Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap - Kitchen Nightmares Update

On this week's episode of Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay is in Vernon Hills, Illinois to help out Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap.  Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap is a suburban eatery that is facing an identity crisis.  Gordon Ramsay will need to figure out a way to get the restaurant to focus on the important things, which will make them successful in the future.

Kitchen Nightmares visited Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap in June 2025 to film the episode, and I searched around the Internet to read stories, comments and reviews about Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap to get an idea of how the restaurant is doing since Gordon Ramsay visited, and here is what I found (note - all reviews are post Kitchen Nightmares):

Positive Reviews:

• "This little neighborhood gem is my absolute go-to whenever I'm craving some great, classic American food! We brought a few friends along this time, and almost everyone loved their meals. The 12 oz bone-in pork chop was seasoned beautifully and cooked to perfection, the chop Cobb salad was absolutely massive, and the double bacon smashburger was incredibly tasty. Another standout was the hearty kale salmon salad, which was delicious."
• "We stopped in after a work event because I saw the place from the road and I am so excited we came! The food was soo good and we all enjoyed our entrees very much!
• Even the desserts were amazing, and perfect being the mini. Our server was very kind and made the experience enjoyable :)"
• "Great place to grab a burger and drink. Menu had a lot to choose from and the staff was very helpful. A great ambiance as well. 10/10 recommend!"
• "Always great service and food. I've never had to wait for a table either."
• "Great burgers, half chicken roasted, wine, liquor, indoor, outdoor, very popular!"
• "Was looking for a new spot to eat with my family in the area. We came across Wick and decided to give them a shot. 1000% did not disappoint. The food and service was amazing and the dessert was the cherry on top. I can’t recommend them enough!"
• "The restaurant parking is well equipped with stalls. They get busy around 530pm so we made reservations and they stayed busy. Thus was on a Saturday. Staff is friendly, efficient and professional. All seats both inside and outside are comfortable and clean. Appetizers, meals, and desserts are fresh and delicious. Bar drinks are also delicious and made well. Observed an older patron environment, but I'm sure kids would enjoy what is offered as well. Nice variety of selections. Food was hot, fresh, and fast. I highly recommend eating here."
• "This place is perfect if you're at baseball games at the nearby complex. Their smash burger was a 10 out of 10, and the bartender "KK" made amazing Wisconsin-style brandy old fashions. I also met the Manager, Michael - super friendly and welcoming."

Negative Reviews:

• "This was our first time at Wick n Ore and our hopes were high. Unfortunately, it did not meet expectations. I had the meatloaf special which was served layered with mashed potatoes. It looked promising but was very bland. My wife had the fish and chips which she thought were just ok. Based on that we skipped dessert. Overall we were unimpressed and will likely not be back."

*Reviews from Yelp, Google

Other News and Links:

• The makeover for Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap happened in June 2025, so more than a year before the episode first aired.
• Here is the Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap website and Facebook page.
• The restaurant posted about the upcoming episode, "For the record ! Gordon Ramsey reached out to Midwest independent restaurants “ Gordon Ramsey is looking to help independent restaurant in these hard times!” write an essay why Gordon Ramsay should help you. Not knowing what the show would be! Our episode is an outlier, not like the others.   Our episode is about our menu being too large and trying to execute that big of a menu in a very small kitchen and the demand it puts on the chef, cooks and the operation financially! What a independent operator gives up to live his dream. so tune in and watch."
• Here are the reviews for Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap on Yelp and Google.
• The reviews are pretty positive on both sites.

Conclusion:

The reviews for Wick N' Ore Kitchen & Tap have been very positive since the Kitchen Nightmares makeover with Gordon Ramsay.  People seem to like the food (especially burgers), atmosphere and drinks.  It seems like they had to write an essay to apply to be on the show and said their trouble was operating a large menu in a small kitchen.



*To see updates on all the restaurants from Kitchen Nightmares and to see which ones are open or closed, visit the Kitchen Nightmares Update Page. Plus Follow on Twitter to keep up to date on closings.