24 Hours to Hell and Back - Caneda's White Rooster Update

On tonight's episode of 24 Hours to Hell and Back, Gordon Ramsay is in Toms River, New Jersey to try to save Caneda's White Rooster.  Caneda's White Rooster is a Cuban-fusion restaurant which opened in August 2018, and Gordon Ramsay is supposedly needed after a year in business.  The owner Patty Caneda is in denial about her restaurant and an investor is almost ready to pull the plug on his investment.


Let's take a look at some information, reviews, and updates for Caneda's White Rooster since 24 Hours to Hell and Back and Gordon Ramsay made all of the changes to the restaurant (note - all reviews are post-makeover).




Positive Reviews:

• "Dinner for me, at the waitress' suggestion, was the spice rubbed pork Tenderloin. Tender was an understatement! The loin was cooked to perfection, expertly seasoned and delicious! The accompanying rice & beans and plantains lived up to expectations, nothing exceptional but good enough. Mom had the Ropa Vieja which was also very good. I'd say all in all it was a very good meal at a reasonable price and I will go back again without hesitation."
• "My husband and I went to the White Rooster tonight after their remodel. The restaurant is very pretty. They did a great job. We ordered 2 empanadas to start. We had the chicken and the garlic shrimp. They serve them cut in half. Both were excellent, and served with a cilantro jalapeno sauce. Both were tasty. Then they brought out some chips and salsa. The chips were home made, and the salsa tasted very fresh. I had the pork tenderloin for my entree, which came with black beans rice and a few platanos. My husband ordered the Cuban sandwhich which was huge. The pork was very tender and the mole was tasty. I wished there was more mole. I took 1 star off because the service was very very slow. The waitress was wonderful, but she kept apologizing over and over and said it's frustrating even to her. I would definitely try it again because we really enjoyed the food."
• "Great experience here on a quiet Wednesday night. Service was pleasant, ambiance is great and the food was delicious. Our first time here. We had seafood paella and short ribs. Can't wait to come back."

Negative Reviews:

• "At least the place is pretty, but you can't eat decor. We were there with a group on a Saturday night . The entire place seemed to be is disarray , our appetizer came out after our dinners . Bland food"
• "I've honestly never been here. I was going to give it a try after reading some positive reviews. Then I got to the negative ones. My lord, I thought Trump should have his phone taken away. This lady (owner) is nuttier than squirrel shit. Put the phone down! You are your own worst enemy"
• "Sorry was there before Chef Ramsey was there.. Loved it! Went there last night..... the cook must have dropped the salt shaker on my scallops WOW, and raw. Shrimp dish before Ramsey Perfect.. last night the shrimp were much smaller and just ok. This is the first time I ever did a review of a restaurant. Traveled closed to 30 miles to go there, 1 and done. It was much better pre- Ramsey for sure. Sorry it is what it is."
• "Tried it in the past and wasn't too impressed but the foodie in me had to try it again since Gordon Ramsey has been there. Still not impressed. The service definitely still needs to be worked on, I. was made aware that the first week was supposed to be Gordon's food he created and you could not order off that menu which I was completely ok with until I saw random Cuban sandwiches coming out of the kitchen (definitely not on the menu) I will say the food was slightly better than my first two times I was there but I think the portions got even smaller at the same price point. I grew up in a the business, so writing a bad review is never easy for me but this place just can't get it together."
• "I must say, I have never seen such nasty replies to patrons ever. Shame on you. You make nothing but excuses and derogatory comments in reply to some honest constructive criticism from patrons. My Cuban husband and I, Puerto Rican, went to your restaurant before the change and just recently last weekend. You had it right before...now it is similar to a mix of tex mex and sloppy dishes. Both of knowing what pork should be, yours is pulled pork. Your menu now lacks the staples anyone wanting a real traditional cuban meal .Not to mention the quality of your food is poor compared to your early beginnings Those seeking Real traditional cuban meal..pass this one by."

*Reviews from Yelp, Tripadvisor, Google


Other News and Links:

• The 24 Hours to Hell and Back makeover happened in October 2019.
• Here is the Caneda's White Rooster website and Facebook page.
• Here is a copy of the Caneda's menu shortly after the 24 Hours to Hell and Back makeover. Comparing it to the website, it looks like this menu has been kept. (Link)
• Caneda's White Rooster offers multiple different Groupon deals which are about half off food. (Link)
• Patty Caneda operated a place called Caneda's Empanada which was very popular.  The popularity of it made her decide to open Caneda's White Rooster.
• Here is a local article with a bunch of pictures taken during the makeover.  There are over 400 comments on the article, some of which blame the owner for the restaurant's problems.
• Here are the reviews for Caneda's White Rooster from Yelp, Tripadvisor and Google
• Patty responds to a lot of the reviews, especially the negative ones and tries to defend the restaurant.

Conclusion:

The reviews for Caneda's White Rooster since Gordon Ramsay made over the restaurant with 24 Hours to Hell and Back have been more negative than positive.  Some people say they like the food and the makeover while there are complaints about the food, service and the owner Patty.  Patty responds to a lot of the negative reviews on review sites with a bit of an attitude to try to defend the restaurant.  This has also rubbed some people the wrong way.  It seems that Caneda's White Rooster has kept the menu suggested by Gordon Ramsay.


UPDATE - Caneda's White Rooster closed in March of 2020 - More details on the closure.


*To see how the restaurants from 24 Hours to Hell and Back are doing, visit the 24 Hours To Hell and Back Updates Page. Also, if you are interested in the restaurants from Kitchen Nightmares, visit the Kitchen Nightmares Updates Page.