Browse all episodes of Restaurant Stakeout

From the Top Down

Party All the Time

Find the Leader to Follow

The Son and the Father

Paint By Numbers

Oh, Brother

Willie is called upon to help struggling owner and chef Mike, of Trends Restaurant in Staten Island, N.Y. The business is collapsing and Mike is at the mercy of his out-of-control staff. His problems are compounded by the fact that his manager son, Nick, is often missing in action instead of leading by example. Mike's always dreamed of one day passing the restaurant onto his son. But if Willie can't get this kid to step up and take control, there may be no business to inherit.

Nobody's Runnin' The Store

Willie comes to the aid of Tom, proud owner of Nauna's Bella Casa, who's spent the past 24 years building his restaurant into an established Montclair, N.J., eatery. Now, the married 45-year-old owner is looking to take a step back from his demanding business to start a family. Tom's enlisted Willie to help him figure out what his staff is doing when he's not around that's costing him customers, so he can salvage his restaurant's reputation before it's too late.

When the Cat's Away

Willie has his work cut out for him when he stakes out the Oakwood Diner in Staten Island, N.Y. The owner, Mike Jr., has been around the diner business his entire life. Following in his successful father's footsteps, he took over the Oakwood Diner two and a half years ago. Mike inherited an undisciplined staff that treats the place like their living room and drives customers away with rude and inappropriate behavior.

The Customer's Always Wrong

Willie helps out Melissa O’Connell, a too-sweet wife, mother and owner of The Pepper Jack Grill in Staten Island. Melissa treats her staff like family, and, like any family, they bring the dysfunction. Their fighting, drinking, and unprofessional behavior is driving customers away and causing business to suffer. Despite the grill’s problem’s, Melissa’s hanging on to the business because of a promise she made to her young daughter. But if Willie can’t help her, she may soon have no choice but close up shop.

Damsel in Distress

Willie comes to the aid of Nick, owner of the Pita Grill in Hoboken, N.J. Nick recently achieved a lifelong goal of opening up his own restaurant, as part owner of a small franchise business. Nick's invested everything into the place and needs it to work. But now an unruly staff, more interested in having fun than customer service, could destroy his dream and cost him everything. Willie is Nick's last hope to help straighten out his staff and his business before the Pita Grill is forced to close its doors for good.

Who Hires These People?

Willie comes to the aid of Dawn, owner of the Liberty Bar and Grill in Hoboken, N.J. After 14 years in business, Dawn's restaurant is struggling and she's called Willie for answers. He soon discovers that Dawn's hands-off management style has created a leadership vacuum and some serious personnel issues that threaten to bring the business to its knees.

Act Like The Boss

Willie steps in to help Anna Maria, chef and owner of Anna Maria's Italian Restaurant in Larchmont, N.Y. While her food gets raves, her restaurant has developed a reputation for nickel-and-diming the customer and it's driving business out the door. If Willie can't solve the service problems, Anna Maria's dream of running her own restaurant is destined to become a nightmare.

That's Money Out The Door

Willie is called in to help a desperate owner, Antony, save his Italian restaurant, Serata, in Oyster Bay, N.Y. Antony's rowdy employees have created an atmosphere that's more sideshow than serene, and business is suffering. The situation is complicated by the fact that Serata's main investor, Vinny, is also Antony's best friend. The two lifelong friends need Willie to get their restaurant back on track before their business and relationship come to an unhappy ending.

This Place Is a Circus

At Ariana Restaurant in Huntington, N.Y., Willie Degel finds a family-run business suffering from too much family and not enough business. The owner's son, Joey, has reached out to Willie to help save the restaurant and convince his father that recent reviews point to a painful truth: The lax atmosphere toward customers is driving business away and threatens to run Ariana's into the ground.

You Can't Fire Family

Willie is called in to help the Haven Grill in Port Washington, N.Y. Tough economic times recently prompted this family-run restaurant to move from traditional Italian fare to an American menu with broader appeal. But, with the business still struggling, the restaurant has developed an identity crisis that's taking its toll on the married owners. Their daughter, Stefania, is desperate for Willie to sort this messy situation out and get the Haven Grill on the right track before it's too late.

