The WORST episodes of Restaurant Stakeout

#1 - From the Top Down

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/11/2012

#2 - Hoover Dam'd Pizza

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 6/18/2014

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?

#3 - Sushi on the Strip

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 6/11/2014

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.

#4 - Dysfunction Junction

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/8/2014

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?

#5 - Party All the Time

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/14/2012

#6 - Las Vegas Stakeout

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 6/4/2014

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.

#7 - Momma's Boy

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/20/2013

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.

#8 - The Customer's Always Wrong

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/12/2012

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.

#9 - Nobody's Runnin' The Store

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/29/2012

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.

#10 - Oh, Brother

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/11/2012

#11 - Golf Course Stakeout

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 7/23/2014

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.

#12 - Blonde Ambition

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/2013

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.

#13 - Bad News Bistro

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/23/2013

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.

#14 - On It's Last Leg

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/21/2012

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.

#15 - The Place Is a Ghost Town!

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/5/2013

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.

#16 - Clueless Cousins

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/30/2013

Willie swoops in to VB3 in Jersey City to come to the aid of two cousins that opened up a high end Italian restaurant a year ago. Chef Mike is running the kitchen with precision, but his cousin Joe is having difficulties operating the restaurant and managing an unorganized staff. Without Willie's help, the doors will close and the cousins' million-dollar investment will disappear along with their business.

#17 - Whine Bar

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/4/2013

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?

#18 - Starving for Customers

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/27/2013

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.

#19 - Joe Broadway's or Bust

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/11/2013

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.

#20 - A Bunch of Spolied Brats

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/12/2012

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.

#21 - Fuggedabout Mario

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 7/30/2014

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.

#22 - Division Street Disaster

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/18/2013

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.

#23 - Family Style Failure

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/2013

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.

#24 - Kiss Beso Goodbye

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/2013

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.

#25 - Your Mom's Gotta Go

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/2013

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.