14 Celebrity-Owned Restaurants That Are Actually Worth Visiting And 8 Worth Avoiding, According To Fans Who've Eaten There
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Recently, I asked the BuzzFeed Community which celeb-owned restaurants are actually worth visiting — and which ones aren't.
Here are 14 celebrity-owned restaurants that are actually worth visiting, according to people who've been there:
Disclaimer: These stories have not been verified. The users are supposedly speaking from their own experiences.
Note: Some entries have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1."The Jonas Brothers' family restaurant, Nellie's Southern Kitchen, in Belmont, North Carolina, is FANTASTIC! It has a cute little Southern cooking atmosphere, and the actual Southern cooking is fabulous. They’re not messing around down there."
"They also have live music from local singers! Their tribute to the Jonas boys in the back hallway is super cute too."
2."I’ve been to Guy Fieri's American Kitchen Bar Cancún, and my whole family loved it. They had one of those little guacamole carts that they would bring to your table and make it fresh for you."
"It was delicious, and everything else was good, but we all LOVED the fries. They were a random mix of regular, crinkle, and waffle fries with this amazing seasoning blend that was spicy yet sweet, and to this day are the best fries I’ve had."
3."I went to Machine Gun Kelly’s coffee shop, 27 Club Coffee, in Cleveland, and the coffee was so good! As a current barista at Starbucks, I can definitely say the quality of the coffee is much better than Starbucks'. It’s smoother and tastes better — not to mention, it costs about the same as or even a little less than a Starbucks drink."
"They offer a variety of coffee choices as well as some alcoholic beverages and food (with vegan options). The atmosphere is very cool and chill (they don’t just play MGK’s music). Because I visited on Valentine’s Day, they handed out pink roses."
4."Nic & Norman's — which is co-owned by The Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero and actor Norman Reedus — in Senoia, Georgia, has a great atmosphere and food."
"It's in a quaint little town with a Walking Dead vibe."
5."I had the best burger of MY LIFE at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Hell's Kitchen inside Caesars Palace. The service was also great, even though it was so crowded, and the drinks were bomb."
6."I recently went to Gordon Ramsay's Bread Street Kitchen & Bar–St. Paul's in London for dinner. I ordered fish, and it was very good, though not spectacular. However, once I tried the beef Wellington someone else ordered at our table, I regretted not getting that! It was fantastic. Tender, full of flavor, and perfectly done."
"The only downside is that it's made for two people, which is why I didn't get it in the first place. I definitely understand why it's his signature dish!"
7."Wahlburgers — the burger restaurant chain run by Paul, Mark, and Donnie Wahlberg in Massachusetts — is a nice place. I went to the original in Hingham before their reality show started. Paul came out and greeted the guests at one point, which was really nice. Good burgers, good food!"
"My mom got a kick out of the 'government cheese' on the menu because she grew up in Dorchester and remembered bringing home big blocks of it for my grandmother. All in all, it was a good time, decent prices, would recommend. However, this was 9 to 10 years ago, when there was only one restaurant, so I don't know if it has changed. Maybe it has gotten better!"
8."Fat Sal's Deli in Los Angeles, which is owned by Entourage actor Jerry Ferrara, is really good! They have sub sandwiches with everything but the kitchen sink in them."
9."I went to Food Network star Alex Guarnaschelli’s Butter Midtown in New York City. It exceeded my wildest expectations. The gnocchi mac 'n' cheese was incredible, as were the atmosphere, drinks, and raspberry beignets."
"The cheese sauce is in her recipe book, and it’s a staple in our house now for all cheese dishes."
"A couple of years ago, when I went to New York City for a concert, I went to Butter. I had branzino for the first time, which was pretty good. However, the star of the show was her Parker House rolls, the side dishes, and the beignets I had for dessert!
"And when I mentioned that I was a fan, they gave me an autographed photo. I’m assuming they have stacks of them to hand out, but it was a nice gesture."
10."One of my all-time-favorite restaurants in the world is Wolfgang Puck's Spago location in Maui, Hawaii. It's truly a special place. The seafood is fresh, the miso poke cones are heavenly, and the atmosphere is unmatched."
"Obviously, you are paying a lot for the experience, but it's worth it."
