The 20 best shows set in restaurants

Gentefied, like far too many other series set in restaurants, was canceled before its time, but before that, it was the perfect blend of comedy and drama. Its focus on a pair of cousins, their taco shop, and the American dream are all things that are very relatable yet very specific to the time and place in which the series takes place. It’s the kind of dramedy that really forces the viewer to think about the nature of gentrification and how it is changing many American communities for the worse.

Party Down is the very definition of a cult hit, for while it struggled with audiences, it was very much beloved by critics. It focuses on struggling actors and other creatives working as cater waiters in Los Angeles. It’s a true embarrassment of riches when it comes to its cast, including Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge, and Megan Mullally. It’s also one of those shows that has the distinction of being revived after a significant hiatus, having received a third season in 2023 (after disappearing in 2010).  

Two Guys and a Girl is, in many ways, a fairly typical workplace sitcom. The first couple of seasons of the series take place at a pizza joint in Boston and focus on the various characters as they try to figure out what they want to do with their lives. The series changed a lot over the course of its run, including moving away from the pizza place in later seasons, but it’s still a lot of fun to watch. It is, in many ways, a sitcom very much of its era (the late ‘90s and early '00s), so it also has nostalgia value. 

Some of the best restaurant shows aim to give the viewer knowledge and appreciation for the various cuisines that make up a given country. For example, the aptly titled Amazing Eats features Adam Richman as he goes around the US sampling various cuisines. This show gives the viewer a renewed understanding of the sheer variety of cuisines that can be found across the country, and it skillfully combines reality-based TV with a history lesson.

Guy Fieri is one of the most recognizable names and faces in restaurant-themed shows, and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is one of his most beloved and recognizable series. As its title implies, it focuses on Fieri as he travels to various independent restaurants and interviews customers and those responsible for creating the food. It’s a show that is the definition of feel-good, in no small part because it often helped to boost the profile of the restaurants that Fieri visited, often to their substantial benefit.

Some of the best shows set in restaurants show the viewer just how stressful and high-octane this world can be. Boiling Point, for example, never lets up on the pressure, which is precisely what has drawn many people to it. Restaurants, as these types of shows make clear, are not just places that make and prepare food but are also businesses and pressure-cookers that bring out both the best and the worst in those who work there. 

There seems to be something innately pleasing about documentaries that focus on the inner workings of kitchens and the pleasures of the table. One of the best of these is Chef’s Table, which treats viewers to a behind-the-scenes look at a number of particularly famous restaurants and the chefs who work there. Among other things, it gives viewers a renewed appreciation of the philosophy of food and how, for many chefs, cooking is not just a means of producing food but also a true philosophy and art in its own right. 

The late Anthony Bourdain was truly one of a kind, and his book Kitchen Confidential  was the basis for the short-lived series of the same name. Though the show struggled in the ratings and was cancelled quickly by Fox, it’s still worth a watch. Among other things, it stars Bradley Cooper as chef Jordan Bourdain and marks the key moment when his star was just starting to rise. It also only has thirteen total episodes, so it makes for a quick binge.

Few chefs have been as influential as Julia Child, who brought the style and sophistication of French cuisine to American audiences. Though Julia — the HBO Max show that focuses on her career — doesn’t always take place in a restaurant, there are enough key scenes that do to make it worth a watch. Moreover, it features a truly spectacular performance by Sarah Lancashire as Child herself, and she captures the real woman’s charm and complex personality, making it clear how she came to enchant millions of viewers.

Whites might have just lasted one season, but it still offered a humorous and fascinating look at the struggles and humor of working in a fancy restaurant. It’s the kind of show that works because of its perfect casting, with Alan Davies particularly shining as Roland White, someone whose career as a chef hasn’t gone nearly as well as he expected. Given that it’s one season, it’s also the type of show that makes for a perfect binge, and it definitely doesn’t outstay its welcome.