On It's Last Leg

Willie helps first-time owner, Michael, fix his struggling Mexican restaurant, Taqueria Autentica, in Bloomfield, N.J. Opening just one year ago, Michael's restaurant has wrestled with novice mistakes, botched food orders and a young staff behaving inappropriately. Now, a wave of negative customer reviews is seriously threatening the restaurant's bottom line. If things don't change fast, the restaurant may have to close its doors for good.

Little Place, Lotsa Drama

Willie comes to the aid of Spiro, owner of Athena Mediterranean Cuisine in Brooklyn, N.Y. The restaurant is a family affair for Spiro, with his mother, three brothers and a nephew all playing roles in it's day-to-day operation. But it's dwindling customer base and reviews pointing to unprofessional service suggest that sometimes business and family are a bad mix. If Willie can't get this passionate family operating on the same page, Spiro's restaurant could become another Greek tragedy.

My Big Fat Greek Nightmare

Willie travels to Joey D's Pizzeria in Metuchen, N.J., to help the owner, Joey, put an end to the family drama that is tearing his business apart. Eight years ago, Joey risked everything to pursue a lifelong goal of opening his own restaurant. The gamble paid off as his establishment soon became a local favorite. But now, after almost a decade of successful operation, Joey's twentysomething stepdaughters have essentially taken control of the joint. Their bad behavior is driving customers away and if Willie can't help Joey rein them in, he just might lose everything.

A Bunch of Spolied Brats

Willie comes to the aid of Anthony and Toby, owners of Hot Rods Real Pit BBQ in Wharton, N.J. After 10 years, the restaurant is still struggling to succeed and it's robbing Anthony and Toby of precious hours they should be spending with their young daughter. Willie soon finds that bad attitudes and a significant lack of training are among the worst offenders on the floor — and it will take some serious hands-on intervention to turn things around.

Barbecue With Attitude

Willie comes to the aid of Luis, who, with his mother, own The Latin Kitchen in the Bronx, N.Y. After a freak accident that nearly claimed his mother's life and the arrival of new competition in the neighborhood, Luis is on the verge of ruin. It's up to Willie to take an unfocused, unguided staff and turn them into the winning team that Louis and his mother so desperately need.

Momma's Boy

A.J., owner of A.J.'s Burgers in New Rochelle, N.Y., can't seem to make ends meet, despite award winning burgers and a commitment to pleasing his customers. Willie soon discovers the issues driving A.J. into the poor house, including an overloaded menu, confused identity and a burned out manager.

You Can't Be Everything To Everybody

Willie is called in to help Mohammad, owner of Shiraz Persian Restaurant in Elmsford, N.Y., who has already been forced out business twice before. But with staff infighting, laziness and an owner who is too afraid to lay down the law, Willie quickly discovers that there may be more problems at Shiraz than even he can fix.

Three Strikes And You're Out!

Willie steps in to help Lisa, owner of The Bayou in North Bellmore, N.Y. After 22 years serving up authentic cajun flavors, customers now seem to be disappearing. Willie soon discovers that a disillusioned leader and a staff that treats the place more like Mardi Gras than a restaurant, may be at the heart of the problem.

The Big ... NOT So Easy

Willie comes to the aid of Danny, owner of Danny's Steakhouse in Red Bank, N.J. After 42 years in the business, Danny has seemingly tried everything, but his business is struggling. Danny is desperate to slow down, but doesn't think his staff can manage without him. Willie discovers that not only is the staff incompetent, but there may be a thief in their midst.

To Catch A ''restaurant'' Thief

Willie comes to the aid of Audrey, whose brother, Ernie, took over the family-run eatery Gus's Franklin Park Restaurant in Harrison, N.Y., almost a decade ago. Now the struggling business is in need of serious help: Willie discovers that an overly generous Ernie may be the root of the restaurant's problems.

