Simmer Down Cafe - Kitchen Nightmares Update

On this week's episode of Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay is in Georgetown, Texas to help out the restaurant Simmer Down Cafe.  Gordon needs to help the owner Chris establish systems and boundaries at the restaurant in hopes of it succeeding. While Gordon is there, he finds food that isn't great and a filthy restaurant.

Kitchen Nightmares visited Simmer Down Cafe in October 2024 to film the episode, and I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Simmer Down Cafe to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Gordon Ramsay visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Kitchen Nightmares):

Positive Reviews:

• "Great liver and onions! So glad we went back when we saw they put it back on the menu after Gordon Ramsey took it off."
• "This was my second time in, but it had been ages. The food was great. The service was outstanding. The owners were on the floor to make sure everything was going well. I'll be back."
• "Cute cafe with breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had a veggie omelette with grits, good flavor and the salsa was very tasty. Ambiance was calming and volume inside is relatively quiet. Great relaxing way to start the day. Attentive service as well"
• "Went with high hopes after renovation of menu and interior. Much nicer in appearance, was waited on by John who was excellent. I leaned he hasn't waited tables before this job and he was great. My friend ordered the ham and cheese special and loved it and I ordered the tomato basil cup of soup and half a chicken salad sandwich. Both were fresh and well seasoned."
• "Today, a friend and I stopped in at Simmers Down to try the Sunday buffet around 10:15 am. I loved the new decor ...shabby chic. All I can say the food was AWESOME especially for the price of $7.99!"
• "The new design of the place is absolutely stunning! The food and drinks are delicious. Waiters are very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back again soon!"

Negative Reviews:

• "Poor food and poor service! Walking in, we had high hopes because the atmosphere seemed nice. we were seated quickly and they were about 80% full, but we sat at the table for 20 minutes before someone approached us..... All of the food tasted like it came from a Sysco food truck where everything is premade. Nothing seemed homemade or specialized. Our appetizer was fine, but the chicken fried steak tasted like the meat had gone bad. The mac & cheese had an odd chemical taste to it."
• "Last experience here was awful but my friend picked this place today. Interior had been touched but nothing spectacular. Disappointed the transformation was not more impactful. Went for a late morning breakfast. Restaurant wasn't crowded but still waited 10 minutes at the door to be seated together with another party.,Should have been the clue to leave.....Skip this place. Both food quality and service are terrible."
• "The food is ok. But I have shown up 3 times now when they were supposed to be open only to have a sign out front saying they were closed until lunch. Just pathetic management. Won't be back again."
• "We've eaten breakfast at Simmer Down for quite some time and they have been GREAT and economical. They closed for a few days to remodel and just reopened. They removed the old tables and booths. No more booths, too bad! The also changed their menu, also NOT GOOD. The prices are also higher. We use to eat there at least once a week or more. NO MORE, we'll have to find a new breakfast stop. We'll miss the cheerful wait staff."
• "Although Simmer Down is a local, quaint eatery, and draws quite a few, it DOES need to address the "sewer" smell. This odor hits you hard if you're sitting at the bar. It appears to be an old building but that aside...the plumbing should be brought up to date. A nice enough place to grab a bite with friendly staff."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The makeover for Simmer Down Cafe happened in October 2024 and this is the season finale episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
• Here is the Simmer Down Cafe Facebook page and they do not currently have a website.
• This post has the latest menu.
• They have posted previews of their upcoming episode on their Facebook page.
• Here are the reviews for Simmer Down Cafe on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google. 

Conclusion:

The reviews for Simmer Down Cafe since the Kitchen Nightmares update are mixed with there being positive and negative reviews on both the food and service.  While some people like the food, it also seems to be a reason for many complaints.  The service also seems to be hit and miss.



*To see updates on all the restaurants from Kitchen Nightmares and to see which ones are open or closed, visit the Kitchen Nightmares Update Page. Plus Follow on Twitter to keep up to date on closings.