This Gordon Ramsay Restaurant Was A Massive Flop With An Underwhelming Menu

"Fat Cow" may not seem like the most welcoming name for an eatery, but this short-lived Gordon Ramsay restaurant seemed like it had everything else going for it. Opened in Los Angeles in 2012, this was a casual restaurant that sought a broad yet family-friendly clientele. The dining room had an upscale distressed vibe, the bar area resembled an English Pub, and a dessert station was known by the child-friendly name of Moo Bar.

While the Moo Bar featured handmade ice cream sandwiches with cookies, the rest of the menu was largely typical New American restaurant fare. There was a burger, French fries, and a selection of pizzas. Two dishes had a notable Ramsay flair: mac and cheese with lobster, and a sticky toffee pudding — one of the chef's favorites, and the dessert course to Gordon Ramsay's last meal.

Evidence suggests Fat Cow was popular, but it closed in 2014 under legal pressure from a Spanish restaurant in Florida with the same name — and the legal issues were only beginning. Staffers sued the business over unpaid wages and labor violations, and Ramsay was sued by his business partner for allegedly boxing him out of a relaunch effort.

Despite a bevy of lawsuits, Ramsay could be said to have gotten the last laugh over Fat Cow. He won his countersuit against his former business partner in 2020, along with millions in damages. But Ramsay has long been among the celebrity chefs forced to close their restaurants, and not necessarily for dramatic legal reasons. A critically-acclaimed Asian restaurant of his, Maze, closed after 14 years simply because it wasn't profitable anymore.

The fate of these restaurants and others is proof that the high stakes of Ramsay's TV shows are, to a certain extent, real. Running a successful eatery over the long term is a significant challenge, making his successful restaurant rescues all the more impressive.

Ramsay's reality show may have a reputation for not actually saving restaurants, but Kitchen Nightmares has several success stories worth celebrating. Still-open survivors like Oceana Grill and Bel Aire Diner have found their niches and been able to keep customers coming through the doors. But the Fat Cow saga remains a warning that customers alone aren't enough to keep the doors open.