Ms. Jean’s Southern Cuisine Kitchen Nightmares Update – Open Or Closed?

Episode Recap

Ms. Jean’s Southern Cuisine was a Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania restaurant featured on season 6 of Kitchen Nightmares. The Ms. Jean’s Southern Cuisine Kitchen Nightmares episode aired in November 2012, but the actual filming and visit from Gordon Ramsay took place earlier in May. It was episode 4 of season 6.

In this episode of Kitchen Nightmares Chef Gordon Ramsay takes us to Ms Jean’s Southern Cuisine in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania (just outside Pittsburgh), where we meet the owner, Jean Gould.

Jean opened the restaurant after members of her congregation praised her cooking and encouraged her to open a restaurant.

The original restaurant was called Jean’s Soul Food Restaurant, but she would eventually move on to Ms. Jean’s Southern Cuisine.

Unfortunately, tasty food isn’t enough to make a successful business because the restaurant is now empty on most days.

Jean meets Gordon at the hotel, with a peach cobbler in hand, right before Gordon was about to head over to the restaurant.

Gordon asks Jean what she thinks the overall problem with the restaurant is, and Jean admits that her biggest problems are the staff, as they are always late and on their phones, taking unnecessary breaks, and spreading gossip during work.

Jean also shares that she is doubtful that she’s going to make it through the month as she is in a lot of debt.

She seems like such a nice lady so it’s really sad to see her having money problems.

Gordon then heads to the restaurant and when he arrives he is greeted by no one. Gordon is amazed at how empty the restaurant is, and he also notes that there is no sign that it is a restaurant at all.

Gordon then sits down to order off the menu, unfortunately, most of the menu items that he picks are unavailable, so he settles with the pork chops, ribs, and macaroni and cheese.

He also orders an ice tea that he claims tastes like pure sugar syrup.

The ribs arrive and Gordon sends it back claiming they are too salty.

The macaroni and cheese arrives still sizzling from the microwave, and Gordon describes it as bland, dreadful, and overcooked.

Lastly, the pork chops arrive and there are flies flying around Gordon while he is trying to eat them, and Gordon claims the pork chops were too greasy and dry and not even the flies were interested in it.

Later that night Gordon arrives to observe the dinner rush and he notices the orders are stuck to the fridge.

He also notices the kitchen’s disorganization and nobody working well together.

It seems like Jean has struggled with the operational parts of running a restaurant and needs some help to get a system in place.

The few dishes that manage to leave the kitchen are typically sent back, as the pork chops are over cooked and the chicken is dry.

The customers that don’t send their dishes back are being harassed by the flies in the dining room as they’re trying to eat.

That night Gordon and his crew give the restaurant a massive makeover.

Once he’s done with it, it can now seat almost twice as many people (assuming Gordon’s other changes can get that many people in the door).

Gordon also changes the menu to have a focus on southern comfort food.

He also wants to streamline it so future customers won’t have issues with dishes being out of stock.

The staff is given a sample of the new menu and they all agree it is excellent, which is what you’d expect from a chef of Gordon Ramsay’s caliber.

The night of relaunch was a total success, leaving customers happy about the food they received.

Even the Wilkinsburg mayor attends and enjoys the food – what politician would turn down a chance to be on TV, right?