The WORST episodes of Mystery Diners

Every episode of Mystery Diners ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Mystery Diners!

What happens in the food world when a bad employee starts to take down an otherwise thriving establishment or when restaurant owners suspect someone of not doing their job appropriately? They call in the Mystery Diners. These undercover operatives go into restaurants, bars and food service establishments with hidden cameras to find out what's really going on when the boss isn't around.

Last Updated: 1/29/2025Network: Food NetworkStatus: Ended
star
3.50
2 votes

#1 - Local Celebrities

Season 8 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/24/2014

A staff may be getting carried away with the digital shorts they produce to promote a restaurant and help is sent in.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#2 - Raising the Stakes

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/9/2012

Ali, owner of a Moroccan-themed restaurant in California called Marrakesh, seeks the help of Charles and the Mystery Diners because he believes his manager may have a gambling problem outside of work that's affecting his ability to do his job. Mystery Diners, Rob, Scarlet, and Loree go undercover to see if the manager's extracurricular activities are taking a toll at work.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#3 - Valet Disservice

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/23/2012

George, the owner of Los Angeles hot spot Ca' Brea, has recently received a few complaints that are surprisingly not related to the quality of his food or his wait staff's service, but about his valet service. Charles sends Mystery Diners Tracey and Hank undercover to show George just how detrimental a bad valet can be to a restaurant's business.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#4 - Sleeping on the Job

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/7/2012

Chef Marc, owner of Parma in Las Vegas, contacts Charles and the Mystery Diners for help after noticing disparities in sales receipts and inventory with his high-end Italian deli meats. Mystery Diner Shane goes undercover as a busboy and discovers one of Marc's employees is down on his luck and may be using restaurant supplies for personal gain.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#5 - Dueling Food Trucks

Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/20/2014

Marko and Brett own competing food trucks in San Diego, but put aside their differences to investigate revenue loss in both of their vehicles. Charles sends in Mystery Diners Seth and Corinne, who discover that their employees are turning a friendly competition into an all out war.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#6 - Customer Concerns

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/3/2014

Fearing that his regular customers have become too entitled, Larry, owner of 730 South in Denver, asks Charles to investigate. Mystery Diners Ariel and Conner go undercover and discover an employee may be creating the problem.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#7 - Secret Pairings

Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/24/2014

When Peter and Delinda, owners of Indulge Bistro and Wine Bar in Colorado, notice discrepancies in their food costs — specifically their expensive wine and cheese — they contact Charles for help. Mystery Diners Taylor and Brent go undercover and expose some employees who are hosting their own events.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
3.50
2 votes

#8 - Food Cart Catastrophe

Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/17/2014

Rod and Linda, owners of a la carts Food Pavilion in Portland, Ore., hear complaints from their tenants about the new onsite manager so mystery diners are sent in to investigate.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.00
2 votes

#9 - Cocktail Fail

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/13/2014

Fearing that a rivalry between her two flair bartenders is the cause of tension and missing alcohol, Sarra, owner of The Compass in Carlsbad, Calif., asks Charles to investigate. Mystery Diners Amanda and Chelsea go undercover to find out who's the real culprit.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.00
3 votes

#10 - Love Hurts

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/18/2013

When two employees who recently broke up disrupt staff harmony and start effecting sales at Marche Bacchus, owners Jeff and Rhonda seek Charles for help. The Mystery Diners go undercover to get to the bottom of this lovers' quarrel.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.33
3 votes

#11 - Sour Grapes

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/21/2012

Scott, the owner of Rhythm Kitchen in Las Vegas, suspects his sophisticated, but slightly arrogant, wine sommelier is somehow negatively affecting spirit sales. But could he also be selling his own wine to customers and keeping the profits? Charles sends Mystery Diners Chelsea and Hollie in as customers to see if something smells rotten.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.33
3 votes

#12 - Something Smells Fishy

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/26/2012

When Mario, the owner of La Traviata in Long Beach, California, becomes concerned over complaints with respect to the quality of his fish, Charles and the Mystery Diners discover that a recently hired chef may not be honest about what's in his high-priced dishes. Mystery Diners Rob, Shellene, and Lauren go undercover to find out what smells fishy.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.50
2 votes

#13 - All In The Family

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/17/2013

The owner of R&O's Restaurant in New Orleans is fed up with the lack of respect. The Diners discover big problems: the owner's niece Dee Dee who works as a waitress is rude to customers and staff, and the owner's nephew Chris who works as a busboy is coming in tired from college and getting only a few moments of sleep. During the confrontation, the owner fires Dee Dee for her blatant disrespect while telling her never to return despite being related. Dee Dee threatens to send her mother to confront him as she leaves. Chris apologizes while stating that he has college work to do and the owner is convinced to talk to his mother as well. The narrator revealed that Dee Dee has apologized for her actions after being scolded by her mother and has found another job. The nephew has a lighter work schedule to accommodate his college workload and has gotten straight A's in his recent semester. Another one of the owner's nieces named Amanda has been promoted to manager.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
4.67
3 votes

