This list was originally published on July 7, 2022. We’ve added fresh ingredients (more restaurant shows) in honor of The Bear ’s third season. “It would be weird to work in a restaurant and not lose your mind,” says Ayo Edebiri’s character in The Bear .
And her Sydney, a sous-chef at one of the most hectic, anxiety-inducing restaurants in Chicago, would know. But let’s take that a step further: It would be weird to work in a restaurant and then watch TV about people who work in a restaurant and not lose your mind. You could end up reliving some of your worst moments! You could be inviting stress in! We live in 2024.
None of us need to be inviting extra stress in, my babies. And yet there are some really great shows about restaurant life that you just don’t want to miss. Your tolerance level for TV-induced stress is up to you, but to help you decide which scripted restaurant shows — or shows with a main character whose job at a restaurant is a main source of conflict for them — are on your desired level, scroll through our list, ranked from least stress-inducing to most stress-inducing, complete with a handy little antacid count so you know exactly the level of stomach churning these shows might evoke.
In honor of The Bear season 3, we’ve even added five more series to our original list, because when it comes to restaurant TV shows, you can never have too many plates spinning. Bon appétit! 15. Oh dear, sweet Bob’s Burgers ! In real life, sure, a small .