Once one has seen an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, there is no forgetting it. Gordon Ramsay is one of those TV personalities with a terrifying presence yet impossible to look away from, particularly when he rakes some restaurant owner or chef over the coals. This is one of those shows that really emphasizes the embarrassment-by-extension factor with the viewer, and there are many times when it’s hard not to feel sorry for the victims of Ramsay’s rage, even as one can’t help but wonder how such restaurants got to their bad state in the first place.

When Ella Purnell’s Tess begins work at a famous New York City restaurant, she has no idea this is the gateway to a new, turbulent, and very hedonistic life. This is one of those shows that hits the nail on the head in its depiction of just how stressful working in a restaurant can be. What’s more, it also uses Ella’s story to showcase just how much of a role gender plays in the world of fine dining.

Since it first appeared on Fox in 2011, Bob’s Burgers has shown itself to be a true stalwart when it comes to adult animation. It has a warm heart, and it makes the audience fall in love with its quirky and bizarre characters, from family patriarch Bob to his ditzy wife Linda to their three very old children. No matter what happens, and no matter how much their business struggles, they find love and support with each other, while giving the audience a ton of laughs.

While 2 Broke Girls may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no doubt it was a success for its network. In large measure, this can be explained by the undeniable chemistry between its leads, Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, who are remarkable comedic talents. Of course, it also helped that they were supported by a tremendous supporting cast, which included the likes of Jennifer Coolidge. Its humor might at times be more than a little sophomoric and insensitive, but the show also invites the audience to like its characters, which helps to explain its appeal. 

Even though it only lasted for three seasons, there’s still much to enjoy about Call Me Kat, which focuses on Mayim Bialik’s Kat and her efforts to make a go of running a cat cafe in Louisville. It might not be groundbreaking in terms of its approach to the sitcom form, but what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in its feel-good vibes and its excellent cast. In addition to Bialik, it featured the comedic talents of heavy hitters such as Swoosie Kurtz, the late Leslie Jordan, and Kyla Pratt.

Based on Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the sitcom Alice focused on Linda Lavin’s Alice Hyatt, a widow who ends up working in a roadside diner. The series was the perfect showcase for the late Lavin’s talents, and such was the strength of its writing and its appeal that it managed to survive several cast departures. Among other things, it was notable for being one of the most enduring sitcoms to focus primarily on a female main character, so it’s easy to see why it would remain so beloved even after all these years.

Reba McEntire might have gotten her start in country music, but she has repeatedly shown that she is also a phenomenal presence on TV. Happy’s Place, her newest series, focuses on her character, Bobbie, who inherits her father’s tavern after his death and discovers that she has a half-sister. The series’ appeal lies in its throwback approach to the sitcom, and it’s often funny and deeply poignant. Unsurprisingly, given the dearth of such shows in today’s streaming landscape, it has proved quite popular.

Pushing Daisies can be said to have been ahead of its time. Lee Pace gives one of his most memorable performances as Ned, a pie maker who has the unusual, and often troublemaking, ability to return dead things to life. It had a whimsical and off-beat sensibility that set it apart from almost anything else on television at the time, and it featured a very talented cast. Unfortunately, it only lasted two seasons, but one can always hope that, like so many other series, it might yet find a revival.  

Like many other sitcoms of the 1980s, It's a Living had a brief life on network TV before producing new episodes in syndication. Much of the action revolves around the various actresses working at the high-end restaurant Above the Top in Los Angeles. It might never have achieved the canonical status of some of the other sitcoms of the 1980s, but it still offers a fascinating look at 1980s life from the point of view of those in the service industry (rather than, say, a nuclear family or the wealthy). 

Few series have captured the stress and unrelenting pressure of the restaurant world quite like The Bear.  Featuring knockout performances from the likes of Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, the series focuses on chefs Carmy and Syd as they attempt to turn a small family restaurant into a fine dining establishment. In addition to showing just how terrible it can be to try to start up a restaurant, the series explores weighty issues such as grief, trauma, and the weight of family expectations.