceful but still obviously caring guidance.

"My friend got sick" "Is he Vegetarian?" LOL!!!!!

Always love the urgency that Gordon uses to address contaminants in vegetarian/vegan dishes. It really shows his human decency and care

"And as I look at you now, right over your shoulder, I see your father looking down." Chef Ramsay is so much more than a cook. He has the biggest heart.

10:36 "I would say 'enjoy', but I know better." Underrated line.

This has to be one of my all time favorite episodes simply because John the owner embodies everything that this show SHOULD be. An owner who let their restaurant fall below acceptable standards yet took full responsibility and was open minded to change. Change that allowed his restaurant to succeed for another decade. Yeah, it may also have something to do with how heartwarming and sincere this owner was about his past that brought me to tears.

I remember this episode - I always liked John - because he was honest - all the maybe stupid mistakes he did, he never lied about it - he didnt blame others - it was just to much for him during that time. I respect that.

Now this is a classic episode. And I know there's only five days left, but I hope all you guys and everyone who's running this channel have a very merry and safe Christmas.

14:39 "I fuckin' stink of plant juice." I love this man😭😭

Ramsey/Design Team did an AMAZING job. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL adding his parents to the walls and tables. This is one of the few owners that took responsibility for everything. No defensive confrontations, took accountability. Made him very likeable, and can't help but root for the guy. Glad he kept his business going.

I feel bad for John. He holds on to the past, his parents die leaving him stuck, and now the business is struggling. Must be really tough... I legit almost cried when John tried not to cry when talking about his parents

John was clearly struggling so much throughout this, sometimes people never cope with loss. Was good to see him take ownership of mistakes and such though, I hope he is doing better now. Also Joe seemed very knowledgeable and sensible, just held back by the owners menu. Hope they all gained some form of success after this happened

29:01 that killed gordon inside. you can tell thats where he understood whats wrong with this place. so sad

29:32 “You gotta let go of the past” I believe it’s difficult to let go of the past when the past were the happiest moments you’ve ever lived

Chef Joe looks like the ideal person anyone would want running their kitchen; no time for bullshit, tells it to you straight, full control of the other chefs and tickets, picked up the new menu with 0 faults. Missing the rotton lobster was bad but Jon even admitted that he had tied Joe's hands. I think he's one of the most capable chefs who have been on kitchen nightmares

"KFC probably don't have that much chicken on hand." "Hey, dont throw them(meatballs) at me." These staffs have a great sense of humour in adverse situation.

I think Joe a real one. He acc loves his restaurant, and his story about his kids was heart breaking. I'm glad to see that this restaurant is still going strong in 2022

"we don't have a cleaning crew" ... As someone who has worked in restaurants for over 15 years... YOU are the cleaning crew mister. Yuo and the rest of the servers. If its not busy, go clean. It's as simple as that.

Nobody gonna talk about the chef and the cooks? Chef Joe is hilariously honest. One of my favorites

Joe is an amazing amazing Chef, you can tell he’s passionate about food. We need more chefs like Joe. Big props to John for taking responsibility too.

"You can't serve a vegetarian a pork sauce" Gordon has more respect to ThatVeganTeacher than ThatVeganTeacher has respect to the plants she eats.

Watching this literally over ten years after it was filmed and I can’t believe how fast time goes. Proud of this guy though, I hope he’s doing okay wherever he is now.

This man looks so genuinely grateful and touched by all the help he received. So glad to hear the restaurant is still going and getting good reviews.

Usually I’m not very emotional but when John said “Help me change” I literally had tears in my eyes. It’s fucking heartbreaking seeing someone hurt this much. Life isn’t supposed to be like this.

"nothing else leaves this kitchen, unless its going in the garbage bag". I feel quite relieved that at least Joe is quick to act and stops everything instead of denying that it's their fault :')

That poor man it’s so clear he was deeply affected by his grief and I really feel for him. And you can tell Ramsey does too, I love how he has enough heart to sense his grief.