Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen - Restaurant Impossible Update

This week on Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine and his crew are in Colorado Springs, Colorado to makeover Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen. Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen is owned by Robert Brunet, who is also the chef.  He is on the verge of losing his business and his wife if he cannot shed his arrogant alter ego.  His over-the-top attitude has impacted his relationships with his family and staff and also makes Robert Irvine have second thoughts about helping him.  Robert needs to fix Robert's attitude in hopes of saving his restaurant and marriage.

As I normally do with Restaurant: Impossible episodes, I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen 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:

• "Wonderful Shrimp 'n Grits so yummmmm. Crab cakes are awesome all meat made with minimal binder. Etoufee is fab. Great bar service too as you'd expect in NOLA"
• "Great food and great service!! I absolutely love Cajun food and for being in the middle of the country this place is amazing!!"
• "Marvelous shrimp & grits so yummy and the crab cakes are perfection all crab minute filler. Wait-staff is great!!"
• "The food is great and the owners and staff are top quality."
• "This place is excellent, the Voodoo Pasta and Gator bites are delicious and the view from the patio offers a scenic view of Pikes Peak and the Airforce Academy. By far one of my favorite restaurants in the Springs"
• "The remodel & menu revamp have definitely upped the game. Much more enjoyable"
• "O M G! Food coma! Everything was so good! The chef/owner came out several times to chat and visit with us. Our waitress Sydney was wonderful too. And, the white chocolate croissant bread pudding was so decadent! You won't regret the visit."

Negative Reviews:

• "I don't typically write bad reviews based on one poor meal. However, after a lot of thought I decided to post about my experience . Weird atmosphere, high prices, and incongruent interior aside, the food is so incredibly bland that it is, in fact, memorable....I have seen other reviews that confirm the lack of flavor we experienced but it was nonetheless disappointing. I really can't recommend this restaurant to anyone, and although I hope that they are successful going forward, they're quite literally not worth their salt -- or at least they don't believe their Étouffée is."
• "Went here out of curiosity, plus my wife had a taste for Cajun. This boujee establishment missed it by a huge gap! The Gator they served me was subpar, the gumbo was the most disrespectful dish I ever tasted in my life going into Cajun based restaurants. All the food there is precooked, NOTHING was fresh (at least that's what the texture and taste of the food felt like)!! I should have known by the lack of "stank" in the restaurant. I couldn't smell crawfish, or nothing. It was like they just microwaved the food. I'm sure they're able to fool the locals here in Colorado Springs being that this is the only or closest thing to Cajun that they'll probably ever taste. I'm from the south plus Louisiana born so I know this place was a big abomination once I tasted this bland food."
• "We ordered the Shrimp Etouffee and Louisiana Crabcakes to go. The Etoufee was very bland, almost tasteless, no buttery flavor at all and I think they forgot to put any kind of spices in it - not even salt! The crabcakes at least had some taste to them and the taste was sweet. Not at all what I would have expected from a Cajun restaurant."
• "The service was ok but the food was just not that good, I think it’s because I know what it’s supposed to taste like the jambalaya had to much tomato paste, the crawfish étouffée tasted like it was made in gravy you put on mashed potatoes and the gumbo I’m just not gonna go there…they tried tho and it was clean"
• "Just not what we expected . Too bland and not that Cajun taste"

*Reviews from Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google

Other News and Links:

• The Restaurant Impossible makeover for Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen happened in October 2021.
• Here is the Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen website and Facebook page.
• The restaurant is holding a watch party for the episode that includes, "a complete Restaurant Impossible inspired dinner with a glass of house wine or beer, Crawfish Rangoon appetizers, your choice of 3 chef inspired entrees and a choice of dessert.  Chef Robert and Becky Brunet will share stories of their Restaurant Impossible experience and you'll be able to watch the premier of the show in the place where it all happened." The price is $50 per person.
• The restaurant also posted this about how they were selected for Restaurant Impossible, "Three years ago, when we were still at our little place on Rockrimmon, we applied to be on Restaurant Impossible in hopes of improving our prospects for growing our business.  When the producers of the show contacted us earlier this year, we agreed to do the show with the expectation that we might shine a light on the challenges we, and other independent restauranteurs were dealing with during the pandemic. When Robert Irvine arrived at our restaurant, the focus took a completely different turn.  This was an extraordinarily difficult and emotional process for Becky and myself but, in the end, we believe it was well worth the effort.  We're very happy to share this experience with you and sincerely appreciate your support as we continue this journey together."
• The Rockrimmon location was smaller and they moved to their larger and current location in 2020.
• Chef and owner Robert "BB" Brunet moved from Louisiana to Colorado Springs after Hurricane Katrina and opened Momma Pearl's in 2013. 
• Here are the reviews for Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen from Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Google.
• The restaurant takes the time to respond to reviews on Google.

Conclusion:

The reviews for Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen since the Restaurant: Impossible makeover have been mixed with people complementing the food, the staff and the remodel.  The negative reviews all seem to be about the food, with people saying it is bland and lacks the seasoning and flavors needed in Cajun food.  It seems like people that are originally from the South have a problem with the seasoning/flavors while others do not.  Momma Pearl's says they are happy with the Restaurant Impossible experience and felt that it was worth the effort. 

UPDATE - Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen closed in June 2024.  The owner Robert posted the following message on his Facebook page:

"MOMMA PEARL'S HEARTBREAK

Dear Friends and Valued Guests,

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the permanent closure of Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen. Despite our best efforts to adjust to the numerous economic challenges we’ve faced, the past few months have been particularly difficult. Rising food, labor, and property tax costs, coupled with a severe drop in attendance, have made it impossible for us to continue operations.

From the moment we opened our doors in 2013, we've been dedicated to bringing the authentic flavors of Southern Louisiana to Colorado Springs. Over the years, your support and love have been the driving force behind our growth and success. We’ve cherished every moment serving you, sharing our family recipes, and creating lasting memories together.

We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you who has dined with us, shared a meal, and become a part of the Momma Pearl’s family. Your loyalty and patronage have meant the world to us. Although we are closing our doors, we carry with us the wonderful experiences and the community we've built together.

Thank you for your unwavering support and for making Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen a beloved part of the Colorado Springs dining scene. We will always treasure the memories and the friendships we’ve made along the way.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Chef Robert "BB" Brunet and Becky Brunet

Momma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen"

He also created a meme below it blaming Joe Biden.  Mamma Pearl's Cajun Kitchen has been marked as 'Closed' on the Restaurant Impossible Updates page.

*Visit Our Restaurant Impossible Update Page to see all Restaurant: Impossible updates, and which restaurants are open, closed, or have been sold. Also Like Us on Facebook and Follow Us on Twitter