On the Bayou - Restaurant Impossible Update

This week on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to makeover On the Bayou.  On the Bayou is owned by married couple Greg and Janice Johnson and the restaurant is causing them to constantly fight.  The restaurant is ruining their relationship and has put them in debt.  Robert needs to get them to accept their roles in the restaurant in hopes of saving their business and their relationship.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments, and reviews about On the Bayou to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Robert Irvine visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Restaurant: Impossible):

Positive Reviews:

• "Tonight our daughter's band was playing there, so we decided to go support her band and get a meal. First off, the food was outstanding, my wife ordered the catfish meal with Lima beans, yams and greens. I decided to try the pork chop meal, greens, cabbage and yams. Both meals were delicious, the problem was, we were supposed to get peach cobbler with our meals, we'll they ran out."
• "We were part of the filming of Robert Irvine's Restaurant Impossible over the past two days. We saw a failing restaurant get a major boost and a second chance. The owners were super nice and we had some of the best food we've ever had today at On the Bayou in Milwaukee. It's not far from Fiserv so try it if you can. They were struggling but with the new menu and the beautiful new restaurant, I really want them to make it.Reasonable prices and the salmon, shrimp po boys, Cajun pasta, poutine were all amazing. We drank the Hurricanes. Superb meal. Decor is top class. Go and give it a try."
• "Excellent food, very friendly service, amazing jazz band was playing (No Seat Belts) apparently they perform every other Sunday...I most DIFFINATELY be back!!"
• "We held a retirement celebration there and the staff was efficient and helpful, the food was delicious, the establishment was up to par and inviting.."
• "Visited on Saturday for the wine tasting and music event and I was impressed. The food was very good and the staff was helpful. I met the owners and they took time to talk and welcome me to their establishment. Overall, we had a great time and will be back. Thanks guys, it was a pleasure."
• "I plan to go to New Orleans this fall so I went to the Taste Of New Orleans at the full entertainment venue at On The Bayou. If New Orleans cuisine is half as good as On The Bayou I am in for an amazing trip. The food is tasty filling and a proud representation of New Orleans. "
• "Our 1st time here. We'll be back again with friends. The food was amazing. The portion size was worth the money. Black Owned by a great family. I love it here. Live music and the ambiance is just right. Go support this restaurant!"

Negative Reviews:

• "I will never return to the establishment and don't really recommend anyone else to do so. First , they were sold out of everything then we literally waited 45 mins for the bar tender to acknowledge us. She spent all of her time catering to the men at the bar."
• "Called to confirm if reservations were needed, I was told walk ins welcome on Wednesday. Drive from Chicago to a closed restaurant. I was looking forward to classic new Orleans food. Maybe next time"

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The Restaurant Impossible makeover for On the Bayou happened in May 2021.
• Here is the On the Bayou website and Facebook page which advertises a lot of events being held there.
• The hours listed on the website for On the Bayou are Thursday - Saturday 5pm - 11pm and they also have a banquet hall. The hours listed for On the Bayou on their Facebook page is 3pm - 9pm Wednesday - Saturday.  On Yelp, the restaurant is listed as closed on Thursdays.
• In June 2021, the restaurant responded to a review about being closed on a Wednesday with, "We apologize for your inconvenience. Until we get staffed our current hours are 3:00 to 10:00 Thursday - Saturday and every 1st and 3rd Sunday 4:00 to 7:00"
• Another couple is also listed as co-owners of On the Bayou. (Link)
• Here is an informative article about the backstory of the restaurant that also talks about the trouble they had with an accountant who didn't pay the restaurant's taxes. (Link)
• Here are the reviews for On the Bayou from Yelp and Google.

Conclusion:

The reviews for On the Bayou since the Restaurant Impossible makeover have definitely improved and they are mostly positive with people liking the food and the events there.  It seems like they have a lot of events such as live music at On the Bayou and they advertise the events on social media versus their food.  The hours listed for On the Bayou on the Internet differ on different websites, which can be confusing for customers.  It seems that hours are limited due to trouble finding staff.


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