(keep reading to learn what happened)
Season: 8 | View All Season 8 Episodes
Original Episode Air Date: October 2, 2023
Bask 46 Address: 1530 US-46, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
Episode Recap
Bask 46 (also spelled BASK46) was a Woodland Park, New Jersey restaurant featured on Season 8 of Kitchen Nightmares.
Though the Bask 46 Kitchen Nightmares episode aired on TV in October 2023, the actual visit from Gordon Ramsay happened in late May 2023.
It was Kitchen Nightmares Season 8 Episode 2.
In this episode, Gordon Ramsay heads to Bask 46 restaurant in Woodland Park, NJ.
The restaurant is located on US Route 46, which is part of where the Bask 46 name comes from.
The Bask 46 owner is Steve Baskinger.
Given Steve’s last name, you can see where the other part of the restaurant’s name comes from.
Steve had worked in the restaurant industry for most of his life, including a bakery and a pizza place, as well as stints on Royal Caribbean International cruises and a costumed character at Walt Disney World.
However, Steve was never happy with how he was treated in those jobs.
So when an opportunity to open his own restaurant came up, Steve took it and opened the original Bask Bar and Grill back in 2001.
Despite having a similar name, Bask Bar and Grill is a different restaurant and not the restaurant from the episode.
Steve also had a bar named 381 Main, though that bar ended up closing.
Basically – Steve has a lot of restaurant industry experience, which isn’t always the case with owners from the show.
Soon after the 381 Main bar closed, Steve opened up Bask 46, which maintained a lot of details from the 381 Main Bar, including using the same brick pizza oven.
The Bask46 Woodland Park location is actually just up the street from Steve’s other restaurant, Bask Bar and Grill (which is still open).
However, Bask46 and Bask Bar and Grill are separate restaurants, each with its own concept and menu.
At the time of Gordon’s visit, the restaurant is pretty new, having only been open for less than six months.
The Bask46 restaurant opened in February 2023 and the actual visit from Gordon was from May 20-24 2023, when the restaurant said it would be “making improvements”.
This is pretty much the polar opposite from Bel Aire Diner in the previous week’s episode, which had been open for 50+ years at the time of Gordon’s visit.
I’ll update this episode recap to provide more detail after the episode airs.
However, based on the preview video, one thing Gordon Ramsay seems to focus on is the portion sizes at the restaurant.
Gordon says that people are “taking away more food than they’re eating”, which is obviously a waste and hurts the restaurant’s bottom line.
There’s also a great moment when the executive chef admits that the “homemade cheese sauce” includes Cheez-Wiz. Lol!
Gordon says that he’s been told everything is “homemade”.
However, the executive chef counters that it’s “partially homemade”, which doesn’t really make sense to me (or Gordon, who asks if the chef is joking with him).
As part of putting in a new menu at Bask 46, Gordon Ramsay added a ribeye steak, beef sliders, and blackened shrimp tacos.
So was the Kitchen Nightmares Bask 46 visit a long-term success?
Keep reading to learn what happened next and if this Woodland Park, NJ restaurant is still open in 2024.
Bask 46 Update - What Happened Next?
Now that we’ve recapped the Bask 46 Kitchen Nightmares episode, let’s talk about what happened to the restaurant after Gordon Ramsay and his crew left Woodland Park, New Jersey.
However, before I talk about whether Bask 46 is still open (which it is!), let’s first go over some details on how the Bask 46 team felt about the Kitchen Nightmares experience.
In general, Steve seems to have been happy with the visit from Gordon Ramsay.
When the Bask 46 restaurant Kitchen Nightmares episode first aired on Fox, Bask 46 hosted a watch party at the restaurant.
That’s always a good sign that the owners were happy with it.
When the episode aired on TV, they also posted a tongue in cheek “Kitchen Nightmares tasting menu” that did give me a good chuckle.
I would love to try one of the the Fiery Exchanges haha.
