A struggling Houston-area restaurant is the subject of a recent episode of Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares,” in which the famous chef assesses issues at restaurants with brutal honesty and helps them bounce back.

In the episode, Ramsay heads to Spring to help revive Kings Blu Jam Cafe, a Louisiana-style restaurant that has over $600,000 in debt.

At first taste of menu items such as shrimp and grits, brisket eggs benedict, and chicken and waffles, Ramsay used words like, “disgusting,” “terrible,” and “strange.” A customer vomits outside the restaurant, allegedly from the food, the episode shows.

Owner Connie King Reddington opened the cafe in 2018. There was only one other breakfast spot in the area at the time, she said, so they were busy. But business has since slowed.

Connie splits her work between the front of house and the kitchen. Her daughter Justin is a cook and manager at the restaurant. The two are often at odds, as expressed by the employees, and it has strained their relationship.

If the restaurant doesn’t survive, Connie said the family could lose their home.

“If we had to close our doors tomorrow, it would be really sad, but we just really can’t go any further in debt,” King Reddington said on the episode. “We have to be able to pick things up again. Chef Ramsay is our last hope.”

Not shown in the episode, it appears the restaurant is now called Country Scrambled Cafe. The Houston Chronicle has attempted to reached out for more information.

The Houston-area “Kitchen Nightmares” episode can be watched on Fox.com.Sonia Garcia is a trending food reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at