Giving Away the House

Sisters Kim and Trisha, owners of Dock's Clam Bar & Pasta House in Staten Island, N.Y., faced a devastating setback following Hurricane Sandy. With nowhere else to turn and rising tensions, Willie is their last hope to save the only business they've ever known.

Kitchen Mafia

Willie steps in to assist Sean, the young owner of Smokehouse Barbecue in Somerville, N.J., Willie finds that an unprofessional staff, more interested in pulling pranks than customer service, may be more than Sean's business can survive.

Your Smokehouse Is a Joke-House

After 20 years of hard work and chasing the American dream, going from dishwasher to owner, Juan opened Roasted Peppers in Mamaroneck, N.Y., with his business partner and co-chef, Darrell. No matter how hard they try, they can barely make ends meet. Complicating matters, Juan's 11-year-old son was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Desperate for help, Juan turns to Willie to save his restaurant and keep his dream alive.

The Place Is a Ghost Town!

Joe, the owners of The Venetian Grille in Somerville, N.J., grew up in the business and took over the family restaurant eight years ago. After an unsuccessful attempt at opening a new restaurant, Joe returned to The Venetian Grille and found business had disappeared. Willie quickly discovers that an unprofessional staff, confused identity and frustrated manager are just a few of the problems that need fixing.

Tuscan Tumbleweeds

Willie answers the call of Frank, owner of Michael's Roscommon House in Belleville, N.J. Frank inherited the restaurant from his late father and is struggling to keep things afloat. Willie soon finds that an untrained staff, lack of structure and an unruly chef are only part of Frank's problem: Frank himself must learn to step up and lead as his father once did, or kiss his business goodbye.

What Would Your Father Do?

Willie comes to the aid of Rene, co-owner of Barzola Restaurant in Flushing, N.Y. Rene inherited the restaurant from his parents but is now struggling to make ends meet, and has no idea what needs fixing. Willie's surveillance uncovers a lack of knowledge on the menu, bad attitudes on the floor and a serious lack of inventory, that may be dragging the restaurant down.

What Are You Servin' Here?

Joe is struggling as a first-time restaurant owner. After his mother's passing, Joe took a big gamble and used his inheritance to open Joe Broadway's Billiards & Sports Pub in Staten Island, N.Y. For the past year, Joe has run himself into the ground simply trying to stay afloat. He's not making any money, his staff is unprofessional and his chef is at wit's end and about to quit. Without Willie's help, Joe's big gamble will go bust.

Joe Broadway's or Bust

Willie is called in by Alan, owner of Sugo Cafe, a family-run business in Long Beach, N.Y. For the past six years, Alan, a total control freak, has devoted every waking moment to his struggling restaurant at the cost of spending time with his wife and watching his kids grow up. Desperate to spend time with his loved ones, Alan has staffed Sugo with family and friends, but immediately discovers that business and family do no mix and, in fact, could be the recipe for disaster at the cafe.

Your Mom's Gotta Go

Willie comes to the aid of Dena, owner of BlonDee's Bistro & Bar in Huntington, N.Y. Dena opened BlonDee's a year ago as a way to support her three children, but after an unfavorable review from the New York Times, she spends all of her time at the restaurant and away from her kids. Willie soon discovers that Dena's dedication has turned into a lack of delegation, crippling the workflow of the restaurant in a myriad of ways.

Blonde Ambition

Willie rushes to 90 Park in North Bergen, N.J., to come to the rescue of chef/owner Antonia. Due to a family illness, Antonia shifted her attention away from the restaurant and now she's paying for it, even borrowing against her house to keep the business running. Though a wizard in the kitchen, Antonia is a disaster when it comes to managing her staff and handling the finances. Without Willie's help, she'll lose her business and her home.

Complete Pushover

Willie is called in by Donna, the owner of Beso Restaurant and Bar in Brooklyn. Though a successful businesswoman, Donna's first try at running a restaurant is coming as a shock. A strong early start has recently turned into bad reviews and plummeting profits and Donna's iron grip on the staff hasn't improved service. Without Willie's help, this once promising establishment will close its doors for good.