In an interview with a local publication, Steve also shared his reasoning for having the restaurant be on the show:
They reached out to me via email regarding restaurant renovations.
I saw it as a great opportunity to address some of our challenges, such as food costs, labor costs, and staffing.
Steve also said that the Kitchen Nightmares experience has also helped him become more hands-on in the kitchen and more proactive about fixing issues at the restaurant.
However, back when the renovation happened, Steve didn’t seem quite as happy with the situation.
In a Facebook post from back in May, Steve said the following:
Gordon will not be there !
Thank god !
His food does not compare
… and he is a complete asshole
He also called Gordon “horrible” in a follow-up comment.
That could just be a heat of the moment thing from right after filming, as Steve seemed more positive in the later interview.
I could see being a little worked up after a few days of Gordon yelling at me, haha.
Let’s get to the most important question on your mind…
Is Bask 46 still open after Kitchen Nightmares?
As of 2023, Bask 46 is still open and serving customers in Woodland Park, NJ.
Reviews for the restaurant seem to be generally positive.
The restaurant is also very active on its social media profiles and website, regularly posting about upcoming events and specials.
I’ll share some examples of real reviews from after the Bask 46 Gordon Ramsay visit below.
But first, here are some examples of the types of events that Bask 46 hosts – the event list seems more like those at a bar, which makes sense because Bask 46 is kind of the reincarnation of Steve’s earlier 381 Main bar.
For example, Bask 46 hosts a karaoke night on every Tuesday.
Bask 46 also has a trivia night every Wednesday.
The restaurant also hosts boxing and other sporting events on its 21+ TVs.
Basically, it definitely has a more “bar” type feel than some of the other fine dining establishments that have been featured on Kitchen Nightmares.
There’s also an official Bask 46 website that has the menu and other details.
One nice thing I like about the Bask 46 menu is that they’ve marked the special items from Gordon Ramsay with a triple asterisk (***).
Here’s a direct link to the menu and I’ve embedded a screenshot below so that you can see some of the items and prices.
Here’s what the Bask 46 Woodland Park NJ location looks like in the most recent picture from Google Maps street view.
As you can see, it’s in quite a large strip mall. I’m mainly embedding it so that you can explore the area around the restaurant.
Bask 46 reviews after Kitchen Nightmares
In general, Bask 46 seems to receive positive reviews, though the quantity of reviews isn’t as large as some of the other restaurants on the show.
Overall, Bask 46 has a 4 star rating on 7+ Yelp reviews and a 4.5 star rating on 46+ Google reviews, which includes reviews from both before and after the Gordon Ramsay Bask 46 visit.
Remember, Gordon’s actual visit was from May 20-24 2023, even though the episode didn’t air until October 2023.
At the time that the Bask46 Kitchen Nightmares episode aired on TV, there’s only been two Yelp reviews from after Gordon’s visit – both positive.
However, I think this first five star review might be confusing Bask46 with Steve’s other bar, because Bask 46 hasn’t been around for years yet (but Bask Bar and Grill has).
Amazing food , great service!
Wish I had tried years ago.
Ive lived in the area for some time and never thought of going here, sad ive been missing out
The other Yelp review is definitely referring to Bask 46 because it mentions its history as 381 Bar.
It’s a four star review from June 2023, just a couple of weeks after Gordon’s visit.
Great food.
Great atmosphere great staff!!
381’s great food is back and even better!!
Don’t miss out!!
Love the blue cheese burger.
Love shrimp tacos.
Love the pizza!!
They never disappoint!!
On Google, there have been a lot more post-Kitchen Nightmares reviews.
In general, the Google reviews seem to be very positive.
I only found a few negative reviews, while most reviews are four or five stars.
Here’s a sampling of a few Google reviews that were written after the Bask 46 Gordon Ramsay visit…
5 star Google review from September 2023:
Place is great.
Plenty of TVs for the games.
Diverse menu that hits the spot.
Drinks are cold.
Pizza is crispy.
The atmosphere and hand crafted deco is really cool and interesting.