11."Morimoto, which is owned by Iron Chef and Iron Chef America star Masaharu Morimoto, at Disney Springs in Florida is amazing. Try the duck!"
"If the Iron Chef is in town, you might see him here."
12."In Orlando, we went to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, and it was the BEST night. We had so much fun wearing silly balloon hats, listening to live music, and dancing!"
"I would 10/10 go back to Jimmy's."
—dee
13."There are quite a few celebrity-owned places in Nashville, and the best one is Jason Aldean's Kitchen + Rooftop Bar because of the rooftop vibes."
14."Maneet Chauhan, who is a celebrity chef, has three restaurants, called Chauhan Ale and Masala House, Tánsuŏ, and the Mockingbird. They're all in Nashville, and they're all so incredible!"
"Chauhan is my favorite of the three. It's the best Indian food in Nashville, but they have an American-Indian fusion appetizer of tandoori chicken poutine. 😍"
And now, here are eight celebrity-owned restaurants that are NOT worth visiting, according to people who've been there:
15."By far, the worst celebrity-run restaurant in Nashville is Kid Rock's Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock N' Roll Steakhouse."
16."I went to one of Bar Rescue host Jon Taffer's Taffer's Tavern bars (which have multiple locations). The drinks were pretty good, but the food was terrible. I ordered a dish, and the server said he would not recommend that and it was really bad, and recommended the steak instead. I said I was a vegetarian, and he said, 'Oh shit.' I had a flatbread that was really disgusting."
"Also, there is a huge portrait of Jon Taffer overlooking the bar, which is a bit uncomfortable as well."
17."In Las Vegas, I went to the Vanderpump Cocktail Garden in Caesars Palace. Although the drinks were inventive and delicious, the service was the worst I’ve ever had, and the food was meh."
"It made me sad because I love Sur, Pump, and Tom Tom (all owned by Lisa Vanderpump)."
18."I recently went to Saints and Sinners in New Orleans, which Channing Tatum is part owner of. Let me tell you, this place has amazing service and the kindest workers you will find in the city, but the workers do not make up for the food or dirt."
"When I tell you I saw a ROACH crawling across the floor after I ordered my meal...then the food came, which was cold and had no seasoning. No seasoning in New Orleans?!? The bathrooms have doors that are falling off, as well as black mold. The list goes on...
"Channing, my man, if you see this, please stop by the spot and give them some money to renovate, as this place needs some serious TLC."
19."When in New Orleans, I went to Meril, Emeril Lagasse's newer casual restaurant. The food was amazing! I'd travel just about anywhere to have his BBQ shrimp again. But I was traveling alone, and they aren't really welcoming of solo diners."
"The only place they would seat me was at the bar (no food service) or at the 'chef's bar.' This is a counter in front of a window looking into the kitchen. I know some foodies find seeing into the kitchen a big deal, but for me it felt awkward and uncomfortable."
20."I went to Gordon Ramsay's new restaurant that he opened this year in Boston, Ramsay's Kitchen. The food was great, and the atmosphere was really nice. The biggest issue I had was that the server would not stop trying to upsell."
"He was talking up this glass of wine, and when I looked at the menu, it was over $150 a glass. I was so glad that I looked at the menu first. He also kept telling me how beautiful I am, which was a bit uncomfortable while I was there with my boyfriend. I think he just meant it to be nice, but it was a bit off-putting."
21."Bobby Flay's Burger Palace in the Atlanta airport was the filthiest, most disgusting, and overpriced meal I've ever had. They served tiny frozen gray burgers and mostly raw french fries. Everything tasted bland and salty."
"The tables were not bused or wiped down. Horrifying. We had a great waiter, though."
22.And finally: "My boyfriend and I went to Jamie Oliver's restaurant Jamie's Italian just off Canary Wharf when we were in London for our anniversary a few years ago, and it was just pure pish. It was nearly empty (at prime dinnertime on Thursday, in LONDON), the place was dirty (bits of food from previous diners on the floor around tables), and the tiramisu was just...I don't even know...awful."
"It was obviously the last piece in the tinfoil tray it arrived in, and they sprinkled some sort of shite over the top of it to mask its shiteness.
"Honestly, some celebrities just slap their name on a product and then don't even care how it ends up reflecting badly on their reputation."