Kiss Beso Goodbye

Willie is called in to help husband and wife Larry and Joan, owners of The Original Mama Angelo's in North Arlington, N.J. This family-style Italian eatery's authentic cuisine is no longer enough to keep customers coming back for more, and they are worried about losing everything. Pouring their life savings into the declining business, Larry and Joan need Willie to pull Mama Angelo's back from the brink of disaster.

Family Style Failure

Willie is called in to rescue, Pat, the chef/owner of PK's Restaurant & Lounge in Staten Island, N.Y. When Pat opened his restaurant a year ago it was a dream come true, but now it's become a nightmare. Only Willie can help him whip his young, inexperienced staff into shape and get the sprawling menu under control.

Bad News Bistro

Cousins are having operation difficulties in their high end Italian restaurant, VB3 in Jersey City.

Clueless Cousins

Former boxing champ Nikko used his winnings to open his own business, A Plate of Soul, in Jamaica, N.Y. Nikko's family depends on the restaurant for their livelyhood but, despite his passion for soul food, Nikko can't turn a profit. The glacially slow staff, in both the front and the back of the house, are turning customers away. Without Willie's help, A Plate of Soul could go down for the count.

Starving for Customers

Willie steps in to help Rich and Jeanie, owners of 12 Grapes Wine Bar in Peekskill, N.Y. Five years ago, Rich retired from his corporate job to fulfill his lifelong dream of owning a music venue/restaurant. Rich has invested everything they have into the business, but now, his dream is jeopardizing the couple's financial future. Can Willie wake Rich and Jeanie from this nightmare before it's goodnight for 12 Grapes?

Whine Bar

Willie is called in to help lifelong best friends and current business partners Joe and Gene. Four years ago the former Wall Street hotshots opened Somers 202 in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. While locals initially loved the restaurant, lately business has bottomed out. The owners dream of passing the restaurant down to their children, but without Willie's help, shutting the doors on Somers 202 may be their only reality.

Somers Almost Over

With its fifteen-year anniversary around the corner, Division Street Grill owner, Arne, calls in Willie as a last ditch effort to save his struggling business. Arne was once a hands-on owner, but has recently lost his passion for the business, and his staff is following his lead. If Willie is unable to reinvigorate this rundown staff and its disimpassioned owner, Arne will have to close the doors of his Peekskill, N.Y., restaurant for the first time in fifteen years.

Division Street Disaster

Willie comes to the rescue of Bob, owner of Junction 46 in Ledgewood, N.J. Bob had some initial success when he opened two years ago, but business has recently been on a steady decline. On top of a failing business, Bob needs to cut back his hours to address health issues, but with a troublesome staff he is often working 90 hours a week. Can Willie bring some relief to this restaurant so Bob can rest and retire?

Dysfunction Junction

Tommy thought it made perfect sense to take all of his retirement and buy Buon Gusto Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas so that he and his chef son, Joel, could run it together. Without any restaurant experience, Tommy soon found himself in way over his head and now he's seeing his retirement nest egg vanish. Without telling his son, he has called in Willie to see if he can take this Las Vegas gamble and turn it into a moneymaker.

Las Vegas Stakeout

Willie is called in to help Joy, owner of Osaka's Japanese Cuisine, the first sushi restaurant in Las Vegas. With her restaurant floundering, Joy calls in Willie to reel in her staff before her legacy comes to an end. Only Willie can save this Las Vegas tradition, before it becomes lost in the sands of time.

Sushi on the Strip

At Vinny's Pizzeria in Boulder City, Nev., near the Hoover Dam, Willie Degel must save an owner who isn't making money even though he spends 75 hours a week at the restaurant. Vinny has been in the pizza business since childhood, but despite his years of experience, Vinny can't figure out what's going wrong. After moving his family 1,700 miles to open this restaurant, failure is not an option. Can Willie's surveillance cameras, and his expertise in service, solve this mystery before it's too late?