Notice more in-depth stuff every time i go.
Highly recommend
5 star Google review from September 2023:
The Bask 46 was wonderful and good music and fun and upbeat atmosphere.
Buffalo wings and Blue cheese burger was awesome.
Cocktails made perfect and lots of tv for sports fans.
5 star Google review from August 2023:
Good food, grilled cheese mac and cheese was really good.
Wrap looked good.
Fries are good, all good!
Water was very water flavored, no soapy taste
I love that they highlighted that the water was “water flavored” haha.
5 star Google review from July 2023:
Everything was Fantastic.
I had the steak sandwich and wings.
Was beyond my expectations.
If you haven’t been here, get here.
You won’t be disappointed
As I mentioned, there were only a couple of negative Bask 46 reviews mixed in.
Here’s an example of one – a 2 star Google review from July 2023:
The service was about as good as it got.
Our server was very friendly but clearly covered the spread of customers but still did her best to handle our experience.
Cauliflower bits soggy, definitely blanched too long.
Burger wasn’t seasoned at all.
Tacos weren’t terrible, but the shrimp tacos my girlfriend had was 60% bagged guacamole.
Overall, people seem to like Bask 46.
What happened to Chef Bobby, the “Culinary Gangsta”?
Despite the episode saying that Executive Chef Bobby (the Culinary Gangsta) would retire, he seems to still be looking for work opportunities.
In June 2023, Bobby posted on TikTok and on Instagram saying that he was available for hire.
He’s looking for “General Manager / Head Chef opportunities only”.
@culinarygangsta46Dm me if interested♬ Godfather – Remix – HSMusic
I’m not sure if he’s been able to find work or not yet.
He also seems to be leaning into the Kitchen Nightmares experience, posting images of “The Culinary Gangsta vs Gordon Ramsay”.
His TikTok also has an image where he appears to be squeezing the throat of a billboard containing Ramsay’s image, lol.
Bobby has also posted a lot about the episode on his Facebook page.
This includes a 1.5 minute video where he responds to people attacking his six figure salary from the episode.
He also says:
Don’t pay attention to this show.
There’s a lot of lies in there.
I’m not gonna get into it right now.
But I’m having a great time responding to all your [redacted] comments.
I am.
So, I wanna say thank you to all those who supported me.
Thank you to all those that don’t, ’cause I really don’t give a shit.
I’ve embedded the video below:
Bobby’s other posts are also worth a look, as they’re pretty funny.
Note – I don’t support or encourage people leaving mean comments, which some people seem to be doing.
On October 9 2023, Bobby also announced that he would be launching a podcast.
Unsurprisingly, the podcast’s name is The Culinary Gangstaz Podcast Cooking Show.
On October 13, he published the first episode, which features his “new teammate and Sous Chef” – Queen B.
I’ve embedded the episode below – it’s about 36 minutes long though so I’m not sure if you’ll want to watch the full thing.
Prior to this episode, Bobby also did a live Facebook Q&A.
Basically, he seems to be really leaning into his Kitchen Nightmares fame.
Steve’s other restaurant (Bask Bar and Grill) is having issues with its landlord
While Bask46 seems to be doing well after Kitchen Nightmares, Steve’s other restaurant, Bask Bar and Grill, seems to be having some issues with the property’s landlord.
Most notably, the landlord is trying to get the city to approve a plan to demolish the Bask Bar and Grill location and turn it into a Dunkin’ Donuts.
Here’s an August 2023 article from a local publication that talks about it.
It seems like they’ve postponed the vote for now, so I’m not sure what will happen.
Steve also posted on the Bask Bar and Grill Facebook page to try to rally people to support the restaurant.
Again, this is not about the restaurant you saw on the Bask 46 restaurant Kitchen Nightmares episode.
This is about Steve’s other restaurant, which also has “Bask” in its name.
Final thoughts on Bask 46
Overall, Bask 46 seems to be doing well after the visit from Gordon Ramsay.
