After combating countless "impossible dinners," Chef Robert Irvine faces a daunting new challenge: save America’s most desperate restaurants from impending failure in just two days with only $10,000. In his new prime-time Food Network series, Restaurant: Impossible, Robert uses creativity and resourcefulness along with a lot of muscle in his fight to rescue these restaurants and give hope to the owners and their employees. Day one of the extreme mission begins with a thorough business assessment as Robert launches the restaurant into full service, closely observes the staff and kitchen, and determines their weakest spots. Then, he springs into action by updating the menu, retraining the staff and implementing aesthetic changes with the help of his design team. To ensure a packed house for the grand re-opening at the end of day two, Robert hits the streets to tell the community about the improved restaurant. Will the ruthless schedule, tight budget and ambitious task overcome Robert’s lofty goals, or will this tall order result in restaurant triumph?
Written by Sophie and last updated on feb 08, 2023.
PS: The following content contains spoilers!
PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!
Robert heads to Providence, R.I., to save Mainelli's, a former neighborhood-favorite Italian restaurant with bad service and an extensive menu of dishes the kitchen just can't get right. Upon discovering food safety issues, Robert closes down the restaurant until further notice. After attempting to teach the cooking staff basic techniques, Robert enlists design help for a much-needed interior renovation. With time ticking away, Robert needs to pull out all the stops to complete this mission and keep Mainelli's from closing for good.
The episode was rated 7.40 from 30 votes.
In Jacksonville, Fla., Robert strives to save The Secret Garden Café, a failing breakfast/lunch locale owned by partners Zack and Michael. From the get go, it's obvious that this restaurant has no clear direction or theme, less-than-thrilling dishes, disorganized staff, and haphazard décor. Robert spins into action by putting staff through the wringer, creating new dishes, updating the décor in massive ways, and marketing the restaurant while working tirelessly to ensure all is set for a successful grand re-opening. With countless ups and downs throughout, this mission could prove impossible.
The episode was rated 7.46 from 24 votes.
Robert travels to Rascal's BBQ & Crab House in New Castle, Del., where many pass by but almost none stop to eat. Rascal's hides behind mountains of trash and one of the dirtiest kitchens Robert has seen. He orders a mass cleaning, and as the trash sorting begins, some treasures surface to update the restaurant's aesthetic. Robert also introduces fresh dishes and a new catering menu to help revive this dump. As the mission comes to an end, Robert still needs to do some serious work to triumph over the trash.
The episode was rated 7.67 from 27 votes.
Chef Robert Irvine is in Palmyra, NJ to see if he can save a 60yr old family restaurant from failure. Paul Villari III took over his family's restaurant from his father 15 years ago and has watched as the customer base has literally died off. Paul has been unable to bring a new customer base in and has found himself on the brink of having to shut down this neighborhood icon. With outdated décor and a disastrous kitchen, it's a race to the finish as Robert tries to put Villari's back on the path to success. Will he succeed or will this be Restaurant: Impossible?
The episode was rated 7.67 from 33 votes.
A new restaurant with young owners keeps Robert on his toes in this mission. Salt Works II in Wilmington, N.C., prides itself on serving down home cooking, but when Robert steps into the kitchen he finds that they only cook canned food. He immediately jumps into action modernizing the interior and changing the menu while urging the staff to work as a team. In hopes of attracting a new client base to go with the younger feel of the restaurant, Robert hits the streets to bring in the nearby college students. With time running out, he needs to confirm that the staff can execute the new menu so this restaurant can stay afloat.
The episode was rated 7.68 from 25 votes.
At Meglio's in Bridgeton, Mo., near St. Louis, Robert finds an Italian restaurant stuck in the past with a laundry list of problems. They claim to cook old family recipes, but Robert discovers that the extent of their cooking involves opening frozen food bags. After getting over the initial shock, he attempts to retrain the cooking staff and explain why they should provide quality food for customers using a smaller menu and fresher ingredients. With a last-minute design dilemma and an unfocused owner, Robert faces tough odds to make this mission a success.
The episode was rated 7.74 from 23 votes.
Robert must overcome the impossible to save the formerly venerable Flood Tide Restaurant in Mystic, Conn., which has earned a bad reputation due to its coarse owner. Robert evaluates an evening of service during which he finds many problems including a dirty kitchen. While encouraging the staff to take pride in their work, he tackles the kitchen mess. Then, he updates the menu and décor and retrains the staff to make better use of their time and materials. As the clock winds down it becomes a race to the finish to see if Robert will be successful.
The episode was rated 8.13 from 24 votes.