Hoover Dam'd Pizza

Willie is called in to Lake Las Vegas to assist Chanthy, owner of Sonrisa Grill, where the once lively Mexican restaurant is suffering at the hands of the staff. Chanthy has borrowed over $300,000 from relatives and sacrificed splitting up her family to keep this desert oasis alive. Can Willie help Chanthy save Sonrisa Grill so she can pay her relatives back and get her family reunited for good?

Unlucky in Vegas

Willie is called in to help former professional hockey player Bob Fleming with his struggling Hammer's Grill and Bar. In 2007, Bob moved the bar's original location from Illinois to Henderson, Nev., just outside of Las Vegas. Since then, Hammer's success has started to melt away. Known as The Hammer in his hockey days for his brawling ways, Bob is now in the fight of his life to keep Hammer's open.

Hammered in Vegas

Willie is called in to help Riccardo, the young owner of Gina's Bistro in Las Vegas. Italian traditions meet the American Dream as Riccardo attempts to turn his immigrant story into a successful one. Can Willie get this restaurant back on track, before Riccardo is forced to close and move back to Italy?

Ciao, Vegas!

When Brian and Brian opened Oh' Brian's On the Green in Clark, N.J., they thought it would be a hole in one. But their manager is perfecting a disappearing act and the staff is left to fend for themselves while customers grow unhappy. Before their dream of building a restaurant empire gets caught in a sand trap, the two Brians call Willie to save their reputation.

Golf Course Stakeout

Willie is summoned to Union, N.J., to help owner John with his struggling family restaurant, Mario's Tutto Bene. John's parents passed over the 32-year-old restaurant to him seven years ago but now this restaurant runs more like the Wild West than a cozy family restaurant! The staff at the restaurant has run amok and the owners need Willie's help to not only save their struggling store, but to help mend their family ties.

Fuggedabout Mario

After recovering from a terrible motorcycle accident, Ricky swooped in to save the day when his mother and her restaurant were the victims of a massive theft. However, with no money coming in, an entitled staff and only his girlfriend by his side, this novice restaurateur is about to make Restaurant Stakeout history when Willie does the unthinkable.

Willie Shuts It Down

Restaurateur Nicky's daughter fears that if the stale energy and archaic ways of running Villa Monaco in West Islip, N.Y., continue, in just a few short years the restaurant could become extinct! Without an intervention from Willie to help enlighten Nicky to the real problems at the restaurant, he could lose the business and his relationship with his daughter.

Father Daughter Stakeout

Willie is called to help the owner of The Stress Factory comedy club in New Brunswick, N.J. This 20-year-old institution is a comedy club first and owner Vinnie is watching the restaurant quickly sink. It's no laughing for Vinnie, who doesn't have a back-up plan if he can't take the restaurant to the next level and needs Willie to de-stress the Stress Factory before it's too late.

Standup Stakeout

Pat closed the doors on the Brookside Grill in Highland Mills, N.Y., due to problems with his former partner. Now he's tempting fate to re-open the Grill with new partners. Willie must re-ignite the Brookside Grill, or else Pat's dreams will go up in smoke for good.

Grand Opening Stakeout

After opening a successful pizza restaurant with his brother, Anthony thought branching off on his own, with Trovato's Due in Oakland Park, N.J., would be a piece of cake. Now, he's drowning in a million dollars of debt and has called in Willie for help. Can Willie tame Anthony's stubborn nature before the damage is done?

Million Dollar Stakeout

Restaurant Stakeout is an American reality television series on the Food Network. The series debuted on March 12, 2012, with the second season premiering on August 29, 2012. The series follows New York City restaurant owner William Jack "Willie" Degel, who goes behind the scenes of different restaurants across the country with hidden cameras to examine their service problems. It is one of the first "reality" shows attempted on Food Network.

All Episodes of Restaurant Stakeout

All Episodes of Restaurant Stakeout

Season 1

From the Top Down

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 3/11/2012

Party All the Time

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 3/14/2012

Find the Leader to Follow

Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 3/21/2012

The Son and the Father

Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 3/28/2012

Paint By Numbers

Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 4/4/2012

Oh, Brother

Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/11/2012