While the restaurant doesn’t have a ton of reviews on Yelp and Google, the reviews that do exist are quite positive.
Steve also has plenty of experience in running a restaurant, with his other Bask Bar and Grill Restaurant being open for almost 22 years.
So, with those two facts in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bask 46 Woodland Park location stay open for a long time.
I wish Steve and the rest of the Bask 46 crew success.
And I hope Steve is able to stop the landlord from replacing his other restaurant with a Dunkin’ Donuts!
That wraps up my Bask 46 Kitchen Nightmares update.
If you want to see some other nearby New Jersey Kitchen Nightmares episodes, you can also check out my updates for Campania in Fair Lawn NJ, Leone’s in Montclair NJ, Grasshopper Also in Carlstadt NJ, and Bazzini in Ridgewood NJ.
If you want to see updates for other restaurants from Season 8, you can check out my update for Bel Aire Diner in Queens NYC.
And if you want to share your thoughts on the Bask 46 episode, you can do so using the comments section below.
Thank you for reading!
More Information
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bask-46-woodland-parkhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087652115411
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Last updated: 2023-10-14 08:21
How can something be partially homemade? It don’t make sense!
At the end of the show, Gordon says the Gangsta chef quit, after he left. I don’t see how the owners are going to dig themselves out of $1,000,000 in debt! However I did look at the pics of the other bar. Basks Bar and Grill. Looks like a fun bar for some drinks. But Bask is going to be out of the bar/restaurant business. The landlord wants to tear down the building. And Bask 46 is a longshot to succeed.
The ‘Culinary Gangsta’. Who would hire him after all the backtalk and stupid food stunts he pulled on Ramsey? This personality type never changes and he’s stuck with it. His hubris and arrogance would be poison in any kitchen. But the Million Dollar Debt?(Or so they say). Both restaurants are going to collapse. Costs continue to rise. They can’t ‘sell’ their way out of it to make a profit and there’s no way around it, in my opinion.
Gordon upgraded the menu by replacing the bland cheddar cheese-flavored Cheez Whiz with fancy brie-, Gruyère-, and gouda- flavored Cheez Whizzes.
You’re back!
Just like Gordon.
Lol Bobby’s video response is hilarious. Dude can’t leave it alone
Why would Steve call Ramsey an asshole. I have no doubt he can be, but if someone came in to help save my business I wouldn’t do that. Douchebag move Steve.
To be fair, Steve said that the Kitchen Nightmares producers reached out to his restaurant to be on the show, rather than Bask 46 applying to be on Kitchen Nightmares.
I think that does change the dynamic a bit.
The ‘culinary gangster’ realizing Gordon had 6 inches and 20 lbs of muscle on him and immediately turning into a simp was hilarious.
You can debate if his shows actually help places, or even if they want to, but some kitchen tough guy seeing how big he is in person and crying 3 scenes later will always be hilarious.
This episode looked insanely fake in every way. The gangster chef was a clown. He looked 100% there as an actor. The wife was another fake looking person. Her best friend the waitress had a gigantic fake wig that looked a mop on her head. You could clearly see the clip that held the wig to her real hair whenever she was on screen.
Bask 46 had only been open six months and they were a million in debt? The owner was a bigger drama queen than any of the women? The place always looked busy, and they just conveniently lost the fake chef after the episode was over?
Oh man. The original Kitchen Nightmares was brilliantly, although obviously, edited that it didn’t seem as fake. They’d get by the interviews through editing, not after doing a few takes.
Now it just seems fake. At the beginning when he walks over to his wife and says the customer hated everything. That was such horrible acting. Once the chef started talking I had to stop watching. Such a flop of a reboot. I’d rather watch the Saved by the Bell reboot. lol.
Any bar/grill restaurant that pays his “chef” a 100k salary deserves to go out of business. The only person to blame for their debt is the owner, plain and simple.
I think a partially homemade Cheez Wiz dish is totally worth a $100k salary.
Respect the Culinary Gangster!