America's Next Great Restaurant
NBC | CNBC | Release Date: March 6, 2011
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
7
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenMar 4, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's a high-quality reality show about creating a mid-range dining experience. Read full review
70
VarietyGeoff BerkshireMar 4, 2011
Season 1 Review: Based on the two episodes available for preview, Restaurant is admirably low on trash-TV antics, lending it additional family-friendly appeal in the 8 p.m. hour leading into another competition, "Celebrity Apprentice." Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamaraMar 3, 2011
Season 1 Review: America's Next Great Restaurant doesn't have the drama of a Gordon Ramsay show, but it does have a behind-the-scenes factor that is fresh enough--who knew coming up with a logo was so hard?--and the subject matter has universal appeal. Read full review
60
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertMar 3, 2011
Season 1 Review: None of the contestants are quite as memorable as their ideas, except for the man fighting for Saucy Balls. The judges are a little more vivid, remaining firm in their opinions and unafraid to reject proposals without much apology. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyMar 3, 2011
Season 1 Review: The show has its tense moments. But it's closer to comfort television than "Hell's Kitchen." Read full review
58
Uncle BarkyEd BarkMar 4, 2011
Season 1 Review: The newcomer is unlikely to provoke much dinner table conversation, but goes down easily enough while trying not to leave any really bitter aftertastes. Read full review
50
Zap2it (Inside the Box)Mikey O'ConnellMar 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: NBC is clearly aiming for a network companion to their successful "Top Chef" franchise here, but while the aesthetics and the challenges are decidedly Bravo-esque, the personalities don't ever come close. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid WiegandMar 3, 2011
Season 1 Review: What makes the show at least mildly interesting is that it's not always easy to predict who will make it to the next round and who will be cut. Read full review
40
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinMar 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: America's Next Great Restaurant is quickly undone by the same mean-spiritedness that makes Survivor, American Idol and the rest of this genre such an unpleasant viewing experience. Winning depends at least as much (and probably much more) on impressing the producers with television skills as it does on winning over the judges with culinary expertise or business savvy. So taunting and backbiting among the contestants is a dreary constant. Read full review
40
Washington PostHank StueverMar 7, 2011
Season 1 Review: Both Restaurant and "Millionaire" stir similar pots of self-pride, entrepreneurship and the psychic reward of sharing one's good fortune. But because the medium is television--reality television--each show collapses under the pressure of showing off its sense of nobility and higher purpose. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 88 Rivals
4 87 Hacks: Season 5
5 87 Industry: Season 4
6 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
7 85 The Beatles Anthology
8 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
9 85 Bait: Season 1
10 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
11 83 Lord of the Flies
12 83 Riot Women: Season 1
13 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
14 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
15 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
16 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
17 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
18 80 The Comeback: Season 3
19 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
20 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
SEE ALL