#14 - Getting a Leg Up

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/2/2012

The owner of Pips on La Brea in Los Angeles named Derrick Pipkin has a problem with a waiter named Bob who claims he hurt his leg on the job the day Derrick was going to fire him for not doing his job. This former waiter has threatened a lawsuit. So to appease him, Derrick has made him a host. However, his lazy behavior has not stopped and Derrick wonders whether the injury is even legitimate. Derrick contacts Charles Stiles for help and Mystery Diners Shellene, Lukas, and Tracey go undercover to see if Bob is faking his injury. While posing as a damsel in distress, Tracy helps to prove that Derrick is right about Bob. During the confrontation, Bob is finally fired and told to take his leg brace with him. The narrator revealed that Bob "kept on walking" and Derrick hasn't heard from Bob since the taping of this sting. Pips has finished it's relaunch where business has never been better.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.00
1 votes

#15 - Naked Lunch

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 7/24/2013

After losing several sushi models, Bruce, the owner of Lotus on Flower in Los Angeles, fears that one of his best customers is behaving inappropriately during the restaurant's "naked sushi" dining experience. Charles sends in Mystery Diner Christine to go undercover as a model to discover who is encouraging the inappropriate behavior.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.00
4 votes

#16 - Extra Curricular

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/16/2012

Johnny, owner of Pina Pizza House in Downey, California, seeks the help of Charles and the Mystery Diners because he believes his "frat-tastic" college-enrolled waiter may not have his best interests at heart and that he may be taking the party off campus and into his restaurant. Mystery Diners Grant and Jill go undercover to see if the waiter is taking his job as seriously as he claims to be taking his classes.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.17
6 votes

#17 - Daddy's Girl

Season 7 - Episode 13 - Aired 10/13/2014

When Joe and Fran, owners of Geppino's Sicilian Kitchen in Moorpark, Calif., hear customer complaints about stolen items, Joe suspects their daughter's new boyfriend is to blame. Charles sends in Mystery Diners Shelby and Destiney to identify the real thief.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.50
4 votes

#18 - Robbed Kabobs

Season 8 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/27/2014

After noticing a discrepancy in supplies, Ghaith and Tiffany, owners of Dar Salam in Portland, Ore., fear a new Iraqi food cart that's competing with their restaurant is related to the problem. Charles sends in Mystery Diners Jamie and Brianna to investigate.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.50
4 votes

#19 - Where's the Beef

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/25/2013

When Adam, owner of Via Brasil, is concerned that meat sales aren't being reflected in his register, he calls Charles for help. When the Mystery Diners go undercover, they discover the manager is doing a lot more than just giving away free steak.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.50
4 votes

#20 - Singles Night

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/14/2012

When Will, co-owner of Whiskey Dick's in Las Vegas, becomes concerned over a steady decline in female patrons, Charles and the Mystery Diners come in to investigate. Mystery Diner Shellene goes undercover as a waitress and learns that the manager is serving more than just drinks from the bar.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
5.83
6 votes

#21 - Grapes of Wrath

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/10/2014

The owners of Bistro Baffi in Burien, Washington ask Charles Stiles for help when expensive bottles of wine go missing as well as priceless art pieces. The Mystery Diners are able to show the owner that the manager isn't paying attention to the theft and has been conducting secret art deals. His waitress had also been taking bribes from other customers to let them take the wine bottles home. During the confrontation, the waitress and the manager are fired by the owners. The narrator revealed that the former waitress has apologized for her actions and found employment elsewhere. The former manager still maintained that he did nothing wrong. The staff had now been better trained to watch the wine and art better.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
6.00
10 votes

#22 - Behind the Eight Ball

Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/3/2014

Kent, owner of Uptown Billiards in Portland, Ore., believes the social media expert he hired to promote his restaurant isn't doing an adequate job. Charles sends in Mystery Diner Amber and discovers the customers are being hustled.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
6.00
2 votes

#23 - Promotion Sabotage

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/13/2014

When Isabel and Todd, co-owners of Barrio Star in San Diego, have a dispute over which waiter they should promote to manager, they contact Charles to mediate. Mystery Diners Chelsea and Seth go undercover and discover one of the candidates is being sabotaged from within.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
6.00
11 votes

#24 - Mascot Mayhem

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/3/2014

Blaine Cook, the owner of Zippy's Giant Burgers in Seattle, calls Charles Stiles to investigate rumors he's heard that his employee Aaron working as the costumed mascot Zippy the Yum Yum Burger Boy is misbehaving. The Mystery Diners go undercover and point to big problems when they reveal who was behind the whole misbehavior, Aaron's friend and roommate named Dopey Dan. He has been showing up intoxicated as a favor while Aaron visits his sick mother in secret to handle her errands. When the two are confronted, Blaine expresses his disappointment in Aaron for having Dan cover his shifts. Stiles asks Aaron why he doesn't have Dan take care of his mother's errands. Aaron stated that he wouldn't trust Dan to do any sort of errands for his mother. Stiles also points out that he made the mistake of trusting Dan to come to his place of work to cover his shifts and having him wear the Zippy costume while intoxicated. Aaron is reprimanded by Blaine and is told if he needs time off next time to take care of his mother's errands, they will discuss it. Until then, he is suspended for a week, and Blaine also tells Dan that he is no longer allowed on the property. The narrator revealed that Aaron has made amends with the owner and nobody else wears the Zippy the Yum Yum Burger Boy costume without the owner's approval. Dan is mentioned to still be unemployed.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
6.11
9 votes

#25 - Raw Deal

Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/26/2014

Fearing that her employees are selling the secret recipes to her raw food menu, Sylvia, owner of Beets Cafe in Austin, Texas, contacts Charles for help. Mystery Diners Holly and Robin go undercover and discover an even bigger problem.

Watch Now:Apple TV