Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his no-holds-barred approach were on the case in Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service episode "Callahan's Part 1," which aired on July 9. We're curious to see what's going on at Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill given that this is a special two-part episode, with the second installment set to air on July 16.
Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill is a family owned restaurant that started to experience some trouble when the owner and family patriarch passed away, leaving his three daughters in charge. An insider called for help to keep the struggling restaurant afloat. So was Ramsay able to help Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill? Is Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill still open?
Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill is a family owned seafood restaurant in Frederick, Md. Their story is featured on their website: "At Callahan's Restaurant, we take pride in our rich history and commitment to providing exceptional dining experiences. Founded in the heart of Frederick, our restaurant was built on the principles of quality, freshness and hospitality that keep our guests coming back for more. We are farm & sea to table."
Here's the description of the episode: "Using his covert alias and high-tech surveillance equipment, Gordon gains intel on the community staple, Callahan’s Seafood Bar and Grill, which has rapidly declined since the owner died and left the restaurant to his three daughters. Callahan’s used to be the center of their familial bond, but the eldest daughter’s substandard leadership skills and the kitchen staff’s lack of respect for management and overall indifference has left the restaurant and the sister’s relationship in turmoil. Phase one of Gordon’s assignment: compel the sister co-owners and staff to take accountability."
We're happy to report that Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill is still open for business.
According to the Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill website, the restaurant opens at 11 am Tuesday to Sunday and is open late on the weekends. It is closed Mondays. There are weekly food and drink specials, and guests can enjoy karaoke on Fridays and Saturdays.
The menu features an assortment of traditional seafood fare like Maryland crab cakes, bang bang shrimp and beer battered fish & chips along with handheld options like the "local smash" burger and a veggie flatbread.
As of publication, the restaurant has a 4.3 rating on Google Reviews (with 764 reviews as of this writing).
There are lots of recent reviews, particularly from around Mother's Day, praising the restaurant. One happy diner noted the scallops and fingerling potatoes dish and the filet and crab. "Best dining experience any of us have had for a while. We'll definitely go back!" that reviewer wrote. Another Mother's Day diner added, "The food was nothing short of amazing."
Notably, however, there are quite a few reviews dating back two to three months, which was after Ramsay's "refresh," lamenting changes to a very popular menu item: the cream of crab soup. These reviewers, who point out that they frequented the restaurant in the past, have lots of issues with the new soup recipe, and its temperature.
One reviewer noted that the soup was served "lukewarm at best" and it made them "queasy" after eating it. Another Callahan's regular was very upset: "not only was the new cream of crab soup recipe boring, but it was short on crab meat (and came out cold)." Cold soup seems to be a theme, as another reviewer came back for the soup and left coldhearted: "I wanted to come since they brought back the cream of crab soup. Sadly, when I was served the soup, it came out cold."
It's worth noting that there aren't any recent soup complaints, suggesting that the soup issue could be fixed at this point.
We're happy to see that things seem to be moving in a positive direction for Callahan's Seafood Bar & Grill after Gordon Ramsay's intervention, and we're eager to see how the two-part episode wraps up next week.
Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on Fox. You can watch episodes on-demand on Hulu.
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