Plot Synopsis

By using hidden cameras and microphones to observe what actually happens inside a restaurant, New York tough-love restaurateur Willie Degel helps troubled eatery owners looking to find and rectify the hidden problems that lie within their establishments. When the waiters, bartenders and kitchen and service staff think no one is watching, Degel can bust the bad habits of any struggling restaurant, whether he needs to fix the customers, staff or kitchen hazards. Degels uses surveillance professionals to monitor these restaurants in Season 1: Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar (Las Vegas, NV); Lexington Grille and Pub (Bardonia, NY); Mt. Ivy Cafe (Pomona, NY); Agnello's Pizzeria (New City, NY); Willy Parker's restaurant (Williston Park, NY); and Bar + Bistro (Las Vegas, NV). In Season 2, Degel investigated: Trends Restaurant (Staten Island, NY); Nauna's Bella Casa (Montclair, NJ); Oakwood Diner (Staten Island, NY); The Pepper Jack Grill (Staten Island, NY); and Pita Grill (Hoboken, NJ). During Season 3, Degel helped these restaurants: Hot Rods Real Pit BBQ (Wharton, NJ); The Latin Kitchen (Bronx, NY); A.J.'s Burgers (New Rochelle, NY); The Bayou's (North Bellmore, NY); Shiraz Persian Restaurant (Elmsford, NY); Danny's Steakhouse (Red Bank, NJ); and many more struggling eateries. In the program's fourth season, Willie staked out these eateries: Joe Broadway's Billiards & Sports Pub (Staten Island, NY); Sugo Cafe (Long Beach, NY); BlonDee's Bistro & Bar (Huntington, NY); 90 Park (North Bergen, NJ); Beso Restaurant and Bar (Brooklyn, NY); The Original Mama Angelo's (North Arlington, NJ); PK's Restaurant & Lounge (Staten Island, NY); and more. Food Network aired a special preview episode of this series on Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 10pm ET, three days before the program's official series premiere on Wednesday March 14, 2012 at 10pm ET.
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RESTAURANT STAKEOUT returned for its fifth season on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network. In the Season 5 opener, Willie gambled by going to Las Vegas to help Tommy, who cashed out his retirement nest egg to buy Buon Gusto Italian Restaurant so he and his chef son, Joel, could run it together. In subsequent episodes of Season 5, Willie helped out these restaurants: Osaka's Japanese Cuisine (Las Vegas, NV); Vinny's Pizzeria (Boulder City, NV); Sonrisa Grill (Lake Las Vegas, NV); Hammer's Grill and Bar (Henderson, NV); Gina's Bistro (Las Vegas, NV); Oh' Brian's On the Green (Clark, NJ); and more eateries across America.