The BEST episodes of Restaurant Stakeout

#1 - Damsel in Distress

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/19/2012

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.

#2 - Who Hires These People?

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/26/2012

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.

#3 - Act Like The Boss

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/10/2012

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.

#4 - Complete Pushover

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/2/2013

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.

#5 - The Son and the Father

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 3/28/2012

#6 - Find the Leader to Follow

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 3/21/2012

#7 - Barbecue With Attitude

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/13/2013

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.

#8 - Willie Shuts It Down

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 8/6/2014

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.

#9 - Somers Almost Over

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/11/2013

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.

#10 - What Are You Servin' Here?

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 6/26/2013

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.

#11 - Little Place, Lotsa Drama

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/28/2012

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.

#12 - You Can't Fire Family

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/14/2012

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.

#13 - That's Money Out The Door

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/17/2012

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.

#14 - Three Strikes And You're Out!

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/3/2013

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.

#15 - Unlucky in Vegas

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 6/25/2014

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?

#16 - Cioa, Vegas

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/16/2014

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?

#17 - Father Daughter Stakeout

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 8/20/2014

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.

#18 - This Place Is a Circus

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/24/2012

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.

#19 - Tuscan Tumbleweeds

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 6/12/2013

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.

#20 - Your Smokehouse Is a Joke-House

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/29/2013

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.

#21 - My Big Fat Greek Nightmare

Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/5/2012

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.

#22 - The Big ... NOT So Easy

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/17/2013

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.

#23 - To Catch A ''restaurant'' Thief

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/24/2013

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.

#24 - Hammered in Vegas

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 7/2/2014

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.

#25 - Paint By Numbers

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/4/2012